I also acquired a pair recently with some other equipment. They are OK but ‘unremarkable’ sums them up. They are not shouty, perhaps they are a little thin sounding but they are perfectly respectable. However my Mordaunt-Short Pageant S2’s are a much more satisfying speaker.I bought some Coda MK3s last year. A pretty unremarkable speaker in every way.
A guy in my Uni dorm had some 104ABs (these rooms were maybe 4m in maximum length) with full monty LP12/Ittok/Asak/Nytech 225XD.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!
A pair of Cantor 3s have recently found their way to me so it’ll be interesting to try them.
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.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!
A pair of Cantor 3s have recently found their way to me so it’ll be interesting to try them.
Interesting that you mention the Goodmans Achromat Sigma, as I still think they are one of the best implementations of an ABR that I've heard.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 have owned RAM 150, Goodmans Achromat Sigma, KEF 104ab and RAM 200 and I would judge the sound balance to be best starting with the RAM 150 and descending in the order I have listed them.Interesting that you mention the Goodmans Achromat Sigma, as I still think they are one of the best implementations of an ABR that I've heard.
Update, too - I tried out the KEF Cantor 3s that I mentioned upthread last night. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Indeed.I had many pairs of Beta, Kappa and Sigma and found them all very nice sounding speakers and were/still are greatly underated - shamefully ignored by the ridiculously biased hi-fi press at the time.
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.Had 104/2 long ago. Loved them but didn't have enough power nor space for them.
Ref 101, somehow in my place they perform better than many standmounts, like 1sc's, T&F Arts, and many more. I've had their X/O recapped. Heard them once with a good 180W amp, that was a revelation, I've yet to explore this path.
Ref 102 with Kube - nice bass but didn't have that midrange of the 101 or LS3/5. Not bad but weren't spectacular IMO.