What is today's equivalent of KEF reference 102


Hiya every one! Happy New Year!

I am looking to buy a pair of speaker for bed room. Mainly for invironmental back ground music. I thought KEF reference 102 or q75 should do a good job. But what is today's equivalent? I think the inflation should be double the money back in 90s. But it seems the hifi price is more than quadruple. Gas price was 1.25 now it's 3. . So what price range and item should I look for for the same performance and quality level?
crazyhog
Dear Rich:

Happy New Year and thanks for your advice.

I am trying to set up a system to please my wife. She likes to stay at bed room watch tv and listen to music whenever she got free time. We never spend any significant money at bed room for same reason you had pointed out. But our 20 years anniversary is just few month away. I better upgrade her system as a prelude. If I don't act, probably she will pick up a Bose or b& o system.

I am thinking to get an oppo 105 for both music and video source. If I can get a discount on krell 300i or Jeff Rowland integrated amp, I will try to spend about 2k on the integrated amp. I know Jeff Rowland is about 5500 a bit over budget. But I could swap a pair of McCormack dna-1 with her.

I still hold old theta data III and three theta dspre units. So the source to amp is a not have to. I am currently plan to use 4 Dan-1 for my main system. So I can wait for opportunity to pop either for my main system or for the bed room. If I can find a good old nakamichi receiver which use stasis class ab amp, my problem is easily solved. But now most amps are class d.

If b&w 805 wasn't at ridiculous price, I would get it. I can't understand how the price jump from 1600/pair at 1993 to 2000 at 1999 and suddenly to 5k at 2010.

Same for the Kef reference went from 1400/pair to 7500/pair.

I listened to ls50 with my son with double bass at dealer. Stage looks good. My son told me he heard a lot of string wasn't well reproduced when the limit is reached. He heard broken music from time to time. Within its limit, the speaker is ok. But if the music give the system too much stress, then it's a different story. It also has to do with the amp the dealer is using. It's clearly under powered and I can sense the look from the dealer isn't do pleasant. Why do I test a bookshelf speaker with double base that clear. Go under 30 hz.

Anyway. It's pretty long for a reply. I try find the system you had suggested and hear them before decision.
Modern KEF speakers sound quite different from the classic models. They are more open sounding but might be a tad bright in some systems. Best guess would be the LS50.

Modern speakers that follow the classic UK monitor formula can be had from Spendor, Harbeth, Stirling, Proac, PMC, ATC, Neat, Castle and Kudos. And unlike the KEF that is made in China, these are actually made in the UK.
Ooh and dam! Didn't realize KEF sound character changed as well.

I love the discontinued thiel cs 5 and cs7(.2) but they had changed their driver now. It was out sourced and now they make their own.

I think the whole market had changed alone with the products offered. It's better to hang with old pair till they changed back.
If you still have a pair, they were fantastic. You will have to spend a lot today to get that quality.