The Official KEF 105 Owners Registry

[HiFi in WYO]

105.1 owner too. Have the sales slip and manual. Numbers: 2784 A/B. Have not done a full recap but have replaced a few failing caps couple years ago thanks to PE. Scored a Hafler XL-280 amp which really mates well with these.

 

[bobk4k]

105.1 owner too. Have the sales slip and manual. Numbers: 2784 A/B. Have not done a full recap but have replaced a few failing caps couple years ago thanks to PE. Scored a Hafler XL-280 amp which really mates well with these.


View attachment 2386826

As a long time owner of a pair of original KEF 105's (4063A/B) I'd be interested to know which caps failed on your speakers. Here is the schematic I found on the internet. I know KEF did match/grade their crossovers to the drivers.

 

[HiFi in WYO]

Here's what I did. I traced the off-sound (like an out of tune FM station) to the mid so changed the ones that tested dead - did both sides to keep things equal.

 

[bobk4k]

Here's what I did. I traced the off-sound (like an out of tune FM station) to the mid so changed the ones that tested dead - did both sides to keep things equal.

Interesting - looks like the 30 and 100 uF caps from the schematic; perhaps the amp was driven into clipping and the original caps were over stressed and the 800 mA fuse hopefully blew to save the mid-range driver. Filed away and thanks for sharing that since I do want to keep my 105s happy.

 

[HiFi in WYO]

Interesting - looks like the 30 and 100 uF caps from the schematic.

Yes and C12 was also changed. Honestly, I don't know if that was the case or if something happened on their journey from California to here and then to me. I don't know how they came here - I was trying to broker their sale and ended up falling in love with them and bought them locally. None of the fuses were blown when I got them and I don't remember the issue when I first got them, but I may be mistaken, I really didn't use them as I was holding them trying to sell them. It may have just been a case of old age. They were never driven hard or with an improper amp while I've had them and the amp selector was always set as close as possible. In any case changing these solved the issue.

 

[avantbored]

Greetings, fellow 105 enthusiasts!

I picked up my first pair of 105.2's in October of last year, and I've been so so happy with them; I'd learned about them here on AK, and was drawn further in by the seller's describing them as "an LS3/5a with deeper bass," of which I've since been disabused after researching KEFs driver production history and following the SP#s. I'd had LS50s in my smaller space, but had to retire them when they weren't moving enough air in my new place. I thought about them weekly, so when I saw the 105.2s on OfferUp, of all places, I jumped at the chance. Serial Numbers 2075 A/B.

They have not been overhauled or inspected, though I don't notice any electrical issues on the crossover (though I'm sure a new kit wouldn't hurt!). The only maintenance that's been performed have been cleaning the connections, tightening the binding posts, OrangeGlo'ing the cabinets, and rotating the woofers. I do have a few questions for the thread participants here, though:

1. Falcon Acoustic's recap kit has two versions, dependent on serial number. Anyone know the differences between the two?

2. The LED light is out on one of the head modules. Is this a straightforward fix for someone who can align a phono cartridge and clean pots with Deoxit, but can't solder to save his life?

3. I bought these 105.2's without the grilles, but I'd love to have them, even though I've been enjoying them thoroughly without them. If you have a spare pair, and are willing to ship to Los Angeles (or have me pick them up within 100 miles of LA), let me know! But if you also know of any online venues where they appear, I'd be grateful.

I've attached a picture of my listening area. Below is the rest of my gear:

Yamaha YP-D6 w/ ATVM95ML (Hey, if you're selling a PF-800, get in touch!)

Nakamichi PA-7A II

Nakamichi CA-7A

Nakamichi ST7

 

[KKlarkson]

@avantbored I can attempt to answer your questions.

1. Can't answer it, as mine are MK1 (rev 2), and the kit comes with all of the capacitors for both versions of the MK1.

2. It's straight forward, but before you do anything, make sure you're testing them correctly. Set the crossover dial to the "listening window" mode and play white noise. Then slowly turn up the volume until the LEDs begin to fade-in. Be careful, as these old LEDs can be quite dim. If it's still no good, read on. Remove the top speaker enclosure from the bass cabinets, then remove the 6 screws on the back of the top enclosure, as well as the nut holding the adjustment dial on and the tilt adjustment (it unscrews). Once the back cover is loose, push the potentiometer out of the plastic casing, and you're left with a daughterboard pcb which is attached to the LED / crossover pcb by jumper wires. These simply unclip. Lift up the board, and check that the LED is still in its place. It should be in a small u-shaped dish looking thing with a hole in it for the LED to sit in. If not, try repositioning it. If it's still not working, check continuity at the connectors and try running some current across the leads to get the LED to illuminate. If all else fails, replace the LEDs. I recently replaced mine, as my original ones were far too dim and the wires were too short (imo). It should take less than 40 mins per side to do all this.

Good luck!

 

[RemoWilliams]

I just purchased a pair of 105.1 locally for 1,495.00 Cdn, were originally listed at 1,900.00 but the owner, ( who I ended up knowing - small world ) wanted a quick sale. Glad I acted on them though they were up for sale about 2 weeks and just after one person from Everett, Washington wanted to drive up, offering 1,500.00 U.S. and another fellow from Florida was going to fly up. I guess they have quite a following.



The story on these particular 105s is that they were on consignment at Big Bird Sound in Vancouver back in 1977 when the current Seller bought them, nice that the has had them all this time and in fact actually did not want to part with them but needed space. He mentioned to me that a salesman at the store said that they were owned by Randy Bachman ( of the Guess Who and B.T.O. ) which is interesting. He tried to confirm back then but could not get in touch with Mr. Bachman. I was thinking of doing so myself, one never knows, he might be able to verify.


The serial number is 3789 A/B on these.

 

[RemoWilliams]

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a replacement plug in for the positive speaker wire that comes off the fuse holder at the back of the mid range / tweeter housing? It broke off where it is retained at the bass driver top cover and I cannot fully seat the wire as the " tube " inside keeps getting pushed down. I will have to remove the front panel securing the bass driver and can certainly find a very strong adhesive to secure it. Silicone was previously applied and it obviously did not hold up.


Also, there are a few surface scratches on both cabinets, is there an oil that will enhance the finish and also hide the marks?

 

[BilboBaggins]

...

Also, there are a few surface scratches on both cabinets, is there an oil that will enhance the finish and also hide the marks?

First thing, is take a white cotton towel, dampen it, and then place it over the scratches, and hold the iron in that spot for a little while. It might help bring out the fibre. I use mineral oil on my teak, and on all oiled woods. Congrats on the Kef 105s!

 

[avantbored]

@avantbored I can attempt to answer your questions.

1. Can't answer it, as mine are MK1 (rev 2), and the kit comes with all of the capacitors for both versions of the MK1.

2. It's straight forward, but before you do anything, make sure you're testing them correctly. Set the crossover dial to the "listening window" mode and play white noise. Then slowly turn up the volume until the LEDs begin to fade-in. Be careful, as these old LEDs can be quite dim. If it's still no good, read on. Remove the top speaker enclosure from the bass cabinets, then remove the 6 screws on the back of the top enclosure, as well as the nut holding the adjustment dial on and the tilt adjustment (it unscrews). Once the back cover is loose, push the potentiometer out of the plastic casing, and you're left with a daughterboard pcb which is attached to the LED / crossover pcb by jumper wires. These simply unclip. Lift up the board, and check that the LED is still in its place. It should be in a small u-shaped dish looking thing with a hole in it for the LED to sit in. If not, try repositioning it. If it's still not working, check continuity at the connectors and try running some current across the leads to get the LED to illuminate. If all else fails, replace the LEDs. I recently replaced mine, as my original ones were far too dim and the wires were too short (imo). It should take less than 40 mins per side to do all this.

Good luck!

Cheers, KKlarkson! Apologies for the late reply. This was very helpful.

 

[avantbored]

Greetings KEF 105 friends.

Writing to see if any of y'all have a solution for my 105.2s -- the caster on one of my speakers is loosey goosey. The wood has started to shred away from where the caster is installed -- how might I go about repairing this? Pics upon request, as I don't want to move the speaker around too much (and I'm listening right now).

Cheers, all.

 

[sydbar81]

Greetings KEF 105 friends.

Writing to see if any of y'all have a solution for my 105.2s -- the caster on one of my speakers is loosey goosey. The wood has started to shred away from where the caster is installed -- how might I go about repairing this? Pics upon request, as I don't want to move the speaker around too much (and I'm listening right now).

Cheers, all.

I would fill it with epoxy or epoxy mixed with sawdust, sand flush, then redrill the hole. There is tinted epoxy putty out there but it would probably be too brittle once cured.

 

[ikonw8]

I had the same issue with my pair, except I had a bigger hole as well as loose casters. I removed the loose particle board with a stiff brush, used Bondo to repair the damaged holes. Since it is at the bottom, no one will see the repair.

 

[Nacho1]

What's up, 105 owner here. Love these speakers, these British beauties sure make my salsa sound so damn good! Serial number 1167/1168 A&B.

 

[Grimrt]

Just got mine 4755 a/b (105.1). I`m going to need to upgrade a few pieces....my CD player (rotel unit) sounds horrible with them, my streamer on the other hand really makes a difference, not entirely sure why but anything played through my CD player is flat, lifeless, and devoid of base. My amp seems to be subpar as well....

 

[BilboBaggins]

Just got mine 4755 a/b (105.1). I`m going to need to upgrade a few pieces....my CD player (rotel unit) sounds horrible with them, my streamer on the other hand really makes a difference, not entirely sure why but anything played through my CD player is flat, lifeless, and devoid of base. My amp seems to be subpar as well....

Pro amps are always an option with the big power hungry speakers. I did that with a pair of Tangent RS8s years ago. I was putting a system together for my brothers best friend based on the RS8s. It took me many tries before I settled on a Yamaha P2100 amp paired with a Pioneer SA-1000 for the preamp in order to get the system within budget and about a year to do. They worked quite well together!

The preamp is really the important part to see. You could install the pro amp out of the way in a cabinet or something like that, and put a quieter fan on it. All good!

I would start with the amp, and see where things take you from there. I've even had a preamp change on my above mentioned RS8s that completed changed the speakers. So start with your amp, and get that fixed/replaced before changing anything else.

 

[Grimrt]

Pro amps are always an option with the big power hungry speakers. I did that with a pair of Tangent RS8s years ago. I was putting a system together for my brothers best friend based on the RS8s. It took me many tries before I settled on a Yamaha P2100 amp paired with a Pioneer SA-1000 for the preamp in order to get the system within budget and about a year to do. They worked quite well together!

The preamp is really the important part to see. You could install the pro amp out of the way in a cabinet or something like that, and put a quieter fan on it. All good!

I would start with the amp, and see where things take you from there. I've even had a preamp change on my above mentioned RS8s that completed changed the speakers. So start with your amp, and get that fixed/replaced before changing anything else.

Thanks for the feeback, I have been looking for an amp, I think it may take a bit to find something. I did notice there are a couple of Yamaha amps on CAM that have just popped up.

The really interesting thing about these speakers is the more I use them the better they seem to get, which is odd to me seeing as they are 45 years old (give or take). I replaced the missing foam on top of the cabinet and added some isolation pads to the worn-out felt feet on the tweeter/mid head which made improvements. I ordered replacement caps from Falcon and now I think I might hold off replacing them. These are quite remarkable speakers for the price (IMO).....

 

[fordiebianco]

KEF 105.1 owner here. Had mine serviced by the lovely people from Wilmslow Audio in Leicester. Very happy with them. The best they ever sounded was with a beefy JVC JR-S600, but currently happy to do AVR duty in the TV room.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Mine are sitting idle these days after I got a pair of Kef 107s. What the 105s do well, the 107s do better! But that doesn't make the 105s much lower. They were TOTL for I believe a year before the 107s came out. I think they are great speakers, and they are pretty cool looking as well! They do like power though. Both the 105, and even more so the 107s. I'm powering my 107s with a Yamaha M40 amp temporarily until my stepson can come by and give me a hand with the Bose 1801 in the basement. I do hear a difference. It isn't bad if I don't crank the volume up too much, but there is some ... depth to the music missing. The Bose 1801 is very good with Kef. But I would be curious what a 500 WPC would be like with them.