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Review 1 of 2
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First let me say that I listen to 90% classical music, and most of the rest is also acoustic music (jazz, etc.). I first heard the KEF 101's almost 30 years ago. It was an unforgettable, life-changing experience for me. I walked into the "high end" room of a stereo shop where a demo was in progress. There were probably a dozen pairs of speakers, most quite large and expensive looking, in a row about 8 feet in front of the listening couch where a middle-aged couple sat listening intently to an opera recording. The salesman was standing behind the couch listening as well. I walked over and stood next to him. The sound was unlike any I had ever heard before: detailed, holographic, musical... just stunning. I leaned over and whispered to the salesman "Which speakers are we listening to?" He pointed and answered "The small ones." I thought he was trying to insult my intelligence, as he probably thought a young person like myself couldn't afford any of the speakers in that room anyway. But I was fascinated by what I was hearing and persisted, "No, really, which ones?" He repeated "The small ones." I shook my head in disappointment at his attitude towards me. Then I walked over to the line of speakers, turned my ear toward them and walked down the line to determine which ones were playing. Yes, they were "the small ones" - KEF 101's. This was the moment of my "birth" as an audiophile.
Today I still use the 101's, but I've modified them to a much higher standard of sound quality. The overload protection (S-STOP) is bypassed, the crossover parts are upgraded and the internal wiring is upgraded. Now the dynamics are outstanding, they are far more transparent, the bass extension is dramatically improved and the highs are more extended and without grain. The best I've ever heard them sound is with my pair of modified 90WPC Altec 1569A EL34 tube amps (I've tried dozens of different amps with them over the years). The 101's are power-hungry speakers, but the transparency and dynamics are just phenomenal with these amps. To this day, I have yet to hear small speakers that can match them, much less better them, including many pairs of LS3/5A's owned by audiophile friends. In fact, they are much more satisfying than all but very few speakers of any size and price. I've had countless audiophiles over to audition them with familiar recordings, and the usual reaction is stunned silence and amazement.
In short, get yourself a pair. If you have them, upgrade them, and be sure to use them with plenty of power to get the most out of them. You'll be amazed at what they are capable of.
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