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Kef 104/2 Reference in the house!

Nice pickup, dude... Those are adored by many. The 104/2's seem to me like they're halfway-between the warm, engaging British speaker sound (like Wharfedale, B&W, Quad) and the neutral British speaker sound (Harbeth, Rogers, Spendor), judging by your review. One thing's for sure, great upper-bass seems to be a quality of both. I had already heard that the 104/2 had good upper-bass, but I also get what you're saying about needing that lower octave, and that's why the RSPM's are by far my favorite of the speakers you own (and that's why I bought my W90's). Plus, the old IMF sound is closer to my ideal sound than the Kef sound. But also, the RSPM's, like you said, were IMF's TOTL speakers, whereas the 104/2's were not. It would be like comparing my W90's to a pair of Bozak 302a's.

I would imagine those RSPM's are outstanding with classic rock and pop. really do justice to something like George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" (an extremely-hard album for a speaker to reproduce). I bet they make "Isn't It A Pity" sound incredible, and I bet they're better than most at handling the muddy, distorted mess of a mix that is "Let It Down" (That Hammond organ part really-needs to be nice and clear because it's essential to the mood of the song... Listen during the verses where the organ-player speeds up and slows down the Leslie, and you'll see what I'm talking about).

Back to the 104/2's, how are they with classical, full-orchestra stuff? Or better yet, how would you expect them to do with something like Walter Murphy's "A Fifth Of Beethhoven" or Eumir Deodato's "Also Spracht Zarathustra"? Just wondering (I'm sure the RSPM's really nail that stuff home, but I'm curious about the Kef's in that regard). I love that 'classical funk' stuff. Most of it is extremely-well-recorded and sounds amazing with big speakers, plus a huge string section goes very-well with a funk or disco beat (I like "A Fifth Of Beethoven" even more now than I did when I was a kid growing up in the '70's).
 
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Congrats on a very nice set of speakers. I had a chance to audition a pair locally (sadly they weren't for sale :tears:), I really liked what I heard!.
 
You might even enjoy some crossover upgrades as well. I have a pair of 105.2' s
which, of course, have a different bass tuning arrangement. Replacement of the caps in the crossovers with Mundorf's and the coils with Erse as well as upgrading the internal wiring made a BIG difference. Everytime I think about trying something else, a listen to them changes my mind. Great find!
Hibuck....
 
Gang-Twanger said:
I would imagine those RSPM's are outstanding with classic rock and pop. really do justice to something like George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" (an extremely-hard album for a speaker to reproduce)...
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Wow, way-back machine Prof. Peabody... I loved that album back in the day and you have just convinced me to go out and buy it as a Ref. CD...

Thanks Ganger!!! :thmbsp:
 
Do you know how frequently these 104/2s have been played in the last number of years? The crossovers benefit from sustained use.

You might want to leave them facing each other and running for a few days and then reevaluate them. I found that use smoothed out the forwardness.
 
SimplySound said:
Wow, way-back machine Prof. Peabody... I loved that album back in the day and you have just convinced me to go out and buy it as a Ref. CD...

Thanks Ganger!!! :thmbsp:
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Uh Oh.... Well, I'm not so sure I would label that one a reference album. The mix suffers quite a bit from Phil Spector's "girl group" sound (muddy at times, and too-much reverb in spots. It does have it's moments though (Musically, I think it's perfect), so if you really dig that album (as I do), then I suggest tracking down the 2010 hi-res remaster. I think there might also be a 16-bit version of the 2010 remaster as well, but whatever you do, avoid the '01 remastered CD like the plague. That one is horrible. NR'd to death (The 2010 version is the way the 2001 remaster SHOULD have turned out). And for vinyl, I prefer the UK 1st-pressing (even over the Japanese LP, which I think is way-too-bright).

Oh jeez... Here I go obsessing over music again... :rolleyes:
 
The more I listen to these speakers the more I like them. Perhaps the caps need warming up, perhaps I am adjusting to them, maybe a mixture of both. But man oh man, do these speakers just make music or what!

They are a real bridge between the audiophile and the regular music listener. I can see why Kef sold so many of these and to people who normally wouldn't consider spending that kind of money on an audio system. These Kef's just know how to make music in a really enjoyable, detailed, yet forgiving manner. They are absolutely amazing at what they do.

To me, the best speaker designs are ones that execute really well. Like with Cerwin Vega, they are really good at what they do. It may not fit my listening preferences, but I have a lot of respect for the brand because what they do, they do very well. Like these Kefs, sure, they may not be considered an audiophile speaker but man they make music lovely to listen to. Music that would normally sound bad on my IMF's sound good on these, and there's still lots of detail going on. Enough to really just get lost in and forget you are listening to speakers, an amplifier, and a source.

Now that I think about why I bought these, and that is for the wife, I seriously could not have picked a better speaker to get her. Talk about accidental ingenuity or what? I didn't even know what these speakers were about before I bought them, I just knew they were really good. That was it. But after spending time with these speakers and living with them as my mains, I can really appreciate what it is that made these so lust-worthy. And on top of that, not only do they sound so damn good, they look amazing.

If you ever find a set of these, don't hesitate to buy them. They are worth every penny!
 
I haven't felt the need to replace caps on the crossover however I did replace the old Vifas with some contemporary designed tweeters which really complemented the detail the 104/2 mid range offers.
Enjoy!
 
canuckaudiog said:
The more I listen to these speakers the more I like them. Perhaps the caps need warming up, perhaps I am adjusting to them, maybe a mixture of both. But man oh man, do these speakers just make music or what!!
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Yeah, I just upgraded my amps from 80's Belles to 90's McCormacks and the sound of my system really opened up with much more detail. I knew it sounded better, but it took some time for my ears to adjust. It's interesting how we aclimate to our systems and changes can take some time to grow on us....

Sounds like you've found a good second system for the wife and the nice thing is you get to listen to it from time to time! ;)

Gang-Twanger said:
Oh jeez... Here I go obsessing over music again... :rolleyes:
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Too funny Ganger... thanks for the insight into what to look for!
 
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SimplySound said:
Yeah, I just upgraded my amps from 80's Belles to 90's McCormacks and the sound of my system really opened up with much more detail. I knew it sounded better, but it took some time for my ears to adjust. It's interesting how we aclimate to our systems and changes can take some time to grow on us....

Sounds like you've found a good second system for the wife and the nice thing is you get to listen to it from time to time! ;)
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You're telling me! Man, these speakers are just amazing. She was even hesitant about picking them up, but I just reassured her by saying she was going to love them. Oh yeah, she definitely is. I think today I am going to move them into their spot for her to enjoy. We will see, I am liking these speakers a lot :)

Also, for anyone out there with the Kube, Kef e-mailed me a PDF of the manual for it! Finally explains exactly what all the controls do. If anyone wants it, PM me their email address and I will pass it along to you.

Oh, one thing I wanted to mention, in the manual for the Kube it does say it equalizes the mids and highs as well. So it does indeed equalize the entire spectrum of the speaker.
 
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mech986 said:
Consider uploading the cube info to th AK database.
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Done! That's a great idea.

Well guys the Kef's are in their new home now - with the Wife's stereo. I must say it was a real fun adventure to experience the Kef's. Luckily, if I want to listen to them again, I just have to walk over to the next room. :yes:
 
SimplySound said:
If she'll let you in! And I bet she isn't giving up the sweet spot! Then again, maybe for you! ;)
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Oh nope.. she won't give that up, that's for sure. Every time she comes in to listen with me to the IMF's she asks for the sweet spot. So I know when it comes to her stereo, she gets the sweet spot!
 
Boy you get me in trouble Canucker!!! :yes:

I'm looking at a pair of R104/2's to potentially use as surrounds. Question is; how do you think they compare to the IMF TLS-50's? Probably don't go quite as low, but are they voiced in the mid-range and hi-end about the same? Do they image as well as the 50's? How do you think they will sit with the R107's?

Questions, questions, questions! :scratch2:
 
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SimplySound said:
Boy you get me in trouble Canucker!!! :yes:

I'm looking at a pair of R104/2's to potentially use as surrounds. Question is; how do you think they compare to the IMF TLS-50's? Probably don't go quite as low, but are they voiced in the mid-range and hi-end about the same? Do they image as will as the 50's? How do you think they will sit with the R107's?

Questions, questions, questions! :scratch2:
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Haha! Well I guess it's my responsibility to help you out with this, then isn't it!?

:)

In terms of comparison, they are both voiced differently. In terms of quality and just in general comparing, the TLS-50 II's and the Kef 104/2's would be very comparable.

Sonically speaking, I think what you will find is the IMF TLS 50 II's are more neutral in character. The Kef's are a bit colored and are more forgiving, whereas the IMF's will value accuracy more. The IMF's, in other words, are meant for a more "discerning" audiophile, whereas the Kef's are more meant for a "music lover". I would think both speakers are discerning enough for an "audiophile" however. :) If that makes sense. Both are very detailed sounding speakers, imaging wise I would place them both fairly close, however I think you will find the Kef 104/2's to be more pinpoint.

Now in terms of using them as surrounds with the 107's, I think in terms of timbre and matching the Kef 104/2's will be closer than the IMF's will be. I'm sure that you have found the IMF's and Kef 107's sound similar to each other, but have their differences in many areas. Whereas with the 104/2's and 107's, there will be more similarities. If it were me, personally I would be using the 104/2's with the 107's - that seems to me to make more sense if you are trying to match the sound up from all sides. I think if that is the case, I would put the IMF's with the 107's up front and use them interchangeably depending on what you want to listen to.

Or, just give those 50's to me 'cause I'm being so helpful. :D Just kidding of course.

That is my thoughts on the matter, if I were in your position and based on my previous experience.
 
Beautiful speakers, I LOVE the finish. I have KEF Reference 1's and couple sets of other Kef bookshelf and love them.
 
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