Another great find. KEF 105/3!

GTIanz

Active Member
Just scored a pair of KEF 105/3's for a really good price.

They are in great shape but have the expected woofer foam issues. Started a new thread since all the KEF threads seem to be archived. (And why isn't there a KEF forum?). I remember reading through a 104/2 rebuild thread but I can't find it now.

I have never refoamed speakers but, I think that I'll give these a go! I'd love to hear thoughts about these speakers. I am open to suggestions and would welcome any links or advice.
 
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Got them moved into the house and hooked up for a short audition. Very interesting comparing them to my Infinity RSII's.

First off though a small rant.... Every one of the "big" speakers I have scored were being used with home theater receivers. Pretty difficult to judge the character of a speaker when the amp driving them can't do so effectively. Oddly enough all of the "small" speakers I have bought were being powered by quality components or nice vintage gear (my $100 infinity rs4000's were being powered by $10,000+ in modern mcintosh components).

End of rant and onto the simple and quick comparison; with no placement adjustments. Will take a lot more time and work to make a thorough comparison.

The Kef's were much more accurate and crisp in the midrange. The bass is tighter although the infinity's had quite a bit more bass output. For me the tweets were a tossup. My brother said the Infinity's tweeter sounds harsh....surprised me as I've never felt that to be the case. I didn't turn the Kef's up much to see how they sounded at higher volumes given the woofer surrounds.

My initial impression is that both of these speakers are going to excel in different areas with different types of music. Probably going to come down to a matter of taste and music preference.

As promised photo's:
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Overall they are in excellent condition given their age! Wiped them down with a damp cloth. There are a few small dings and scratches. But, there are no dents or gouges. They should be very easy to clean and touch up. The plastic grill frames are 100% intact but the cloth needs to be replaced as it has pulled loose in a couple of places (I'll see if I can't clean it up and re-attach in the loose places first). And, of course I need to replace the woofer foams.

Any suggestions on the best place to get a re-foam kit for Kef woofers?
 
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eBay is your best bet I'd say. There should be a few kits available.

Also, I may have the disassembly instructions for these, I'll look through my e-mails later and see if I do.
 
Just scored a pair of KEF 105/3's for a really good price.

They are in great shape but have the expected woofer foam issues. Started a new thread since all the KEF threads seem to be archived. (And why isn't there a KEF forum?). I remember reading through a 104/2 rebuild thread but I can't find it now.

I have never refoamed speakers but, I think that I'll give these a go! I'd love to hear thoughts about these speakers. I am open to suggestions and would welcome any links or advice.
Did these for a friend. Really nice speakers by the way.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=502106

Best to replace the donuts.
 
really really nice. I have my 104/2 because I missed purchasing the 105/3. Got to the house, she said they were gone, then out of the corner of my eye were the 104/2. "Can I buy those?" She said yes. And so begins the saga.
 
Try the British forum has KEF threads.

Ahhh of course! Thank you!

Did these for a friend. Really nice speakers by the way.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=502106

Best to replace the donuts.

Great write-up. Thank you so much for the photo's and info. I will be studying your images and reading through your descriptions a few times before tearing into these things. Figures that I picked one of the most difficult woofers to attempt to learn how to refoam.

How difficult was it after people gave you suggestions?
 
I see the RSII's in the back ground laughing at the newcomers. You may not be able to hear it, but the smack talk goin' on between the speakers in your room is gettin' pretty thick. :D
 
I see the RSII's in the back ground laughing at the newcomers. You may not be able to hear it, but the smack talk goin' on between the speakers in your room is gettin' pretty thick. :D

Ha. wonder what types of conversations take place in that ever changing listening space of yours. Seems like every time I click on one of your threads there is a new set of speakers being put through their paces.
 
Ahhh of course! Thank you!



Great write-up. Thank you so much for the photo's and info. I will be studying your images and reading through your descriptions a few times before tearing into these things. Figures that I picked one of the most difficult woofers to attempt to learn how to refoam.

How difficult was it after people gave you suggestions?
Actually been so long I can't recall. Any input/support/feedback in in the post.

Hope it helps. The fun part is the metal brace running top to bottom and through the woofers. Ingenious design, but adds some complexity to the "service". The owner prefers them bi-amped. I only wish I had adequate power, at the time, to really test them. Spoke with the owner a couple weeks ago, says they're still doing great.
 
GTIanz, I found the disassembly instructions. They are the official instructions from KEF.

Send me your e-mail address via PM and I will e-mail them to you.
 
GTIanz, I found the disassembly instructions. They are the official instructions from KEF.

Send me your e-mail address via PM and I will e-mail them to you.

These awesome instructions were sent to me by canuck and definitely helped in the disassembly of these speakers.

Author Jay:

Needed tools:

stereo/music

work bench

lots of light(s)

2 pieces of 2x4 (or equiv), each covered with a towel/rag

baggies

felt pen

digital camera

deep sockets (1/4 drive). Do not use a cheesy set. Sockets/extensions falling off can hurt speakers.

hex drive

phillips screwdriver

small needle nosed pliers

soldering iron/solder

Practice the mantra: Do everything slow. Do not poke speakers. Repeat throughout entire process.

Start:

1. Remove speaker grill, store in safe out of the way place

2. Put two 2x4s on table, cover with cloth, lay 105/5 face up on the 2x4s (2x4s are to keep speaker posts

on back of speaker from hitting).

Remove mid/tweeter assembly (pod)

3. Remove 4 fasteners (hex drive) attaching mid/tweeter assembly. Note at each fastener location is a

bolt, spacer, and washer (washer may be stuck to pod assembly). Bag and mark.

4. Carefully lift the mid/tweeter assy straight up just a little (approx 1.5 inch), rotate assembly slightly, gently

set down. The idea is to locate the electrical connector.

5. Grab white connector at each end with thumb and forefinger, rock back and forth and pull downward

gently, and remove connector. Note: My first time removing this connector I battled it (I did not rock it) and

broke off some of the pod connector black plastic tangs.

6. Remove pod. Note this changes the CG of the speaker * if your speaker is hanging over the table make

sure it doesn't tip. Store pod in safe place. Note also metal washers on back of pod (at each fastener hole

* they may or may not be loose).

7. Take pictures, especially noting upper woofer and wire (color) connections. Note wire run path.

Start woofer access

8. Remove white stuffing above top woofer. Note that stuffing is not pushed against speaker cone, but

rather is located above the foam ring attached to the cabinet inside.

9. Locate the bottom panel of the speaker. Remove the 8 phillips screws.

10. Gently pull bottom panel out. This panel has a crossover and wires attached to it. Take a picture,

make a sketch of the wire (color) connections. Remove all 8 spade connections. I have bent thing like this

in the past. I remove very genty, rocking back and forth, while supporting the corssover board

at the spade location.

11. Store bottom panel in safe place. Interesting to note that KEF makes (or has made for them) their own

capacitors.

12. Remove white stuffing. Take pictures. Note wire runs.

Remove "woofer rod"

13. Recon. Locate bottom woofer, note bolt head protruding out the bottom. A similar bolt is installed in

the upper woofer, only on the top woofer the bolt head is inside the the middle top of speaker.

14. Warning warning warning: speaker damage potential. Go slow. Note also that speaker magnet likes

to attach to metal tools. At upper woofer, use 10 mm socket (with extension) and attach socket to bolt head

inside speaker center. Carefully loosen and remove bolt.

15. At lower woofer bottom, use socket to remove bolt. While doing this support rod in other hand. Do not

let rod poke speaker. Carefully remove rod. Bag/mark parts.

Upper woofer removal

16. Recon: Upper woofer held in place with 3 studs on upper surface. Note bottom of woofer (remember,

photos), especially location of terminals. When reinstalling woofer note to ensure terminals are in same

location. Also note (at least on mine) that wire runs are tight. Accordingly, rather than clip wires I chose to

desolder.

17. Clip or desolder wires at speaker teminals. Warning warning: if desoldering, careful of solder falling

onto speaker. Also note that speaker magnet likes to attrack soldering iron. To desolder I used strategic

light, needle nosed pliers (to pull on the wire), and careful placement of the solder gun. Slow. Careful.

Think. Do not hurt speaker. I considered as an option leaving wires intact. However they are glued in

place on their path to the bottom crossover area and I determined it would be very difficult to free them.

18. At upper surface use deep 7mm socket (with extension) to remove nut, lock washer, nut, and washer

at each of the three stud locations. Careful, slow, do not hurt speaker. Note the torque of the nuts as you

remove them (they are not installed too tight * this is noted since later you will reinstall these and they ride

against rubber * it is a bit difficult to gauge how much torque to use). Or, perhap more intelligently, eyball

how the speaker rubber grommets are compressed (before you loosen anything) * when you reinstall these

you will want the rubber grommets compressed about the same. Bag/mark parts.

19. Remove speaker by carefully (one hand on back of speaker, other on front) pushing down. Do not

harm speaker. Slow. Careful of the studs. The foam attached to the side of the cabinets gets in the way a

bit, but foam removal is not required. Work it slow. Carefully pull speaker up and out. As I am a bit anal I

marked mine (using felt pen) with speaker serial number and "upper". Put speaker in safe place.

Lower woofer removal:

20. Note woofer crossover mounted below lower woofer on back panel of cabinet. Take pictures. Note

wire color connector locations (make diagram/sketch).

21. Gently remove lower woofer speaker connections (spades) from crossover (on mine these were red

and black wires).

22. Use socket to remove nut, lock washer, nut and washer at each of the three locations. Slow, careful. If

confused by my "rubber compression" comment in item 19 above * you are now smarter (having removed

on woofer already) and can look at these better prior to removal to gauge rubber. Bag/mark parts.

23. Speaker is removed carefullly upwards. Note cabinet particle baord crossmenber. Also note cabinet

cutout for speaker. I had to (careful careful careful * do not poke speaker * watch fingers) face speaker up

(cone up) * slide up and over particle board crossmember, then rotate and remove through cabinet cutout.

Slow slow slow.

Reassembly:

1. Reverse order above. Note: Start with lower woofer. If you install upper woofer first you cannot fit lower

woofer into cabinet.............Also, good time to look at earlier photos to acquant yourself with positioning of

things.

2. Lower woofer. Slow baby steps. Slide down into cabinet, rotate cone upwards, slide woofer past

particlae board crossmember * be careful both of wires/terminals of woofer and also existing wires in

cabinet(upper woofer wires). Feed speaker wires through bottom, as you get close to studs you can use

one hand through bottom, one through cabinet front. Also, as you slide speaker onto the mounting studs be

gentle and ensure the speaker rubber grommet does not come off.

3. Remember, flat washer against speaker, then nut, lock washer and second nut. Tighten to compress

rubber grommet (as seen during disassembly). Or SWAG it, just don't kill the rubber.........

4. Upper woofer.

5. Solder

x. Bottom cavity * Before you reinstall this ensure you have attached metal rod between woofers. install

white stuffing, reconnect wires, reattach bottom panel.

Related stuff:

B200 woofer center dust cap repair

1. Order replacement dust caps, white glue (paper cone), and black glue (plastic) from Midwest Speaker

Repair.

2. Remove old dust cap. I used a rounded blade exacto knife and methodically worked my way around

and around the speaker cutting litttle bits at a time. I found that pulling up from the cone was bad (cone

paper wanted to pull up) * I worked the blade sideways. Get some stuff on the blade, wipe it off, get stuff on

the blade, wipe it off, etc. I declared it done when I had worked the paper cone surface down flat. Residual

glue and some debris was left, but not bad. I scraped the center plastic ring surface clean with a flat

screwdriver, and then a flat exacto blade.

3. Glue on new dust cap. Using small bottle white glue came in, I laid down a small bead along the cone

along the line of the previous glue. I also coated the outside edge of the new dust cap. Using the small

bottle the black glue came in, I put a slight bead on the speaker plastic center ring, and then a slight bead

along the inside edge of the new dust cap. I carefully positioned the cap over the speaker and set it down

gently. I then moved it to align in the center and pushed down to set the "black glue" portion. To get the

outer ring of the dust cap to attach to the cone I had to gently lift the cone up. I patted the edges with q*tips

(swab end or bent in half using the stick). I had to monitor/tweak the speakers for a bit until the glue set up.

Of course the more I did the better I got.............

Tweeter replacement
 
And the fun has begun on my pair:

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My sad post op helper:
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The foam is completely shot on all drivers. A light tap anywhere and it breaks.

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I'm sure there are more difficult projects out there. But, this one is intensive. Soldered speaker leads have to be done inside the cabinets. Removing the lower woofer was close to impossible with all the dampening material in the port chamber (All foam is glued in). All said I think it took me about 2 hours to get the first speaker disassembled. Sure the second one will go more quickly. time to order the foams and see if I should be attempting projects like this. Wish me luck!
 
I rarely use shims when doing foam, but these woofers require shims. The vc gap is TIGHT. but well worth the effort.
 
I understand that Kef soldered the connections for a reason, but had they used clips servicing this series would have been a lot easier. My 103/3 required reaching inside with a soldering iron. Even longer wires would have helped quite a bit.

Good luck with the rebuild, look forward to hearing your impressions once redone.
 
I was fortunate to have spent a week in their factory when these were being produced. They were absolutely fanatical about everything to do with these. All the drivers involved were individually tested and then matched into sets and then pairs. What a shame they used foam.
 
Thank you for the link Phoenix.

Your post reminded me that I needed to question whether or not these tweeters have ferro fluid in them. I checked everywhere but couldn't find any mention of it for the 105/3.

I'm also noticing that the 104/2's have an inverted rubber surround. Guess it doesn't really matter as it is still a foam donut center that will need replaced again eventually.

Since I've already gone this far what is everyone's thoughts on the crossovers for these? If they are in spec is there any reason to upgrade caps/resistors?

I'll probably wait no matter what as I'm not sure if these are going to be long term keepers or not.
 
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