The Quest for The KEF… Reference 107!

Hey guys,
Does anyone know the stock 107 spike specs ? (size, thread, pitch) My pair came without and I'm looking to add some aftermarket spikes.
Thanks in advance!
 
Do you have the stock feet? Too lazy to lift my 107s now but I seem to recall some speakers had the spikes inside the feet. You just pulled off the outside foot part and voila, you had spikes.
 
Thanks for the reply raynald. I don't have the feet you describe either. The speakers are just sitting in their bases on my carpeted floor. I took a chance and ordered a set of spikes with M6 threaded studs . If they don't fit the stock t-nut inserts, I'll just remove the stockers and insert new t-nuts in the bases.

Cheers!
 
I will not swear it applies to the 107 and I really don't feel like flipping mine over but worth a look before buying spikes.
 
Just a follow up for anyone needing spikes for the 107. The stock t-nut inserts are indeed m6 units and this set of spikes from Parts Express work perfectly. They're the right size for the caninet and lift the speaker off my carpet with about .25" clearance.

Dayton Audio DSS4: comes in 4 finish options.
 
I placed a down payment on a pair of 107's at a shop in Chicago today, will pick them up next Sunday and will post pics when I get them home and set up. They are in very good condition and came with the Kube. I have registered them in the KEF Registry thread.

I thought I had read it somewhere in this thread but I'll be darned if I can find it now. Someone had mentioned changing out the old opamps in the Kube to newer ones and stated which ones they used. Could whoever did that post which ones they used again? Thanks. If at all possible, any cap changes (BOM) would be greatly appreciated too.
 
Do you have the stock feet? Too lazy to lift my 107s now but I seem to recall some speakers had the spikes inside the feet. You just pulled off the outside foot part and voila, you had spikes.

That's correct, the feet has inserts for the spikes.
 
I placed a down payment on a pair of 107's at a shop in Chicago today, will pick them up next Sunday and will post pics when I get them home and set up. They are in very good condition and came with the Kube. I have registered them in the KEF Registry thread.

I thought I had read it somewhere in this thread but I'll be darned if I can find it now. Someone had mentioned changing out the old opamps in the Kube to newer ones and stated which ones they used. Could whoever did that post which ones they used again? Thanks. If at all possible, any cap changes (BOM) would be greatly appreciated too.

Here is a thread discussing the op-amps

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/kef-r107-kube-opamp-upgrade.552874/#post-7285951

Not sure if anyone has a BOM of caps. Maybe @Thundermud
 
Since we are talking about 107 restoration, if anyone has the time to upload or send me directly any and all instruction sheets/ capacitor lists/etc...ANY rebuild info you have, I would be very grateful!!!! I may need them down the road! I think all I have is a KUBE schematic, which I got from Thundermud.
 
Any other 107 owners use the Kube with other speakers? It's just a "low-level equalizer, right?" The reason I ask...sometimes I swap in the occasional other speaker into my "main" system and it's a pain in the rear to take the Kube out of the system if I can just hook up the other speakers and leave the Kube in place.

I'll tell you the Kube sounds great with these Klipsch RF-35 speakers!

It's been awhile but I think I accidentally left the Kube in place with my Quad 57's, and the amp immediately went into protection! So, yeah, no Kube with electrostatics...but it seems to be fine with "conventional" speakers.

Just wanted to get a consensus here as to whether this is "okay"...not for long term, but for occasional use, a few hours here and there.
 
i fully understand the journey
i found a pair of 104/2, cabs in great shape with the kube
speakers had all the norm problems dried out tweeters, and foams and do-nuts
fixed em up and said, wow! these will never leave this house.

then i went to look at some gear from a kijiji add. while talking the guy says want to see my wifes old system ?
sure
he shows me a gorgeous, kyocera system with kef 105/2. its all mint
this is in a rich part of the city and they are an display in a huge room.
he asks what its worth, i offer 2000
he says no, it was his wifes, she's been dead 10 yrs and he's not ready.
he's using a wave radio that he carries from room to room.

6 month latter i buy some stereo out of his sons room, still no kefs
a year latter he calls me, and wants some info on a new tv purchase, we talk
he buys his new tv
calls me latter to say thanks for the info and not letting him be up sold for features he would never use

" hey if you still want those speakers, their yours for 700 as long as you promise not to flip them"
they are here now, have been for close to a year. they aint leaving.
funny thing is my surround system is all mission speakers except the center
so my living room has 8 british speakers :)
 
Any other 107 owners use the Kube with other speakers? It's just a "low-level equalizer, right?" The reason I ask...sometimes I swap in the occasional other speaker into my "main" system and it's a pain in the rear to take the Kube out of the system if I can just hook up the other speakers and leave the Kube in place.

I'll tell you the Kube sounds great with these Klipsch RF-35 speakers!

It's been awhile but I think I accidentally left the Kube in place with my Quad 57's, and the amp immediately went into protection! So, yeah, no Kube with electrostatics...but it seems to be fine with "conventional" speakers.

Just wanted to get a consensus here as to whether this is "okay"...not for long term, but for occasional use, a few hours here and there.

No worse than using an EQ and the same rules apply, keep the volume moderate, don't play with the tone controls or loudness to add even more bass and you should be fine. Since the 107 has the best natural bass response of any of the speakers of that series, the 107 Kube has the least bass boost and would be the least risky to use in this way. The 102 Kube had a pretty massive boost IIRC and things could get out of hand quickly if you turned up the volume and added any extra bass.

Glad your Quads survived, lovely speaker.
 
No worse than using an EQ and the same rules apply, keep the volume moderate, don't play with the tone controls or loudness to add even more bass and you should be fine. Since the 107 has the best natural bass response of any of the speakers of that series, the 107 Kube has the least bass boost and would be the least risky to use in this way. The 102 Kube had a pretty massive boost IIRC and things could get out of hand quickly if you turned up the volume and added any extra bass.

Glad your Quads survived, lovely speaker.

Thanks!!! I am also glad the Quads survived, haha. Won't be trying that again!

The Klipsch don't seem to mind the Kube at all...or should I say the amp doesn't seem to mind the Kube/Klipsch combo...either way, sounds good to me.
 
Makes sense, in my retail days the Klipsch had great dynamics and bass impact but not a lot of particularly low bass so the Kube might be a good match in moderation.

What amp are you using?

And yes, I would keep the Kube away from the Stax!
 
Makes sense, in my retail days the Klipsch had great dynamics and bass impact but not a lot of particularly low bass so the Kube might be a good match in moderation.

What amp are you using?

And yes, I would keep the Kube away from the Stax!

Well...too late, lol. The Stax headphones are used in the "main" system, with the Kube still in place...although I've thought about moving them to the office system anyway. The office system actually has the better electronics and the turntable...something about vinyl + electrostatics (whether Quads or Stax) is very good. Also vinyl + headphones...a classic pairing!

The Kube/Stax headphones don't seem to have much issue getting along, somehow. Sounds fine, amp doesn't shut down, anyway.

The only reason the headphones have remained in the "main" system is the sound from that room carries upstairs quite easily. So late at night, I may want/need to use the headphones while lying on the couch, reading a book.

In the office, I can close the door, so noise is not as much of an issue. With the Quads in there, it's hard to ever want to listen to the headphones, honestly! The Quads sound better! I would like to try out a higher end pair of Stax phones...mine are a lower end model. Still sound quite good, but just a notch below the Quads.

I may end up moving them though anyway, we'll see. I do like simplifying the main system as much as possible. It already has the Kube in it, plus an RCA selector switch, so I can either put my DIY tube buffer in the chain, or not. Between the switch, tube buffer, Kube, and Stax "amp", it's probably a lot more complex than it should be!

For an amp, I'm using an Emotiva UPA-200. 125 wpc @ 8 ohms. Also Emotiva XDA-2 DAC/digital preamp.

Likely the Klipsch system will be moved to my mother in law's house this week (for now, anyway).
 
Again, I guess the Stax will be OK with the Kube if volume is kept moderate but turn it up and you might get some nasty sounds from the diaphragms bottoming out. Not really dangerous, just unpleasant.

Which model Stax do you have?

BTW, I was very impressed with the increase in sound quality going from the XDA-2 to the DC-1. More natural, more realistic to put it briefly. The Quads would show that easily.
 
Again, I guess the Stax will be OK with the Kube if volume is kept moderate but turn it up and you might get some nasty sounds from the diaphragms bottoming out. Not really dangerous, just unpleasant.

Which model Stax do you have?

BTW, I was very impressed with the increase in sound quality going from the XDA-2 to the DC-1. More natural, more realistic to put it briefly. The Quads would show that easily.

I think the Stax are considered SR-4 or SR-44 or something like that. They call them "electret" rather than true electrostatics. I got them for $40 so wasn't out much to try them. I think they sound pretty good, but I have no frame of reference when it comes to headphones.

Good to know on the Emotiva! I've currently got a Peachtree Dac-itX going into the Quads. I don't see my gear changing much any time soon, unfortunately. Taking a pause on the upgrades and just enjoying the music...unless a "can't miss" deal comes up...
 
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