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Kef 104/2 refurb or part out?

Goggle1824

Goggle1824

Well-Known Member
Picked a pair of these up locally for a fairly low price.

Single speaker terminal versions, I believe the cabinets have been painted black by a previous owner, one tweeter is in place, one is likely missing (dome isn't present), dust caps are pushed in on three of the four mid drivers, one of the mid-driver cone is cracked.

Have both the grills/screens, all eight feet are present, the plastic "bay" pieces are in good shape, the cabinets don't look to have been dropped.

Haven't hooked up yet, not sure if I really should, I can imagine they won't sound too good so...

Thoughts on restoring cost & time vs potentially parting out what may be most useful to folks here via BT?

I could post pictures if helpful, just not until tomorrow.
 
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A real nice speaker , I have a set that are not going anywhere soon . These parts are pretty hard to find , but well worth the effort . I have some extra drivers if needed . The tweeters show up on the bay , the drivers not so much. Good luck .
 
I'd generate a list of needed items and materials and see if it is worth it. They have a great reputation as fantastic speakers.
 
These sound like a mess, but i have an early pair like these and they aren't leaving my premise. The cabinets are just your labor, if not hacked up too badly, just sand the paint off and oil finish. The woofers are more problematic, but occasionally show up. It just comes down to time and money, not sure you have much to part out as crossovers seem pretty solid as in no problems. good luck
 
So you need one tweeter, one mid, ferro fluid, and donuts. Gotta check the internal woofers?
Was there ever a original painted finish 104/2?
 
Not that I have ever seen , or anything from the Kef museum of painted cabinets . They will need to be reformed if not done by the last owner . I all so have the reform kit I mistakenly ordered 2 of them . Lol
 
There will be a bit of work you need to put into these - I would first check if all the drivers are working OK, as some will be a bitch to replace if not. ie:

- Bass drivers - probably a unique KEF part (I havent looked into this yet), if they are blown, there may not be a exact drop-in replacement - that doesnt mean the end of the world, but wlil complicate things. Check the outer surrounds (mine are rubber) and the inner donuts (most likely need replacing),

- The mid units on the front - not sure if replacements are available for these or not - pretty sure these were only made bespoke for this model - the real problem is that they are set into that removable front piece with epoxy - so getting them out (even if you did find replacements) could be a hell of a mission......

- The tweeters - if they are working, usually need re-ferrofluiding.

- The crossover - due to the great quality Falcon caps used - if theres no problem with it (ie blown caps from being overdriven) then this something you can leave alone - no need to recap IMO.

Like I say, check all your drivers to see if they work, if they are, then its not a big job to get these speakers sounding great, and they do sound great. Im about to strip mine, replace those manky speaker terminals, re-stain and fully restore.
 
Well worth the effort , they are very nice sounding British speakers , you will not be disappointed, they are keepers .
 
Photos: :yikes:

Kef 104/2 donut

Kef 104/2 donut


Kef 104/2 dome cover

Kef 104/2 dome cover


Kef 104/2 dome cover peeling

Kef 104/2 dome cover peeling


Kef 104/2 dome smooshed

Kef 104/2 dome smooshed


Kef 104/2

Kef 104/2


Kef 104/2 rear

Kef 104/2 rear


Kef 104/2 double back

Kef 104/2 double back


Kef 104/2 side

Kef 104/2 side

 
Ouch - its criminal what some people do to speakers.

In the condition shown in your photos - as its a huge job replacing those mids - I'd be considering parting these out.

You're still not sure that any of the remaining drivers work at this stage either.....
 
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Why I'm conflicted on these. The missing tweeter doesn't even seem to be present, though I haven't opened them up yet but upon moving them it didn't sound like anything was moving/rattling around inside.

Also, I have several other sets of speakers that I've read compare very favorably, etc (I.e. ADS 1290/2).

I'll likely open them up to check the drivers for impedance, I'm hopeful that some are functional and if so, more thinking and possible decisions then.
 
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Ooof. I brought a pretty beat pair back from the dead, but the lack of a tweeter and that cracked midrange cone are very concerning. The midranges are potted into their structure and may be nearly unfixable. That said, GordonW might be able to do something with them. The woofers look good, and refoaming and replacing the tweeter fluid are both straightforward jobs.
 
SimplySpeakers carry the Vc , spiders , cones and surrounds for the 104.2 , and canuckaudiomart has tweeters for sale now . Just a FYI
 
Any further update to this??? I am in same boat but my cabinets are in much better condition. Midrange dust caps are my problem (same as yours Google1824). I am missing grilles but I want to save these speakers.
 
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