Northern California Kef 104/2 Repair?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Hi All - I've got a pair of Kef 104/2's with foam rot on the the inner
woofers in both speakers. Can anyone suggest a good repair shop in the
area that could fix this? Any ideas about what something like this
would cost?

Also, I lost the grilles during my last move? Not a big deal, but if
anyone has suggestions on replacement, I'd like to hear them...

Thanks.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Nug186 wrote:
> Hi All - I've got a pair of Kef 104/2's with foam rot on the the inner
> woofers in both speakers. Can anyone suggest a good repair shop in the
> area that could fix this? Any ideas about what something like this
> would cost?

You shouldn't necessarily have to go to a repair shop. Pulling the
drivers and putting them back in is something you should be able
to do yourself, assuming you can either get them reconed or replaced.
This is an old loudspeaker and it may well be that there is no
replacement for it. Reconing is problematic as well unless it's
done by KEF.

The problem with reconing is that speaker drivers are electromechanical
devices. Their performance is based upon cone weight, density, stiffness,
as well as the electromechanical properties of the surround. You can
buy reconing kits, but unless it's the exact kit for the particular
driver you have, then the result will not be the same driver and the
resulting sound will be different.

It may be that KEF America will be able to recone or replace your
drivers for you. You'll have to talk to them.

You can contact KEF America at:

KEF AMERICA, Inc.
10 Timber Lane,
Marlboro, NJ 07746
Tel: (732) 683 2356
Fax732) 683 2358
www.kefamerica.com

If they can't help you, then your next best bet is to call:

Madisound Speaker Components
P.O. Box 44283
Madison, WI 53744-4283
USA

(608)831-3433


They can't sell you a direct replacement, but they can sell you
something that will fit in the enclosures. It'll be a different
loudspeaker though. Some things just don't last forever.

> Also, I lost the grilles during my last move? Not a big deal, but if
> anyone has suggestions on replacement, I'd like to hear them...

Fabricate your own. Make a simple wooden frame to fit the area you
want. Paint them black. Stretch an open weave material over them
and staple it to the back side of the frame. You can attach the
covered frames to the front of your loudspeakers with velcro.

If you can get your drivers reconed or replaced, then it is easy for
you to pull them from your cabinets and replace them. Just be sure
to mark the wires, taking note of polarity. The back of the drivers
will have one terminal marked with red - either a spot of red, or a
red stain on the terminal. That's your hot lead. Take some tape
and label the hot lead wire. When you go to put the driver back
in the speaker, you'll need to make sure you wire it correctly.

Good luck!

Russ

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Thanks guys for the detailed responses. Regarding pulling the speakers
myself, the Kef 104's have a very strange configuration whereby the
woofers are both located inside in a band pass type of alignment with a
metal rod passing through both opposed speakers, and I don't see any
way to crack open the case (no screws visible, etc.). Thoughts?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

On 28 Jan 2005 00:56:30 GMT, "Nug186" <nug186@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Thanks guys for the detailed responses. Regarding pulling the speakers
>myself, the Kef 104's have a very strange configuration whereby the
>woofers are both located inside in a band pass type of alignment with a
>metal rod passing through both opposed speakers, and I don't see any
>way to crack open the case (no screws visible, etc.). Thoughts?

Don't mess about prying things loose. Contact KEF in Maidenhead. They
were extremely helpful to me with a pair of 101s, even had original
replacement seals.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

I use to sell them. Mine sound as good as any pair I remember (better,
actually. the demo room did not sound as good as any room I've had). I
noticed someone posted the contact info for the importer. If I can
remember, I will contact them to see if it makes sense to haul them out
there (if they'll fix them). If it happens, I'll certainly report on any
sound quality change.

"Nug186" <nug186@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ctc2kt01ph@news2.newsguy.com...
> No, nothing obvious (certainly no flapping or anything), but then again
> then only 104's I ever heard are my own. I have noticed that the
> bottom end significantly tails off what seems to be in the 70-80Hz
> range (guessing by ear). I thought maybe the leaks from the rot is
> causing a loss of compression, thereby adversly affecting output.