In The News, Press

15 Minutes with David P. Kelley, CEO of KLH Audio

by Sound and Vision

The return of the KLH was big news at 2018 CES. Industry pundits and audio enthusiasts looked on with great interest and a little skepticism. Could the iconic brand cofounded by hi-fi pioneer Henry Kloss in 1957 be resurrected in a way that would pay homage to its founder? Or would it be just another example of an entity acquiring the rights to a once-famous brand with little or no interest in honoring the identity and values that made it famous in the first place? Ironically, Acoustic Research, the speaker brand Kloss helped launch in 1954 before moving on to co-found KLH, is a good example of a once-revered brand that still exists but bears no resemblance to the original AR with its modern-day focus on cheap speakers and earbuds. In the case of KLH, though, the answer to the first question is a resounding “yes.” Under the guiding hand of former Klipsch executive David P. Kelley, who acquired the brand in 2017, KLH has successfully reestablished itself as a quality speaker brand that not only honors but builds on the ideals of its founder. We recently caught up with Kelley to learn more about what the new KLH has accomplished in its four-plus years and to get a preview of what’s on the horizon. Indeed, the future is bright as he reveals plans for a new speaker built around the acoustic-suspension principles Henry Kloss made famous. 

S&V: Before you took on the task of reviving the legendary KLH brand in 2017, you were a top executive at Klipsch, another iconic speaker brand also based in your home state of Indiana. Tell us about your background and experience in home audio. 

David P. Kelley: I began my career selling audio in 1984 for the Michigan-based Highland Superstores. I always had a passion for hi-fi and a healthy addiction to live music. As a teenager, I could often be found either rebuilding my father’s Fisher 500-C receiver and AR-3 speakers or installing new audio gear in my 1978 Ford LTD II Sport. Like so many people in our industry, my hobby of rebuilding vintage hi-fi and obsession with live music turned into a 40-year career. 

I joined Klipsch in 1992 as a regional sales representative and held several leadership positions prior to becoming president of global sales. I also served on the board of directors for Jamo China Ltd., Klipsch Audio Trading Shanghai Co., Ltd., and Klipsch Group Europe BV. During my 23-year career at Klipsch, I grew to appreciate and understand the intrinsic value of the brand and its classic speakers. Many of the original Paul W. Klipsch designs are still in production today, clearly proving the business case for vintage speakers. 

S&V: So how did the KLH deal come about? What did you find most enticing about KLH? 
Kelley: I was introduced to the owners of KLH through a mutual friend and purchased the company in January of 2017. As a dyed-in-the-wool audiophile and industry veteran, I clearly recognized the extraordinary value of KLH, an iconic brand with a rich history, founded by Henry Kloss, irrefutably one of the most influential engineers in the archives of consumer electronics. 

Kloss, with his myriad contributions to audio, is an elite member of a distinguished class of engineers that includes Saul Marantz, Hermon Hosmer (H.H.) Scott, Rudy Bozak, James B. Lansing, Paul W. Klipsch, and David Hafler, all of whom have been inducted into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame. 

S&V: Has your mission or philosophy changed since you reintroduced the KLH brand back in 2018? You must have felt a tremendous sense of responsibility as the new caretaker of this storied brand.  
Kelley: I would say my mission has evolved to focus more of our product development endeavor on the acoustic suspension principles made famous by Henry Kloss. This is the speaker technology co-developed by Kloss that made KLH the dominant player in the audio industry for decades, with highly regarded speakers like the KLH Model Five, Model Six, and Model Twenty Three, among many others.

I am committed to honoring the celebrated legacy of KLH by staying true to the founding design principles of Henry Kloss. I know this sounds good in theory, but it is more difficult in practice, which is why I have deliberately invested in engineering talent and resources. The KLH research and development team is led by our chief engineer, Kerry Geist, who is one of the most respected names in modern acoustic engineering. Based on the recent success of the KLH Model Five reissue and its sibling, the Model Three, I will let your readers decide for themselves. 

The updated and reissued KLH Model Five, and newly developed Model Three, were the most awarded loudspeakers in the world over the past 24 months, gracing the covers of Stereophile and Sound & Vision, and winning critical acclaim as Stereophile Recommended Components and Sound & Vision Top Picks. Globally, both models were named Speaker of the Year by five industry publications and received six Editor’s Choice awards. Additionally, the KLH Model Collection to which these models belong has received hundreds of 5-star consumer reviews and millions of YouTube views. In total, KLH has received 33 global awards over the past 24 months for the Model Collection speakers. 

S&V: The KLH comeback is certainly inspiring and our reviewers absolutely loved the Model Five and the Model Three. How does the modern KLH approach speaker design — and how does that approach relate to the philosophy and design principles of the brand’s co-founder Henry Kloss? 
Kelley: We reimagined the Model Five and Model Three by employing a modern interpretation with a classic perspective. We kept the timeless design of the original models, balancing the geometric shape with the natural beauty of genuine wood veneers and organic linen grilles, and combining that with the foundational strength of a 14-guage steel base that serves both form and function. The base, or riser, is angled 5 degrees on the Model Five and 8 degrees on the Model Three so the speaker is positioned to ensure the best vertical coverage for all listening positions

S&V: Can you expand a bit on the technical design of these models and talk about the drivers and materials used today and how they compare with what was used in the original KLH models? 
Kelley: We used similar materials in some areas, and completely changed the material in others. For example, we still use pulp paper for the woofer and midrange cones because it is a wonderful material and has great dampening characteristics. But the original Model Five also used a paper cone tweeter, which is a completely inadequate material for that purpose. Instead, we selected a more contemporary 1-inch aluminum dome which buys us much smoother frequency response and dispersion characteristics. 

The acoustic suspension design principle has not changed over the years, but the techniques and equipment used to develop modern acoustic suspension systems has. The modeling techniques and test equipment available to us now make it possible to minimize nonlinearities in the driver suspension and motor structure and to minimize distortion during high diaphragm displacements. We can also optimize the design of the driver magnet assembly and voice coil, which results in better efficiency, power handling, and reliability. 

S&V: When you unveiled the new KLH at CES 2018, you started with an ambitious lineup of speakers for stereo and home theater applications, including a remake of the famous Model Nine, the first full-range electrostatic panel and a model widely praised as one of the best sounding speakers of all time. What’s the status of the Model Nine? 

Kelley: The KLH Model Nine has proven more difficult than we originally thought for a variety of reasons and has been delayed accordingly. We are still intent on relaunching this game-changing speaker, but that will likely happen about two years from now.

S&V: It’s great to hear that the Model Nine is still in the plan. How many models are in the current KLH lineup? 

Kelley: The current KLH lineup includes products designed for two-channel and multichannel applications. So, in addition to several bookshelf and floorstanding models, we have matching center-channel speakers, surrounds, and powered subwoofers. We also have a line of architectural in-wall and in-ceiling models that includes a series of higher-end, closed back, acoustic suspension models. 

S&V: What are KLH’s top selling models these days? And what do you think is driving those sales? 

Kelley: Our best-selling models are the KLH Model Five, Model Three, and Kendall in a variety of genuine wood veneers. The high-performance sound of these models has far exceeded the expectations of our customers and the market in general. They are routinely compared with products costing considerably more — some exponentially so. Our dealers frequently praise us for giving them the opportunity to bring premium sound and fit and finish to a broader demographic. And then there’s the timeless KLH design and our industry-leading warranty, both of which reinforce the brand promise.

S&V: Expand on the KLH promise and the particulars of the KLH warranty — what sets it apart from the competition? 

Kelley: When I purchased KLH, an important part of my vision was to reestablish the KLH brand as a global market leader in premium sound. This really begins with the KLH brand promise, and every product we create and everything we do must consistently align with that promise: “To inspire, uplift, and empower people through the pure joy of music.” It is important to not lose sight of why people buy speakers in the first place. 

We are all busy — our lives are filled with impossible schedule demands and we are pulled in many different directions throughout the day, so people are genuinely searching for a respite from the daily chaos of life. I believe firmly in the healing power of music, and further believe music reconnects us to moments in time and moves us through a full range of emotions, which is important for the human spirit. Simply stated, music plays a vital role in our daily lives, and we never lose sight of that fundamental truth at KLH. 

KLH provides an industry-leading 10-year warranty because we believe you cannot put a price on peace of mind. Most of our competitors offer 2 to 5-year warranties. Moreover, every team member at KLH is empowered to take every reasonable step necessary to resolve any warranty claim or customer issue. We design, engineer, and manufacture our speakers to exceedingly high standards, rigorously testing every product prior to delivery and employing every measure possible to ensure a lifetime of worry-free listening enjoyment. At KLH, the brand promise is part of our culture, and we live it every day. [Editor’s note:: KLH also offers a 60-day return policy.]

S&V: We have seen a resurgence of retro audio products in recent years and KLH is obviously part of that with products like your remake of the Model Five and the new Model Three. What’s driving this trend and who’s buying these products?

 Kelley: In some respects, the interest in retro audio products never really went away. For example, Klipsch has continued to find success with its Heritage line, which never went out of production. But if you take an even closer look, you will discover an audio community that has a high level of enthusiasm for the classic speaker designs of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. There are still many people out there who love their original Acoustic Research AR-3’s or JBL L100’s. I have been in the audio industry a long time and I’ve seen a lot of products come and go, which gives you a special appreciation for the ones that find enduring success. In our case, we have such a product in the KLH Model Five. 

First, and foremost, people are buying these speakers because they sound great. The acoustic suspension design also solves difficult placement challenges because they can be placed 6 inches from the wall versus a typical bass-reflex design that requires 24-36 inches of space from the wall. The vintage look of the product is also timeless and has broad appeal to generations of music lovers. 

We also have many people purchasing these speakers today who either owned them in the past, knew someone who owned them, or wanted to buy them back in the day but simply could not afford them. We are also seeing a younger crowd of audio enthusiasts turning to classic speaker designs. They really like retro styling, which is quite different from the speaker designs they were familiar with growing up. Many younger audio enthusiasts also grew up during the period of disposable electronics, so they genuinely appreciate KLH’s timeless design, great sound, simplicity, and use of sustainable materials and packaging. 

S&V: What’s on the horizon? Any new products or remakes of other classic KLH models in the pipeline you can tell us about?

 Kelley: We do have a higher-end Model Seven in the pipeline, but it is not a remake of a classic KLH model. Our philosophy is not so much to remake classic models as it is to start with the classic KLH look and apply modern materials and engineering to the acoustic-suspension design principles our co-founder Henry Kloss helped pioneer.

S&V: Sounds exciting and we are honored to be the first to share this news with our readers. Can you tell me a little more about the Model Seven — when you plan to introduce it and maybe give us a sense of what price range you’re shooting for? Kelley: The Model Seven will be the big brother to the Model Five. It will remain a 3-way design, but the Model Seven will use a much larger 13-inch woofer and 5-inch midrange driver. There aren’t very many contemporary loudspeaker designs that use a 13-inch woofer. But our 13-inch acoustic-suspension system is designed to operate in a very manageable 2.5 cubic foot enclosure. The loudspeaker is wider to accommodate the larger woofer, but its depth is under 10 inches. This gives it an appearance that is reminiscent of the original Boston Acoustics speakers of the late 1970s and early ’80s. And just like the KLH Model Three and Model Five, we will include the riser base to bring the loudspeaker to the proper listening angle and height. The Model Seven will be available in the third quarter, and the target retail price will be around $4,200 a pair. 

S&V: What would Henry Kloss think of the new KLH?  
Kelley: I like to think Henry would feel honored and pleased with the steady and considerable progress we have made. We are proud of the work we have done so far to reinvigorate the KLH brand with new products that reflect the original design philosophy of Henry Kloss. However, our work is just beginning, so stay tuned for even more excitement.

The post Reviving a Classic: The Rebirth of KLH Audio appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

PRICE $1800/pair

AT A GLANCE 
Plus 
Tight, crisp bass
Detailed, dynamic sound
Price 
Minus 
Looks suffer with grilles removed
Needs a subwoofer for bass-heavy films
Vintage style might not appeal to all

THE VERDICT 
It might not be at its best in a large room without a subwoofer or two, but the dynamic, open, and detailed sound of the KLH Model 3s can otherwise equal or exceed the performance of many far more expensive loudspeakers.

In the early 1950s Edgar Villchur, Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann founded the Acoustic Research and Development Corporation. Of the four founders, Henry Kloss may be the name best recognized by audiophiles with a bit of mileage on their wheels. Kloss later left AR (along with Low and Hoffman) and founded KLH. Kloss later founded two other loudspeaker companies, Advent and Cambridge Audio. 

In the 1970s, Kloss also designed and marketed the Kloss Videobeam video projection system, a product that was something of a revolution in an era where the 21-inch, direct-view TV dominated. It’s been said that Kloss started Advent to raise the money needed to develop the Videobeam. But the home video world wasn’t yet ready for such a relatively expensive and (compared to today) primitive video projection system. Kloss also worked on improving FM radio, introduced Dolby B noise reduction to the audio cassette, and even built a prototype Dolby B open reel tape deck that was never marketed.

Most loudspeakers in those early days of consumer hi-fi were either huge or lacked anything resembling deep bass. Those that managed to reach the depths were often horn-loaded (such as the immense Klipschorns) or port-tuned bass-reflex designs. In the ’50s, the mathematical techniques needed to mate a bass-reflex-bound woofer to its cabinet were far from perfect. The cut-and-try methods employed to tune such designs often produced sloppy, boomy bass. 

AR was launched to change all that by using the acoustic suspension system perfected by Villchur. This method relied on a woofer with a suspension too floppy to work in a standard design. Instead, the compression of the air inside a relatively small cabinet acted as an acoustic spring to keep the woofer under control. The result was surprisingly powerful bass from a cabinet far smaller than the best bass-reflex designs of the era. The result was a revelation. AR and later KLH were highly successful. But over the years and a succession of owners (many of them less passionate than the founders) both companies largely faded from the audio landscape. 

Kelley Global Brands bought the rights to the KLH name in 2017, determined to resurrect the long idle but classic name. At first the new owners released a lineup of KLH-branded loudspeakers with no obvious connection to the original acoustic suspension designs. But they ultimately saw an opportunity to launch new models more closely aligned with those from KLH’s glory days—refined, of course, with up to date drivers, crossovers, and cabinets. But the key component, acoustic suspension design, would remain. 

The first of the new classic designs, the KLH Model 5, was released in 2021 and reviewed here later that year. There actually was a KLH Model 5 among KLH’s original designs, so you can’t call a new speaker the KLH Model 5 and make it a ported design! But while ported loudspeaker designs are now more technically refined than they were in those early days, there are definite benefits to acoustic suspension. At frequencies below its cabinet design resonance, a woofer in a sealed box rolls off the bottom end at 12 dB per octave. Below its port tuning frequency, however, a ported design rolls off at 24 dB per octave. You can (within reason!) drive an acoustic suspension design below its tuned frequency (such as might occur when using room EQ) with less risk of overdrive. With a ported box, however, the woofer becomes unloaded below its port resonance; too much boost below that frequency can push the woofer into emitting rude noises–or worse. 

KLH, of course, claims that acoustic suspension is something of a holy grail among loudspeaker designs. But I won’t go quite that far. Ported cabinets have evolved dramatically over the decades, and today many of them are well-designed. As I stated in the review of the KLH Model 5, “You won’t find us either clinking our glasses or holding our noses over acoustic suspension. It’s simply a valid design choice, enhanced here by a bit of nostalgia.” 

The original KLHs were built in Cambridge, but like most of today’s affordable loudspeakers, the Model 3s are designed here but manufactured in China.

Features 
There was never a Model 3 in the classic KLH offerings. But the new Model 3 follows the design cues of the recent Model 5 in several ways. It’s a 2-way design (the Model 5 is 3-way) and smaller, though the latter is mostly due to its shorter height. It has the same classic look as the Model 5 and comes in two wood veneer (not vinyl!) options. There’s also a satin black that KLH calls Nordic Noir. 

Magnetically affixed and easily removable grilles are included: Medici Gray Linen grilles come on the Nordic Noir finish, Old World Linen on the West African Mahogany veneer, and Stone Wash Linen on the English Walnut. The Stone Wash Linen and Old World Linen are available separately if you want to mix and match. Another choice is a Basalt Black grille, which I’d opt for if the speakers will be visible when watching films, as I found the lighter, standard grilles on our review samples a little distracting. The optional grilles are available separately for $200/pair (you can’t do a free swap for a different grille color on the initial purchase). 

KLH Model 3 is fairly heavy for its size due to its 3/4 inch MDF construction with added reinforcement where needed. Its driver complement consists of a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter and an 8-inch pulp paper cone woofer. In the original KLH designs, Henry Kloss used tweeters with reduced high-frequency extension compared to the best tweeters available. He was concerned that more extended tweeters might reveal the harshness and edginess in many recordings of the time. Fifty years later, that’s no longer a design consideration. 

The crossover frequency is at 1.5 kHz, second-order (12 dB/octave). Like the new Model 5, there’s a single pair of 5-way binding posts around the back (there’s no bi-wiring option; this wasn’t a thing in the ’50s). There’s also a three-way switch to decrease the Model 3’s mid and high-frequency output above 400 Hz. The neutral position is Hi. Mid provides a reduction of 1.5 dB, and Low a 3.0 dB cut—the same configuration available in the new Model 5 and the classic Model 5 as well. In my room, the Mid position worked best. I also preferred the results with the grilles in place. (in the new Model 5 review, I had preferred taking the grilles off.) 

As with the new Model 5s, the Model 3 is a bit too big and heavy for a typical stand and too short to sit directly on the floor. But like the new Model 5, the Model 3s come with short stands that tilt the speakers slightly upwards to aim the drivers’ radiation pattern at a seated listener. The Model 3s can’t be secured to the stands, making it a bit tricky to walk around while adjusting their final setup or angling them to find the best listening position. There’s also no provision for spikes (which I don’t typically use). 

Setup 
I set up the KLH Model 3s about 9 feet apart, roughly 4 feet from the back wall, and angled inward at the primary listening seat. The tilt of the KLH’s stands aimed the tweeters roughly at my seated ear height. But I had to tilt the stands a bit further backward, as my listening seat is a couple of inches taller than the typical listening chair.

I requested three Model 3s for the left, right, and center channels (thus the title of this review!). Why? Because on its stand, the Model 3 can be positioned in the center without blocking my TV or retractable projection screen (when the latter is in use). Viola… matched front channels! Of course, they can never be perfectly matched, as room positioning somewhat alters the sound of any speaker. But it’s close, and this is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to have identical front-channel loudspeakers. Identical speakers across the front are easy with an acoustically transparent screen, but I prefer a solid surface screen for projector reviews. 

I used a Denon AVR-X6700H AV receiver to drive all the loudspeakers, apart from the subwoofers. The rest of the system (surrounds, Atmos speakers, and subwoofers) was an eclectic mix. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, my large room provides limited deep bass support for full-range loudspeakers without subwoofers. The room also contributes annoying modal peaks between 100 and 200Hz, measured at the listening position. The only method I’ve found to correct these issues without significantly rearranging the room—not possible in my situation where the speakers must work with projection screens that can’t be moved—is by using bass EQ. More on that is below.

Music 
Driven full range without subwoofers, the KLH Model 3’s deep bass wasn’t overly impressive in my large, open-concept room. The good news was that my room’s 100-200 Hz peaks, which I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, were down somewhat in level and less audible than usual. There wasn’t a trace of boom or muddiness, and hard bass transients were as tight as a… umm… drum. But the bass fundamentals were either low in level or missing. This was clearly a room or setup issue, and neither could be changed.

I attempted to dial in Audyssey below 300 Hz, as is my usual practice (more on this in the Model 3 plus subwoofer section, below). But so much boost was required that the KLHs distorted when fed music with strong bass transients. Then I turned off Audyssey and simply increased the Bass control on my Denon AVR. Too much, and the overload raised its head again, but I settled on +2. That doesn’t sound like much, and it isn’t, but it did a surprisingly effective job restoring missing warmth and improving the KLHs’ bottom end in my challenging room. It didn’t throw down the gauntlet to a good subwoofer or two, but on music, the KLH 3 bass was surprisingly satisfying. Your situation may vary, and in a more modestly-sized space, you might not need any such tweak at all. 

On a wide selection of music, the KLHs now performed impressively well. There was a small bump in the response around 2KHz, visible in my in-room measurements (see the Test Bench). On less-than-pristine recordings played back at high levels, this was clearly audible as an added sheen to the sound, but it was rarely intrusive. However, this is a highly resolving loudspeaker and may not be favored by listeners who prefer a warmer and less revealing sound.

On my favorite demo cuts, the Model 3s rarely put a foot wrong unless the recording was known to have issues. While organ recordings didn’t blow out the walls on the subwoofer-less KLHs, they didn’t sound unrealistically lean. Ditto on the consistently tight drums, whether the music was classical or jazz. 

I often fall back on two compilation CDs from Dali loudspeakers that were available a few years ago but not any longer. They were mastered from a range of exceptional recordings with artists both familiar and (in the U.S.) unfamiliar. These include Toto, Bo Stief Dream Machine, Loreena McKennitt, Elvis, Holly Cole, Sinne Eeg, and Deadmau5. Every cut I played from these discs—and others as well—delivered.

I knew I’d need to add subwoofers to the Model 3s for movie playback, but I first tried it on the KLHs with music. The result wasn’t disappointing. The KLH Model 3s blended seamlessly with my system’s two subwoofers (SVS PB3000s). I also used Audyssey when the subwoofers were involved, but only below 300 Hz. While the results without the subs were rewarding on most music and would certainly be more so in a more modestly-sized room, it won’t surprise any reader that even on music, adding a pair of large subwoofers raised things to another level. While on some music, it made little difference (as it should be with a proper setup), when you bring on the heavy artillery—drums, organs, electronica, on either music or movies—the overall improvements are impossible to miss.

Movies 
In the subwoofer setup briefly addressed above, and as in my review of the KLH Model 5, I used the Denon AVR’s Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room EQ together with Audyssey’s optional Editor App. But only below 300 Hz. The KLH’s native in-room response above that frequency was left alone, apart from an occasional +/-1 db setting on the Denon’s treble control as needed by the source material. As before, the KLH’s rear panel switch was set to Mid, and the grilles were installed. 

I briefly noted above how adding a subwoofer or two helped the Model 3 with bass-heavy music in my large room. But it was a necessity with action-heavy movies. I won’t apologize to those who may have tired of my using the film Oblivion in reviews. I know this soundtrack extremely well and have vivid expectations of what to expect from it. The subwoofer-ed Model 3s didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Jack’s opening narration was clean, clear and free of unnatural sibilance. Played back at room-filling levels, the crescendo accompanying the opening title was dynamic as you could want and then some. And while the crack of the lightning as Jack maneuvers his chopper through a storm was harshly bright, if you’ve ever had lightning strike within a mile or less of you, you’ll know that this is a jump out of your skin experience—as it was here. 

The crisp dynamics continued as Jack landed his chopper in a decaying stadium. There was a ton of deep bass here, and while the credit for this must go to the subwoofers, the Model 3s blended in flawlessly. Later, in Act 3, the music swells as Jack prepares to take Julia to the Tet. From there to the end, I had a hard time adjusting my critical reflexes, as this stretch of the film, to its end, is my favorite sequence. The electronic music score plays a big role, as it does elsewhere in the film, and nothing in the Model 3s performance let me down.

Blade Runner 2049 is a frightening experience for most subwoofers, and the Model 3s, again, blended with them perfectly. The soundtrack here ranges from big moments to subtleties, and it was in the latter moments, where the Model 3s needed no support from the subwoofers, that the KLHs excelled. 

The extended version of Kingdom of Heaven (not the crippled theatrical release) is a sonic masterpiece. The audio flows gorgeously, from the subtlest scenes to the battles. And while the dialogue and effects are seamless on the Model 3s, it’s in the music that the KLHs again demonstrated their superb performance. The film has been criticized, often with good reason, for its historical flaws. But if you’re as sensitive as I am to how a score can enhance a film, this mattered little as the film’s superb soundtrack, heard on the KLH Model 3s, blew away any such misgivings about the plot. 

Conclusion 
The audio world is full of fine speakers at under $1500/pair. Which is best? There’s no reasonable answer to that often-asked question; it depends on your tastes and needs. The KLH Model 3 can compete head to head with any of them and offers a unique blend of superb sound, an included stand that will allow it to perform at its best, adjustability, and a unique, vintage look with up-to-date audio performance. 

How does it compare with the KLH Model 5? While I reviewed that product, it’s been a year or so since I’ve heard it and audio memory is far shorter than that. With its larger woofer and box, The Five offers more bass extension, but I still needed a sub or two on challenging film soundtracks, at least in my large room. But if you add a subwoofer, the Model 3 offers similarly high performance, and the money saved vs. the Model 5s can go to your subwoofer fund!

Test Bench

The in-room results shown here were produced using the Parts Express Omnimic measuring software and microphone, taken at the main listening seat 10 feet from the speakers, with the latter on their included stands and angled in to directly face the microphone. 

All the results here were taken at the single, seated, ear-level position. (Experience in my room has shown that an average of several readings, taken across a span of about 2 feet, differs little from the single position measurement, apart from smoothing out small ripples.) All curves here are 1/6th octave smoothed, the Model 3s rear switches were set to Mid, and the AVR’s tone controls were off.—TJN

Fig.1 Red: Left channel, KLH Model 3 full range response, no subwoofers, no Audyssey room EQ. Blue: Left channel, KLH Model 3 with two SVS subs, 90Hz Xover, and Audyssey room EQ engaged only below 300Hz. 

Fig.2 Red: Left channel, Blue Right channel. With 2 SVS subs, 90Hz Xover, and Audyssey room EQ engaged only below 300 Hz on both channels.

The post Three for Three: KLH Model 3 Review appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

In The News, Reviews, Ultimate One Headphones

In the test, the KLH Ultimate One has to show today what influence it can have on my eardrums. For this purpose, I put clean and high-quality processed material over my ears and enjoy the use of sustainable materials that promise extraordinary comfort. In the first impression, the American can already convince with fundamental bass and rich highs. Whether the good first impression also withstands a longer music session, I clarify in this article.

KLH wants to combine build quality and comfort with rich bass and fine treble with the Ultimate One.

First of all, I wonder who KLH actually is, because I had never heard of this company before. Wrongly, as it turns out, because the company founded by Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low and Josef Anton Hofmann in Massachusetts has existed since 1957. With over 30,000 loudspeakers annually, it was once the largest manufacturer of loudspeakers in the world. According to the magazine Stereophile, the Model Nine is one of the twelve best speakers ever built. With the model Forty, the first tape recorder with Dolby noise reduction was introduced. With the Model Five, Model Six and Model Seventeen, the best-selling loudspeaker models were launched on the market for many years. Since 2017, KLH has been under the umbrella of Kelly Global Brands and the headquarters have been moved to Noblesville, Indiana, where the KLH Ultimate One is also manufactured.

In its home market of the USA, KLH devices have been in demand since 1957. With the Ultimate One, the name should also grow in Europe.

A solid package

The KLH Ultimate One comes in a robust slipcase. The cardboard slot is equipped with a fluted cover, which together with the silver embossed logo leaves a high-quality impression. Magnets hold the folding mechanism in position so that the carton always retains its shape. Inside is a leather case with zipper, which stores the headphones shockproof when traveling. In addition, the case comes with a carrying bag made of soft velour, in which you can store the headphones. Of course, the scope of delivery also includes a separate two-meter-long connection cable with 3.5-millimeter jack plug and an adapter for sockets with a diameter of 6.3 millimeters. In addition, there is an insert that describes individual components of the music converter and the properties. So you can listen to his music in all possible constellations and always safely accommodate the KLH Ultimate One in all situations without it being damaged.

The two-metre-long connection cable features high-quality silver strands and a fine textile cover. In addition to a hard case and cloth bag, a 6.3-millimeter adapter is also included.

Materials

The KLH Ultimate One cuts a very good figure when unpacking. The earcups are made of zebra wood. A metal bracket holds them in position and the shells can be rotated 180 degrees in it. The metal bracket has space in its solid hinge 90 degrees to the front and 90 degrees to the rear. The headband leaves a very solid impression and lies on my head with layers of cowhide, lambskin and two-layer memory foam. That’s how the cushions that wrap around my ears are designed. It is noticeable that the headphones weigh just 340 grams despite the high-quality materials and its robust design. Of course, this accommodates the wearing comfort. The open design also provides a certain relaxation, as you are not completely disconnected from the outside world. However, the auricle will be too small for wearers with protruding shaped ears.

Thanks to pads with a mixture of cowhide and lambskin, in combination with memory foam, the headphones offer great wearing comfort.

Technical features

Of course, the technical details also play a central role in a test, because they ultimately determine what I hear. The KLH Ultimate One uses drivers with a diameter of 50 millimeters and thus offers plenty of space for stately bass. This is also reflected in the data sheet, because KLH attests to the Ultimate One a frequency range of 18 heart to 22 kilohertz. With a sound pressure of 108 decibels, it causes a lot of rumbling on the eardrum, but remains in an area that does not harm health. With the impedance of 32 ohms, it is in the upper range, which demands a certain power from pocket-sized players. Naturally, my amplifier has no problems vibrating the driver. The smartphone has to work much harder to play against the outside world due to the open design.

The large 50-millimeter widebands combine rich deep bass with clearly defined treble.

The wearing comfort

Due to the first-class choice of materials, the KLH Ultimate One feels extremely high-quality and can also compete with models from other manufacturers such as the Sendy Audio, which plays in a significantly higher price range. Headphones in the same price range are clearly beaten off in terms of material selection and visual appearance. On the head, the soft padding pleases. The leather is comfortable on the skin and feels soft and natural. Even with prolonged listening pleasure, I do not sweat here. I find the open construction of the auricles very pleasant. So a few ambient sounds as well as fresh air come to my ears and I am not completely cut off from the outside world. The contact pressure of the bracket is a bit tight, but this may be due to the brand new specimen. The earcups just fit over my ears, who has already made large ears while reading, wears here rather an on-ear headphone.

Thanks to beautifully crafted zebra wood and soft padding, the Ultimate One offers pleasant wearing comfort and high-quality haptics. For larger ears, however, the earcups could be a bit too small.

Proper fuss

Yes, how does the visually impressive piece sound now? What is striking at first is the incredibly deep bass that the KLH Ultimate One delivers. The 50 millimeter diaphragm can vibrate very slowly and powerfully. “Play” by David Grohl starts right at the beginning with a deep bass carpet that lays a solid foundation. But that’s not all, really deep it goes down with the drums into the frequency cellar, because Grohl has tuned the bass drum extremely dry, rich and deep. And the Ultimate One is happy about every impulse in this area. It gives the impression that you have built a subwoofer into the headphones, so powerfully the beryllium diaphragm pushes the bass into my ear canals. Especially at low volumes, a very voluminous and tidy sound image is created. If you then turn into the range of, I call it pleasure volume, the bass also delivers a decent rumble.

With dynamics and pressure, KLH’s over-ear is a lot of fun. On the other hand, his demands on the service provided are quite high.

Accentuated tips

There is no doubt that the KLH Ultimate One can deliver its 18 hearts. 22 kilos are no longer perceptible to my elderly ears, but it is noticeable that the chassis are emphasized and precise here. So I continue to listen to the piece and will not be disappointed in the treble range. The beryllium driver precisely works out fine structures from Grohl’s drums. I can clearly perceive the dynamic differences on the basins and also the staggering of the different brass discs in the room is finely divided. Sharp and determined, the membrane articulates the accentuated tips on high-hat and ride cymbals. The steel strings of Hellyeah’s guitar in the track “I Don’t Care Anymore” get the necessary hardness and crispness to give the piece the necessary note on the way. The driver places the instruments very precisely on the targeted places and thus creates a pleasant plasticity.

The connection cable with 3.5 mm jack is connected to the headphones on one side. The Ultimate One cannot be operated symmetrically.

KLH Ultimate One – Modernly tuned

As the next title I chose “Anima” by Angela Puxi. The chilled title captivates with countless sounds, to which the KLH Ultimate One pulls a wide stage and distributes it finely from left to right. Again, the excellent treble reproduction and the incredibly deep bass are striking. Due to this V-like, modern tuning of the driver, however, the mids are a little underemphasized. The singer sounds as if she was a little too close to the microphone during the recording. The bass also loses some precision, because it is powerful, but due to the size of the diaphragm also a bit more sedate and gets a more comfortable character. But he is really fun in the “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. The deeply tuned bass guitar drills into such deep climes that you can hardly believe your ears.

Stable pegs always keep the rotatable earcups in the correct position. With a weight of only 340 grams, the Ultimate One offers good long-term suitability.

Club Machine

But if you stay in the corresponding modern genre, the KLH Ultimate One does not miss out on fun. I certainly don’t have to introduce the title “No Sanctuary Here” by Chris Jones anymore, it runs up and down at every hi-fi fair. However, Marian Herzog has taken on the number again and lifted it to a modern level. A rich “Four on the Floor” beat massages the eardrums in the sub-bass range that it is a real joy. At the same time, the highs tear a groovy high-hat into the upbeat. The song has picked up a bit in tempo and thus gains even more grooviness, which you can hardly resist thanks to this club machine. Once you get used to this tuning, you can also enjoy “Liberty” by Anette Askvik. It appears sonically with a little too much belly, but the round bass and the finely worked highs in the piece fit in perfectly.

Result

The KLH Ultimate One is super processed and also the accessories, such as the great leather hard case, definitely bring points. The materials used fit into the next higher price level. The separate connection cable is not only super processed and makes no noise when worn. You can also simply exchange it, should it break at some point. The wearing comfort is pretty good. I had the headphones on my ears for several hours while writing this test. The sound can definitely be captivating. The tuning of the beryllium chassis is modern and geared to current tracks. The incredibly deep bass plays in a league of its own and also the crisp highs are really fun. Nevertheless, the inclined buyer should try the good piece, because the sound could polarize. For use on mobile players, an external DAC is recommended for stronger volumes.

Test & Text: Dieter Pfeil
Photos: Branislav Ćakić

ASSESSMENT

Summary

Overall score: 87/90
Class: Upper class
Price/performance: good

Sound

86th of 90

Practice

90th of 90

Equipment

88th of 90

Specifications

The post KLH Ultimate One – Steam with draught up to both ears appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

It’s not to say that these fashionable speakers ever went out of style, but they are arguably more popular now than ever before. With countless brands looking to put their artisanal touch on the matter, some options manage to weigh out the competition by a landslide — that said, these are the ones we’ve decided to include in this guide. Whether you’re looking to accentuate the rest of your home decor or purchase a sonic conversation starter, these are the 10 best vintage-style speakers to have in your home.

KLIPSCH PROMEDIA HERITAGE 2.1 DESKTOP SPEAKERS

It only seems right to kick this list off with Klipsch considering that the brand abides by its original designs as few other manufacturers do. The USA-bred brand’s Heritage line is a direct homage to its founder’s original concepts, and the ProMedia 2.1 set of desktop speakers is one of the more recent additions to the series. This handsome trio features 1” soft dome tweeters, a 3” long-throw woofer, and, last but not least, an 8” subwoofer powered by a 100W amplifier. Whether you want to bring that sound to your computer, gaming setup, or turntable station, you can rest assured that its mid-century look will make it all the better.

MARSHALL ACTON III BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

This brand-new release from Marshall is a great choice for anyone from guitarists looking to match their amp to wireless fanatics who live by streaming. The British manufacturer’s Acton III speaker is practically future-proof, as it’s capable of cooperating with any future Bluetooth updates, all the while being equipped to take on Bluetooth 5.2 from the moment you open the box. Aside from its room-filling sound, the chic speaker comes available in three colors including cream and brown, both of which will be coming around this fall. However, you can pre-order the sleek black-colored rendition today.

AUDIOENGINE HD3 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER SYSTEM

Audioengine may not be a household name like Marshall, but its well-designed catalog is nothing to scoff at. This handsome speaker system is equipped with 15W amplifiers, a 0.75” silk dome tweeter, and a 2.75” Kevlar woofer ensuring quality sound quality for the price, in addition to seamless wireless connectivity utilizing Bluetooth with aptX HD tech.

FOCAL CHORA 806 BOOKSHELF SPEAKER

Here we have another well-designed choice courtesy of Focal, a well-received name amongst audiophiles. The French-made Chora 806 is packed with a 6.5” mid-woofer and aluminum-magnesium 1” tweeter that provides a refined soundstage that Focal owners have grown accustomed to. These are housed in a gorgeous light wood-constructed frame to give it that old-school look you’ll never get tired of.

TIVOLI AUDIO MUSIC SYSTEM

It’s remarkable to think that something that looks like it played Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds broadcast in real-time can live up to the modern standard. Alas, technology advances to our benefit, and that is put on full display with this option. Tivoli’s choice is a sleek, AirPlay-compatible speaker with a built-in AM/FM system, just in case you want to make it even more vintage by throwing the radio on.

KLH MODEL FIVE 3-WAY ACOUSTIC SUSPENSION SPEAKER

KLH’s gorgeous Model Five speaker offers an incredibly balanced sound with a design that comes courtesy of its founder, Henry Kloss. Years later, of course, the classic look has managed to evolve, as it’s been applied to an incredibly powerful pair of modern-day speakers. The floor-standing speaker’s unique style makes the most of its 4” midrange driver, 10” high-excursion woofer, and 1” aluminum dome tweeter to provide an impeccable listening experience from top to bottom.

IFI AUDIO AURORA

If you’re looking for premium sound and a unique look, then you’re in the right place. The iFi Aurora’s design draws inspiration from Japanese industrial architecture, particularly the Omotesandō and Harajuku districts. It is crafted from thin lines of bamboo and rounded out with an aluminum frame, giving it a mid-century industrial look. As far as sound is concerned, the speaker is boosted by the manufacturer’s proprietary PureEmotion and SoundSpace tech that fuses purity of tone with an immersive quality that simply surrounds you with whatever you’re listening to.

SONUS FABER OMNIA

This powerful all-in-one speaker looks as good as it sounds, and that says a whole lot. It houses an eye-popping variety of drivers, including a pair of 3-inch paper pulp-cone midrange drivers, which are neighbored by a pair of side-firing full-range drivers and a three-quarter-inch silk-dome tweeter to capture those crisp high frequencies. Standing 5” tall and measuring 25” wide, its top is finished off with a sleek touch-sensitive wooden panel that allows you to select your input and streaming service.

JBL L100 CLASSIC BOOKSHELF SPEAKER

When it comes to vintage, there are few speakers that can level up the literal original, and JBL’s iconic L100 is a model that has withstood the test of time and then some. The 1970s-era loudspeaker is highlighted by JBL’s inimitable classic style and a Quadrex foam grille that is available in black, orange, or blue. As far as sound is concerned, you get what you pay for, and you get a whole lot. The L100 boasts a 12” white cone woofer, 5” pulp cone midrange driver, and 1” titanium dome tweeter, resulting in an enveloping listen that will make you forget all other speakers.

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND BALANCE

As one of the more notable audio manufacturers from a sonic, design, and price perspective, Bang & Olufsen’s gorgeous catalog of high-end products has been ahead of the curve for nearly a full century. The German brand’s Beosound Balance serves as much as a testament to interior design as it does a speaker, and it’s not too shabby on the latter front, either. Standing 17” high and measuring just under 8” wide, our final option is packed with a pair of 200W amps for each woofer, 100W amps for each full-range driver, and a sole 50W amp for its tweeter, ensuring a dynamic soundstage that is virtually impossible to beat.

The post The 10 Best Vintage-Style Speakers for Stylish Sound appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

Nothing impacts a stereo’s sound quite like the loudspeaker, so picking one is a very personal decision. The rest of your record player’s gear might be spectacular, but if you don’t love your speakers, you can’t truly love your system.

There are many nice speakers out there at every price point. That can make it difficult to pick a pair for your record player, especially in a world where brick-and-mortar stereo shops are increasingly rare. This guide to the best speakers for vinyl is here to help.

The guide has been split up into three categories. The first level, good, offers affordable, versatile speakers ideal for beginners. The better level comes into play after you’ve been collecting for a while and are ready to upgrade. The best level is for the audiophile with a flexible budget.

Reading about speakers is no substitute for hearing them, but the list below may help lead you toward the types of speakers that best meet your needs. 

We only talk about the best gear because we like it. However, when you purchase something through our affiliate links, Discogs may earn a commission.

Good Speakers for Vinyl

Micca RB42

If you’re looking for passive speakers that punch way above their weight, you want to consider a set of Micca RB42s. Even though they are less than 9 inches tall, each speaker weighs over 7 pounds. That’s because the RB42s have been built with a stout 4-inch woofer and heavy steel frame. 

Beyond their solid construction and sleek design, the Micca RB42s offer a sound signature that provides robust bass without sacrificing any tonal balance. This is thanks to Micca’s use of high-grade film capacitors and air core coils. 

If the information above means little or nothing to you, then the hundreds of glowing reviews may help you decide if these speakers are worth a shot or not. Just keep in mind that with passive speakers like these, you’ll need an amplifier or receiver to listen to your records.

Edifier R1700BT

Three things are crucial at the entry level: sound quality, price, and features. The R1700BTs are powered speakers, which means you can connect any turntable that has a built-in phono preamplifier.

The Edifiers offer extraordinary quality for the price by including bass and treble controls, a remote, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD, two pairs of RCA inputs, and a subwoofer output. There’s no USB port or an internal DAC, but for most entry-level users, the Edifiers have everything needed.

With a 4-inch woofer and 3/4-inch soft dome tweeter, the Edifiers offer a very friendly, inviting sound that can easily fill a typical living room. As with any small self-powered speaker, the addition of a subwoofer will ramp everything up a notch.

Audioengine A2+

As one of the best-selling compact speakers out there, these powered speakers offer a lot for relatively little money. They pair very well with turntables, but they also offer high-quality digital streaming capabilities.

With a variety of input options, built-in DAC, and aptX Bluetooth 5.0 audio with a 100 ft. wireless range, the A2+ speakers are incredibly versatile for less than $300. High-quality speaker connectors, kevlar woofers, and shielded wood cabinets help further sweeten the deal. 

If you want your records and digital files to sound fantastic without spending a fortune, the Audioengine A2+ speakers are not likely to disappoint.

Better Speakers for Vinyl

ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52

Although the model number looks absurdly complicated, the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 bookshelf speakers are actually pretty simple: all they do is make music extremely well.

The ELACs are small — not quite 14-inches tall — but their size is wildly deceiving as they go shockingly low and throw a huge soundstage. The thick MDF enclosures pack in three drivers, with a 5.25-inch woofer, 4-inch midrange, and a 1-inch tweeter mounted concentrically in the midrange driver. They also look handsome.

These aren’t cheap, but you would have to spend a lot more to significantly better them. Then again, you’re also going to need decent amplification; a cheap A/V receiver won’t do them any favors. If you pair them with a Cambridge Audio AXA35integrated amp or one of the estimable Marantz PM6007 integrated amps, you’ll be set for years before you get the itch to upgrade.

Klipsch RP-600M II

The RP-600M speakers have been incredibly popular since they were released, but the RP-600M IIs are even better. Klipsch is well respected throughout the vinyl community, but some audiophiles have taken issue with the brand’s speakers that feature a scooped mid-range. Luckily, the RP-600M IIs do not suffer from this issue as these reference speakers have been constructed to fill your space with a wider soundstage. 

The all-new cerametallic woofer helps minimize distortion while the improved Tractrix horn and port provide clean, powerful bass. The vented tweeter design makes those high frequencies sing by reducing unwanted harmonics. All of these noise-reducing elements give the midrange the space it needs to come through crisp and clear.

With furniture-grade materials and finishes, the RP-600M IIs also look quite striking, especially when you pop the grills off.

Best Speakers for Vinyl

KLH Model Five

The KLH Model Fives come with a substantial price tag, but they are more than worth the investment. Their classic vintage looks have been paired with modern driver technology to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience. 

KLH is known for their acoustic suspension enclosures and the Model Fives use this design to great effect. The volume of air inside the enclosure provides accurate and linear sound reproduction. The 3-way driver, 5-degree slant riser bases, and acoustic balance control all help your vinyl sound incredible regardless of the listening environment. 

If you’re looking to take your record listening to the next level, the KLH Model Fives will take you everywhere you want to go. 

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GoldenEar Triton Reference

GoldenEar has been around for more than a decade and has remained remarkably consistent in two important areas: they offer outstanding value for the price and maintain a house sound that’s reflected in all models. If you’ve heard one pair of GoldenEar speakers, you’ll have a good understanding of what they all sound like, which is smooth, balanced, and dynamic. The higher you go up the line, the more impressive they get.

The GoldenEar Triton Reference speakers stand 58-inches high but are only 6.75-inches wide, which makes them both massive and deceptively small. Packed into each speaker are 10 drivers, topped off by a folded ribbon tweeter, and bottomed out by three sub-bass drivers and four passive radiators. The bass drivers are pushed by a 1,800-watt amp and the overall frequency range is a staggering 12Hz–35kHz. The midrange and treble drivers need only a few watts to drive them as the Triton Reference’s rated sensitivity is 93.25dB.

The Reference is subtle and sweet enough for acoustic jazz and its astonishing dynamic range turns Led Zeppelin into a visceral, room-filling experience. But perhaps their neatest trick is their utter transparency. They disappear completely, leaving only you and the music. For $6,250 a piece, that’s the least a speaker can do. 

The post 7 Best Speakers for Listening to Vinyl Records appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

Az akusztikus felfüggesztés 50 éves hagyománya
Első ránézésre a KLH Model Five le sem tagadhatná a rokonságot a kistestvérrel, és nem is szeretné azt, pontosabban az utóbbi egyenesági leszármazottja a nagyobb modellnek, amit először 1968-ban mutattak be, és tulajdonképpen ez volt a KLH sikerének a titka a ’60-as és ’70-es években.

KLH Model Five – első változat

A 2021-es legújabb KLH Model Five angol dió és nyugat-afrikai mahagóni kivitelben választható, rájuk kőmosott kivitelű, vagy Old-World lenvászon védőanyagot illeszthetünk, de még bazalt fekete is szerepel a kínálatban. A gyártó segítségével ezeket még szabadon kombinálhatjuk is, hiszen a szövetek külön is megvásárolhatók.

Az MDF alapanyag és a furnér ebben az esetben is igazi luxusérzést képvisel és ad, és bár a Model Five már álló hangfalként van definiálva, szintén kapott egy filcbetétekkel ellátott fekete színű acélállványt, ami 5 fokkal emeli meg a doboz elejét, így segítve a hang jobb terjedését.

A KLH építhetett volna ugyan nagyobb doboztestet is, hogy valódi álló hangfalat kapjunk, de ezt a megoldást teljesen kizárták már a kezdetekkor. Mivel így jön létre a tervezők által megálmodott hangkép, ami a jelentős múltját elnézve nagyon is működik, felesleges lett volna szerintünk is átgondolni ezt a filozófiát. Továbbá elég jelentős áremelkedéssel is kellene számolnunk, ha az igényes doboztestből még úgy 25 %-kal többet nyújtana a Model Five. Így viszont kapunk egy termetes dobozt, hozzá tulajdonképpen bónuszként egy állványt, amit ebben az esetben is a hangdobozzal együtt fejlesztettek ki.

A Model Five akusztikus felfüggesztésű hangdoboz, és az egyik legkeresettebb modell még használt állapotban is az audiofil piacon. A saját szabadalmú akusztikus felfüggesztés tervezési elveit alkalmazza az alapító Henry Kloss tett híressé, a létjogosultságát és előnyeit pedig már a Model Three tesztjében megemlítettük, de az ismétlés a tudás anyja, mint azt mi is valljuk.

Az először 1954-ben bevezetett akusztikus felfüggesztési elvet régóta a legpontosabbnak tartják a hangfal építésben. Edgar Villchur és Henry Kloss együtt dolgozott az eredeti AR-1 és számos későbbi modell elkészítésében, később pedig sok más cég is alkalmazta ezt az elvet.

AR-1 hangfal
Az akusztikus felfüggesztésnél a burkolaton belüli levegőmennyiség légpárnaként vagy légrugóként szolgál, és mivel annak térfogata lineárisabb, mint a mélysugárzó felfüggesztésének mechanikus részei, ez lehetővé teszi a membrán lineárisabb mozgását, így nagyobb kivezérlési szinten is kevesebb torzítással kell számolnunk, mint a basszreflex rendszerű hangfalaknál.

A KLH Model Five ugyanis egy háromutas és zárt doboz, ami nagyon ritka, bármilyen árfekvésben keresgéljünk. Ahhoz, hogy ezeket szemügyre vegyük, le kell emelnünk a már említett, mágnesesen illeszkedő szövetet, ami a kisebb modellével ellentétben nem olyan sűrű, így kitapintható az MDF-keret, amire finoman, de stabilan rá van feszítve az anyag. Az eltávolításához most is kapunk egy kis fülecskét, amivel gyerekjáték a mutatvány, bár azt meg kell jegyeznünk, hogy az alkalmazott mágnes nem a leggyengébb, így még akkor sem fog leesni, ha a hangdobozt rendesen megküldjük energiával, amire tesztünk során azért nem egyszer volt példa.

Legfelül találjuk a 25 mm-es, lágy gumi felfüggesztésű, alumínium dóm magassugárzót, alatta a gumi görgős felfüggesztésű, cellulóz és papír ötvözetéből készült 100 mm-es középsugárzót, majd a sort az ugyanezen az elven készített 250 mm-es mélysugárzó zárja. Keretük egy rezonanciamentes, alumínium présöntvény, de még a magassugárzó is kapott egy öntött alumínium előlapot.

Belül lapos vezetékes lengőtekercset, tizenhárom komponensű keresztváltót, benne kiváló minőségű vasmagos induktorokat és Mylar kondenzátorokat találunk, és természetesen a merevítések és a csillapítóanyagok is gazdagon állnak a rendelkezésre ahhoz, hogy elősegítsék a hangszórók munkáját.

Hozzájuk jön még a doboz hátulján lévő háromállású, akusztikus egyensúlyszabályozó, ami a hangzást a legnehezebb akusztikus környezethez igazítja. A szimpla, aranyozott bemenetek alatta találhatók meg, az egészet pedig egy alumíniumlapra szerelték fel.

Amikor igazi értéket kapunk
A KLH Model Five először az állványára került, majd beillesztettük a láncunkba, ami Parasound, Naim, és Marantz elektronikákból valamint VIABLUE és QED kábelekből állt, zenék terén ezúttal is igyekeztünk változatosak lenni, ahogy mindig, ráadásul a Model Three esetéből kiindulva, ez a hangfal sem lehet nagyon válogatós.

És valóban, a KLH Model Five egyáltalán nem az! Egyedül a felvételek minőségére kell odafigyelnünk, mert ugyan nem nagyítja fel azok hibáit, mi viszont nem tapasztalhatjuk meg a hangfalnak a tudását, ami igencsak jelentős. Nagyon jó az érzékenysége, ezért nem szükséges a meghajtásához erőmű, de adtunk neki tartalékot, amit már halkan is kerek, testes előadással hálált meg. Azért szobahangerőn kelt igazán életre, és akkor nagyon. Annyira kerek, egészséges és természetes volt a hangzása, amit sokan megirigyelhetnek még a drágább konkurensek közül is, továbbá nincs rajta egy gramm felesleg sem, ennek ellenére mégsem száraz.

Karakterében nagyon hasonlított a Model Three-éhez, viszont egy termetesebb hangdobozzal van dolgunk, ami ráadásul háromutas. A gyártó megjelölte, hogy melyik a jobb és a bal, és bár nem kísérleteztünk a felcserélésükkel, hiszünk nekik, mert egyszerűen varázslatos volt, amit nyújtottak. A méretes mélysugárzónak itt már nem kellett a középtartománnyal foglalkoznia, ezáltal olyan basszust volt képes ránk szabadítani, ami igazán dörgedelmes tudott lenni, ha az rajta volt a felvételen. A Dire Straits-szel egyszerűen csak dorombolt nekünk, ahogyan a Level 42 során a basszusgitár még a szokásosnál is megfogottabb, határozottabb lett, de a játékosságról sem feledkezett meg. Jaco Pastorius koncertfelvételén még jobban bele tudtunk merülni a zseniális játékba, Prince fekete albuma szinte pörölyként csapott le ránk. A zene legalább olyan súlyos volt, mint az azt játszó zenészek, mégis volt az egészben egy jókora lazaság, aminek hála egyáltalán nem terhelt le minket.

A középsugárzó egyértelműen kategóriának a legjobbja, a természetességét szinte tapintani lehetett, ahogyan Shirley Bassey vagy Whitney Houston hangszálait is, Dinah Washington Mad About a Boy című klasszikusán pedig végleg a nagybetűs előadás és zene jelent meg a szobánkban. A KLH Model Five egyértelműen enyhén mélytónusú hangfal, viszont eszébe sincs elnyomni vele semmit, így az énekhangot nem érte semmi bántalom, a zongora is annyira tiszta maradt Petrucciani és Tori Amos esetében is, ahogyan az meg van írva. A színpad egyszerűen hatalmas volt, a zene könnyedén vált le a hangfalakról, a kialakításának hála pedig jóval nagyobbnak tűnt, mint azt a termetéből gondoltuk.

Egy klasszikus kivitelű állványos hangfal is képes arra, hogy minden irányban sugározzon, mi is számos ilyen típussal találkoztunk, de az nagyon egyéni és átgondolt, amit jelen esetben tapasztaltunk. Kisebb a helyigénye, mint egy hasonló kvalitású álló hangfalnak, sokkal könnyebb elhelyezni, tulajdonképpen bárhol jól érzi magát a zárt rendszerének köszönhetően. A magassugárzó alapanyaga alumínium, és már olvasva is kéretlenül eszünkbe jut némi fémes íz vagy lecsengés, itt viszont ennek nyomát sem találtuk. Legalább annyira jól eltalálták a tervezők, mint a két párját, a közös munkájuk pedig példaértékű. Nem vált tolakodóvá soha a dóm, annyit vállalt, amennyit kell, semmi fitogtatás nem volt benne. Viszont végig ott volt, ahogyan a társai is, akik szintén illedelmesek.

A KLH Model Five nagyon jól bírta a hajtást, de még akkor sem telepedett ránk, minden tartomány egyenletesen emelkedett meg, a 250 mm-es mélysugárzó sem kezdett el torzítani. Tempósabb zenével persze képes volt iszonyatosan odatenni magát, tehát alkalmas arra, hogy némiképp átrendezze a lágyabb belső szerveinket, de a tobzódás után nem volt szükségünk szünetre, inkább még többre vágytunk.

A King Crimson Islands című albuma szinte mindegyik hangfalnak feladja a leckét, a tapasztalataink alapján szerencsére a döntő többségük jelentős sérülések nélkül veszi az akadályt, a Model Five viszont képes volt ezt is szórakoztatóvá tenni. Olyan lazán és görcsmentesen lavírozott a tempó és stílusváltások között, mintha hétköznapi popzenét kellett volna tolmácsolnia. Ez nem azt jelenti, hogy nem tudott elmélyülni az ős progresszív rockban, mert nagyon is átitatta vele a hallójáratainkat, viszont a bravúrosan hangszerelt és eljátszott dalokat olyan könnyedén és szórakoztatóan tálalta, amire nagyon kevesen képesek.

A szeánszunk végén a hallottak alapján egyszerűen megemeltük a nem létező kalapunkat, aztán még meg is hajoltunk volna, de egyszerűen nem volt kedvünk felállni, csak arra az időre, amíg egy újabb lemezt tettünk a lejátszóba. Nagy szavak talán, de kisebbeket illetlenség lenne használni, mert ez a hangfal bizony megérdemli az elismerést.

Egy klasszikus a mának és a jövőnek
A KLH Model Five nem hiába vált klasszikussá és elismertté már a megalkotásakor, ami bő ötven éve volt. A tavaly bemutatott változat egyértelműen kategóriájának egyik legegyénibb és legjobb alkotása, ami minden zenét szívvel és lélekkel képes tolmácsolni, az erőből nem képes kifogyni, szórakoztató jellege minden stíluson megmutatkozik. Nem szükséges hozzá nagyteljesítményű erősítő, ahogyan drága sem, de mindenképpen tiszteljük meg nívósabb elektronikákkal, mert igazán elvarázsolni azok társaságában tud. Ez bizony egy olyan hangfal, ami egymaga képes a lakást otthonná varázsolni, amiből így még a nyári időszakban sem akarunk több időt tölteni a strandon a hőség elől menekülve. Nem vitás, hogy egy kiemelkedő alkotást ismertünk meg, amit nagyon fájó szívvel fogunk visszaadni a forgalmazónak, a jövendőbeli tulajdonosát meg irigyelni fogjuk, de nagyon.

KLH Model Five álló hangfal
Műszaki adatok
Hangszórók: 250 mm-es cellulóz mélysugárzó
100 mm-es cellulóz középsugárzó
25 mm-es alumínium dóm magassugárzó
Frekvencia-átvitel: 42 Hz-20 kHz (+/- 3 dB)
Keresztváltási frekvenciák: 380 és 2850 Hz
Terhelhetőség (RMS/max.): 200/800 W
Érzékenység: 90,5 dB (2,83 V/1 m)
Max. SPL: 112,3 dB
Névleges impedancia: 6 Ohm
Minimum impedancia: 3,5 Ohm (140 Hz)
Ajánlott erősítő teljesítmény: 20-200 W
Méretek: 350 x 870 x 330 mm
Tömeg: állvány nélkül: 20 kg, állvánnyal 23,6 kg
Ár: 1 483 980 Ft/pár
Forgalmazó: Muzix Group
+36-30-907-0709
1139 Budapest, Forgách u. 21.
muzixgroup.com

Webshop: muzix.hu

Mérleg
Relatíve kis mérete ellenére nagyobb nappalikat is lazán meg tud tölteni
Végtelenül zenei, szórakoztató előadás, ami belelát a dalok mélységébe, de az összkép a fő erőssége
Naturális, erőteljes, igazán élő hangzás, amihez még nagy teljesítményű erősítő sem kell
Pompás külső és kivitelezés, és még az elhelyezésre sem háklis
Az akusztikai felfüggesztés újabb 50 évre bebiztosította magát az audiofil körökben
Szubjektív vélemény
Hangminőség:
Kivitel:
Formaterv:
Ár/érték arány:

The post KLH Model Five hangfal teszt appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

In The News, Kendall Floorstanding Loudspeakers, Reviews

A KLH egy tartalmas történelmet maga mögött tudó gyártó, akinek termékei sajnálatos módon hazánkban ismeretlenek voltak, eddig! A szerkesztőségünkben járt Model Three példátlan sikereket ért el, a Model Five pedig mindenkit levett a lábáról, és a magával ragadó hang mellett igazán egyedi megoldásokat és külsőt nyújtott. Kendall elnevezésű álló hangfaluk a klasszikusabb megoldások híve, legalábbis látszatra, az előadásával pedig reményeink szerint a KLH méltón folytatja az AV-online oldalán kitaposott utat!

Egy valódi álló KLH hangfal jött el hozzánk

A KLH álló hangfalból összesen hármat kínál, melyek közül mi eddig a jelenlegi legnagyobb, Model Five modellt ismertük meg, nagy szerencsénkre. Amennyiben jobban belegondolunk, ott is egy termetes állványos típussal találtuk magunkat szemben, viszont a gyártó által hozzá fejlesztett állvánnyal, és annak 5 fokos döntött kialakításával mindenki igényét kielégítette, minden téren, ha valaki álló hangfalban gondolkozik. Viszont mi történik akkor, ha a kedves zenehallgató ragaszkodik a klasszikus megjelenéshez? Nos, a KLH őket sem hagyja cserben, hiszen kínál egy két és félutas Concord elnevezésű kompaktabb típust, és a most terítékre kerülő Kendallt, ami a termékpaletta középen található. A nevét a Massachusetts állambeli Cambridge-i Kendall Square-ről kapta, ami a cég szülővárosa. Ebből kiindulva már valamit sejthetünk, hiszen egy gyártó csak úgy nem szokott dobálózni azzal a hellyel, illetve annak a nevével, ahonnan a gyökerei erednek.

A KLH Kendall MDF-testét fekete tölgy vagy amerikai dió furnérral választhatjuk, a mágnesesen rögzíthető keretre feszített védőszövet mindkét esetben fekete, és finom alapanyagú, valamint stabil tartású, továbbá egyedi, méhsejt kialakítású, ami nem ront az előadáson akkor sem, ha szerintünk jobb az összkép, ha nem vesszük le. Az oldallapok egymással párhuzamosak, nem találunk sehol lekerekítést, egyedül a fixen rögzített, szintén MDF anyagú és szatén fekete színű talp esetében, amibe krómozott acél tüskéket vagy gumi lábakat csavarozhatunk be, és még külön filckorongokat is találunk a mellékelt dobozban.

A háromutas basszreflex rendszerű álló hangfal összesen négy darab hangszórót kínál, amelyek közül legfelülre került a 25 mm-es eloxált alumínium dóm magassugárzó, ami lineáris válaszreakciós, szálcsiszolt alumínium előlapot, pontosabban keretet is kapott. Alatta 133 mm-es középsugárzó, továbbá kettő darab 165 mm-es, szőtt kevlár membránú mélysugárzó található, ezeket porszórt alumínium kosarakba helyezték, és mindegyiküknek gumipereme van.

A KLH belül is gondos volt, hiszen butilgumi burkolatot, fonott vezetékeket, egyedi tervezésű, alacsony belső rezonanciájú kamrákat és elemzéssel optimalizált merevítéseket alkalmazott, amelyekhez jönnek még a túlméretezett mágnesek, az egyedi, többkomponensű keresztváltó első osztályú alkatrészekkel, munkájuk gyümölcse pedig a zökkenőmentes és természetes átmenet a tartományok között.

A KLH Kendall kettő darab reflexnyílása hátul található, a doboz alsó szegmensében, a végződésük műanyagból készült, és határozott, de finom lekerekítést kapott. Alatta egy vájatban foglal helyet a dupla kábelezésre is alkalmas aranyozott bemenet, ami a saruk és csupasz drótvégek mellett természetesen banándugókat is képesek fogadni.

A KLH ebben a kategóriában és kivitelben is maradandót képes alkotni

A KLH Kendall igényes csomagolást kapott, ahogyan maga a hangfal is mutatós, de egyáltalán nem hivalkodó. Természetesen a furnér szemet gyönyörködtető, ahogyan a szőtt kevlár membránoknak is megvan a sajátos árnyalatuk, de a 197x1016x375 mm-es fizikumú, és darabonként 22 kg-os hangdobozok nem akarnak ránk telepedni, viszont jelentőséget maguknak tudni a szobánkban, igen.

A teszteléshez összeállított rendszer a szokásos volt: Parasound elő-végfok, Naim integrált sztereó erősítő, csöves kimenetű CD-lejátszó, Naim streamer, és QED valamint VIABLUE kábelek.

A Kendall majdnem egymillió forintba kerül, amivel megközelíti a Model Three árát, viszont teljesen más elven működik. Itt sem találunk hókuszpókuszt, csak minőségi alkatrészeket, jól átgondolt tervezést, valamint figyelmet az apróságokra, és valljuk be, a legtöbb esetben másra nincs is szükségünk. A Model Three kisebb szobák állványos hangdoboza, ami felépítésének hála felveszi lazán a versenyt az álló hangfalakkal is, a Kendall viszont önmaga álló kivitelű, tehát a viadalt más gyártók hasonló termékeivel kell megvívnia.

A vívás szó részben idézőjeles, pontosabban erőlködnie biztosan nem kell, hiszen ritka magas, 96 dB az érzékenysége, tehát 40-50 watt, csöves felépítésű erősítőből akár 10 W is bőven elég lehet a meghajtásához, a mi erősítőinknek pedig tényleg nem kellett megerőltetnie ahhoz magát, hogy a Kendallból igazi előadást csaljon elő.

Akusztikus zenével kezdtünk, a hangerőt alig emeltük meg, tehát úgy 20 W körül járhattunk, és a 20 nm máris megtelt életerős előadással, pedig a hangfal még be sem volt járatva. A tapasztalatainkat egyértelműen ez után próbáltuk megfogalmazni, és az elektronikákat sem felejtettük el soha rendesen bemelegíteni. Zárójelben, de illik megjegyeznünk, hogy legyen bármilyen alaposan bejáratott rendszerünk, egy óra kell ahhoz, hogy igazán magukhoz térjenek. Sokan ezért is ódzkodnak az elektroncsöves erősítőktől, ezért megnyugtatunk mindenkit, nem csak a csöveknek kell minden egyes alkalommal bemelegedniük. A zenehallgatást meg kell tisztelnünk, ezt követően fog a rendszerünk is minket, ezt el kell fogadnunk.

Mielőtt elkalandoznánk a szakmai tanácsadásba, térjünk vissza a KLH Kendall hangfalakra! Érezhetőek voltak benne a Model Three egyes jellemvonásai, ami nem meglepő, hiszen mindkettő ugyanannak a gyártónak a műhelyéből került ki, viszont a Kendall alapvetően mégis más utat választott. Háromutas, álló hangfallal volt dolgunk, a belső kialakításnak és a minőségi alkatrészeknek hála a tartományok nem telepedtek rá egymásra, még a dupla mélysugárzó sem akart mindenképpen brillírozni, ha nem muszáj. Ezt hívják úgy, hogy életerős, egészséges megszólalás. Először a 133 mm-es középsugárzó előadására kaptuk fel a fejünket, mert a feladatát nem vette félvállról. Eleinte pici nyersességet is éreztünk általa, viszont az idő neki dolgozott, így szépen beállt a sorba, és természetes, ugyanakkor elég karakteres típust ismertünk meg, ami ugyanolyan tisztelettel bánt a zongorakísérettel, ahogyan az énekhangokkal is, a szintetizátor szőnyeget pedig kecsesen, de biztos kezekkel terítette le a padlóra, pontosabban a térben, mert abból hatalmasat volt képes alkotni.

Szoros társaként a magassugárzót találtuk, ami szintén a természetesség jegyében fogantatott. Nem volt selymes, ahogyan túlzó sem, egyszerűen prezentálta azt, ami fel lett véve a stúdióban. Ennek ellenére sterilnek sem volt nevezhető, és még játékosságot is vállalt. Határozott darab, mégsem hivalkodott, az előadást nem akarta az ő oldalára billenteni. Ez mondjuk nehéz is lenne, amikor lent dupla mélynyomó dolgozik, azonban azok is mentesek voltak a túlkapásoktól. Ok, David Guetta-nál még a függönyt is képes volt megremegtetni, ahogyan Marcus Miller vagy Mark King basszusgitárját is olyan pontosan és erősen jelenítette meg, ahogyan ebben a kategóriában elvárjuk. A Dire Straits zenéivel viszont kellemesen cirógatott, játékosan kísérte Knopflert és társait, majd a Megadeth során ismét egy másik fokozatba kapcsolt, és egyből a harctéren éreztük magunkat gépfegyverrel a kezünkben.

A KLH Kendall tehát odafigyel a részletekre, úgy van egyénisége, hogy az képes idomulni, de nem akarja az egymástól szögesen eltérő zenéket egy kalapba helyezni, sajátságos karakterrel felruházni.

Precíz volt, ebből nem engedett, de benne is megtaláltuk azt a lazaságot, mint a Model Three és Model Five esetében, csak másképpen. Annyira nem engedte szabadjára a fantáziánkat, és nem is vonta be olyan szintű egyéniséggel, viszont valami bűbájt itt is sikerült a tervezőknek belecsempészni az alkotásukba.

Már említettük, hogy nem igényel erőművet maga mögé, ahogyan a magas érzékenysége is szóba került, ezen tulajdonságoknak hála már alacsony hangerőn is teljesértékű volt az előadása, és még a basszusszekciót is teljes pompájában hallottuk. Persze nem is mi lettünk volna, ha nem engedjük szabadon az agarakat, így megismertük azt, hogy milyen is a Kendall, amikor az övé a pálya, a szomszédok pedig nincsenek otthon.

Veszedelmes, ez a szó jutott először az eszünkbe, hiszen a pontosságából és határozottságából nem engedett, viszont a tisztaságából sem, és úgy rákapcsolt, mint egy precíziósan megépített sportautó. A Kendall ugyanis nagyon gyors, amit a dalokon belül és az egymástól eltérő műfajoknál is meg tudott mutatni. A basszus ekkor már cölöpverésre is alkalmas volt, de még mindig józan maradt, és soha nem akarta átvenni az uralmat, pedig lazán megtehette volna. Maradt a kisebb kimeneti szinten megismert hangkép, csak nőtt a hangnyomás, vele a boogie faktor, klasszikus zenén pedig a karfát markolászó kezek nyomatai. Nem kis teljesítményt birtokol ugyanis, és ha ezt magunkra szabadítjuk, akkor viselnünk kell ennek a következményeit. A pontosság, erő, természetesség, hangnyomás és sebesség párosítása hosszú távon igénybe veszi a hallójáratainkat, ezért érdemes beiktatni óránként egy ötperces kávé, vagy bármilyen más szünetet. Ez nem azt jelenti, hogy a Kendall megviselt volna minket, amikor sokáig és hangosan hallgattuk, de nyomot hagyott, és amúgy is illik egy-egy album után némi csendhez jutnunk, hogy agyban át tudjunk állni a következő felvonásra. Ezt színházakban is így csinálják, a legjobb tudomásunk szerint.

Amikor vége lett a szünetnek, jött a várt folytatás, akár fokoztuk, akár kicsit lassítottuk a tempót, a Kendall minden esetben a barátunkká vált, úgy, hogy a saját útját járta, mégsem tulajdonított semminek és senkinek nagyobb jelentőséget. Ugyanis a Kendall nagyszívű, nagy tüdejű, egészséges, természetes és végtelenül odaadó, csak engedjük ezt befogadni, vagy mi is váljunk azzá.

Amikor hallani, hogy semmit sem bíztak a véletlenre

A szeánszunk végén nyugalommal és egyben izgalommal telve dőltünk hátra. Nyugalommal, mert a KLH bebizonyította a Kendall által, hogy a klasszikus álló hangfal építés területén sem lehet elbizonytalanítani, izgalommal, mert a zenehallgatás szórakoztató, minőségi és kellően adrenalin növelő volt. A Kendall-t nagyon könnyű meghajtani, halkan is önbizalomról árulkodik, ugyanakkor nagyon jól bírja a terhelést, egyáltalán nem esik szét. Hasonlóan a Model Three és Model Five hangfalakhoz nem válogat a zenei stílusok között. Elsősorban közepes, de inkább annál nagyobb alapterületű szobákba tudjuk ajánlani azoknak, akik ebben az esetben sem a divatos megoldások hívei, a megbízhatóságról és minőségről viszont semmilyen területen nem szeretnének lemondani. Már szűzen is megvillantja karmait, amit hosszas bejáratás után tud igazán megmutatni, akkor azonban nem teketóriázik, hiszen villámgyors, sodró lendületű, pontos, energikus és természetes lesz, de soha nem túloz. A KHL Kendall minden kérdőjelet nélkülözve vívta ki az Ajánlott Vétel elismerésünket.

KLH Kendall álló hangfal

Műszaki adatok
Felépítés: háromutas, basszreflex
Hangszórók: 25 mm-es alumínium dóm magassugárzó
133 mm-es, szőtt kevlár membrános középsugárzó
2 db 165 mm-es, szőtt kevlár membrános mélysugárzó
Maximális terhelhetőség: 250 W
Frekvencia-átvitel: 25-23 kHz (+/- 3 dB)
Keresztváltási frekvenciák: 800 Hz és 2,5 kHz
Érzékenység: 96 dB
Impedancia: 8 Ohm
Méretek: 197 x 1016 x 375 mm
Tömeg: 22 kg
Ár: 907 980 Ft/pár
Forgalmazó: Muzix Group
+36-30-907-0709
1139 Budapest, Forgách u. 21.
muzixgroup.com

Webshop: muzix.hu

Mérleg
Klasszikus formavilágú hangfal, aminek kivitelezése és a felhasznált anyagai kategóriában tökéletesek

Pontos, feszes és gyors hangzás, amiből a test sem hiányzik, az arányokra pedig végig odafigyel

Halkan is teljesértékű az előadása, köszönhetően a nagyon magas érzékenységének, aminek hála nem is igényel nagy teljesítményű erősítőt

Hatalmas tér, gondosan elhelyezett zenészek, természetesség és izgalom egyesül a hangjában

A csupán kétféle furnér és a külső sokak számára szerény lehet

Szubjektív vélemény
Hangminőség:
Kivitel:
Formaterv:
Ár/érték arány:

https://www.av-online.hu/hangfal/klh-kendall-allo-hangfal-teszt_3844/2

The post KLH Kendall álló hangfal teszt appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

PRICE $1800/pair

AT A GLANCE 
Plus 
Tight, crisp bass
Detailed, dynamic sound
Price 
Minus 
Looks suffer with grilles removed
Needs a subwoofer for bass-heavy films
Vintage style might not appeal to all

THE VERDICT 
It might not be at its best in a large room without a subwoofer or two, but the dynamic, open, and detailed sound of the KLH Model 3s can otherwise equal or exceed the performance of many far more expensive loudspeakers.

In the early 1950s Edgar Villchur, Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann founded the Acoustic Research and Development Corporation. Of the four founders, Henry Kloss may be the name best recognized by audiophiles with a bit of mileage on their wheels. Kloss later left AR (along with Low and Hoffman) and founded KLH. Kloss later founded two other loudspeaker companies, Advent and Cambridge Audio. 

In the 1970s, Kloss also designed and marketed the Kloss Videobeam video projection system, a product that was something of a revolution in an era where the 21-inch, direct-view TV dominated. It’s been said that Kloss started Advent to raise the money needed to develop the Videobeam. But the home video world wasn’t yet ready for such a relatively expensive and (compared to today) primitive video projection system. Kloss also worked on improving FM radio, introduced Dolby B noise reduction to the audio cassette, and even built a prototype Dolby B open reel tape deck that was never marketed.

Most loudspeakers in those early days of consumer hi-fi were either huge or lacked anything resembling deep bass. Those that managed to reach the depths were often horn-loaded (such as the immense Klipschorns) or port-tuned bass-reflex designs. In the ’50s, the mathematical techniques needed to mate a bass-reflex-bound woofer to its cabinet were far from perfect. The cut-and-try methods employed to tune such designs often produced sloppy, boomy bass. 

AR was launched to change all that by using the acoustic suspension system perfected by Villchur. This method relied on a woofer with a suspension too floppy to work in a standard design. Instead, the compression of the air inside a relatively small cabinet acted as an acoustic spring to keep the woofer under control. The result was surprisingly powerful bass from a cabinet far smaller than the best bass-reflex designs of the era. The result was a revelation. AR and later KLH were highly successful. But over the years and a succession of owners (many of them less passionate than the founders) both companies largely faded from the audio landscape. 

Kelley Global Brands bought the rights to the KLH name in 2017, determined to resurrect the long idle but classic name. At first the new owners released a lineup of KLH-branded loudspeakers with no obvious connection to the original acoustic suspension designs. But they ultimately saw an opportunity to launch new models more closely aligned with those from KLH’s glory days—refined, of course, with up to date drivers, crossovers, and cabinets. But the key component, acoustic suspension design, would remain. 

The first of the new classic designs, the KLH Model 5, was released in 2021 and reviewed here later that year. There actually was a KLH Model 5 among KLH’s original designs, so you can’t call a new speaker the KLH Model 5 and make it a ported design! But while ported loudspeaker designs are now more technically refined than they were in those early days, there are definite benefits to acoustic suspension. At frequencies below its cabinet design resonance, a woofer in a sealed box rolls off the bottom end at 12 dB per octave. Below its port tuning frequency, however, a ported design rolls off at 24 dB per octave. You can (within reason!) drive an acoustic suspension design below its tuned frequency (such as might occur when using room EQ) with less risk of overdrive. With a ported box, however, the woofer becomes unloaded below its port resonance; too much boost below that frequency can push the woofer into emitting rude noises–or worse. 

KLH, of course, claims that acoustic suspension is something of a holy grail among loudspeaker designs. But I won’t go quite that far. Ported cabinets have evolved dramatically over the decades, and today many of them are well-designed. As I stated in the review of the KLH Model 5, “You won’t find us either clinking our glasses or holding our noses over acoustic suspension. It’s simply a valid design choice, enhanced here by a bit of nostalgia.” 

The original KLHs were built in Cambridge, but like most of today’s affordable loudspeakers, the Model 3s are designed here but manufactured in China.

Features 
There was never a Model 3 in the classic KLH offerings. But the new Model 3 follows the design cues of the recent Model 5 in several ways. It’s a 2-way design (the Model 5 is 3-way) and smaller, though the latter is mostly due to its shorter height. It has the same classic look as the Model 5 and comes in two wood veneer (not vinyl!) options. There’s also a satin black that KLH calls Nordic Noir. 

Magnetically affixed and easily removable grilles are included: Medici Gray Linen grilles come on the Nordic Noir finish, Old World Linen on the West African Mahogany veneer, and Stone Wash Linen on the English Walnut. The Stone Wash Linen and Old World Linen are available separately if you want to mix and match. Another choice is a Basalt Black grille, which I’d opt for if the speakers will be visible when watching films, as I found the lighter, standard grilles on our review samples a little distracting. The optional grilles are available separately for $200/pair (you can’t do a free swap for a different grille color on the initial purchase). 

KLH Model 3 is fairly heavy for its size due to its 3/4 inch MDF construction with added reinforcement where needed. Its driver complement consists of a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter and an 8-inch pulp paper cone woofer. In the original KLH designs, Henry Kloss used tweeters with reduced high-frequency extension compared to the best tweeters available. He was concerned that more extended tweeters might reveal the harshness and edginess in many recordings of the time. Fifty years later, that’s no longer a design consideration. 

The crossover frequency is at 1.5 kHz, second-order (12 dB/octave). Like the new Model 5, there’s a single pair of 5-way binding posts around the back (there’s no bi-wiring option; this wasn’t a thing in the ’50s). There’s also a three-way switch to decrease the Model 3’s mid and high-frequency output above 400 Hz. The neutral position is Hi. Mid provides a reduction of 1.5 dB, and Low a 3.0 dB cut—the same configuration available in the new Model 5 and the classic Model 5 as well. In my room, the Mid position worked best. I also preferred the results with the grilles in place. (in the new Model 5 review, I had preferred taking the grilles off.) 

As with the new Model 5s, the Model 3 is a bit too big and heavy for a typical stand and too short to sit directly on the floor. But like the new Model 5, the Model 3s come with short stands that tilt the speakers slightly upwards to aim the drivers’ radiation pattern at a seated listener. The Model 3s can’t be secured to the stands, making it a bit tricky to walk around while adjusting their final setup or angling them to find the best listening position. There’s also no provision for spikes (which I don’t typically use). 

Setup 
I set up the KLH Model 3s about 9 feet apart, roughly 4 feet from the back wall, and angled inward at the primary listening seat. The tilt of the KLH’s stands aimed the tweeters roughly at my seated ear height. But I had to tilt the stands a bit further backward, as my listening seat is a couple of inches taller than the typical listening chair.

I requested three Model 3s for the left, right, and center channels (thus the title of this review!). Why? Because on its stand, the Model 3 can be positioned in the center without blocking my TV or retractable projection screen (when the latter is in use). Viola… matched front channels! Of course, they can never be perfectly matched, as room positioning somewhat alters the sound of any speaker. But it’s close, and this is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to have identical front-channel loudspeakers. Identical speakers across the front are easy with an acoustically transparent screen, but I prefer a solid surface screen for projector reviews. 

I used a Denon AVR-X6700H AV receiver to drive all the loudspeakers, apart from the subwoofers. The rest of the system (surrounds, Atmos speakers, and subwoofers) was an eclectic mix. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, my large room provides limited deep bass support for full-range loudspeakers without subwoofers. The room also contributes annoying modal peaks between 100 and 200Hz, measured at the listening position. The only method I’ve found to correct these issues without significantly rearranging the room—not possible in my situation where the speakers must work with projection screens that can’t be moved—is by using bass EQ. More on that is below.

Music 
Driven full range without subwoofers, the KLH Model 3’s deep bass wasn’t overly impressive in my large, open-concept room. The good news was that my room’s 100-200 Hz peaks, which I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, were down somewhat in level and less audible than usual. There wasn’t a trace of boom or muddiness, and hard bass transients were as tight as a… umm… drum. But the bass fundamentals were either low in level or missing. This was clearly a room or setup issue, and neither could be changed.

I attempted to dial in Audyssey below 300 Hz, as is my usual practice (more on this in the Model 3 plus subwoofer section, below). But so much boost was required that the KLHs distorted when fed music with strong bass transients. Then I turned off Audyssey and simply increased the Bass control on my Denon AVR. Too much, and the overload raised its head again, but I settled on +2. That doesn’t sound like much, and it isn’t, but it did a surprisingly effective job restoring missing warmth and improving the KLHs’ bottom end in my challenging room. It didn’t throw down the gauntlet to a good subwoofer or two, but on music, the KLH 3 bass was surprisingly satisfying. Your situation may vary, and in a more modestly-sized space, you might not need any such tweak at all. 

On a wide selection of music, the KLHs now performed impressively well. There was a small bump in the response around 2KHz, visible in my in-room measurements (see the Test Bench). On less-than-pristine recordings played back at high levels, this was clearly audible as an added sheen to the sound, but it was rarely intrusive. However, this is a highly resolving loudspeaker and may not be favored by listeners who prefer a warmer and less revealing sound.

On my favorite demo cuts, the Model 3s rarely put a foot wrong unless the recording was known to have issues. While organ recordings didn’t blow out the walls on the subwoofer-less KLHs, they didn’t sound unrealistically lean. Ditto on the consistently tight drums, whether the music was classical or jazz. 

I often fall back on two compilation CDs from Dali loudspeakers that were available a few years ago but not any longer. They were mastered from a range of exceptional recordings with artists both familiar and (in the U.S.) unfamiliar. These include Toto, Bo Stief Dream Machine, Loreena McKennitt, Elvis, Holly Cole, Sinne Eeg, and Deadmau5. Every cut I played from these discs—and others as well—delivered.

I knew I’d need to add subwoofers to the Model 3s for movie playback, but I first tried it on the KLHs with music. The result wasn’t disappointing. The KLH Model 3s blended seamlessly with my system’s two subwoofers (SVS PB3000s). I also used Audyssey when the subwoofers were involved, but only below 300 Hz. While the results without the subs were rewarding on most music and would certainly be more so in a more modestly-sized room, it won’t surprise any reader that even on music, adding a pair of large subwoofers raised things to another level. While on some music, it made little difference (as it should be with a proper setup), when you bring on the heavy artillery—drums, organs, electronica, on either music or movies—the overall improvements are impossible to miss.

Movies 
In the subwoofer setup briefly addressed above, and as in my review of the KLH Model 5, I used the Denon AVR’s Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room EQ together with Audyssey’s optional Editor App. But only below 300 Hz. The KLH’s native in-room response above that frequency was left alone, apart from an occasional +/-1 db setting on the Denon’s treble control as needed by the source material. As before, the KLH’s rear panel switch was set to Mid, and the grilles were installed. 

I briefly noted above how adding a subwoofer or two helped the Model 3 with bass-heavy music in my large room. But it was a necessity with action-heavy movies. I won’t apologize to those who may have tired of my using the film Oblivion in reviews. I know this soundtrack extremely well and have vivid expectations of what to expect from it. The subwoofer-ed Model 3s didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Jack’s opening narration was clean, clear and free of unnatural sibilance. Played back at room-filling levels, the crescendo accompanying the opening title was dynamic as you could want and then some. And while the crack of the lightning as Jack maneuvers his chopper through a storm was harshly bright, if you’ve ever had lightning strike within a mile or less of you, you’ll know that this is a jump out of your skin experience—as it was here. 

The crisp dynamics continued as Jack landed his chopper in a decaying stadium. There was a ton of deep bass here, and while the credit for this must go to the subwoofers, the Model 3s blended in flawlessly. Later, in Act 3, the music swells as Jack prepares to take Julia to the Tet. From there to the end, I had a hard time adjusting my critical reflexes, as this stretch of the film, to its end, is my favorite sequence. The electronic music score plays a big role, as it does elsewhere in the film, and nothing in the Model 3s performance let me down.

Blade Runner 2049 is a frightening experience for most subwoofers, and the Model 3s, again, blended with them perfectly. The soundtrack here ranges from big moments to subtleties, and it was in the latter moments, where the Model 3s needed no support from the subwoofers, that the KLHs excelled. 

The extended version of Kingdom of Heaven (not the crippled theatrical release) is a sonic masterpiece. The audio flows gorgeously, from the subtlest scenes to the battles. And while the dialogue and effects are seamless on the Model 3s, it’s in the music that the KLHs again demonstrated their superb performance. The film has been criticized, often with good reason, for its historical flaws. But if you’re as sensitive as I am to how a score can enhance a film, this mattered little as the film’s superb soundtrack, heard on the KLH Model 3s, blew away any such misgivings about the plot. 

Conclusion 
The audio world is full of fine speakers at under $1500/pair. Which is best? There’s no reasonable answer to that often-asked question; it depends on your tastes and needs. The KLH Model 3 can compete head to head with any of them and offers a unique blend of superb sound, an included stand that will allow it to perform at its best, adjustability, and a unique, vintage look with up-to-date audio performance. 

How does it compare with the KLH Model 5? While I reviewed that product, it’s been a year or so since I’ve heard it and audio memory is far shorter than that. With its larger woofer and box, The Five offers more bass extension, but I still needed a sub or two on challenging film soundtracks, at least in my large room. But if you add a subwoofer, the Model 3 offers similarly high performance, and the money saved vs. the Model 5s can go to your subwoofer fund!

The in-room results shown here were produced using the Parts Express Omnimic measuring software and microphone, taken at the main listening seat 10 feet from the speakers, with the latter on their included stands and angled in to directly face the microphone. 

All the results here were taken at the single, seated, ear-level position. (Experience in my room has shown that an average of several readings, taken across a span of about 2 feet, differs little from the single position measurement, apart from smoothing out small ripples.) All curves here are 1/6th octave smoothed, the Model 3s rear switches were set to Mid, and the AVR’s tone controls were off.—TJN

Fig.1 Red: Left channel, KLH Model 3 full range response, no subwoofers, no Audyssey room EQ. Blue: Left channel, KLH Model 3 with two SVS subs, 90Hz Xover, and Audyssey room EQ engaged only below 300Hz. 

Fig.2 Red: Left channel, Blue Right channel. With 2 SVS subs, 90Hz Xover, and Audyssey room EQ engaged only below 300 Hz on both channels.

Three for Three: KLH Model 3 Review Specs

Specs
8 in pulp paper cone woofer, 1 in aluminum dome tweeter; 12.25 x 28.25 with included riser base (19 without base), x 11.5 in (with riser base) (WxHxD); 36 lbs. with included riser base (29 lbs. without base)

The post Three for Three: KLH Model 3 Review appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

Model Five Floorstanding Speakers, Reviews

KLH Model Five is a 2499 USD Per Pair / 1249 USD Each Hifi Stereo Speaker setup with huge 10-Inch Bass Drivers, 3-Way Design, and superb 3/4″ MDF enclosure. They will be compared with other speakers I reviewed, including NHT C3 Bookshelf HIFI Speakers (1250 USD), Buchardt S400 (1800 USD), Aurender S5W (3000 USD). They will also be paired with a multitude of driving amplifiers, including Cyrus One Cast (2000 USD), SMSL AO200 (280 USD), Burson Funk (550 USD).

Introduction

KLH is an American company currently based in Noblesville, Indiana. They were founded in 1957 as KLH Research And Development Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the KLH anime comes from the founders of the company, Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann. In those golden years, they managed to sell over 30.000 speakers, and had over 500 employees, having designed some of the best known speakers of the rock’n’roll era. Skipping forward, in January 2017, Kelley Global Brands bought the company, and it was renamed KLH Audio, nowadays being part of the VOXX group, and working hard to make high-end speakers, with a touch of the magic they had back in the day. KLH is super well supported and has superb customer communication, being one of the few companies I can really recommend and commend based on the customer support alone. They have a rather small selection of products, but all of those have been optimized, and it is always better to make a few things really well than to be scattered and not manage your products well. While I’m far too young to tell the story from a firsthand perspective, I know KLH were quite popular back in the day as even in Romania I saw some of their products in hands of diehard audiophiles who enjoy vintage speakers. The Model Five we’re reviewing today is actually based on the best selling Model Five first introduced in 1968, and uses an updated version of the acoustic suspension design that dominated the loudspeaker market at the time. KLH also offers the longest warranty I’ve seen on a product, having a 10-years of warranty policy for the Model Five.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with KLH Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank KLH Audio for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in KLH Model Five HIFI Stereo Speakers find their next music companion.

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

If you’ve never seen a bookshelf / floorstanding speaker hybrid, it is time you do, with Model Five being the perfect example of what a crossover should look like. It has been proven by the car industry that crossovers are a popular thing, in the speaker industry, they offer the best of both worlds, the convenience of a bookshelf speaker, and the authority of a floorstanding speaker. In fact, I owned a few floorstanding speakers to date, and most of them have been rather inconvenient to use, having had extreme weight, and a performance that wasn’t that much better than my bookshelf speakers, like NHT C3 or Buchardt S400, so KLH Model Five really attracted my attention for the super nice design and for having such large woofer drivers.

If you aren’t well acquainted with the speaker market, it has its own stories, and KLH model five is built based on one of the most popular technologies out there, namely the acoustic suspension design. The custom stands made for the allow Model to sit on a slightly angled position, so that they bring the music to your ears, as long as you stay in a equilateral triangle relative to them, but with a huge 140 degrees of lateral dispersion, you won’t have to worry too much about the placement. In fact, this is one of the best parts about KLH Model 5, I have them sitting around my desk, and they create a perfect sound for my ears, despite the fact that I often don’t even sit between them.

Since they are not ported, you don’t need to worry too much about how much space is behind Model 5, and they can sit only a few centimeters away from the wall and sound perfect, while with most other speakers you need a good 20-30 cm of distance between the wall and the speaker for the best sonic results. KLH has cabinets made of 3/4 reinforced MDF, and they are using an Iconic Mid-Century styling, with an acoustic balance control that you can turn between brighter, neutral and darker tuning. I have it at the darkest level, as my room is rather large, and the speakers are not placed in the middle of the room anyways. You can select one of the three grille accessories for Model 5, and my pair came with the Old World Linen Grille, which I didn’t enjoy that much, so I’ve been using them with no grille. I also suspect that the sound is slightly better with no grille placed on them, but that’s a subjective thing and no one ever proven that the grille affects the sonic performance in a significant way.

Model five has a Non-Resonant, Die-Cast Aluminum Midrange and Woofer Frame, and they have a Die-Cast Aluminum Tweeter faceplate. The crossover is made of thirteen components and they use high-quality iron-core inductors and Mylar capacitors, all of the construction being so trusty that KLH offers 10 years of warranty for the Model Five Speakers. There are two colors available, Mahogany, and Walnut, with the version I have being the Mahogany, as it came with the original cloth grille.

If you’re looking for the technical specification, they have a response from 42 Hz to 20.000 Hz, with a + – 3dB of promised linearity, and a low frequency extension down to 32 Hz, at a -10db level. The In-Room sensitivity is 90.5dB at a 2.83V at a distance of 1 meter, and they have a power handling of 200 Watts, or 800 Watts Peak. They also have a recommended amplification of 20 Watts and up to 200 Watts. The Maximum SPL in a room is 112.3dB, and the impedance is 6 OHMs, which can prove problematic for some entry-level amplifiers. The crossover frequency goes for a 2nd order electro acoustic crossover, as it has the medium frequency crossover point at 380 Hz, and the high frequency crossover at 2850Hz. The tweeter is a 1″ Aluminum Dome with Soft rubber Suspension Driver, the Mid frequency driver is a 4″ Pulp-Paper Cne with Reverse Roll rubber Suspension Driver, and the Low Frequency Driver is a 10″ Pulp-Paper Cone with Reverse Roll Rubber Suspension driver, with a Flat-Wire Voice coil. The inputs are Five-Way Gold Plated Binding posts, only available for normal wiring, no biwiring. The weight of the speaker is 23.6 kilograms, with the stand base, and 20.0kh without the included riser base.

KLH Audio recommends having at least 30 cm between the speakers and the back wall, and at least 30 cm between the speakers and the closest lateral wall for the best performance. You’re also supposed to sit about 2-3 meters away from them, with about 2 meters of space between the speakers for optimal performance. I feared that the performance would be quite poor for me, but they work super well for my room, which is not acoustically treated, they are not placed optimally and I’m also using a subwoofer that isn’t designed to be used with them, the Adam Audio T10S. I find it convenient that you can use the KLH Model five very optimally for their design, and they’ll still sound great, work well and not have any issues.

Sound Quality

For a speaker with moving parts, burn-in will be essential, but I want to note that as KLH describes on their website, the sound right out of the box is super good, and they instantly sound much better than both my Adam Audio T7V speakers, NHT C3, and Buchardt S400. They basically outdo everything I have around the house, even Aurender S5W, which was one of my favorite speakers for the midrange and the sweet treble they have. I have allowed KLH Model five for almost a month of intermittent usage for burn-in, also used them with a multitude of speaker amplifiers, and used them in a multitude of positions to get the best idea of how they sound. The full list of amplifiers used to drive them include Cyrus One Cast, SMSL AO200, Burson Funk, Soundavo NSA-250, and Arylic A50. While all of them could drive KLH Model 5, I liked the sound best when they’ve been driven by either Burson Funk or Cyrus One cast, as both offer outstanding dynamics and control, plus a deep and full bass.

The default signature of KLH Model five is really transparent, clean and clear. They have outstanding precision, clarity and resolution, the kind that makes you go wow the first second you hear them. I’m used to speakers sounding really bad with little burn-in, but Model Five has been an instant favorite from the first second I pressed play, and it keeps improving every day. I’d go with the theory that if you don’t like a speaker with zero burn-in, or with minimal burn-in, like 10-20 hours of music that’s been played through them, you’re not likely to want that speaker after more burn-in either. But back to Model Five, I’m not only into the superb clarity, but also the precision they have, the speed of sound is fast, they can keep up beautifully with rock, metal, grindcore, technical EDM, and basically anything you feed them. My room has zero acoustic treatment, so you should have a much better experience than me, even with minimal room treatment. The reason I don’t have room treatment is the awful Romanian housing market.

When you take a close look at the low end, or the bass, Model Five is a really fast, clean and punchy sounding speaker. They have a fast decay, which gives all music a feeling of precision, clarity and speed. They are never boomy, and even when tuned to the bass setting, or the darkest setting they can go, they are still fairly neutral in tuning, with a natural ratio of bass to midrange to treble. The main way I’d use them is with an external subwoofer, if you wanted a fuller and deeper bass. They can reach as low as about 45Hz or even 40 Hz, but the bass starts rolling off lower and you’ll need a dedicated sub if you want a beefier low end. I’m currently using Adam Audio T10S, and it has a much slower bass speed, which is easily audible, and while it works for me because it gives the Model five a fuller sound with better impact, it is also not ideal because you hear the discrepancy between the super speedy and clean bass of Model Five and the much slower and fuller bass of Adam T10S. The transition between the bass to the mid bass and the lower treble is clean, there’s no boominess or artifact, and the sound keeps a very coherent presentation, even at the crossover points.

The midrange of Model Five is where I had the biggest surprise, and they can easily compete in resolution, detail and clarity with the best monitors you may find selling for five times more than they are. The overall tonality is natural-neutral, with the sound of Model Five having a specific sweetness and silky midrange texture, but also outstanding precision and clarity. If you’re placed in the ideal equilateral triangle between the speakers as per KLH’s instructions, the soundstage has a similar width and depth, presenting instruments perfectly holographic, and the song playing around the listener freely. Female voices are magical, with a sweet and fluid presentation, while male voices are presented forward, mature and natural in tonality / texture. In fact, KLH Model Five is the first speaker I’ve heard that can actually render textures properly, and besides my Boss Kata MK2, nothing stereo / hifi can’t really play the guitar textures properly. Pianos in particular are sweet and pleasing to the ear played through Model Five, and they seem to position instruments so well that they’re also my main gaming speakers. If you ever played shooters or even Diablo II, you know how important it is to have the sound be perfectly placed around you to get a good idea of where items / enemies / events happen. Another part of Model Five that surprised me greatly is the instrument separation, they are able to play multiple layers of guitars like those found in Wintersun songs perfectly. The midrange peaks around 1-2kHz, having a slightly forward voicing for both male and female voices.

The treble of KLH Model five is an animal that needs to be tamed if you don’t like linearity, and they are a pair of natural-natural speakers, so they naturally have a perfectly extended treble, which goes infinitely, as high as 20kHz. In fact, the tweeter of Model Five is extremely precise and offers them an airy, bright and clean treble. If this all makes you fear they might be harsh, don’t worry, there’s zero sibilance or harshness in the sound of Model five, but they are quite revealing and open sounding, so you’ll need to worry if the mix / recording was actually poorly recorded. With great transparency comes great knowledge, so with Model Five music that was better recorded and which is more recent sounds much better than old and poor recordings, at least they really don’t euphemize recordings that are harsh and sibilant, like most Slayer and Iron Maiden songs, but they play well with Metallica, Infant Annihilator, Queen Kona, Dethklok. This being said, if you go for something chill and lean, Model Five makes you feel like you’re right there when the song was originally played, such is the transparency they have.

The final part but probably the most important aspect of their sound is the dynamic range and overall ability to display dynamics. This is where most headphones and IEMs fail, and where entry-level speakers fail too. I try to steer away from causing too much controversy when talking about dynamics, because I review a lot of portables, which have some limitations on the dynamics. For example, until iBasso DX320, most other players sounded really good, but DX320 has an outstanding dynamic range, and the same thing happens with KLH Model Five, they are super dynamic and punchy, and you never feel like they are limited in any way. Even with extremely compressed music, like most modern metal, you don’t hear the dynamics as compressed and don’t hear compression artifacts, and Model Five does an outstanding job at playing those perfectly. The disadvantage is that when you have a strong dynamic, if you watch movies with a high dynamic range, especially horror movies, or play music with huge dynamic range, like classical, you likely will increase the volume a lot, and when a loud moment comes up, it will be really loud. All in all, playing music through Model Five is a really transparent experience, and they sound punchy, surprising and dynamic. Playing a live concert makes you feel there, and despite the company being quite reserved about the technical data of Model 5, those speakers can pump extremely loud volumes with zero distortion, so you don’t have to worry, you can throw a party that will rock your entire house every now and then.

Comparisons

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers vs NHT C3 Bookshelf Speakers (2499 USD vs 1250 USD) – We now have the first comparison, and one of the hardest to make, because I really love C3 and when I first installed Model Five, I was literally blown away by the quality difference, although was really surprised to notice that the main signature is really similar. They differ very little in overall signature, both are really natural, clean and well balanced, while Model Five goes to be much deeper, wider, and more resolute. The ratio in pricing is exactly 1/2 so I’d expect Model Five to be quite a bit better, but the improvement in low end reach, overall room filling factor, and background resolution / instrument separation / detail is surprising every time I power them side by side. If you’re looking for a pair of natural sounding, clean and quick speakers with outstanding control and clarity, both are excellent, but Model Five is pretty much a fully upgraded variant of C3, in every possible way. They are exactly what you’d need to go from great to outstanding in your experience.

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers vs Buchardt S400 (2499 USD vs 1800 USD) – Buchard S400 is a bookshelf speaker, while Model five is a strong crossover, too large to be a bookshelf, but still too small to be a full floorstanding speaker. At least after you add the supports for them, they will feel and sound like a pair of floorstanding speakers. Proceeding to the sound, Model five sounds more open, brighter, and have a better instrument placement and soundstage, better clarity, and are generally considerably more detailed than S400. This being said, S400 can be fuller in sound, thicker and darker, warmer and are tuned to have a stronger bottom end, even though the low end reach is better on Model 5. It is a strange situation, Model five is much better technically, so I would recommend it 100% of the time, but if you’re looking for a dark and lush sounding stereo setup, S400 will be much darker, thicker and have a much smoother and even rolled off treble, fatigue-free for those who fear treble. Even with the tuning set to bass, Model Five stays more neutral and reference in sound than s400 is at default. Buchardt S400 has a much slower decay for the bass, which creates the feeling the whole sound is slower, and more relaxed, while the bass of Model Five hits harder and extends better. One thing you wouldn’t notice if you didn’t know what you were looking for, Model Five has better micro details, and the background instrument information is revealed much better than with S400, which has a more forward presentation of the lead instruments and voices, and pulls the background information even more in the background. Model Five resembles monitors and high-end speakers with high resolution better, while s400 resembles a simple yet lush / warm sounding setup, especially vinyl based setups better.

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers vs Aurender S5W (2499 USD vs 3000 USD) – You know there’s more cost to running model five than S5W, but if we focus on the sound alone, S5W can never reach low frequencies as well as Model Five, and it actually fails quite terrible at providing the bass, reaching as low as about 80hz at best. Model Five, on the other hand, can easily touch down 40Hz, and they sound like a pair of full sized speakers, covering almost everything our human ears can hear. The overall resolution and detail is actually better on Model Five, which would be the main reason I’d recommend them above S5W, as S5W has been my reference for clarity and precision so far. With Model 5, the amplifier will play a big role in the final sound, as they’re usually more dynamic, more punchy and more holographic than S5W, but S5W has a sweeter treble, and a brighter tonality. You can pair Model Five with an AMP from Roksan for a similar effect, and the fact that the drivers are capable of producing better resolution and clarity makes Model Five a top choice every time I set up my speakers and go for a listen.

Recommended Pairings

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers + Cyrus One Cast (1249 USD + 2000 USD) – If you want a simple solution that has everything embedded, One Cast is the perfect DAC / AMP / Streamer to go. I used this one alone, although you can use an external DAC for it, which will come in handy, since the DAC inside is the only thing that could pull it back from being the number one most recommended integrated speaker amp in its own price range. One Cast gives Model Five what I consider the reference sound, at least for today’s review, and pushes Model Five to have better resolution, better detail, clarity and overall control than anything I played in my room so far. It gives them sharp transients, but good musicality, a superb impact, and outstanding resolution, plus a full and controlled bass, and a sparkly, airy treble that’s never harsh or fatiguing. It is, in a few words, the perfect pairing.

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers + SMSL AO200 (1249 USD + 280 USD) – For this pairing I’ve relied on SMSL DO200 MKII as the main DAC, as it is the one that matches AO200 in shape and design. The overall sound is quite mid centric, sweet and has lower impact and punchiness than using most sources to drive model five. It is possible that AO200 struggles a bit with Model Five, but the overall signature is similar with other speakers too, AO200 has this mid centric sound with a forward midrange, a narrower soundstage, but with more focus on the musicality and fluidity of sound. I love the pairing for Jazz and room music in general, but would try the other amps if your main music listening revolves around rock, metal and more energetic / upbeat music.

KLH Model Five 3-Way Acoustic Suspension Speakers + Burson Funk (1249 USD + 550 USD) – Although it is really minimalistic, Burson Funk packs a punch and is actually able to drive KLH Model Five pretty well. The only downside is that you’ll need a matching DAC for this setup, and given the resolution and clarity of Model Five, I’ve been using SMSL DO200 MKII, and HIFIMAN EF400. Both have been doing a great job with KLH Model Five and Burson Funk, and the overall sound can generally be described as detailed, clean, crisp and punchy. Burson Funk has an excellent backbone for Model Five, giving them a full and lush bass, and allowing them to reach the lowest frequencies they can, plus it keeps a strong treble, and a wide soundstage with outstanding precision.

Value and Conclusion

While you could say that Model Five is a loudspeaker slightly more expensive than the majority of what I already reviewed on Audiophile-Heaven, at least as far as passive speakers go, it is undeniably one of the best price / performance and value speakers you can grab. In fact, when you count in the fact that they come with 10 years of warranty, and that you’re not likely to upgrade them unless you’re ready to spend 5-10 times the money you paid for Model Five, your best shot at a well priced audio nirvana is to get Model Five, a matching AMP and be done for the day, or rather for the next 10 years.

Before the end of today’s review, you can probably notice that I’ve been using the KLH Model Five Speakers for a long while now, as they’ve been present in the backgrounds of many of my youtube videos, so I have to award to them a place in Audiophile-Heaven’s Hall Of Fame. Not only are they outstanding in price / performance ratio, but they look outstanding, come with their own stands, have super nice looking grilles and the sound is just sublime.

At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a pair of large bookshelf, or floor standing speakers, with a sweet, delicious sound, wide soundstage, excellent detailing and instrument separation, and which can easily be driven from an amplifier less than a quarter of their price, all whilst sounding excellent, I fully recommend KLH Model Five Acoustic Suspension speakers, the model that makes my day, every day.

Product Link

If you’re in the UK, you can grab one from www.amazon.co.uk here: https://amzn.to/3WeZD62

And if you’re from Europe, you can grab one from www.amazon.de here: https://amzn.to/3SR3ZNQ

The post KLH Model Five – Acoustic Suspension 5 Hifi Stereo Speakers appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.

A new name has appeared on the domestic hi-fi market in the person of KLH. We will start our acquaintance with the manufacturer with the sound wall, simply called Model Three, which is not an the ordinary piece, but before that, dear readers, allow us to say a few words about the manufacturer itself, which already has a significant history.

New name, but only for the domestic audiophile audience

Founded in 1957 as KLH Research and Development Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts,United States, the company was founded by Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann, originally for the production of loudspeakers only. KLH was the world’s largest loudspeaker company in a short period of time, employing more than 500 people and delivering more than 30,000 loudspeakers a year to retailers and distributors on six continents. KLH has references such as the first full-fledged electrostatic speaker, the Model Nine, which was voted one of the twelve best loudspeakers ever built by Stereophile magazine.

Their most popular models were the Model Five, Model Six and Model Seventeen, for which the acoustic suspension speaker design was originally developed by Edgar Villchur and one of the founders, Henry Kloss. KLH was acquired by David P. Kelley, former CEO of Klipsch and VOXX, in 2017, when it moved its global headquarters to Noblesville, Indiana.

Now, let’s return to the main character of this article, which is the smallest piece in the Model Collection series and is named KLH Model Three. Although it’s a tripod sound box, and it actually is,it’s not in its usual form, and it’s following in the footsteps of the one bigger Model Five. Above the Model Five, there’s also the Model Seven loudspeaker, which, according to our information from the manufacturer, will arrive in the fall, and we’ll tell you so much about it in the front end that it’s no smaller than 13 inches, so it has a 335mm subwoofer, so it’s going to be a really muscular piece! But now we’re really starting from the beginning.

The KLH Model Three is a classic-looking box with a stand in stature that takes us back to the middle of the last century in terms of looks. This is due to the thick MDF sideboards parallel to each other, which received a real wooden paneling, the workmanship is exemplary, so it is also eye-catching. Like the Model Five loudspeaker, the English walnut version comes with a stone-washed protective fabric, the West African mahogany finish is complemented by the Old-World grille fabric,but you can also buy them separately with the Basalt Black Knit, which inherently doesn’t come with any of them. Their quality is really gorgeous, the holding magnet takes its job seriously, and we can take it off the front panel with the help of a piece of fabric sticking out at the bottom. We think that this is how the sound boxes are put on, providing a really uniform image, but removing the fabric, we can see that very modern speakers have been used!

KLH recommends the Model Three to music fans with a smaller listening area, but its capabilities are also close to those of the stationary model, not just its variations in execution. This was achieved by including a stand of its own, which is made entirely of steel, with a layer of felt in the joint areas to avoid damage, and the frame itself tilted at an angle of 8 degrees, so the scattering angle of the speakers placed in the front panel has also increased. Interestingly, the KLH Model Three is a closed-system box.

An aluminum dome tweeter with a 25mm soft rubber suspension was built into the front panel in the classic layout, and a 200mm diaphragm bass-mid speaker made of paper pulp, equipped with an inverted rubber flange and a flat wired swing coil.

The latter is placed in a resonance-free, die-cast aluminum frame, and the pair is supported inside by a thirteen-component crossover, which is equipped with high-quality iron core coils and Mylar foil capacitors.

The acoustic suspension design used produces one of the most accurate and linear movements currently available. Due to the completely self-developed solution, the speakers operate with less distortion at a larger margin than traditional bass reflex-type systems. This design is recognized worldwide for its higher accuracy, tighter bass transients, and exceptional bass resolution and texture. At the back of the sound box, we find the first-class, gold-plated, single inputs, as well as three-position balance regulator that adapts the sound to the acoustic environment.

Thinking about all this, the KLH Model Three is a pretty universal sound box that you can put on your existing stand, but you’ll really run yourself out on your own, without which you can’t even buy it in the first place. Note that their combined price is absolutely competitive, especially knowing that many other manufacturers are inclined to ask for a significant amount of money for a rack with much less material. So we can take the view that the price of the stand itself is included in that of the sound box, it’s actually a kind of bonus, and it’s also a help in making the Model Three really give itself since both were designed in parallel. During the audition, we used our Parasound pre-end, Naim SUPERNAIT 3 stereo amplifier, and tube-output CD player, QED, and AudioQuest cabling, and out of curiosity, our own marble speaker stands.

Individuality for adherents of classical value systems

The KLH Model Three is actually a smaller version of the three-way Model Five, but the principle remains the same, which Kerry Geist said: “Our approach was to make the Model Three have a similar low-frequency extension, but also to offer it at a lower output than the Model Five due to its more compact design. The idea is that model three would be used in smaller listening spaces or where no higher power is needed, without sacrificing bass.

Well, what we get from this is that KLH took the larger model and then scaled it down, offering the same sound at a much friendlier price than its big brother, but they didn’t want to compromise on its bass range. The Model Five is indeed a more statured piece, but the Model Three can’t complain about its physique either, as you can’t help but notice it, and it’s not just because of its luxury design and tripod system. At first, we treated it with caution, as it is quite individual and the box has a closed design, but the 200 nm low-mid speaker and the fact that it was designed in America suggest something. Yes, the KLH Model Three’s sound is very strong, dominant, really unified and has a charm that is absolutely identical to the exterior. He is a believer in classical value systems, so we essentially get what we expected based on its appearance.

Two of the three-position controls at the rear made the soundscape really dunst, but the third allowed the otherwise great tweeter to unfold more, so we stayed with this option. Of course, no one misses the experimentation, but in our system and in our room this position manifested itself to be the best, here a truly balance soundscape was created. 20 mm didn’t even work for him, he was able to show the best of his knowledge even at a low outlet level, but let’s take the sensitivity of 88 dB seriously, so we need at least 50 W and sufficient reserves to achieve this.

The KLH Model Three has a neutral soundscape, but it still has a fun style. Sammy Hagar, Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton came one after another, where the vocals were absolutely natural, and not colored, but colorful. The nature of our own electronics is quite analogous and fat bass, which suited him very well, the large mid-mid diaphragm already softly pressed the tempo tight and hard for Marcus Miller’s bass, and in the case of Van Halen, the drums surprised not only with their naturalness but also with their depth. If this is a lot for someone, or more accurately unusual, they might as well try a more serious S.M.S.L amplifier, which has a more airy, high-pitched soundscape, so the KLH’s mid- and upper ranges may play a bigger role. It’s a matter of taste, we think both work great together, as the box itself is the product of very definite ideas, and the end result is
definitely commendable.

It was able to create a huge stage image, which is also due to its tilted stand, without it we got a slightly straighter, more concrete soundscape, and although the space it could fill was still huge, we didn’t quite hear what the designers had the exact idea of, so the approach to a stationary, in this case, model five loudspeaker. Interestingly, this sound box is not like some of its rivals who want to look big, because it really made us feel the effect of a much more statured box. It took some getting used to the fact that it was lower than if we had placed it on a normal-sized stand, but in a short, really short time, we got used to it and then fell in love with it, thanks to its aforementioned naturalness and strength.

It has a hectic, tight, and punchy soundscape, which may be a lot for more analytical music fans, but that’s more due to the fact that we didn’t really expect a sound box of this size to move such a large amount of air, with tremendous power and accuracy. Listening to Tori Amos, the singer deceptively didn’t seem so tiny anymore, but Bösendorfere took on the size that only seemed to fit in our listening room. At Toto, he showed a real, full stage that was like the music itself: loose, entertaining, but at the same time pro-blood and always accurate.

He was able to cement us on electronic music, we couldn’t even blink very much, the music of Yello sounded so resolutely, which was further enhanced during Kraftwerk. The Safri Duo also fired us up properly, and the harder metal took us to another level, as in addition to unleashing the primordial energies, we were finally able to feel that there were genuine skins on the drums, and the guitarists, in addition to letting them crush, were neatly separated, all of them could be heard clearly and accurately and enjoved.

A great blend of style, determination and entertainment, this speaker

In the case of KLH, we couldn’t have imagined a better start than the Model Three. They have cheaper loudspeakers, we also welcome them, as well as larger ones – we will also not object if we have to test them – based on the success of which this sound box was designed, only for smaller rooms. As we wrote, it’s also relative because it loosely fills an average living room with warm, exciting, full, accurate, yet entertaining music, and because of its character, it can make the most of any style. For someone who has a wide musical repertoire, has, or wants to buy a more muscular amp and is looking for a custom, very determined, dynamic and genuine sound box with tangible musical pleasure, with a small footprint, who should not miss the opportunity to get acquainted with Model Three! And the slushpoene is – and it’s no joke – that in this price range it is one of the few manufacturers who offers a 10-year warranty on the loudspeaker. This, in our opinion, means legitimate self-confidence, and for us a certain peace of mind, which is not negligible even if it is likely that we will not have to take advantage of its opportunity.

KLH Model Three stand speaker
Specifications: two-way, two-speaker, closed
Speakers: 200mm paper diaphragm subwoofer
25mm soft aluminum dome tweeter
Load C3020
150/600 W
Frequency response: 46 Hz-20 kHz (+/- 3 dB), 35 Hz (-10 dB)
Crossover frequency:
Responsiveness: 1500 Hz
88 dB (2,83 V/1 m)
Nominal impedance:
Minimum impedance: 6 Ohm
3.7 Ohm at 320Hz
Max SPL: 108 dB
Recommended amplifier power: 30-150 W
Dimensions (without stand): 311 x 482 x 267 mm
Dimensions (with stand – included): 311 x718 x292 mm
Weight (without stand): 13.2 kg
Weight (with stand – included): 16.4 kg
Price: 927 980 HUF/pair
Dietnhuter.

Muzix Group
+36-30-907-0709
1139 Budapest, Forgách u. 21.
muzixgroup.com
muzix.hu

• Full-bodied, natural, dynamic performance, huge stage image, entertaining performance A space that defies his stature, a sound that loosely fills the average living room
• Closed system and custom stand included in the price
• Sophisticated, exclusive exterior, first-class workmanship
• Unique solutions, own ideas that have a long history and still work great today A smaller version of the one-size-fits-all Model Five, which offers similar quality, only in a smaller size and at a cheaper price

The post KLH Model Three Stand Speaker Test appeared first on KLH (EU) Love Your Music!.