trancient and dynamic response, transparent highs and mids, deep crawling bass!!!

none...

This is a review not for the 105/2 but for the legendary kef 105. These speakers are great. Details are amazingly accurate and the trancient and the dynamic response will blow you away! Another thing I love about these speakers is the bass. There is nothing like it. Deep, precise and profound bass! These speakers can go down to 20hz easily with even having to install a Kube EQ!

The only problem iswhen your listening to a speaker that can go down that low and that clean, you have to place it and listen to it in a large room or you,ll feel a bit drowzy and wanting to puke.

Placed in alrge room, sounds awesome!!! When listening to symphonies its like having the entire orchestra playing in front of you.

Similar Products Used:

Kefs...

OVERVIEW
The KEF 105/2 loadspeaker was desinged in 1979, the first 105 speaker was (in my opinion) the first loadspeaker to have a separate enclosure for its mid and high drivers. The mid & hi frequency drivers are mounted on a separate enclosure which can be aimed at the listener without moving the larger bass enclosure. A LED is attached to each mid & hi enclosure to help the listener aim the drivers. The smaller enclosure contains a STOP protection circuit to prevent the drivers from being overloaded from too much power, it also contains a volume like knob at the back panel with levels of 50,60... up to 200 watts, these can be set to the same power rating as your amplifier. Once the knob is set to say 50 (watts) and the amplfifier is delivering 50 watts to the loadspeaker the LED will start to blink, these will indicate that you are overdriving yout amplifier.

SPECIFICATION

Bass Driver 12 inch woofer
Midrange Driver Between 5-6 inches
Hi-Frequency Driver Between 1.5 to 2 inches

MID & Hi frequency drivers sizes has to be estimated since, it is covered with a metal screen which is difficult to remove.

Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: Not indicated on manual, "Guestimate" would be between 82 to 85 Db
Power handling: 200 watts
Frequency Response: 35 - 20,00 HZ

SOUND

I have been listening to these loadspeakers for over a year now and cannot seem to find any kind of music that it cannot play nicely. These loadspeakers will play the heaviest rock music as well as the most delicate classical music. Sound is a little bit forward, That explains why it also sound good on blockbuster movies. Bass is very tight and very well extended. These loadspeakers will require a monster of an amp to be driven correctly, it devours power like a black whole, Bass is boomy when sited close to wall, I would recommend at least two (2) feet away from any room bounderies in order to have better imaging.

For sound quality I would give it a **** (four stars)
For Sensitivity I would give it a * (one star, maybe none at all)

Conclusion

If you can still find these speakers today I would recommend that you listen these speakers and compare it with other brands, The KEF will compare favorably with others new models today. When I was in the market I shortlisted B&W DM604,
Accoustic Research HO312,Infinity SMM155, Kappa 6.X, JBL HP520 & HP850 and the KEF 105/2. The KEF was the oldest in the group and I guess you know which speaker I brought home.

I salute KEF for having a design thats stands the test of time,almost 20 years.
Although I am not able to have a head to head comparison with the latest models from the KEF stables. I hope some magazines try a head to head comparison of the best equipments that came out in the 70's,80's and the 90's and it would be interesting to find out the result.

Good solid perspektive. Resonble second-hand price. Easy to improve by tweek's.

Low sensibility. Do not like organ, and other instruments of that kind.

Well this old speaker, produced for the first time, 20 years ago, in 1979, has a lot going for it. Hovever, if you want the full potential of it, you have to do a lot of modifying. Away with the metal on front of the midrange and tweeter. New cable inside, and the resistors and capasitators must be replaced with new ones. Most important the capasitators. KEF's fear in those days for DC coming out of the amplifier, destroying the speaker is most overrated, and the 4 120uF capasitators protecting the woofer, can be by-passed easy and safe, with today's amplifiers.
The sound: Making the improments described, the old 105.2 speaker gives an almost fullrange clean sound, that's very easy to live with. However, the woofer, does not like organ, and computermade sound with a lot of energy in the lower octav. It loves a bassdrum, and can with the right amplifier, give you cheastmassage in the rigth way. And unless you have a very big room, or an organ-buff, you would most certanly not miss any power in the lower register. The midrange is taken care of by the famous B110 (KEF's own speakerunit) and that unit has been used in a lot of high-end speakers. It's gives a clean sound, but one can miss some dynamics in this area, having heard the REF Four, also from KEF, or even the old, almost cult-like KEF 104.2. But the intrigation with tweeter is good, and although you don't have the resolution of today's best tweeters it give a clean smooth forgiven sound, one can live with. Thanks to the special design, the perspektive is good, and fairly big.
Unmodified i would give the speaker 3 stars, but modified it can get 4 stars. But thats only if you through aprox. half the used price after it, in modifications. In Denmark they are sold for around 850 USD/a pair, and I have spend around 400 USD modifying them. It really pays off. The cable you put in, you may want to choose something with silver in it, or atleast something that is not to dark, or else it will be a moody afair.

Similar Products Used:

KEF REF Model Four, KEF 104.2, KEF 105.3, AudioNote AN-K, Infinity Modulus + Sub.

Bass, mid, treb

Ultra hi freq, maybe ...

I assume KEF 105.2 means KEF Reference 105 Series 2. In which case the most strike impression I have (after over 6 years use) is that they flap your trousers at ANY volume. Even in quiet listening they move air. Mids are present in correct degree and crisp, and treb is fine , but maybe lacking for dogs and bats. Imaging v.stable.

Go louder than my previousand deeper than 105.4s (smaller, similar), ESL 57s, and are more 'even' than more previous Tannoy Monito Golds.

Similar Products Used:

KEF 105.4

Bass, mid, treb

Ultra hi freq, maybe ...

I assume KEF 105.2 means KEF Reference 105 Series 2. In which case the most strike impression I have (after over 6 years use) is that they flap your trousers at ANY volume. Even in quiet listening they move air. Mids are present in correct degree and crisp, and treb is fine , but maybe lacking for dogs and bats. Imaging v.stable.

Go louder than my previousand deeper than 105.4s (smaller, similar), ESL 57s, and are more 'even' than more previous Tannoy Monito Golds.

Similar Products Used:

KEF 105.4