KLH Model 6 vs Dynaco A25

[Zack Sainz]

Hello all,

I have been doing my research, but wanted to see your thoughts.

I am starting collection from scratch.

I stumbled upon some KLH Model 6 speakers for a $100.

If I can haggle, do you think its worth it?

Or should I get something like Dynaco A25s?

From what I have seen A25s are easier to repair and last forever because its internals are rubber.

Ideally I would have a Marantz 2230 to push these speakers.

Thanks!

 

[Bodyblue]

I own both and like both a lot. The a25s seem to be easier to drive but your 2230 won't trouble with either.

If you have a small room or a space problem, the Dynacos are the way to go I think. Of you have room, the KLH are what I prefer. And yes $100 is worth it.

 

[RTally]

I have both speakers. I prefer the KLH Six by a wide margin over my Dynaco A25. But I plan on keeping both for a long time. Size-wise, the KLH is larger, but not enough to make any difference in the room. Both of them need to be on stands or raised from the floor. The only maintenance required for the KLH over the Dynaco is that the KLH surrounds need to be treated with the proper vintage-ar/RoyC compound. Both speakers may need to be recapped, with more caps required by the KLH.

 

[nfafan]

Hello all,

I have been doing my research, but wanted to see your thoughts.

I am starting collection from scratch.

I stumbled upon some KLH Model 6 speakers for a $100.

If I can haggle, do you think its worth it?

Or should I get something like Dynaco A25s?

From what I have seen A25s are easier to repair and last forever because its internals are rubber.

Ideally I would have a Marantz 2230 to push these speakers.

Thanks!

Get the KLH if you want a keeper, the A25 for a profitable flipper...

The only rubber a correct A25 should have are the rubber woofer surrounds, as opposed to foam, cloth, paper. Not as age-fragile as foam or, the cloth or paper surrounds - where the treatment has dried or deteriorated and no longer works.

The A25s are great but not bulletproof; plenty of posts in AK re;

Baffle board is cheesy chipboard, so you won’t want to pull the woofers all that often to swap crossover bits unless absolutely needed. Look for posts on repairing/reinforcing disintegrating A25 baffles.

The woofers supposedly suffer from poor tack-welds of the pos and neg contact tabs. Look for posts on wrassling tarred-in-place A25 woofers from baffles so you can access the woofer for repairs of the tabs.

Grills may/may not be tarred into place on baffleboard and will need pried away from the baffle to access woofers and crossovers. Same with the funky grill cloth tarred on to the grill frame.

Do not experiment with amounts/types of acoustic dampening fillers - these speakers were practically hand-tuned during assembly as to amounts to use due to the aperiodic port design.

 

[Bodyblue]

One thing about the A25s is that the taught me a valuable lesson. The have a huge woofer for the size of the cabinet and that should result in bass roll off......but it does not. Thae are truly amazing in that respect. The only other speaker like that that I have heard is The Small Advent and those are 4 ohm.

I like the KLHs better, but the Dynacos are an amazing speaker and not just for their size.

 

[Nightwisher]

This is a very close comparison, and really you can't go wrong with either one. I like the Dynacos better myself, having heard both pairs.

 

[Zack Sainz]

I own both and like both a lot. The a25s seem to be easier to drive but your 2230 won't trouble with either.

If you have a small room or a space problem, the Dynacos are the way to go I think. Of you have room, the KLH are what I prefer. And yes $100 is worth it.

View attachment 1451596

Great!! Thank you so much! Hopefully one day I’ll be able to own both! Right now my place is too small.

 

[Zack Sainz]

I have both speakers. I prefer the KLH Six by a wide margin over my Dynaco A25. But I plan on keeping both for a long time. Size-wise, the KLH is larger, but not enough to make any difference in the room. Both of them need to be on stands or raised from the floor. The only maintenance required for the KLH over the Dynaco is that the KLH surrounds need to be treated with the proper vintage-ar/RoyC compound. Both speakers may need to be recapped, with more caps required by the KLH.

Very good to know! A friend of mine has the A25/ and they sound great! I’m excited to test the KLH 6s.

 

[Zack Sainz]

Get the KLH if you want a keeper, the A25 for a profitable flipper...

The only rubber a correct A25 should have are the rubber woofer surrounds, as opposed to foam, cloth, paper. Not as age-fragile as foam or, the cloth or paper surrounds - where the treatment has dried or deteriorated and no longer works.

The A25s are great but not bulletproof; plenty of posts in AK re;

Baffle board is cheesy chipboard, so you won’t want to pull the woofers all that often to swap crossover bits unless absolutely needed. Look for posts on repairing/reinforcing disintegrating A25 baffles.

The woofers supposedly suffer from poor tack-welds of the pos and neg contact tabs. Look for posts on wrassling tarred-in-place A25 woofers from baffles so you can access the woofer for repairs of the tabs.

Grills may/may not be tarred into place on baffleboard and will need pried away from the baffle to access woofers and crossovers. Same with the funky grill cloth tarred on to the grill frame.

Do not experiment with amounts/types of acoustic dampening fillers - these speakers were practically hand-tuned during assembly as to amounts to use due to the aperiodic port design.

Thank you! And great to know about how durable the A25s are. I def don’t want to do much experimenting, I’ll leave that up to the speaker gods.

 

[Zack Sainz]

One thing about the A25s is that the taught me a valuable lesson. The have a huge woofer for the size of the cabinet and that should result in bass roll off......but it does not. Thae are truly amazing in that respect. The only other speaker like that that I have heard is The Small Advent and those are 4 ohm.

I like the KLHs better, but the Dynacos are an amazing speaker and not just for their size.

Good to know about the bass! I love tasteful bass. Not looking for the huge “boom” in my apartment.

 

[Zack Sainz]

This is a very close comparison, and really you can't go wrong with either one. I like the Dynacos better myself, having heard both pairs.

Yeah, I know so close. But since I have the KLH 6 locally I think I’ll give these a shot first, and probably wind up getting the A25s, just to annoy my girlfriend

 

[GD70]

The Six is well known for its bass output, when the surrounds and dust cap have been resealed. It's deep, powerful, and smooth. It's not boomy or flabby. They can be raised off the floor, but Henry designed them to be floor standers as stated in the owners manual.

 

[rromeo]

KLH 6 hands down imo. With a nice tube amp you will have honey flowing out of them into your ears.

 

[Bodyblue]

Although I am sure they sound nice with tubes, they are not real sensitive and love power. Give them 60 plus wpc and hold on for the ride.

 

[Tim D]

Designed and first sold in 1958 in the golden age of tubes. Yep, the Sixes were built to work with tubes. No question. Do they work with SS? Of course. I have driven mine with Fisher KX-100 ~18wpc (tube) and Marantz 2220B ~20wpc (SS). Either system they sound terrific. Is more better? Perhaps, but I'm just saying to not sweat it.

 

[Tim D]

I should add that the Sixes are probably also "digital ready".

 

[Bodyblue]

Yes the 6s sound good with most any type of amp. But they sound better hands down with more power. 125 watts of clean Marantz power from my main system brings out detail that simply is not there with say, 20 wpc. It shows what a good speaker they are that they work so well with both.

20 wpc= smooth and great sound.

60+ wpc= incredible sound with bass that will snap your eyelids back......I dont listen at high levels but the difference in the bass between lower and higher wpc is really noticable..

Even though they were designed in the low powered tube era does does not mean they sound better with lower power.

I think that if I was using a flea watt amp I would use the A 25s or Marantz Imperial 5 or 6.

 

[anytune]

I have owned both at the same time: The Dynacos are long gone. The Model Sixes are staying. They just sound better to me.

 

[Zack Sainz]

Funny you bring up a tube amp. My friend is selling his HH Scott 299b.

I know very little about tubes.

I have read that the 299b would sound good with sixes.

But we also haven’t settled on prices, pricing these 299bs is not easy.

KLH 6 hands down imo. With a nice tube amp you will have honey flowing out of them into your ears.

 

[Zack Sainz]

I should add that the Sixes are probably also "digital ready".

Digital recording? Or digital source?

I am game for either.