The Official KEF R107 Owners Registry

[Speaks]

Okay,
This is bizarre...
I just posted the serial #'s to the registry for my 2 sets of KEF 107's
One set of rosewood and second set black
I recently purchased the black ones #004703 on eBay from an eBayer living in NYC
I had purchased a KUBE for my rosewood 107's from an eBayer in Los Angeles about a month before.
I hadn't looked at and taken a picture of the serial # for the KUBE until today.
To my surprise, the SP2105 KUBE serial is #004703, the same as the recently purchased black KEF's.
And to SimplySound, I just realized the pictures you just posted on 1/18/18 are of my eBay purchase!
It was a last minute bid and I got them for $571.00.
And, yes, the serial number from one of the heads is different.
The eBayer said that he thinks he has the KUBE in storage and will send to me when found.
I'm beginning to think he might have sold the KUBE to the west coast eBayer a while back...
I'm confused...
One of the 2 heads does have a different serial # then the other 3 components.
I guess these black KEF's would be the perfect candidate for recapping.
From what I reading, the caps are not matched with the other head.

 

[electra100]

Happy to post that I am finally able to join the club. I picked up a pair yesterday!

 

[steve59]

I don't think the kube's were speaker matched and if they were kef didn't tell anybody cause I bought mine new and the kube didn't match the speaker s/n. mine were the latest version.

 

[stelya]

So glad I became a member to this exclusive club.
After some trial and error in Class A and higher sensitivity bookshelf arena I opted for this and couldnt be happier.
Note that I have mid-small room thus being limited in speaker selection (absolutely no rear ports allowed and only few front ones worked) and finding that only compression , isobarik and TL and non standard bass cabinet solutions work.
Prior too acquiring these I was kind of happy with Linn Sara Isobarik ( still have and will keep them) but even though musical like few others I missed hi-end resolution, sparkle and ambient info.

Oh... did I mention mine 107's are like no other
Tell me if you can tell why

preamp : deciding on solution here... 10Y, passive or something else exotic
amp: Mark Levinson 27.5
DAC: AYA DAC tda1541 + E180F tube stage

107's are refoamed, rewired with Kimber, recapped with Solens and finally re-tweeted with RAAL ribbon.
NO KUBE! Previous owner who I know is well respected audiophile and owner of Raal (who did the upgrades! ) both think this particular speaker w/upgrade is better off without it and like it is now it is flat down to 30hz. (dont know if other things were done to XO to make it that way or only upgrades with quality components did that ...but when I asked I was given answer that XO is intact and kept original with just parts replaced)

The only other thing that Im really considering is re-veneering them or doing something else to improve this black finist that does not fit in my room....so any ideas on veneers and woodwork techiques are welcome...same goes to choice of preamplifier.

 

[Hawkeye83]

So glad I became a member to this exclusive club.
After some trial and error in Class A and higher sensitivity bookshelf arena I opted for this and couldnt be happier.
Note that I have mid-small room thus being limited in speaker selection (absolutely no rear ports allowed and only few front ones worked) and finding that only compression , isobarik and TL and non standard bass cabinet solutions work.
Prior too acquiring these I was kind of happy with Linn Sara Isobarik ( still have and will keep them) but even though musical like few others I missed hi-end resolution, sparkle and ambient info.

Oh... did I mention mine 107's are like no other
Tell me if you can tell why
View attachment 1230737
preamp : deciding on solution here... 10Y, passive or something else exotic
amp: Mark Levinson 27.5
DAC: AYA DAC tda1541 + E180F tube stage

107's are refoamed, rewired with Kimber, recapped with Solens and finally re-tweeted with RAAL ribbon.
NO KUBE! Previous owner who I know is well respected audiophile and owner of Raal (who did the upgrades! ) both think this particular speaker w/upgrade is better off without it and like it is now it is flat down to 30hz. (dont know if other things were done to XO to make it that way or only upgrades with quality components did that ...but when I asked I was given answer that XO is intact and kept original with just parts replaced)

The only other thing that Im really considering is re-veneering them or doing something else to improve this black finist that does not fit in my room....so any ideas on veneers and woodwork techiques are welcome...same goes to choice of preamplifier.

Welcome to the club! Adding the RAAL ribbon...that's awesome! Mine are basically restored with a few "upgrades" as well, but I was also thinking about re-wiring mine with high quality wire. Eventually I think I'll do that.

I added a "ribbon" to mine 107's too! My "addition" is a pair of Townsend Audio Maximum Super Tweeters. They definitely "enhanced" the sound of the speakers, without changing their character. Pretty cool. The addition of the super tweeters didn't quite do what I expected...I used to own some Apogee speakers and they had a sort of high energy, beaming sound that was kind of addicting. I was hoping the super tweeters would do more of that...I think they do a little bit, but not nearly as much as the Apogees. Long story short, they improved the sound but still do not have the sort of ribbon "energy" that the Apogees did...I guess I should have expected that...the Apogee ribbon was like 3 feet long and this ribbon is like 2 inches long, lol!

I'd really love to compare with the RAAL ribbons you have...I'll have to check out the specs, maybe that's something I'll do some day as well. I know I like ribbons, mostly because of those Apogees and also some I heard on some Legacy Focus SE.

Thanks for posting!

Here are mine - you can barely see the super tweeters on top.

 

[stelya]

Hi there, your pair looks amazing but couldnt take my eyes off that subwoofer .....whY ??? LOL ..how big is your room? \

I think you'd maybe get cheaper deal if you went with some sort of drop-in replacement like Scan-Speak and keep the Townshend. Ribbon requires some machining and building to custom specs ( so there is no model like this on Raal website )... I didnt open them but I guess there may have been a tweak or two somewhere but I was left in the dark about the exact job done...maybe due to Raal being a young product and keeping the know-how is a common practice...but I dont mind nor I care as long as they do what they do the way they do it...if you know what I mean

That McCormack DNA is one of 5 amps best suited for our KEFs so Im guessing you are in audio nirvana

Nice to be a member
Cheers!

 

[Hawkeye83]

Hi there, your pair looks amazing but couldnt take my eyes off that subwoofer .....whY ??? LOL ..how big is your room? \

I think you'd maybe get cheaper deal if you went with some sort of drop-in replacement like Scan-Speak and keep the Townshend. Ribbon requires some machining and building to custom specs ( so there is no model like this on Raal website )... I didnt open them but I guess there may have been a tweak or two somewhere but I was left in the dark about the exact job done...maybe due to Raal being a young product and keeping the know-how is a common practice...but I dont mind nor I care as long as they do what they do the way they do it...if you know what I mean

That McCormack DNA is one of 5 amps best suited for our KEFs so Im guessing you are in audio nirvana

Nice to be a member
Cheers!

LOL - literally everyone says that about the subwoofer...WHY?! Short(ish) answer, I bought the subwoofer before I bought the KEF's. I was going to use it with some Magnepan 2.7QR speakers. I still have it, so might as well use it...especially for home theater (though still not really needed).

I do know what you mean...they make magic! Who cares how?!

The McCormack amps are amazingly affordable. It kind of blows my mind how cheaply they can be had vs their performance. Definitely the best match I've yet had with my KEF's. I also think they have a really nice synergy with my Bel Canto gear. I am definitely in audio nirvana lately! I should be working from my "office" - where I have KEF 103.2's and a Peachtree Decco and an 8 inch subwoofer - but it's hard to tear myself away from the couch, where I can listen to my main system (this one) while I work!

Congrats on scoring those uniquely-awesome KEF's. I doubt this will ever happen, but if you ever decide to sell them, let me know. I'm going to keep looking into this ribbon tweeter thing.

 

[stelya]

It took me a year to find a nice pair of these. Was originally looking for a 107/2 and completely disregarded plain 107's , I also wanted nice wook veneer...no way in hell a black one ! nut when I saw these locally with all the upgrades and a reasonable price i immediately forgot about 107/2 and veneer they had on I am thinking of sanding black paint thus revealing oak veneer that is underneath the paint (oak is cheapest veneer ...sigh) but was thinking of carving some nice shapes into it and doing a paint/lacquer/vax? finish ...if I screw it up I can always have it re-veneered

 

[Jasper01]

$700.00 KEF R107 Speakers. Serial # 004805 Kube SP2105 # 004805

Found a pair of Original Owner R107’s on Facebook for $150.00
Rosewood cabinets in near mint condition. 2 of the woofers had to be replaced one in each cabinet, the magnets had become dislodged. Is this a common issue? Purchased 2 used woofers in need of surrounds replaced the surrounds on all 4 woofers , replaced the ferro-fluid in the tweeters . The Kube was included but was missing the power supply , purchased a Hammond 9-0-9 cvt transformer from Mouser Electronics and made my own. Crossover recap kit from Falcon Acoustics. All that’s left to do is rebuild the Kube possibly update the opamps.
Any recommendations for an amplifier that will be the perfect match ?

R107 Speakers $150.00 Facebook
2- B250 woofers $250.00 EBay
1- Woofer Refoam kit $81.95 Simply Speakers
1- woofer 16- rubber grommets $12.95 Midwest Speakers
1- Tweeter Ferrofluid $16.97 Parts Express
1- capacitor replacement set. $180.00 Falcon Acoustics
1- 18v CT transformer 17.02 Mouser Electronics

 

[ROB BRACKETT]

Hello
I'm new to all of this but have been slowly upgrading my gear as money allows.
I have been in search of a speaker upgrade and found a pair of KEF 107s with KUBE locally and bought them.
The cabinets have been redone along with all 4 woofers surrounds and doughnuts.
The top covers were recovered and I'm missing the badges.
All have matching serial # 1055
I have a Pioneer SX-1050 in getting repaired.
Now I need a new Amp.

 

[blandis]

R107
#1222 L and R

Refoamed including donuts
Tweeters serviced (fluid)

Kube en route.... fellow AK'er was gracious enough to let his backup go.

Need hats as well. Any recommendations to have a set made?

 

[Andrei]

Serial 1754 here, the KUBE is with captive interconnect.

 

[RMD]

Howdy, guess I get to drop the lowest SN with hz's extension. SN #3170

thankfully speakers heads and kube are all matched, though I had to repair the KUBE; had a few blown traces, and more alarmingly, broken solder joints on literally every contact of the rear connector. fixed the blown via and resoldered the cold joints and it works fine now.

not sure what kind of wood these are, other than "not super attractive"

 

[mccarty350]

So glad folks are still buying and enjoying these! I still have mine years later despite lots of gear having come and gone. Couple questions...and if I'm thread hijacking boot me into compliance

1. Has anyone come up with a current guide to restoring a Kube and all the parts, opamps, etc. involved?
2. Has anyone ever come up with any better modern replacements to our finicky sub-permutations of the T33? I tried the MDT29's about 4 years ago and they were close but a little more analytical and a little more forward/less laid back. I noticed someone on parts express purchased Dayton RST28F-4's and stated they were bolt on's and direct replacements even to the level of the screw pattern. I looked at frequency response and sensitivity and they certainly LOOK to be close.

I've replaced the ferrofluid in mine 5 years ago but I consider them ticking time bombs and I feel a sense of dread when thinking about the day they start getting unstable. I already have one whose output seems lesser than the other at this time.

 

[stelya]

Hello
I'm new to all of this but have been slowly upgrading my gear as money allows.
I have been in search of a speaker upgrade and found a pair of KEF 107s with KUBE locally and bought them.
The cabinets have been redone along with all 4 woofers surrounds and doughnuts.
The top covers were recovered and I'm missing the badges.
All have matching serial # 1055
I have a Pioneer SX-1050 in getting repaired.
Now I need a new Amp.

Nice veneer...
Can you tell me how do your ones sound close to corners? I have similar second room in which I think of moving the 107s to ....but its a stairway away so Id like to know how they sound in such rooms...mid-small size...any bass problems to speak of?
I use mine without KUBE as I dont have one, so anyone's input without using it would be appreciated.

ALSO lets finally lay it to rest... Overall do you prefer them with or without the KUBE ?

 

[RMD]

>Has anyone come up with a current guide to restoring a Kube and all the parts, opamps, etc. involved?

well there isn't much to the cube, it's literally just pots, a few caps and resistors, and some opamps, so there isn't much you really need to do. you can slap new opamps in there, they are still in production and cost less than $2 a piece, but unless there is something visibly wrong, you'll be wasting your time 99.9999% of the time unless, again, you've got some visible damage (ie burnt traces, burnt chip, etc.). if your kube is in working order, I can't recommend strongly enough cracking it open, and looking it over closely. you'll probably see some vias where teh green solder mask is crqacked or darker coloured; GENTLY prod it with some tweezers or a blade and see if the solder mask chips off on it's own. if it does, knock off all the loose stuff, and load up that via with solder. on the flip side of the board, you can either check each through-hole pin for a loose leg, or with ample flux, just reflow each leg.

>ALSO lets finally lay it to rest... Overall do you prefer them with or without the KUBE ?

I can only speak from my setup, which most would consider absolutely ghetto: mac > kube > KR9600, but the low end is absolutely anemic without the kube, and it wasn't something I could rectify with an EQ on my mac, or the tone controls on the kr9600. they sounded nice and were a massive upgrade from my energy pro 22s in terms of mids and highs, but the bass, while present, didn't kick as well as the tiny energys. and then I fixed the kube

wow. you'll understand why they even have the cutoff knob. while there is a sacrifice in terms of some occasional odd aberrations at the lowest end (all over pascal rogé's "after the rain: the soft sounds of satie") which are remedied by raising the cutoff one click, what the kube does to the bottom end is unreal. I've never heard bass that is so tight and so loud while not sounding or feeling loud. it's hard to explain, it's like you don't feel it in your chest like you do with a shitty car stereo, it doesn't sound exaggerated, and you'll think "this is a reasonable listening volume", but then you'll notice that everything in your house is in fact vibrating, and your neighbours a block away can hear every note.

the kube balances the low end out as well, where without it, the bass would thin out around 50-60hz and be hardly audible in the mix most of the time, but sometimes a note would shine through, it wasn't that some frequencies weren't loud enough, it's that everything below 60hz would only come out when the amplitude of the particular note was maximum power, like there was no subtle curve; it was either just not there enough, or BAM, there it was.

while I'm sure that others will chide my unrefined ears, the kube is a necessary component of the 107s for me, and without them, I'd probably buy different speakers.

 

[Andrei]

I dont have any low end without the Kube on my KEFs

 

[stelya]

WOW... Is it possible that these massive speakers output NO bass without the KUBE?

Since I have 107s and cant biamp I am tempted as many have asked, to try EQ like DEQX instead of KUBE...or some other product ( there is infamous JPS magic flute which cant be found anywhere that is supposed to replace the KUBE)

Sooo...if a buy ANY KUBE it will be OK? Or get EQ instead?
I am abroad and my speakers are waiting for me back home, so Id like to get either KUBE or EQ to put it in the chain...even though person who sold me 107s says that they are linear up to 30hZ without the KUBE. That is what puzzles me

 

[mccarty350]

So...I wouldn't say it's no bass. I definitely experience some clarity and transparency increase when the Kube is not engaged but definitely you lose a lot of richness as well. I'm guessing that the compromise may be changing the opamps in the Kube to gain back some of that lost clarity. I'm likely going to do that in the near future.

I would love to hear the thoughts of folks regarding using an EQ as an alternative as well. I have one laying around I will likely insert and play with and will report my findings when I get to it. I have a Kube so this is purely academic.

I don't feel it's as night and day as people make it to be, sometimes i prefer the sound of my 107's without the Kube so in my experience they are not anemic but when I run room eq wizard over my room and check my room response i have some nodes that give 5-10 db of boost to the lower frequency ranges so I'm guessing my experience is atypical because my room itself boosts the bass even without a Kube engaged.

If you guys would like I can also get some graphs of frequency response with/without the Kube engaged for comparison with a UMIK and Room EQ Wizard.

 

[stelya]

Thanks for the info! What is your room like? My room boosts bass too so I guess...we'll see
YES! Please do that academic exercise and put the EQ in the chain....as for the graphs...you can do it if u want but I guess people would like to hear whats it like in words rather in graphs.

AND I'm sure there's heaps of people who'd like to see what EQ brings to the table when used without the KUBE