When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
We now have a procedure for removal, shipping and reinstall available for you guys below.....
1-Removal. Most all T-33 types were provided by kef with their wires soldered directly on their terminals which makes for a bit of a challenge here. If you are proficient with soldering and de-soldering various audio terminals, you should be in good shape as we will simply be cutting the wires and re-soldering them together (unless you wish to be super anal retentive and demand to replace as original). If you do so, you do so at your own risk. The tiny voice coil wire which is soldered to the other side of the “hard to access” terminals, is VERY easy to damage with too much heat, physical stress, etc. Trust us here….if you do not have great experience soldering terminals, do not attempt the original terminals at all! Part of the issue here is the magnet’s desire to pull your soldering iron’s tip into its strong field whilst you are trying to work! You will simply want to release the tweeter by removing its 4 outer-most screws. Then, cut the 2 wire as far from the tweeter as you can while feeling comfortable re-soldering the existing wire when they have been returned to you. Various KEF models will vary tremendously how much slack you might find speaker to speaker. Be careful here! You may also want to attach some large tape of a pull-string, etc. to ensure the leads do not disappear down into your cabinet too far if released. This can be very difficult if you forget. Again, some models have almost no slack while others offer a mile. Be careful!
2 -If you are sending the pair (which you should do no matter), the two tweets can be placed face to face and the domes will not touch. However, I like to place a couple of small pc’s of thin cardboard between them around the edges with a few strips about 3” by .5” (7.5cm by 12mm) just to prevent the faceplates from rubbing together in shipment. Then tightly bind the pair of tweeters by “wrapping” them with packing tape all the way around by a few layers. If shipping only one tweeter, feel free to attach a small plastic cup from say a restaurant that serves ketchup etc. to the front of the tweet and secure with packing tape. Or, of course, you can cut a hard pc. Of cardboard the same size as the tweeter’s face and then wrap with packing tape as well around the magnet. Wrap the package further with some bubble-pak and then ship to us with as much additional safety as you see fit. We recommend a few inches all the way around in bubble-pak and then at least 4 more inches of packing peanuts all the way around.
3 -Reinstallation- You will simply be stripping back about 1” of the original KEF pvc insulation about 1” on both ends. Most KEF’s used blue and brown for their colors. Just be sure to match these carefully. Be sure to slip on a pc. Of 1.5” heat shrink tubing before twisting the two leads together if you are insulating by heat shrink. One can use electrician’s tape but I do not recommend. Please use your solder of choice with a nice pencil iron preferably 20-45 watts with a nice quality silver solder or decent quality 60/40 solder as that is what Kef used. We recommend cardas solder or some decent silver content solder for the higher end models. Solder kits with the 4 heat shrink pcs. And cardas solder are available for a nominal fee. Once neatly twisted and soldered back together, slide the heat shrink boot over your new solder joint and carefully heat the shrink with a heat gun, lighter, etc. until it has adequately shrunk the insulation down to the wire. Once complete, simply line the tweeter up by ensuring the kef logo is in its correct location and reinstall the tweeter flush to the baffle. Gradually tighten the 4 outer screws and be ready to be blown away at the sound of your old kef tweeters now that they sound original again.
Thanks for choosing this service. If your tweeters are in good condition and can be rebuilt without issue, you will be amazed at the improvement. My best, Tim
****VERY recently USPS has imposed the requirement for us to hand deliver items to certain Itn'l countries. Russia, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Afhganistan, etc. just to name a few of what is coming. This required about 45 minutes of my time. If your country is on the list, I will be forced to add a $25 fee for handling. I am so sorry but the time required as well as additional paperwork is simply a killer. I am sorry for this announcement!
Testimonials/reviews below.....
Tim, Success! Have the re-soldered tweets and re-installed in the 104/2... I never knew how good these speakers really are! When they were young and fresh, i didn't have electronics or room environment to do them justice.Compared to the Vifa domes I had temporarily tried, the sound is just more complete and "organic". I wasn't quite sure if the revitalized tweeters might sound bright/brash/sparkly/etc. as I had become accustomed to their diminished condition over the years. Instead, everything just sounds more "alive". The "bite" of brass is just right, cymbals shimmer but don't glare, and on and on...
I now have a much better appreciation for the "voicing" that must have occurred as the 104/2 were being designed. The blend from midrange to upper midrange to treble is seamless. You were right... there's nothing like the original KEF rebuilt!Thanks again for the next 20 years of listening pleasure! - Ted
Tim, I've always loved the sound of my KEF 104/2 speakers:full bodied, yet clear and without coloration. Too bad the KEF T33 tweeters(type SP1191,
4 Ohm version) won't last. The ferrofluid inside the T33dries out over the years, resulting in a reduced high frequency output.Unfortunately, one of mine also went belly up (the dried out ferrofluid alsoreduces the cooling capacity, making the tweeters extra vulnerable). I tried toreplace them, but alas, the T33 is simply not available anymore.
A lot of people on the web suggest Morel MDT29, 4 Ohmtweeters as a replacement. I ordered a pair of these on , where they wereadvertised as being a "drop in replacement". As it turned out, theywere
not: I had to get a Dremel and modify the cabinets tomake them fit. At first, I was satisfied with the sound, but in my memory, theoriginal
T33 sounded better, spicier and fresher. It turned outthat on female voices, the Morels showed a strange coloration on sibilants.
So, when I got my hands on a pair of second hand KEF T33tweeters, I sent them to Luminous audio for restoration. Luminous audio did amarvelous job, and within a few weeks, the tweeters were back in place, fullyrestored. As I write, the sparkle is back again, harpsichord sounds alive andairy, and gone is the coloration on female sibilants.
To whom it may concern: get your T33's restored byLuminous audio, and stay away from the Morels!
regards from,
Amsterdam
Hi Tim, It’s Steve,
Guess what?.... I'm keeping my amp. That’s how much difference I notice withthe rebuilt T-33’s.
My point about all this is I'm not wealthy, but I been around HIEND since 1974with my Marantz 4270. My Kef 104.2s are now amazing again. My "ears don’t lie.”It’s true. Those t-33 rebuilds restored them to the glorious speaker they are. Anyway,my opinion is these will now hold their own against anything out there.
Steve from Florida
Hello Tim,
Thank you for going to the trouble of making this service available. What a difference! Amazing how they deteriorate over time, until one day you suddenly realize that they really sound pretty darn bad. I remember now how they used to sound and how the tweeters actually color the mid range as well; pretty sure I'm hearing some stuff that used to be there but had disappeared until now.
Thanks again,
Bob
BestRegards, Tom T.
Dear Tim,
MyKEFs are re-assembled now and they sound like a dream again. It was worth allthe trouble, not only with the tweeters, but also with repairing the wooferdonuts and upgrading the cross over filters. A major operation and a megaresult.
So MANY THANKS for your involvement here Tim. I wish you all the best,including success with your Luminous business!
Jan
Hi Tim, It's been about a month since I reinstalled my KEF 107 tweeters. I wanted to live with them for a while before writing my findings. The first thing I noticed was that the top end seemed a bit more extended, but what I really noticed and appreciated most was when an instrument stopped playing you can hear much more of the decaying of the sound. As an example, when you hear the sound of a cymbal, it should fade off gradually. Before I had my tweeters repaired the sound would start to fade and then it would just stop because of the hardened ferro fluid. Now the sound just fades away naturally as it was meant to. The sound is so much more alive and much better balanced than it was before servicing. Thanks again for providing this invaluable service.
Regards,
Carl
“Well worth the upgrade! Before having the ferro fluid changed, my KEF 103/3's were boring to listen to. "Lifeless" and with vocals that had high frequencies and mids separated in space. Also suffered with "side-squirts". Now, however, the vocals are point sources, livelier, without the s-s and more like how I remember them. Better sound stage. Great news all round and well with the upgrade price. Tim is very helpful and the repair service was faster than I expected. Removal and installation was simple and Tim's notes are very useful in helping you remove and reinstall the tweeters. Thanks again Tim! Best Regards, Jan”
MacBook Pro MacBook Air 2008-2017 EFI Firmware Repair Service
$86.00
Motherboard Repair Service For MacBook Air / Pro Any Model
$50.21
Motherboard Repair - Bent CPU Pin Repair Service
$85.00
Documentation