IMF Transmission Lines

Thanks for that link wolfgang. I owned a pair of IMF ALS40s many moons ago. Wonderful beasts! Wagner has never sounded the same since those days. :( :(

Enjoy your TLS 80s jimmy.
 
I'd heard they were good, and because they are in Exeter which is only half an hour away it appears to be a good idea!!!! But if I just spent 200 quid on some formica and knackered 70s drive units then it'll be a story for the "Biggest Mistake You Ever Made" thread.
Thinking about it there is quite a high chance that the foam that damps the transmission lines will be rotten, and I believe this is really important part of the speaker! Anyone got any experience with how this stuff survives???
I'll know more on Saturday.
 
Hi

I would do a deal on those keff's he has, if the drivers are ok,it would give you some spare 139's

Stuart
 
what are they worth??? Is it really worth it as the speakers (incl cabinets) would be more expensive than buying the drive units seperately if needed. Do Kef still make 139s, I know they can supply most of their old drivers, and weren't they really common anyway?
 
jimmymcfarrell said:
what are they worth???
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About £150
Is it really worth it as the speakers (incl cabinets) would be more expensive than buying the drive units seperately if needed.
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Possibly. B139's about £50-60 a pair as are B110's and T27's
Do Kef still make 139s,
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No
I know they can supply most of their old drivers,
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No they can't, they sold off the tooling
and weren't they really common anyway?
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They were common, about 20-30 years ago, they are now becoming rare.
 
I'd heard they were good, and because they are in Exeter which is only half an hour away it appears to be a good idea!!!! But if I just spent 200 quid on some formica and knackered 70s drive units then it'll be a story for the "Biggest Mistake You Ever Made" thread.
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If they are working ok they are very good. I actually really want a pair myself for my forthcoming 70s retro system for the TV room (huge Marantz receiver already purchased!). The IMFs kick out great gobs of deep bass, they really are floorshakers, but it is tight and tuneful in the right room. I really like them. The finish should be very good, definitely not formica ââ'¬â€œ they were a seriously high-end speaker in their day, same sort of level as Quad ESLs etc.

Tony.
 
Drove 50 miles to see them, didnt fit in car, drove back, got a Vauxhall Omega Estate and did the journey again! Then had to smuggle them into the house without family seeing them (gonna say I've started collecting old wardrobes if anyone asks).
Deep Bass, goes down to 35hz no problem!!! Sounds so clean and powerful. Mid sounds a bit dull and closed in, and treble is...well there, but not really anything special. But cannot believe the bass response
Have read somewhere that replacing the tweeter / super tweeter with 1 decent one makes a huge difference. I guess this would require a chance of X-over from 4 way to 3 way. Also as I have the 2 tag amps I want to fit a bi-wirable crossover, or maybe go active with them......endless possibilities.
Anyone got any idea regarding upgrading / modifying them?

Cheers
 
TonyL said:
they were a seriously high-end speaker in their day, same sort of level as Quad ESLs etc.

Tony.
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Anyone remember how much they were new???

TonyL said:
The finish should be very good, definitely not formica Tony.
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Its el cheapo shiteo iron on plastic wrap that looks typically 70s & nasty.....but I dont care
 
Then had to smuggle them into the house without family seeing themââ'¬Â¦
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I suspect that tactic won't have much long term success.

Its el cheapo shiteo iron on plastic wrap that looks typically 70s & nasty.....but I dont care
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Really? The surprises me more than a little ââ'¬â€œ the IMFs I've seen have been nicely veneered in teak. What model are they ââ'¬â€œ they looked like TLS80s to me, but quite a few models did! Have you fired them up yet?

Tony.
 
TonyL said:
Really? The surprises me more than a little ââ'¬â€œ the IMFs I've seen have been nicely veneered in teak. What model are they ââ'¬â€œ they looked like TLS80s to me, but quite a few models did! Have you fired them up yet?

Tony.
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suppose im being a bit harsh - it is veneer, and its well applied, but its possibly the worst looking 70s teak Ive ever seen. Doesnt matter because a speaker thats the size of a small wardrobe is never going to win any prizes for looking nice!!!!
Yeah got them working, running off a 60 watt Tag power amp fed straight from my cdp as it has a volume control. The tag seems to be more than powerful enough to destroy them if i cranked it up. I really like the transmission line sound - up until now ive been a fan of sealed box speakers, as port chuffing really gets to me, but T-lines are on another level entirely. Its tight tuneful nice sounding bass. Im not worrying about the rest of the frequency range as I know the mid and tweets need upgrading, and that can be done when Ive got the cash. I also think I need to build an extension to house them in, because they simply look massive in my room (its 5 x 6m ish).
The only problem Ive found is with some tunes on certain bass frequencies it sounds like a small bit of tin foil is touching the woofer. prob means one of the B139s is on its last legs. they can be rebuilt though cant they......?
 
jimmymcfarrell said:
I'd heard they were good, and because they are in Exeter which is only half an hour away it appears to be a good idea!!!! But if I just spent 200 quid on some formica and knackered 70s drive units then it'll be a story for the "Biggest Mistake You Ever Made" thread.
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That reminds me of my own experience of buying a pair of 1960s BTH K10A horn speakers in Lockwood cabinets as shown in the photo. I think I paid 200 pounds for them. I bought them unseen and they cost me over 100 pounds to get a courier to ship them from the north to Hampshire. When I got home, I couldn't believe my eyes! They were so big and heavy. I was collecting vintage valve amps and speakers at that time. I hooked up the BTH speakers to some old valve amps, they sounded dull with no treble at all. I really didn't know what to do with them, I just hated them, both the look and the sound. I did think of burning them in the garden!

BTHpair.jpg


Then I phoned Nick of Emporium about the speakers, he offered to buy the BTH speakers for the price I paid for them and he also arranged a courier to pick them up! I was well chuffed. A few days later, I called him and he told me that someone had wired the tweeters of the horns out of phase, that's why they sounded dull. I subsequently found that he was asking 2500 pounds for those beasts and sold them!

At least I didn't make a loss, just a scary experience.

Regards
Hon
 

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