In its day the KEF 107 was a very good speaker. The Kube is terrible and should be rebuilt if not just tossed. I cant remember if the tweeters use ferro fluid and if so the fluid might need to be replaced. I have never heard a JBL speaker that I liked and think that the KEFs would be much more natural sounding if not a bit too polite in the highs. The other member makes a good suggestion listening for problems with the woofers.
New or Old
Go easy on me, first post, returning older guy.
I imagine the topic has been done to death, but I cannot find this particular example.
Looking to get some speakers to go with my recently purchased Naim 152xs/155xs. Sources will be CD, streamer and a Linn LP12.
I see JBL Studio 590s on sale, so that would be the new option.
Also, locally to me, there is a pair of KEF 107s with Kube. Cost would be not much more than the JBLs. The four woofers have been re-foamed by the owner, who appears to be flipping them after only 6 months of ownership. The tweeters and electronics are untouched.
The JBLs I can send back if the home audition fails, but the KEFs I would be stuck with.
Is new tech going to compare with old reference speakers, or will aging speakers and crossover and Kube just not sound as good as they should?
Has any one compared speakers that are 35 years apart?
I look forward to your assistance.
I imagine the topic has been done to death, but I cannot find this particular example.
Looking to get some speakers to go with my recently purchased Naim 152xs/155xs. Sources will be CD, streamer and a Linn LP12.
I see JBL Studio 590s on sale, so that would be the new option.
Also, locally to me, there is a pair of KEF 107s with Kube. Cost would be not much more than the JBLs. The four woofers have been re-foamed by the owner, who appears to be flipping them after only 6 months of ownership. The tweeters and electronics are untouched.
The JBLs I can send back if the home audition fails, but the KEFs I would be stuck with.
Is new tech going to compare with old reference speakers, or will aging speakers and crossover and Kube just not sound as good as they should?
Has any one compared speakers that are 35 years apart?
I look forward to your assistance.
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- 16 posts total
Thanks for the responses and suggestions. It looks like he has a number of ads up, so selling quite few pairs. Not sure if that is good or bad news. Is he a collector/audiophile playing with many options, does he do a lot of yard sales, is he well practiced at repairs. I asked more questions of him, waiting on the response. I have repaired subs myself, so hopefully can spot if there is an issue, if he will take the top/bottom off for visibility Otherwise it will be down to the audition, I am not buying them without hearing them for sure. Yup, ferrofluid, but there is guide to refilling, so I can likely do that myself. When you say you have not heard a JBL you like, have you heard the Studio range, they do seem to get good reviews? They are the originals, 107. Online reading suggests the 107/2 were not sold in the same numbers and are hard to find. I guess it is going to come down to my gut feeling on meeting the seller and then the audition. |
assume you are talking about this JBL sale https://www.jbl.com/loudspeakers/STUDIO+590.html You can pass on both, keep looking, but for around $500. a bit more for the KEF, either is a lot of speaker perhaps stop, ask yourself, are you looking for a great deal or a great sound? New with warranty, or risk? Only return shipping involved with the JBL’s, audition IN YOUR SPACE, I bet you more than likely will keep them. At that price, you could listen to them for a few years, sell them, move on. Assume either would be darn good: WAF, is there any wife acceptance factor involved? Which speaker do you want to look at every day for years? |
- 16 posts total