KEF 103.2 Tweeter Add On

[RoyB]

KEF 103.2 Tweeter Upgrade....My 40 year old KEF 103.2 need a tweeter rebuild or a replacement. Tweeters for this series speakers had ferofluid in the voice coil gap that hardens over time and restricts the movement of the tweeter dome. They can be disassembled and rebuilt and refilled, but I have too many other projects on the table. These speakers are used in my office in a vintage system with a Yamaha CX800U Preamplifier and a Yamaha M-45 Power amplifier. Fed by a Arylic streamer and/or a Onkyo Integra CD player and a B&O Turntable. So to temporarily improve the highs on the KEF 103.2 I ordered from Parts Express a couple of bullet tweeters and 3.5Hz high pass filters. Simply stuck them on top and wared into the speaker input. I'm here to tell you this was EXACTLY what the speakers needed. Sounds fantastic. I just might leave well enough alone!

 

[pjn]

KEF 103.2 Tweeter Upgrade....My 40 year old KEF 103.2 need a tweeter rebuild or a replacement. Tweeters for this series speakers had ferofluid in the voice coil gap that hardens over time and restricts the movement of the tweeter dome. They can be disassembled and rebuilt and refilled, but I have too many other projects on the table. These speakers are used in my office in a vintage system with a Yamaha CX800U Preamplifier and a Yamaha M-45 Power amplifier. Fed by a Arylic streamer and/or a Onkyo Integra CD player and a B&O Turntable. So to temporarily improve the highs on the KEF 103.2 I ordered from Parts Express a couple of bullet tweeters and 3.5Hz high pass filters. Simply stuck them on top and wared into the speaker input. I'm here to tell you this was EXACTLY what the speakers needed. Sounds fantastic. I just might leave well enough alone!

Very nice! Clever solution, although tidier would be to actually replace the tweeters - a cursory search drew a blank (as I guess it did for you) and I agree - repair doesn't look straightforward. I regret chucking my original ref 104 tweeters some years ago, as a repair would have been a nice rainy day project.

 

[RoyB]

If you remember, the monitor series speakers had matched drivers based on serial numbers. Years ago I blew a tweeter with a malfunctioning amplifier. I had to send my serial numbers to England to get a matched replacement. BTW, if others have tweeters or woofers that stopped working, it might be the crossover PCB. One speaker had a non functioning woofer and the other a non functioning tweeter when I brought them out of our basement a few years ago. The cabinets are made of a particle board that absorbs a bit of moisture or gasses something and the circuit boards are simply screwed to the bottom of the speaker with no stand-offs. Many of the foil traces on the PCB were damaged and I had to hard wire, point to point nearly every connection. Placed a piece of rubber under when reattaching. Should be good for another 40+ years!

 

[pjn]

If you remember, the monitor series speakers had matched drivers based on serial numbers. Years ago I blew a tweeter with a malfunctioning amplifier. I had to send my serial numbers to England to get a matched replacement. BTW, if others have tweeters or woofers that stopped working, it might be the crossover PCB. One speaker had a non functioning woofer and the other a non functioning tweeter when I brought them out of our basement a few years ago. The cabinets are made of a particle board that absorbs a bit of moisture or gasses something and the circuit boards are simply screwed to the bottom of the speaker with no stand-offs. Many of the foil traces on the PCB were damaged and I had to hard wire, point to point nearly every connection. Placed a piece of rubber under when reattaching. Should be good for another 40+ years!

Indeed - fabulous speakers with a good number of build compromises. Particle board in the damp UK. You would think they would have known better!