I own the KEF RR105/3 since 1990, in 2003 ( after 13 years !!) there was foamrot on the woofers, for this (arranged by KEF) replacement units were supplied ( costing 127 euro each, and also with foam instead of rubber, but these units are still healthy after 17 years !!), these B200 replacements are type R1465X, and specially made on spec's by a third party (Castle I thought), this year the tweeters (NT25, Gen1 SP1240) replaced by refurbished NT25 / SP1353's, so my 105/3 speakers are healthy now and still reasonably up to specification. Your 105/3 speakers have had a hard life, good luck with this challenge to bring them back to life.
goorlel58 exact same story for mine! Purchased them in 1991 in Beverly Hills , I replaced the 4 woofers in 2005 (foam was disintegrating I ordered them from kef Lebanon dealer But replaced them myself) both of my tweeters blew because my amplifiers capacitors dried thus making a very loud high frequency signal for hours (I always left my amplifiers switched on :-( ) I purchased the replacement SP1353 (fitted in the mid nineties reference 1) instead of the SP1240. It matches perfectly with my center channel 200C) till today I enjoy their full range and great imaging! Switching my between my LS50 (owned since late 2012) and the 105/3 depending on my mood. They look and sound as great as the day I purchased them.
If imaging is now a "sweet spot", those tweeters are not suitable replacements. These speakers were known for their phenomenally wide horizontal dispersion.
Hey Joey G. I don't know how far you've gotten on your remoding? I've owned my pair of 105/3 for many years! Like your 901s I'm never parting with my 105/3 either! They stayed as I sold my B&W 802/2 Matrix. The B&W 802 Matrix were just to lite in the bass to be convincing. I had them up on their steel stands. I never had their eq that was recommended for them. I tried purchasing a matching B&W sub but UPS destroyed that dream for me. I've been through tweeters on the KEF too. I eventually replaced my 3rd pair with KEFs own upgraded Titanium domes. No more burnouts! (Don't know if KEF in NJ still has these available?) Your tweeters look aluminum? They also look like they're not a perfect fit? They're most likely rubbing on its mid-range guides? They also could be damaged too? Thus the static? The woofers' surrounds are an relatively easy fix. Again, I disassembled them & sent them to be done professionally with very good results. (It's that little donut that can be a challenge for my ability? I regasket the woofers on assembly even replacing the screws with lockwashers & "Locktite" on their threads! One day, I'd like to upgrade the X-Overs. I'm sure their due. I rather send them out to a reputable specialist who are familiar with them. Good luck. 👍
I’ve given up on the old KEF’s. Yes they do sound amazing for their age but mine have “Gremlins” within them. Midrange drivers are exhibiting some voice coil rub as are a couple of the Woofers. Shame really.
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 Sorry to hear it. It looked like you put up a good fight too. But, yes. Sometimes you have to "know when to fold them & when to hold them". I've always wanted a pair of those hefty KEF Reference 207/2 ! That was before KEF speakers were downsized with exception of their ugly Blade speakers. WEM 👎 I still think the 103/4 was their best pound for pound speaker they designed. With it's KEF KUBE of course. Albeit, today's technology has moved on & up from those amazing speakers since then. "Definitive Technology" comes readily to mind. They have internal amps that rock in amazement for their size! Not only dynamic, but detailed with resolution. All in handily sizes with affordable pricing. (Which has become unheard of in these days & times) They're worth a listen & serious consideration as replacements to those weathered 103/4. Good Luck!
Another great presentation. 'Looking forward to the results of my friend!
4 ปีที่แล้ว +3
Sad to see such legendary and good speakers in such a bad condition 😢 I restore KEF Reference speakers for fun, cuz it hurts my heart to see such speakers die...
3 ปีที่แล้ว +1
@@fishesvideo what's the model of the SEAS tweeters? I live close by seas :)
Christian Bale says the 105/3's sound best when powered with a Harman Kardon HK 770 amp with matching HK 725 preamp. He claims the resulting sound is as positive and affirmative as anything he's heard in the high end audio world.
Nowaday's those old Amps of a bygone era great at what they did. Nowaday's however, with the advancements in GaN FET technology. Those old Tube and Transistor/MOSFET type Amps are slowly going away. Well Tubes (like the 8 6H30's in my BAT Preamp aren't). Again, it's just my opinion and I know it's not the common thinking.
Tri metal tin film poly capacitors but you will need to add a resistor if not electrolytic to the same value as the electrolytic resistance equivalent Try reversing the Bass Driver around so the basket and magnets on the top. WilmslowAudio dot co dot uk replacement KEF uni Q driver What is this nonsense about sandcast resistors nothing wrong with them as long as they're non-intrusive what they wouldn't be no point in replacing them why would it cost $400. You can connect 2 polarised capacitors in series tying the two Earth leads together will give you a non polarised capacitor but each capacitor would be reduced in capacitance by half to make up the total value needed
Wrong ! I just put GRS Planar Tweeters onplace of the uni-Q in between the repurposed midbass driver now located where the uni-Q midrange was. Sounds amazing !
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 No ... no a thousand times now.... the very nature of Uni-Q is the impressive polar response. It is nearly flawless in the horizontal plan (the listening axis) and all the evidence is that this is no accident. By adding this tweeter, you might like the sound (no argument) but they are now far away from "reference" or even accurate. Frankly, you can do what you like to improve them, but do you think you have better abilities than KEF ?
I own the KEF RR105/3 since 1990, in 2003 ( after 13 years !!) there was foamrot on the woofers, for this (arranged by KEF) replacement units were supplied ( costing 127 euro each, and also with foam instead of rubber, but these units are still healthy after 17 years !!), these B200 replacements are type R1465X, and specially made on spec's by a third party (Castle I thought), this year the tweeters (NT25, Gen1 SP1240) replaced by refurbished NT25 / SP1353's, so my 105/3 speakers are healthy now and still reasonably up to specification. Your 105/3 speakers have had a hard life, good luck with this challenge to bring them back to life.
goorlel58 exact same story for mine! Purchased them in 1991 in Beverly Hills , I replaced the 4 woofers in 2005 (foam was disintegrating I ordered them from kef Lebanon dealer
But replaced them myself) both of my tweeters blew because my amplifiers capacitors dried thus making a very loud high frequency signal for hours (I always left my amplifiers switched on :-( ) I purchased the replacement SP1353 (fitted in the mid nineties reference 1) instead of the SP1240. It matches perfectly with my center channel 200C) till today I enjoy their full range and great imaging! Switching my between my LS50 (owned since late 2012) and the 105/3 depending on my mood. They look and sound as great as the day I purchased them.
If imaging is now a "sweet spot", those tweeters are not suitable replacements. These speakers were known for their phenomenally wide horizontal dispersion.
Hey Joey G.
I don't know how far you've gotten on your remoding?
I've owned my pair of 105/3 for many years! Like your 901s I'm never parting with my 105/3 either! They stayed as I sold my B&W 802/2 Matrix. The B&W 802 Matrix were just to lite in the bass to be convincing. I had them up on their steel stands. I never had their eq that was recommended for them. I tried purchasing a matching B&W sub but UPS destroyed that dream for me.
I've been through tweeters on the KEF too. I eventually replaced my 3rd pair with KEFs own upgraded Titanium domes. No more burnouts! (Don't know if KEF in NJ still has these available?)
Your tweeters look aluminum? They also look like they're not a perfect fit? They're most likely rubbing on its mid-range guides? They also could be damaged too? Thus the static?
The woofers' surrounds are an relatively easy fix. Again, I disassembled them & sent them to be done professionally with very good results. (It's that little donut that can be a challenge for my ability?
I regasket the woofers on assembly even replacing the screws with lockwashers & "Locktite" on their threads!
One day, I'd like to upgrade the X-Overs. I'm sure their due. I rather send them out to a reputable specialist who are familiar with them.
Good luck. 👍
I’ve given up on the old KEF’s. Yes they do sound amazing for their age but mine have “Gremlins” within them. Midrange drivers are exhibiting some voice coil rub as are a couple of the Woofers.
Shame really.
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 Sorry to hear it. It looked like you put up a good fight too.
But, yes. Sometimes you have to "know when to fold them & when to hold them".
I've always wanted a pair of those hefty KEF Reference 207/2 ! That was before KEF speakers were downsized with exception of their ugly Blade speakers. WEM 👎
I still think the 103/4 was their best pound for pound speaker they designed. With it's KEF KUBE of course.
Albeit, today's technology has moved on & up from those amazing speakers since then. "Definitive Technology" comes readily to mind. They have internal amps that rock in amazement for their size! Not only dynamic, but detailed with resolution. All in handily sizes with affordable pricing. (Which has become unheard of in these days & times)
They're worth a listen & serious consideration as replacements to those weathered 103/4. Good Luck!
Another great presentation. 'Looking forward to the results of my friend!
Sad to see such legendary and good speakers in such a bad condition 😢
I restore KEF Reference speakers for fun, cuz it hurts my heart to see such speakers die...
@@fishesvideo what's the model of the SEAS tweeters? I live close by seas :)
Christian Bale says the 105/3's sound best when powered with a Harman Kardon HK 770 amp with matching HK 725 preamp. He claims the resulting sound is as positive and affirmative as anything he's heard in the high end audio world.
Nowaday's those old Amps of a bygone era great at what they did. Nowaday's however, with the advancements in GaN FET technology. Those old Tube and Transistor/MOSFET type Amps are slowly going away. Well Tubes (like the 8 6H30's in my BAT Preamp aren't).
Again, it's just my opinion and I know it's not the common thinking.
peccato per i tweeter che sono stati VIOLENTATI
LOL ! Thx man !
...good,a good sound!!!! more music,more....please
Tri metal tin film poly capacitors but you will need to add a resistor if not electrolytic to the same value as the electrolytic resistance equivalent
Try reversing the Bass Driver around so the basket and magnets on the top.
WilmslowAudio dot co dot uk replacement KEF uni Q driver
What is this nonsense about sandcast resistors nothing wrong with them as long as they're non-intrusive what they wouldn't be no point in replacing them why would it cost $400. You can connect 2 polarised capacitors in series tying the two Earth leads together will give you a non polarised capacitor but each capacitor would be reduced in capacitance by half to make up the total value needed
Ferrofluid of tweeters is dried out...
True and I did replace them on the 104/2's. But they were still a little "peaky sounding" to my taste.
Wrong tweeters.... these are all over the map...
Wrong ! I just put GRS Planar Tweeters onplace of the uni-Q in between the repurposed midbass driver now located where the uni-Q midrange was. Sounds amazing !
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 No ... no a thousand times now.... the very nature of Uni-Q is the impressive polar response. It is nearly flawless in the horizontal plan (the listening axis) and all the evidence is that this is no accident. By adding this tweeter, you might like the sound (no argument) but they are now far away from "reference" or even accurate. Frankly, you can do what you like to improve them, but do you think you have better abilities than KEF ?