KEF Vintage Speakers

[Fitnessed]

Have 104/2 ,105.1 and 105.2
Kef 105.1 are very nice an underrated and from the Raymond Cooke era.Non fatiguing and room friendly....
Resto thread https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/kef-105.288579/

 

[lawrence001]

I've always felt that if the ABR is larger than the bass/mid then problems arise - for example RAM 200/DS80 with 8" bass/mid and 10" ABR compared to RAM 150/DS70 with 8" bass/mid and 8"ABR.
The 150/DS70 was a far better balanced speaker.
The Goodmans Achromat Sigma had the same problems as the RAM 200/DS80 and indeed the KEF 104/104ab - 8" bass/mid and a 10" (or equivalent as in the case of the 104/104ab) ABR.

I read somewhere that the ideal size of an ABR is 1.5x the bass driver size but don't quote me.

 

[omers]

I use 104/2s with a Leak Stereo 20 and they sound fabulous. At 4r and 92 dB they really don’t need a lot of power. Unless you want to exploit their trick of going louder than a Who concert.

Yeah I used the 104/2s with a Puresound A10 (EL84 10wpc) which was a great match, a big Sony TA-F770ES was better at real high volumes but not really needed, unless you are into Drum and Bass. Only downside of the 104/2s I found I could not get the bass even enough when placed anywhere near the rear walls, that's with refoamed bass drivers.

For me It was a Nait2 back in 1990. Maybe it couldn't cope with the 4R, or was I playing too loud..

 

[lawrence001]

I have experience of the 103, 103.2 and 104.2 within the reference range.
The first is a very traditional, BBC monitor sound, sealed teak cabinet, and leather bound steel baffle.
The second, a cooler sound than the 103, more noticeably extended in the treble. Again a sealed cabinet.
The latter, a ported floorstander needing a larger space, but a wonderful speaker also.

I don't think the 104.2 is technically a traditional ported design, it's a coupled cavity bandpass arrangement where the entire bass output comes from the port.

 

[57charles]

I read somewhere that the ideal size of an ABR is 1.5x the bass driver size but don't quote me.

That makes sense because 1.5x the area of an 8" cone is almost 10" and the RAM 200/DS80, Kef 104ab and Goodmans Achromat Sigma all have 10" radiators although from my personal experience the RAM150/DS70 which had an 8" radiator had a tighter but still extended bass compared to the slightly overblown response from those with a 10" radiator.
Room acoustics excepted!

 

[Tony L]

Funny, I had some beautiful white 104ABs a few years ago and their woolly, flabby bass helped me to formulate my yet-to-be-disproved theory that the only companies who ever managed to get ABRs working successfully were Celestion and Goodmans!

I’d add Shahinian to the list too.

 

[notevenclose]

Indeed.

I often find that Goodmans are still tarred with the brush of being cheap and not comparable to the likes of other classic British manufactures like KEF, Spendor, B&W etc. Personally I think this grossly unfair, as whilst they definitely made a few howlers in their time, they also made some superb models that performed well above their price points.

KEF and B&W's track record is hardly howler-free either. I can't think of any major speaker manufacturer who hasn't perpetrated the occasional 'and what exactly was your thinking here?' moment.

 

[lawrence001]

KEF and B&W's track record is hardly howler-free either. I can't think of any major speaker manufacturer who hasn't perpetrated the occasional 'and what exactly was your thinking here?' moment.

I hope you're not talking about the pregnant penguin or the snail when you refer to B&W.

 

[oldius]

I don't think the 104.2 is technically a traditional ported design, it's a coupled cavity bandpass arrangement where the entire bass output comes from the port.

You explain it far more knowledgeably than I - thank you.

 

[herb]

When I started in this game in '69 recommended speakers were KEF Concertos. I heard some at shows and on a dealer comparator. They sounded very good with excellent bass and pure midrange as the drive units were KEF T27 B110 and B139. Apparently the crossover was a weak link and power handling limited like most speakers back then.

My choice after hearing many speakers on the comparator were B&W DM3s with their Celestion 1300s and infinite baffle bass loading.

 

[Martyn Miles]

Indeed.

I often find that Goodmans are still tarred with the brush of being cheap and not comparable to the likes of other classic British manufactures like KEF, Spendor, B&W etc. Personally I think this grossly unfair, as whilst they definitely made a few howlers in their time, they also made some superb models that performed well above their price points.

The first ‘real’ speakers I owned were Goodmans Ministers.
They sounded excellent when driven by my Sony TA1010 amplifier, back in 1971.
A few years ago someone asked me to track down a pair and I eventually found some in excellent condition.
Trying them out before they were collected, I really was surprised how good they sounded.
Admittedly they were out-performed by my Spendor BC1s, but they performed very well.