So... some here may vaguely remember me. I am someone who is poor (in an unemployed way) so I have always gone for budget secondhand audiophile. I managed to work up the Arcam range from A65 to A85/P85 and A32/P35 and then had to sell it all again (aaah poverty...) .
I then bought an interim Rotel RA-870BX as a stop gap and concentrated on '80s amplifiers. Currently I have a A&R Cambridge C200/SA200 which is not running (for want of a decent 5 pin din) and am attempting to source a Sugden A48 III or A28/P28 (had one that had to go back).
Meanwhile the speakers are quite fertile I am running some nice Monitor Audio's and recently fulfilled an ambition by buying my first pair of KEF Reference Model 104's.... they are ugly monsters (need some TLC and some new tweeters - work but pushed in - new ones coming on Sunday) and they are what this post is about.
Upon getting them home I plugged in one (with a Monitor Audio floorstander on the other side). It sounded awesome... so I plugged in on the other side. Farty... and much diminished sound. I noticed that one of the passive bass radiators was damaged by some corrosion so on-a-Ebay I went and secured a replacement for £12.50!!!
It arrived and I fitted it. I then plugged in the speaker (with a Monitor Audio on the other side) and it sounded GREAT! Brilliant. So I then plugged in the other side. Farty and diminished sound.
Phoned KEF (as all british hi-fi companies of note brilliant customer services) and described my problem. They diagnosed that my poor little Rotel was not up to the task, not enough power.... Blimey. Never had that.
So now I am thinking "Amplifier.... amplifier.... amplifier". You know we all become very proficient are knowing our own ponds, I am in upper end entry level. The odd Arcam, a Marantz here and there a bit of Rotel.... but now I am thinking about going up a level. Naim, Roksan, Primare. Not the latest... but classic hi-fi.... something I can pick up secondhand. I cannot work out (from the secondhand prices) if the Roksan Candy or Caspian is the upper range.... Primare is exciting, but rarer and Naim is a product that keeps its price..... ho-hum, maybe I should just get a Marantz PM7200....
I then bought an interim Rotel RA-870BX as a stop gap and concentrated on '80s amplifiers. Currently I have a A&R Cambridge C200/SA200 which is not running (for want of a decent 5 pin din) and am attempting to source a Sugden A48 III or A28/P28 (had one that had to go back).
Meanwhile the speakers are quite fertile I am running some nice Monitor Audio's and recently fulfilled an ambition by buying my first pair of KEF Reference Model 104's.... they are ugly monsters (need some TLC and some new tweeters - work but pushed in - new ones coming on Sunday) and they are what this post is about.
Upon getting them home I plugged in one (with a Monitor Audio floorstander on the other side). It sounded awesome... so I plugged in on the other side. Farty... and much diminished sound. I noticed that one of the passive bass radiators was damaged by some corrosion so on-a-Ebay I went and secured a replacement for £12.50!!!
It arrived and I fitted it. I then plugged in the speaker (with a Monitor Audio on the other side) and it sounded GREAT! Brilliant. So I then plugged in the other side. Farty and diminished sound.
Phoned KEF (as all british hi-fi companies of note brilliant customer services) and described my problem. They diagnosed that my poor little Rotel was not up to the task, not enough power.... Blimey. Never had that.
So now I am thinking "Amplifier.... amplifier.... amplifier". You know we all become very proficient are knowing our own ponds, I am in upper end entry level. The odd Arcam, a Marantz here and there a bit of Rotel.... but now I am thinking about going up a level. Naim, Roksan, Primare. Not the latest... but classic hi-fi.... something I can pick up secondhand. I cannot work out (from the secondhand prices) if the Roksan Candy or Caspian is the upper range.... Primare is exciting, but rarer and Naim is a product that keeps its price..... ho-hum, maybe I should just get a Marantz PM7200....