Kef T27

[Mr Kipling]

How does it compare with a modern unit?

I have some JR 149s without any and was wondering if to go for something modern such as the Morell Cat 298.

[Gordon Steadman]

It will be interesting to hear opinions.

I have KEF101s in one of the bedroom systems and they sound really good to me. I have never understood the old comments about them being sharp and spitty as they just reproduce whats there.

I also have a pair used as supertweeters above Celestion HF1300s and that sounds good too.

With the JRs, I would be tempted just to keep them as standard, I still regret selling my pair although the 101s come very close.

[walpurgis]

I'm very familiar with he sound of the T27 having owned many KEF speakers and also used the T27 in a number of speaker projects. It is a very decent sounding tweeter, but it certainly has a sound of its own, a very detailed, dryish presentation, not "sharp and spitty" at all. It lacks the sweetness of the HF2000 or Decca DK30 ribbon for instance. My favourite is actually the HF2000, but the KEF is not bad at all, excellent as a super tweeter. Far better than the horrible Coles unit. The sound of the T27 is superior to many modern units I've heard.

[Ammonite Audio]

Falcon Acoustics are now producing new T27s - see http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/drive-units-1/falcon-b110-t27-drive-unit/falcon-t27.html . They have been designed by Malcolm Jones, who was responsible for the KEF original and presumably perform as well as a modern alternative, but retaining full electrical and mechanical compatibility with the originals and British built too. They also do new B110s, so it's now possible to build a new LS3/5A, JR149 etc without paying collectors' prices.

[walpurgis]

That's interesting. Sensibly priced too. Hope the new ones don't have 'ferrofluid' cooling. That would put me off them.

[Radford Revival]

It's worth mentioning that Falcon went to a LOT of effort to produce these new production units (B110 & T27) to exacting standards, if I was looking for some replacement T27s or tweeters of that ilk they would be my personal 1st choice.

[The Barbarian]

Yeh Falcon are great they are always the ones i can count on for tweeters..