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Stands for KEF 104ab Speakers

Junaman

pfm Member
Just picked a pair of these up and now looking for suitable stands. The atacama slx and auditions are way more than I paid for the speakers, so not viable. Wondered what the original stands would have been and what other people are using? For example, Do people rate the AVF adjustable stands that are mounted on casters?
 
Just picked a pair of these up and now looking for suitable stands. The atacama slx and auditions are way more than I paid for the speakers, so not viable. Wondered what the original stands would have been and what other people are using? For example, Do people rate the AVF adjustable stands that are mounted on casters?

I looked at 104ABs before buying my current Celestion 44s and I have the same issue as you - what stands to buy?
I think my speakers are about 3 Kgs heavier, so we’re in the same ball park weight wise, although you’ll probably be wanting to raise your KEFs slightly higher than my 44s (tweeter height) as your KEFs are slightly shorter.
I’ve ruled out having anything wooden, purpose built. they would cost more than the speakers, by a factor.
I haven’t given up having some ‘open frame’ type metals stands made if I canfind someone local who’ll make them for me.
At the moment, I’m thinking that a pair of Atacama SLXs (200 in my case), could be the easiest option. I just wish the top plate was a little larger.
At the moment I’ve managed to source an old pair of trolley type stands which are doing a job for now.
photo available if it helps.
 
I looked at 104ABs before buying my current Celestion 44s and I have the same issue as you - what stands to buy?
I’ve ruled out having anything wooden, purpose built. they would cost more than the speakers, by a factor.
I haven’t given up having some ‘open frame’ type metals stands made if I canfind someone local who’ll make them for me.
At the moment, I’m thinking that a pair of Atacama SLXs (200 in my case), could be the easiest option. I just wish the top plate was a little larger.
At the moment I’ve managed to source an old pair of trolley type stands which are doing a job for now.
photo available if it helps.

I have decided to try making my own using this design, https://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/stubby_e.html. Should be ready next week. I had the same misgivings with the size of the Atacama SLX’s top plates, at least this way I can build them exactly to the 104s’ dimensions. I also scoured eBay looking for vintage stands but these were averaging £90 with postage and I just wasn’t sure how good the original 1970’s stand designs would be - they mainly seem to be tubular steel frameworks with some mounted on casters. Modern stands obviously are much higher mass with top and bottom plates, spikes and are hollow to allow filling with a dense material. Intuitively, this would seem to offer more rigidity, isolation and resonance reduction than the 1970’s type.

I was interested to understand other people’s experience with original stands versus modern before I took the plunge. Has anyone gone from vintage to modern and is there a difference in sound quality?

Will post pictures of my home-made efforts, assuming that they turn out reasonably presentable!
 
I made some stands for my 104s ( back in the ‘70s ) from black Dexion Speedframe.
Having access to precision cutting tools ( those University workshops were SO useful ) I
was able to make them to the optimum height.
I understand Speedframe is still available.
 
I remember a pair came in when I was at the charity shop testing hi fi, they were boxed and had the original stands. The stands were about a foot high and tilting the speaker back a little. The stands held the speakers a bit like a fork lift truck on two extended arms.
 
I made some stands for my 104s ( back in the ‘70s ) from black Dexion Speedframe.
Having access to precision cutting tools ( those University workshops were SO useful ) I
was able to make them to the optimum height.
I understand Speedframe is still available.

Speedframe was the basis of most speaker stands back in the day. Always worked well.
 
Breeze blocks ?, likely to ring less. Not the prettiest though.

Painted concrete blocks with big sorbothane pads bottom and top would be ideal. I'm a big fan of using sorbothane pads and building materials to raise my speakers up. Cheap and effective.
 
I’m pleased with these for a first effort at making my own. Cost me less than £20 as I had the wood left over from our kitchen tops and a spare length of plastic piping in the garage. Only parts I bought were the spikes, a threaded rod and 4 nuts and bolts. Sealed the pipes with silicon and filled them with kiln dried sand. The black paint was was for metal and was ironically left over from painting a metal drain pipe in a previous house. They have a slight 70’s vibe as well, so go with the Kefs appearance and, of course, I was able to customise the top plate and height for these speaker’s dimensions and my listening position, which would not have been possible with off the shelf stands.

https://flic.kr/p/2mPY7Nt

https://flic.kr/p/2mPY7No
2mPY7No
 
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Nice.

How do you find the 104ab's? Always been something I fancied trying,

I really rate them. I am using with a Leak Stereo 20 and Townsend Allegri Plus. The top end and mid range are fantastic, you can really hear nuances in vocals that many speakers miss. The sound staging is amazing too. For their current cost, I think they are a bargain.
 
I really rate them. I am using with a Leak Stereo 20 and Townsend Allegri Plus. The top end and mid range are fantastic, you can really hear nuances in vocals that many speakers miss. The sound staging is amazing too. For their current cost, I think they are a bargain.
Yeah, the stereo 20 is an obvious partner for them, it also works really well with the old, massive, Concertos, too.
 


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