PDA

View Full Version : Original KEF codas - can anyone advise please?



wormhead
11-04-2025, 13:28
Hi all
I hope you're all doing well

I’m looking for a bit of guidance please and hoping you can help me. I'm more familiar with tannoy and new to the Kef world.

I’ve been trying to sell some original 1970s Codas for a family member, which belonged to her late father. He ran Potters Music in Richmond, and KEF maestro Laurie Fincham set him up with a custom installation to play the jazz records to customers

They have a few bits left including two pairs of the codas with the SP1003 (LS 3/5A)/T27 6535 driver pairing, which we’re trying to find new homes for, plus non-matched cantors with SP1014s. Plus a few other bits

I’ve seen the drivers doing quite well on eBay, but people don’t seem as interested in complete units in cabs. Ideally I’d sell them as pairs of speakers, as they have a lovely story, and it would be good for them to find a new home; I’m a bit reluctant to strip them at this stage if I can help it.

Does anyone have any insights or tips about this please? I would be very grateful. Perhaps I'm missing something/wasting my time in current approach

Thank you so much in advance

Lawrence001
12-04-2025, 06:51
There are definitely people out there who like the Codas, I'm one myself! They'll never have the popularity of LS3/5as but they're perfectly good speakers on their own terms.

I've never understood why the drivers have such high values. If it's as spares for LS3/5as then they're no good without very tight tolerances, you'd need specialist equipment to measure them and you're unlikely to find a match without trying many of them. (The rejection rate was part of the reason they eventually stopped using Kef drivers until Falcon started making them and measuring them, I think they use 0.5db matching across the frequency range but I could be wrong.) I can only assume it's people that don't realise that or dodgy traders who knock together bogus speakers

Definitely do not split them!

Macca
12-04-2025, 07:39
I also like the old Coda and the Cantor - Cantor still a capable speaker by today's standards, I'd take them over a lot of modern expensive speakers. I also like the 70s styling.

Both speakers will work well with any normal amplifier and have the slightly warm, rich balance that many people want.

But reality is the Coda was a budget speaker back then and value now is nominal at best. Maybe £10 to £30. Cantor maybe £50 on a good day.

Breaking them for parts is sacrilege, I'd rather give them free to a good home than do that. But your decision, ultimately.

wormhead
12-04-2025, 08:30
Thanks for your input, much appreciated. Dodgy trader, bogus speakers sounds about right
����

wormhead
12-04-2025, 08:34
Thanks very much for your insightful comments, I agree I don't want to split them. I will talk to the family member and see how she wants to proceed
Cheers :)