How good was the KEF B200?

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#48
OK - I found the disgruntled owner - a guy in Serbia. He chose to go public before he had got a resolution from Falcon, which was candidly a bit daft. He even went as far as having them disassembled and measured - the magnet gap, the diameter of the winding etc. and published the photographic results in a public forum.

That isn't the way to get an amicable relationship with Falcon and get them replaced.
 
#50
The odd factoid is that I live 20 miles or less from Falcon, have bought a number of drivers from them. The only problem related to a SEAS driver whose surround went as hard as biscuit after less than 10 years. Since the hardening process was slow and over in all likelihood years, I honestly thought I had a hearing problem. In spite of Gerry being horrified and sending it to SEAS fully expecting a refund that he would pass on to me, SEAS walked away. I even talked to SEAS's MD, who essentially told me to take a hike, it was out of guarantee, 10 years is a good lifespan for a driver yak yak. I will never ever buy another driver from SEAS - their customer care ethos stinks.
 
#51
I had a small hand in getting Falcon get its second start, he is a solid guy IMO, and the guy from Serbia would have gotten new, working B139s if he had just asked and zFalcon would then have had those “dud” drivers to give ammunition to harangue the OEM that made them.

Why i said, be careful, not avoid.

dave
 
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#52
The B200 was much like an E-Type Jaguar - good at the time but now utterly outclassed. Expecting it to keep up with modern offerings is like pitting said classic Jaguar sports car against a distinctly bland Audi diesel estate car. Time moves on...
 
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#53
b_force said:
dibirama distortion measurements aren't very useful. Although even those already show that the 10F is better.

I will share some Hobby Hifi measurements if there is interest.

But yes I agree it's not what this thread is about
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The thread is very much about how to use the B200 so the 10F is very relevant.

it's the LS3/5A that is off the subject - different mid-bass entirely, though I suppose KEF is relevant.
 
#54
andyjevans said:
The thread is very much about how to use the B200 so the 10F is very relevant.

it's the LS3/5A that is off the subject - different mid-bass entirely, though I suppose KEF is relevant.
Click to expand...
In that case, I personally wouldn't go that way.

I would just rather make a nice nostalgic and vintage system.
Maybe even a 3-way transmission line if you will.

Or just keep it classic with the B139 PR.

Anything else wouldn't make sense to me personally.
But to each their own 🙂
 
#58
Cadenza also used B139 PR, it used B200 SP1022.

BLOGKEF Cadenza.jpg


dave
 
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#59
Laurie Fincham, who was CTO of KEF in the days that these drivers were designed and manufactured, said that the B139 was the shape it was to avoid Purchase Tax. The details of the Tax legislation at that time in the UK described loudspeaker drive units as either circular or elliptical. The B139 is neither. What Fincham did was take a circular driver and stretch it with two straight bits - hence neatly avoiding PT.

And since it is difficult to have a rigid cone in that shape, they used expanded polystyrene. I'm not sure what the black anodized aluminium foil is for stuck to the surface. Perhaps it is just a style thing.

So the mystique surrounding the B139 shape actually had a simple explanation.

By the time the B200 etc came along, Purchase Tax had bit the dust and VAT had come in, so there was no reason for funky shaped drivers.
 
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