KEF owners thread

[SimplySound]

I'll be interested to hear about your second set vs. the Falcon recapped set to see if the extra expense is worth it.

Ditto... I need to recap my 103.2's so let us know how that sounds! :yes:

KEF Bextrene woofers in a pair of custom 2-ways....

Wow what are those? They look like some sort of EMIT's? :scratch2:

 

[MacNoob]

Wow what are those? They look like some sort of EMIT's? :scratch2:

They're some kind of generic ribbon tweeter. Apparently you could get them under a bunch of different names - even Realistic sold them.

 

[canuckaudiog]

I placed my order for the donut foam rings for the Kef bass drivers last night. They should arrive next week, and then the 103/3s will be totally restored.

Although, I have to admit I am a little surprised by the bass response as it is now (with no donut foam rings on the drivers) - I took a measurement using an RTA app on my iPhone and the bass response is pretty well flat until its stated frequency response (with Extension pushed in). On the 104/2 model, the foam rings had a detrimental effect to the bass response until they were replaced. However on the 103/3, I don't think I am having the same problem. The bass sounds full and there are no odd deviations in the frequency response. We'll have to see when the foam rings arrive if they make any improvement or change to the bass.

Anyway, I've been intently listening to them every night since I picked them up. They're like an old friend - a sound I had missed. Ever since selling the 107s on and evidently all of my other Kef Reference speakers, although I do prefer the sound of my IMFs, there's something about the midrange on these Kef speakers that is easy to listen to and very enjoyable. The 103/3 model in particular, which is the model that got me hooked on this lineup, has a special sound to me - it is like the 107, but seems to work better in my small room.

Overall, the sound they produce is excellent. Well balanced from top to bottom, with no holes or peaks anywhere that I can detect. The bass is also very surprising - the amount of low end coming out of these cabinets is impressive. Sitting down and listening to some motown, such as Frank Vanelli and the Four Seasons - December 1963 (Oh What a Night) is a real treat. I'm very happy to have these back, and feel these are going to stay for the long term as I am no longer seeking out new speakers.

The only caveat, is one of the owners these passed through lost the screws and spikes for the stands. It's really unfortunate - if anyone has any spares or, knows what kind of screw I need, please let me know. I may be able to take care of the spikes on my own.

 

[DOBIEGUY]

Canuckaudiog
Good luck with your " new to you again" KEFs.
Can't help with the spikes to the floor size because I don't have the original stands. I took one foot out and it appears to be 6mm. It is not 1/4-20.
When loose it fits very sloppy. The threads are about one inch long.
Unless the stands came with the screws to bolt the speaker to the stands, the set-up manual reads like the feet are removed and then used as the screws.
The top plate would have to be thin considering the length of the threads.
My feet are original,I've owned the speakers from new.
Happy listening.
Jimmy

 

[canuckaudiog]

Canuckaudiog
Good luck with your " new to you again" KEFs.
Can't help with the spikes to the floor size because I don't have the original stands. I took one foot out and it appears to be 6mm. It is not 1/4-20.
When loose it fits very sloppy. The threads are about one inch long.
Unless the stands came with the screws to bolt the speaker to the stands, the set-up manual reads like the feet are removed and then used as the screws.
The top plate would have to be thin considering the length of the threads.
My feet are original,I've owned the speakers from new.
Happy listening.
Jimmy

Thanks Jimmy.

Unfortunately, it looks like I am a bit SOL on the spikes for the stands. Just looked underneath the stand and one of the previous owners ripped out the heads that the spikes thread into.. no idea why they did that!! It's a shame too because the spikes I have on hand would have worked.

I'll have to continue looking for screws to thread into the bottom of the speaker to hold it to the stand, at least.

 

[Raynald]

Canuckaudiog
Good luck with your " new to you again" KEFs.
Can't help with the spikes to the floor size because I don't have the original stands. I took one foot out and it appears to be 6mm. It is not 1/4-20.
When loose it fits very sloppy. The threads are about one inch long.
Unless the stands came with the screws to bolt the speaker to the stands, the set-up manual reads like the feet are removed and then used as the screws.
The top plate would have to be thin considering the length of the threads.
My feet are original,I've owned the speakers from new.
Happy listening.
Jimmy

As I recall, the optional stands came with dedicated screws and resulted in a nice tight fit.

 

[canuckaudiog]

Small update - the donut foam rings came in and I installed them tonight. Looks like my hearing was a bit off because there was a definite improvement in the bass. It is most noticeable in the lowest notes. I'm thinking with the foam rings off, it was lowering the bass output giving me a false flat frequency response. I took measurements of other speakers in this room and they all had a 8-10dB peak at 50-80Hz, so it makes sense to me if this is the case.

Now that they're running 100% back to factory specs, it's time to enjoy them


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[keithpgdrb]

103.2 fan and owner here. what is everyone amping them with? I love my fisher 500c, but I fear it may not have the juice for the Kefs.

 

[SimplySound]

Small update - the donut foam rings came in and I installed them tonight. Looks like my hearing was a bit off because there was a definite improvement in the bass. It is most noticeable in the lowest notes. I'm thinking with the foam rings off, it was lowering the bass output giving me a false flat frequency response. I took measurements of other speakers in this room and they all had a 8-10dB peak at 50-80Hz, so it makes sense to me if this is the case.

Now that they're running 100% back to factory specs, it's time to enjoy them


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good to "hear" Canucker! You make a good point about how a room can influence how a speaker sounds. You going to look at room treatments now? Maybe bass traps for the corners? :yes:

103.2 fan and owner here. what is everyone amping them with? I love my fisher 500c, but I fear it may not have the juice for the Kefs.

You and me both Keith... I have a pair doing duty as a combined Center Channel being fed 100Wpc from an NAD T775. I also have a pair in my bedroom being fed 60Wpc from a Nakamichi Stasis SR-4a...

That setup rocks! :thmbsp:

 

[aantlipp]

I love my 104ab's

 

[canuckaudiog]

Good to "hear" Canucker! You make a good point about how a room can influence how a speaker sounds. You going to look at room treatments now? Maybe bass traps for the corners? :yes:

. . .

Already ahead of ya I currently have bass traps in 3 corners, and panels for first reflection points (side walls). I also have a diffusor sitting behind me in that room.

It is true though that the room makes a big difference in the sound. In studios, for example, a lot of musicians will prefer to mix with headphones because it totally eliminates the room - essentially, it's a lot cheaper. With monitors (speakers), you have to treat the room so that you get a flat response, in order to hear the recording without any coloration or interaction from the room.

The same theory applies to home audio - in order to hear the recording as the original artist intended, you have to deal with the room. Otherwise, what you are hearing is a mixture of your room acoustics and the speakers which is not a totally accurate picture of what your stereo sounds like or what the music sounds like. Of course, depending on the room, this can be worse or better. In my case the little room has some serious issues, so for it to even be listenable room treatments were a must.

Even then, with my last stereo (with the LS50s) I ended up not being able to enjoy it because of a serious issue that I was not prepared to correct. At least this time around, my investment into the stereo is very low (not the $4500 or so I had in the previous setup) so if I am still not happy with it, oh well

Here's a picture of the setup as it is:

 

[keithpgdrb]

That's a decent looking panel. What is it?

 

[canuckaudiog]

That's a decent looking panel. What is it?

You mean the panel on the side of the wall there?

It's a custom made panel. It's wrapped in a wood frame and covered with black speaker grill cloth. I used Owen Cornings 703 insulation. The feet holding it were custom made as well.

 

[keithpgdrb]

Yeah. That's sharp.

 

[canuckaudiog]

Thanks, it does the trick. I had to get feet for them because I was not able to mount a panel on the one side (there's a window right there). It works great and the best part about it is I can easily move the panels around, so if I re-position my speakers, I don't have to do much work.

 

[steve59]

I can say a couple of things comparing the 105/3 and 107/2 but the amp section of my krell kav 300il crapped for the 4th and final time and I am using it as a pre to a B&K 4420. I bought my 105/3's with the kube 200 new and spent a small fortune tailoring the sound. they play insanely loud, I had a friend over and Bi-amped the db meter read 114 slow not peak from 7 ft away(I was showing his paradigm owning a**). my drywalled basement with acoustic tiles stapled to the drywall ceiling is 20x26x7 ft. Every listener has asked the same question "where's the bass?" my stereophile disc shows pretty flat response to 25 hz but it sure don't sound like it.
listening to the 107/2's Iv'e found the music sounds natural at different volumes depending on the music 'duh' right, they also seem less fussy to components. I first hooked up the 107/2 without the kube and nearly paniced the sound was so lifeless! amazing the difference an active eq can make. I'm shopping for a new integrated to replace the broken krell then i'll put the 105/3's back in and do a proper side by side.

 

[canuckaudiog]

steve59, if you found the bass lacking, I would try to move the speakers around. Bass has the most issues acoustically-speaking, and even moving the speaker half a foot will make a fair difference. It's very possible at your listening position you have a huge null at a certain frequency which is causing it to sound like there's a lack of bass.

 

[Dynamicmad]

Q80

My Q80s they I think will be moved in my sons room as I recently acquired a pair of mirage m5 speakers but I do like them. Can't wait to try some of the bigger better Kef speakers

 

[steve59]

I appreciate the suggestion for the 105/3's. I bought them new in 1990 with the kube and when I took them in to have the surrounds replaced on the woofers by an authorized center they repaired the surrounds with rubber! anyhow I auditioned a boatload of speakers in the 2-5000. range at home and only the dynaudio audience 80's $2400.00 pr provided noticable LOUDER bass. When I got the kef's back I realised the 105/3's were producing a higher quality bass an much much more detail across the range. Paradigm s100s, huge AAD, infinity compositions and VA beethovens were all auditioned at home, probably more. anyhow In 04 I got a deal on the beethovens and bought them because they were less colored and more transparent, also less fussy to amplification. When I got the 107/2's I sold the VA's They just didn't ROCK and sometimes I need to rock. I'll listen to my 105/3 one last time before I sell them but my 107's do it all. happy days.
I will say no other speaker iv'e had in my system could take the beating I gave my 105/3's. did I mention I have a spare pair of tweeters for them?

 

[SimplySound]

I'll listen to my 105/3 one last time before I sell them but my 107's do it all. happy days.

Ahhh... another convert to the "magical model" of KEF!!! :thmbsp: