I have enjoyed audio and a hundred pairs of speakers in my 35 years of audio.I've worked in a professional audio studio for 20 yrs mixing for duplication of famous Christian artists like Amy Grant, Lee Anne Rymes, Michael W. Smith, etc. At home I run a Bryston 4B-NRB amp, Accurus RL-11 preamp, CAL transport and tube dac, Technics SL-M2 30 lb TT with a Grado Gold cartridge, good cables throughout including speaker,interconnect, AC power.
When I acquired the KEF 105 model 1's I completely rebuilt the crossovers, bypassed all the circuit protection and rewired them internally, new gold binding posts to the woofer cabinets, etc. Basically about anything that could be done to renew/upgrade.
These are true winners. They were in excellent condition, brand new cloth on the covers professionally redone, glass covers cut to set on top of the grill frames, although I leave them off, for feeding lots of watts on occassion made them shift around. They looked new.
They sound wonderful. For the $450 I paid I can not believe one could touch the sonic accuracy and all the other terms used for loudspeakers. You know them.
I just sold my big VMPS supertower/R models, for these 105's are BY FAR the winners hands down. I have owned the big Digital Phase AP-4's, RTR towers, ESS AMT-1B's, Big JBL's, Pioneer Elite X-7's {which SOLD in 7 minutes after I posted them on Craigslist} Advents, Magnepan MMG and MG-1's, Bose, ETC ETC. The 105's sound great on music from Bach to Metallica at most any level your ears can deal with.
I still own one other pair I do like for imaging, a pair of small aluminum Energy towers. They just don't have the dynamic capability at higher levels the 105's offer. I do run a stereo pair of NHT-SUB 2's in the listening room as well.
The KEF 105's are available for a song used. They use the same midrange as the famed LS3 KEF monitor, the B110. Mine use the T-52 tweeter which I love, not harsh, not dull. The 105 or 105 series 2 are very similar. Bet if you get a pair you will be happy! I do recommened the mods I did mentioned up top, and allow $150-200 for all the needed components.
I have heard better, like my brothers Krells and B&W 801D's 7.1 surround system, with UL subs but I have under 5 grand in my system, and he has $100,000. For the money I have invested I feel my system is a steal for the level of sound reproduction obtained.
I am going to keep my KEF's until when and if my ship comes in and money is no object. I see no need to keep trying various speakers in my system. I quit. There is better, but "most" folks can't afford it, especially with our present bustling economy.