Speakers to hang on to for LIFE

Owned them for 24 years, but not listening to them because the foam surrounds wore out with age. Going to re-build them with identical (as close as possible) drivers if replacing surrounds doesn't work.

Sweet sound, wide sweet spot, open airy sound stage, great dynamics, clean bass, blah, blah.

Love these things. Haven't heard anything close in style of sound. Not for everyone, but worth a listen if you ever get a chance, especially if driven with several hundred watts of clean power.

Frank

You'll love this. I inherited a pair of 3-way transmission lines with only the woofer being used, as subs for a pair of Magnepans, in 1977. I converted them to a 2-way with KEF T27s & B110s, no additional woofer, own design crossover. Due to space considerations, I went to diy BBC style 2-way monitors for a few years. I revived the lines and made them 3-ways with Audax tweeters, Vifa P13MH 5" mids and Madisound 8" woofers. Current configuration is Morel MDT-40 tweeters, same Vifa mids and Vifa woofers, my own evolutionary crossovers. I listen to all types of music, and they accurately reflect the quality of the input. Highs and mids clear and stress-free, only bass when there's bass, from clean to thunderous with that transmission line ambience.

I second Raggamuffin on Clements. At least, Phil Clements' previous line, Phase Research, which formed the foundation for the "di" series. I've had PR Model R's for about 19 years now. They cost me about $600 used (about par, I'm told) and still sound about as good as the best new deals for twice that price. I too dragged them through college, and through three apartments after college, and finally into my first house.

On a lark, I compared them to the $5k B&W Nautilus 803's I'd gotten as trials and wired to my own system. I won't say they "blew away" the Nautilus, but there was only a significant difference when the music got fairly complex. Then, the PR's distorted some, but were still quite listenable. (The Nautili were, of course, rock solid through everything.) I picked up a second pair on E-Pay last year for ($38 a pair!!) Even with shipping, they were a steal.

I agree with Eyeballman's assessment of KEF Reference 105/2 speakers. I have been enjoying mine since 1982, and everytime I upgrade something in the system in front of them, they just sound even better. I may consider buying something newer at some point, but it will have to be a pretty amazing pair of speakers (and probably amazingly expensive too).

Cabasse Baltic II and Thor II subwoofer.
For:
Tonal accuracy
Fast
Dynamic - both micro and macro
Spatial coherence
Extraordinary musicality

Against:
Unusual looks