KLH Model 5

TroyD
TroyD Posts: 13,077
Anyone seen/heard ‘em?

Seems to be well regarded......and seems to show that the classic 3-way acoustic suspension design was, indeed, a timeless one.

BDT
I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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Comments

  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    Lots of positive chatter online about these to the extent they seem to be backordered until at least July. May be hard to get ears on them until then.

    https://klhaudio.com/model-five-pair/
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    My first set of "real" speakers was an acoustic suspension design. The KLH Model 5s have got my interest. I haven't seen a negative review of them yet except for the limited number of finishes.
  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,309
    I owned a pair of the original Model 5's back in the early 70's. I was never that impressed with them, I thought they were too laid back. But looking back at it now, I probably didn't feed them enough power. I had a small integrated and maybe it didn't let them open up enough.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    I still have components purchased from both Gramophone & Soundscape :)
    I doubt rather seriously that the new KLH 5 sounds all that much like the original -- which was quite a nice loudspeaker, BTW.

    Volvos... heh... I think the town must have some kind of rule on the road we live on that every household has to have at least one Volvo wagon or SUV! Many folks up the hill from us have two -- probably by necessity in the wintertime. The town might not have let us build our house if they knew we were rockin' cheap Japanese vehicles! ;) (although I suspect they enjoy the real estate tax they get from us every year...)


  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    If not mistaken, I think the new KLH 5 has a metal tweeter....which is borderline heresy......
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    TroyD wrote: »
    If not mistaken, I think the new KLH 5 has a metal tweeter....which is borderline heresy......

    Don't ever say Heresy in the presence of a KLH loudspeaker! ;)

    9w78dinx6yls.png
  • SeleniumFalcon
    SeleniumFalcon Posts: 3,450
    Buddha seems to have a noncommittal expression...
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    I'm just glad that @mhardy6647 commented and is still active on this forum.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    I was looking at the reviews of the new model 5. Looks like a lot more then Sean that likes them.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU3X5syv1Tk
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    erniejade wrote: »
    I was looking at the reviews of the new model 5. Looks like a lot more then Sean that likes them.

    That's the guy who reviewed the L800 and couldn't grasp what SDA is about, said something about them being too big and couldn't understand why the SDA cable is required. IMO, his opinions are lacking.

    Anyway, my 2 cents on this review. Right off, the fact he and his wife like Klipsch tells me that I'm not going to like the KLH5. I had to crack up when his wife chimed in that she doesn't like red wood. First, the cabinet color is not really red as it has orange tones and second, has she looked at their carpet?

    Looking at their room I'd have to say the speaker color goes extremely well with the rest.
    iy2kak029evc.jpeg

    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited May 2021
    I've watched some of his videos.....meh.

    Yeah, for a supposed smart guy, I don't think that SDA is terribly complicated to understand....and if you do, his complaints are nonsensical....and the cable? One stupid cable?

    One eye'd butt pirate.

    SAY IT!!!
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    LOL.....HAARRRRR
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    I guess I need to look for that L800 review!
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
  • displayname
    displayname Posts: 1,126
    F1nut wrote: »
    erniejade wrote: »
    I was looking at the reviews of the new model 5. Looks like a lot more then Sean that likes them.

    That's the guy who reviewed the L800 and couldn't grasp what SDA is about, said something about them being too big and couldn't understand why the SDA cable is required. IMO, his opinions are lacking.

    Anyway, my 2 cents on this review. Right off, the fact he and his wife like Klipsch tells me that I'm not going to like the KLH5. I had to crack up when his wife chimed in that she doesn't like red wood. First, the cabinet color is not really red as it has orange tones and second, has she looked at their carpet?

    Looking at their room I'd have to say the speaker color goes extremely well with the rest.
    iy2kak029evc.jpeg

    I always take their reviews with a big grain of salt. He will take a sleek lifestyle product over a quality sounding product a large percentage of the time. In some of his reviews he even talks about being happy to trade off the difference in sound (which I think he oversells) for the smaller form factors, sleek styling and full color LED screens on devices.

    But going back to the KLH Model 5 - I haven't heard them. But based on the wide range of reviews I'd like to. A lot of stuff gets good reviews, and sometimes it's easier to discern a sound when you watch a lot of these reviewers regularly and when a reviewer is giving an objective "good" vs when they are actually excited or surprised. What stuck me most about the KLH5 was the number of reviewers that seemed to be authentically impressed. Including some that have some generally different preferences.
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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    edited May 2021
    Looks like they cheated everyone out of a mid range too... I liked my KLH 5's, original ones. The vintage ugly speakers do have something going for them. Like AR 3, Original Advent, KLH 5. And as far as sound you know you got the East Coast Sound the West Coast Sound the British Sound and the Klipsch Sound.. lol. So far the only speakers that I have that I would not sell..they sound like SDA 2B Polk Audio Modded.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    The original KLH Five was quite a nice loudspeaker indeed -- although all of the "New England sound" loudspeakers of the '60s (and '70s) will sound a little "soft" compared to modern loudspeakers. Also (and FWIWI), I like the character of the bass produced by acoustic suspension enclosure alignments, but they are profoundly power hungry "for best results".

    32020181034_0142b8e938_b.jpgDSC_7011 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Not sure that having two midrange drivers was a good thing in terms of wavefront/imaging, though -- it certainly didn't help the Polk Audio Monitor 10 family ;)

    11208619575_674f036d9b_c.jpgP1020559 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    More doesn't always equate to better. For sure.
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • tophatjohnny
    tophatjohnny Posts: 4,162
    They look nice!
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    The original KLH Five was quite a nice loudspeaker indeed -- although all of the "New England sound" loudspeakers of the '60s (and '70s) will sound a little "soft" compared to modern loudspeakers. Also (and FWIWI), I like the character of the bass produced by acoustic suspension enclosure alignments, but they are profoundly power hungry "for best results".

    32020181034_0142b8e938_b.jpgDSC_7011 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Not sure that having two midrange drivers was a good thing in terms of wavefront/imaging, though -- it certainly didn't help the Polk Audio Monitor 10 family ;)

    11208619575_674f036d9b_c.jpgP1020559 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Ah, Polk fixed that with and interconnect, different drivers and crossover upgrade..LOL.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,471
    TroyD wrote: »
    More doesn't always equate to better. For sure.

    True or we all would be rocking Kabuki speakers...
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    Just stumbled across one anecdotal data point on the KLH 5 Someplace Else. See the first reply (i.e., second post) in this thread @ AK: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/help-me-decide-on-some-modern-vintage-inspired-speakers.962482/

  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    edited June 2021
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Just stumbled across one anecdotal data point on the KLH 5 Someplace Else. See the first reply (i.e., second post) in this thread @ AK: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/help-me-decide-on-some-modern-vintage-inspired-speakers.962482/

    From the other thread on AK "When I heard the KLH's at AXPONA 2019, I wasn't impressed with them. The Wharfedale Linton Heritage, well, I heard them and bought a pair with stands.

    Yes, the highs will be better. The Wharfedale Lintons are 1500 with stands. Get the stands, they are great for the price - built well."



    @Clipdat @joecoulson and myself were in the KLH room at Axpona in 2019. They did not have the model 5 in that room. It was the Kendall and Albany series they were showing off.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited June 2021
    erniejade wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Just stumbled across one anecdotal data point on the KLH 5 Someplace Else. See the first reply (i.e., second post) in this thread @ AK: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/help-me-decide-on-some-modern-vintage-inspired-speakers.962482/

    From the other thread on AK "When I heard the KLH's at AXPONA 2019, I wasn't impressed with them. The Wharfedale Linton Heritage, well, I heard them and bought a pair with stands.

    Yes, the highs will be better. The Wharfedale Lintons are 1500 with stands. Get the stands, they are great for the price - built well."



    @Clipdat @joecoulson and myself were in the KLH room at Axpona in 2019. They did not have the model 5 in that room. It was the Kendall and Albany series they were showing off.

    Heh, well, that's interesting! :p

    I would post to that thread & point that out, but I finally threw in the towel @ AK a few months back*; now I just lurk. :|

    I would love to have a chance to hear the new morph of the KLH 5. Not sure when/if the opportunity'll present itself, though.

    _______
    * Not that anyone noticed :D
  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    I posted it on AK. I don't post much on AK in general.
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.