KEF 104/2 - The speaker gods have spoken

Thanks guys. I was looking at something like the ADS 1290s and wasnt even considering KEF. It looks like there are some 107s near me but way out of my price range. As for 104/2s there is one pair somewhere in the $600 range which assuming they need works seems to be too high too.

How are the newer 103/4 in comparison? There are a few pairs near me.
 
daviddi922 said:
As for 104/2s there is one pair somewhere in the $600 range which assuming they need works seems to be too high too.
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Depending on the condition of the cabinets, and your local market, $600 is not at all unreasonable. In some areas, that would be considered a very good price, if in good condition. What work may need to be done is relatively inexpensive and not that difficult, albeit a little time consuming for the donuts. There are several utubes to show you how to replace the donuts and tweeter ferrofluid.

I've read a few unfavorable reviews for the 103/4. Granted, there are always outliers. However, I don't recall ever seeing even one unfavorable review for the 104/2.

Personally, I'd rather pay a little more for very good, than a little less for just adequate.

Go have a listen. I think you will be impressed.
 
Good to know, sounds like these Kefs would be an obtainable upgrade if I can find a set worth picking up!

And if I happen to find some wild deal on the larger ADS or KEF I would probably pick them up regardless and unload some other smaller stuff I have to justify.
 
daviddi922 said:
And if I happen to find some wild deal on the larger ADS or KEF
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They do show up from time to time. There's currently a pair of KEF 107's on Denver CL for $600. :yikes: Black Ash cabinets (a little rough) and no hoods, but if working well...........................:dunno:
Unfortunately, I have neither the time to work on them nor the space to store them at present. :(
 
Lou G said:
When I purchased my KEF Calinda speakers new in 1979, I did an extensive auditioning of speakers and narrowed it down to 3 speakers, KEF Calinda, KEF 104ab, and Mission 770. Many years later I picked up a used pair of Mission 780 Argonauts at a good price for my second system. I thought they would sound similar to the 770 but they were very different and I was never happy with them and sold them. Several years later I picked up a pair of used KEF 104/2s. To my ears, the 780 sounded somewhat harsh compared to the KEF 104/2 which is very smooth. Also the Mission 780s bass seemed thin compared to the KEF 104/2. To me, the KEF 104/2 is a more musical speaker. IMHO I would choose the KEF 104/2 over the Mission 780. Of course everybody's hearing is different and you may have a different opinion.
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So, how did the 104/2 compare to the aB, in your opinion?
I'm working through some deciding over here...
 
DogMeat said:
So, how did the 104/2 compare to the aB, in your opinion?
I'm working through some deciding over here...
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The 104ab is a very nice sounding speaker but the 104/2 is in a different league. It totally bests the 104ab in terms of dynamics, base extension, imaging and soundstage. The 104/2 produces a room filling, 3 dimensional soundstage with superb imaging that most speakers can not replicate.
 
DogMeat said:
So, how did the 104/2 compare to the aB, in your opinion?
I'm working through some deciding over here...
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The 104ab and the 104/2 are completely different speakers and only share a name, which is dumb and can be confusing. The ab's are not bad speakers, I haven't heard them in a long time, and don't remember anything negative about them but given a choice I think most would choose the 104/2's. I've had my 104/2's a few weeks now, and currently I'm enjoying them and have been listening to them a lot. As mentioned above, they produce a nice large full soundstage.
 
Picked up a pair of KEF 104/2, rubber surrounds and will refurb. Thanks for all the great info on this thread. Pulling the bass drivers and replacing all the center foam soon, and grommets. Will do ferro fluids. Light wood cabinet (teak?) needs to be stripped and refinished.

I've been driving with a McIntosh MC2505 on the 4-ohm taps and it has sounded fantastic. I was worried the McIntosh would be underpowered, but it seems to be driving them really well.
 
rynoshark said:
Picked up a pair of KEF 104/2, rubber surrounds and will refurb. Thanks for all the great info on this thread. Pulling the bass drivers and replacing all the center foam soon, and grommets. Will do ferro fluids. Light wood cabinet (teak?) needs to be stripped and refinished.

I've been driving with a McIntosh MC2505 on the 4-ohm taps and it has sounded fantastic. I was worried the McIntosh would be underpowered, but it seems to be driving them really well.
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Be sure to post some pictures when you get them finished https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/kef-owners-thread.630884/.
 
halkaloogie said:
I'm running mine with a Perreaux pmf 1150b which is 100 watts at 8Ω, but from what I hear people say, they like power.
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Going back a bit on your perreaux and kef, How many watts is the speakers and does it give you a very strong bass sound?
what preamp do you use or you would recommend for this amp? Thanks,
 
halkaloogie said:
The 104ab and the 104/2 are completely different speakers and only share a name, which is dumb and can be confusing. The ab's are not bad speakers, I haven't heard them in a long time, and don't remember anything negative about them but given a choice I think most would choose the 104/2's. I've had my 104/2's a few weeks now, and currently I'm enjoying them and have been listening to them a lot. As mentioned above, they produce a nice large full soundstage.
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Having had both for decades, I absolutely agree: completely different creatures. I go w/ the 104/2s for the most part but now and then I'll switch in the 104aBs for some reason... nostalgia? The aBs sound really good but the 104/2s blow stomp all over them.
 
rudolfo said:
Going back a bit on your perreaux and kef, How many watts is the speakers and does it give you a very strong bass sound?
what preamp do you use or you would recommend for this amp? Thanks,
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Speaker wattage ratings are not really anything to worry about, but the 104/2 said they were rated to 200watts which as I said doesn't really mean anything. The 104/2's will happily take a ton of power, and I am very happy with the Perreaux.

If the KEF's are in proper working order they produce a lot of low end, although I do use them with dual subs, most would agree that it isn't a necessity.

As for the pre, I have been running a custom made tube pre for the last year with the KEF's, but in the last few weeks, I've been experimenting with a few other ones just to experiment. I was actually quite surprised with the stupid cheap FX audio 6j1. It's not as good as what I was already using, but for the price it is quite good. At the moment I have a handful of pres that I've bought or are on loan, and am slowly going through them.
 
halkaloogie said:
Speaker wattage ratings are not really anything to worry about, but the 104/2 said they were rated to 200watts which as I said doesn't really mean anything. The 104/2's will happily take a ton of power, and I am very happy with the Perreaux.
If the KEF's are in proper working order they produce a lot of low end, although I do use them with dual subs, most would agree that it isn't a necessity.

As for the pre, I have been running a custom made tube pre for the last year with the KEF's, but in the last few weeks, I've been experimenting with a few other ones just to experiment. I was actually quite surprised with the stupid cheap FX audio 6j1. It's not as good as what I was already using, but for the price it is quite good. At the moment I have a handful of pres that I've bought or are on loan, and am slowly going through them.
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So your perreaux is easily driving these speakers flawlessly as I understood?
Trying to make another setup for my living room. Looks like these speakers are one of the good candidates.
Besides the speakers, trying to get an idea on adding an excellent preamp for the perreaux pmf 1150b. I'm not sure if I'll use a tube or solid state preamp since all of my integrated amps are tubes. But then again, the solid state amp makes it a different story. I been a hunt for this similar amp for a long time which is quite the hardest one to get for the class and budget. A long time ago.. back 1982 I was able to build a 100wpc mosfet hifi amp and the circuit looks very similar to this one. As it went by , I got switched to tubes. But I told myself one day, I wanna get me a home power house amp and I found this. I'm planning to have the amp completely overhauled the right way so it can give me another 30 years. Any takes or input with your experience with the amp?
Thanks.....
 
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I found that a McCormack DNA125 and a Belles 150A Reference (both are rated 125 wpc) both sounded great with my KEF 104/2s. However my favorite, without spending a lot of money, is an Acurus A200 (200 wpc). The Acurus seemed to produce the greatest dynamics and yet retaining the same rich, smooth sonic signature as the McCormack and Belles. All 3 would be good choices.
 
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rudolfo said:
So your perreaux is easily driving these speakers flawlessly as I understood?
Trying to make another setup for my living room. Looks like these speakers are one of the good candidates.
Besides the speakers, trying to get an idea on adding an excellent preamp for the perreaux pmf 1150b. I'm not sure if I'll use a tube or solid state preamp since all of my integrated amps are tubes. But then again, the solid state amp makes it a different story. I been a hunt for this similar amp for a long time which is quite the hardest one to get for the class and budget. A long time ago.. back 1982 I was able to build a 100wpc mosfet hifi amp and the circuit looks very similar to this one. As it went by , I got switched to tubes. But I told myself one day, I wanna get me a home power house amp and I found this. I'm planning to have the amp completely overhauled the right way so it can give me another 30 years. Any takes or input with your experience with the amp?
Thanks.....
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I've had the perreaux for a couple of years now, I went through a bunch of power amps before I settled on it. I had it gone through when I got it, but it didn't need anything other than a good cleaning, and has been completely trouble free for me.


As for a pre, I've been using a very simple tube unit that was built for me by a good friend, but recently have been trying a few others. Currently I have a CJ pv12 on loan, a Musical Paradise MP-701, the FX audio 6j1, my one off custom tube unit, a Rotel RC1070 on loan, and a Perreaux SM3. Out of those the three tube units sound best to my ears. The SM3 I picked up cheap just because it matches the power amp, but it's nothing special, and probably my least favorite of the group. I've been looking for a passive pre to try out, but haven't gotten my hands on one yet. Truthfully if I was on a strict budget and was going to go best bang for the buck I would just use the 6j1, as it's surprisingly good for what it is and I like it more than the Rotel or the SM3. I really like the CJ, but I don't know if it's that much better to warrant the cost over the MP-701.

Don't know if that's any help though, as we're all looking for something different. But I will say the Perreaux (I leave it on all the time and it makes a substantial difference) and the 104/2's are a great combination no matter what preamp is used.
 
halkaloogie said:
I've had the perreaux for a couple of years now, I went through a bunch of power amps before I settled on it. I had it gone through when I got it, but it didn't need anything other than a good cleaning, and has been completely trouble free for me.


As for a pre, I've been using a very simple tube unit that was built for me by a good friend, but recently have been trying a few others. Currently I have a CJ pv12 on loan, a Musical Paradise MP-701, the FX audio 6j1, my one off custom tube unit, a Rotel RC1070 on loan, and a Perreaux SM3. Out of those the three tube units sound best to my ears. The SM3 I picked up cheap just because it matches the power amp, but it's nothing special, and probably my least favorite of the group. I've been looking for a passive pre to try out, but haven't gotten my hands on one yet. Truthfully if I was on a strict budget and was going to go best bang for the buck I would just use the 6j1, as it's surprisingly good for what it is and I like it more than the Rotel or the SM3. I really like the CJ, but I don't know if it's that much better to warrant the cost over the MP-701.

Don't know if that's any help though, as we're all looking for something different. But I will say the Perreaux (I leave it on all the time and it makes a substantial difference) and the 104/2's are a great combination no matter what preamp is used.
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Hi ,
I understand all the wonderful information's you gave me and I thank you for sharing with. I think im gonna go with the tube preamp like what you said.
Youre the 2nd one that told me the original perreaux preamp doesn't do justice. I'm gonna grab the FX audio 6j1. I'm not worried about bass and treble control for I have a modified 31 band tube graphic equalizer that will go between these units.
In before hand I think I should just open another threading if there is non on the perreaux so I wont be hi-jacking this thread and at the same time I can exchange ideas with you and other members too. I have a lot of things that I wanna share with too in shaping the sound of the amp. Will PM you sometimes and thank you again. Sorry I couldn't help myself I am just so excited on this amp. Its like a dream come true.
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OMG I didn't know that the 6j1 has a bass and treble control. Far out!:beerchug:
 
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Hi, newbie on here with a set of 104/2s that I have recapped and done the woofer donuts etc.
Now the midrange dust covers have started delaminating at the dustcap. Its ugly. Help! Repair - how? Or replace - from where?
I am in New Zealand, so no chance of finding a solution here.
 

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tipper104/2 said:
Hi, newbie on here with a set of 104/2s that I have recapped and done the woofer donuts etc.
Now the midrange dust covers have started delaminating at the dustcap. Its ugly. Help! Repair - how? Or replace - from where?
I am in New Zealand, so no chance of finding a solution here.
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You might get better response by asking in the KEF owners thread, as many KEF owners have that thread bookmarked. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/kef-owners-thread.630884/
 
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