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Kef reference 105/4 vs Kef reference 104/2

Which is best ??

  • Total voters
    12
Andyrlb

Andyrlb

Active Member
Hi guys .
For years I have been a more than happy owner of my 105/4's and they've seen off MANY comers including; Kef reference model 4's , Yamaha ns1000m's , spendor sp1's , Martin Logan aerius etc etc.And for the ( hopefully) final showdown come the Kef reference 104/2's in mint condition. Which will be the keepers ?
 
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Andyrlb said:
Hi guys .
For years I have been a more than happy owner of my 105/4's and they've seen off MANY comers including; Kef reference model 4's , Yamaha ns1000m's , spendor sp1's , Martin Logan aerius etc etc.And for the ( hopefully) final showdown come the Kef reference 104/2's in mint condition. Which will be the keepers ?
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Should be the ones that you like the best, what anyone else says about it should be of little or no concern. If you're allowing someone else to make your choices you're doing it wrong.
 
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Andyrlb said:
That is so true Darkblue but doesn't everyone have that little doubt that there is better ?
The 105/4's always put a smile on my face ...pure joy
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Very true but to be fair there's always something better somewhere. It's more a matter of learning how to be comfortable with the choices you make. I've always been a fan of the 104/2's and could be perfectly happy with them if not for the fact I've gone over to the low watt tube amp / higher efficiency speaker club. I have a pair of 103/4's parked in my garage awaiting restoration and a big honkin' Yamaha SS amplifier to power it someday. I've never heard the 105/4's to have a valid personal opinion on them but I can say fairly that I'd like them too. As to which one's better, that's dependent on the specific application. As for the mint condition of the 104/2's, verify that the ferrofluid has been replaced, any foam surrounds replaced, and crossovers have been recapped. Anything short of that and you'll not get the full measure of the speaker's capability. Good luck in your pursuit.
 
I have 105.2 (very similar to 105.4) and 104.2.

I doubt the 104.2s will displace your 105.2s. Not because one is better...they're just both so good!
 
willyrover said:
I have 105.2 (very similar to 105.4) and 104.2.

I doubt the 104.2s will displace your 105.2s. Not because one is better...they're just both so good!
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I think I'll be agreeing with you willyrover come Saturday evening ( after the 7hr drive ) .
I will let you know .
 
OK, I had to Google it, and just in terms of published specs, it looks like the 105.4 has the same bass extension (down to 55 Hz, +/- 2 dB), but the 104.2 is more sensitive (91 or 92 dB versus 86 dB). (Just for what it's worth; I'm not suggesting those numbers really resolve anything.) All else being equal (?), I'd go for the more sensitive model.

http://www.kef.com/html/nl/explore/about_kef/museum/1980s/Reference_Series_105.4/index.html

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/kef-model-104-2-477.html
 
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Zonker92 said:
OK, I had to Google it, and just in terms of published specs, it looks like the 105.2 has better bass extension (38 Hz. vs. 55 Hz, plus/minus 2 dB on each), but the 104.2 is more sensitive (91 or 92 dB versus 85 dB). (Just for what it's worth; I'm not suggesting those numbers really resolve anything.)

http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/museum_pdf/70s/Reference_Series_Model_105_2_r.pdf

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/kef-model-104-2-477.html
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Thanks for the input Zonker92 but mine are the 105/4's not the 105/2's , the 105/4's have 2x 8" woofers and the 105/2's have one 12" woofer .
 
Andyrlb said:
That is so true Darkblue but doesn't everyone have that little doubt that there is better ?
The 105/4's always put a smile on my face ...pure joy
Click to expand...

There is almost always something better. You have to decide where your priorities lie. I know there are speakers that sound better than my bi-amped (w/subwoofers) Magnepan MG 1.7's. Unfortunately they all fall in the "I can't afford that ****" category. :bigok:
 
Andyrlb said:
Thanks for the input Zonker92 but mine are the 105/4's not the 105/2's , the 105/4's have 2x 8" woofers and the 105/2's have one 12" woofer .
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OK; thanks for the correction. I admit, I can never keep KEF model numbers straight. I guess I've memorized so many JBL model numbers that I've run out of storage capacity.

I fixed my notation above.
 
I've never directly compared them but in general, I'd say the 104/2s are more forgiving and a bit less detailed and the 105/4s are more detailed, but might get a bit harsh with some recordings.

Both are great speakers. If you find yourself wanting to turn the treble down and/or avoiding certain recordings, maybe give the 104/2s a try.
 
The 104/2 were a departure from the classic KEF sound as embodied by the 105.2, 105.4 and continued in the 103/3 and 107. It is a neutral speaker but very dynamic with a more upfront sound, more attuned to North American tastes where it was a breakthrough hit for KEF. Though the 103/3 was a fine speaker and several hundred dollars cheaper I cannot recall selling a pair but I sold MANY pairs of 104/2. We had customers who would take the 104/2 over the 107. Personally I preferred the other KEFs, I own our ex-demo 107, but I found the 104/2 could be a lot of fun.

It is certainly worth giving the 104/2 a try to see in what camp you fall, though as some have mentioned they may have more age related issues to be dealt with before they can be given a fair hearing.
 
No experence with 105, but I just rebuilt a pair of 104.2 and they sound wonderful . New spiders , voice coil , cones and surrounds , just make sure the VC are good because If not they are next to impossible to locate. Just started to rebuild a pair of 103.4, checked out one speaker and both Vc are shot. There is a place to purchase aftermarket parts , but they are NOT cheap . If I had to do it again I would in a second that's how nice they sound . Just my 2 cents
 
JoeESP9 said:
There is almost always something better. You have to decide where your priorities lie. I know there are speakers that sound better than my bi-amped (w/subwoofers) Magnepan MG 1.7's. Unfortunately they all fall in the "I can't afford that ****" category. :bigok:
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That's true . Kef blades come to mind
 
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