Okay, let me answer you in order...
AudioAl said:
A one off hopefully
We can hope so, as said previously the build quality is 1st class so just something that slipped the net I guess.
davidsrsb said:
Put a AA 1.5V battery across the terminals. Positive is normally taken to mean the woofer moves outwards
Done - With the battery's + terminal connected to the red binding posts & the battery's - terminal connected to the black binding posts the bass driver moves inwards, when I swapped the connections over on the binding posts to match the label (and the other speaker in the pair) the bass driver moves outwards.
chrisletts said:
Are you sure the previous owner didn't dismantle them for some reason and then reconnect the wrong way ?
Although I guess mistakes can be made I find it difficult to believe they'd get out of the factory like that.
Absolutely certain Chris, on the internal side of the connection plate there is a PCB containing the crossover components & the binding posts are screwed into position (through the PCB) before being soldered to the tracks. Whoever built them has installed the crossover PCB upside down on the connection panel.
Tarzan said:
Maybe the amplifier inverts phase?
On one channel only ? The issue here isn't the amplifier but the fact one speakers binding posts have been installed incorrectly so someone connecting speaker cables by colour will have one working out of phase.
Durmbo said:
How is the arrangement on the other speaker?
On the other speaker in the pair the binding posts match the label and phase is correct when tested with a battery.
joleyami said:
Truly Shocking if that was done at the factory.
When I worked at Kef, there were 4 different QA stages on the Reference Series that would have noticed a cock up like that.
Well quite, I would have expected at least one final quality control officer.... Maybe he was off sick that day & someone inexperienced in the role had to stand in ? It doesn't really matter now I've discovered it I can swap them over. I feel more for the chap I bought them off, didn't look like they'd been moved in 20 years & his cables definitely went red>red / black>black... I doubt the poor chap ever heard them as they should sound.