Amazing KLH Seventeens

[alteclipsch]

It's pouring rain today here in Excelsior, Minnesota. Itching to get these little guys back into the rotation, but so little room since we reduced our living space last year. I decided to stick them in a corner this morning, no turntable, no big amp, etc., just the speakers, my trusty, tiny, 40 wpc Onkyo CR 445 and the CD Super Session.

Seventeens are truly amazing. Half the weight and a lot smaller than my Fives and Twenty Threes, but they have all the clarity, the right amount of bass, and a mid range presence of a much more expensive speaker.

Here they are, cute, diminutive powerhouses. Henry Kloss was a genius.

 

[johnjhazel]

I think all of the original KLH's sound great. I have AR's. I prefer the 'New England' sound. It seems if the KLH or AR speakers deviate from ruler flat response, it is a dip rather than a peak. That makes them much easier to listen to for long periods of time.

 

[alteclipsch]

I think all of the original KLH's sound great. I have AR's. I prefer the 'New England' sound. It seems if the KLH or AR speakers deviate from ruler flat response, it is a dip rather than a peak. That makes them much easier to listen to for long periods of time.

I had the AR4x for a few years, they were sweet like the Seventeens IIRC. And yes, I'll listen all day and watch the rain. We even had thunder, haven't heard that since October.

 

[johnjhazel]

I have a pair of AR 6's of the original config. They have the woofers with the magnets around the voice coil instead of behind it. It gives the same bass response as the AR 10" woofers. They also have an inductor on the woofer circuit. AR later put the standard AR 8" woofer into the 6's and eliminated the inductors. I think the way to tell is that the original config has a pot for the tweeter instead of a toggle. I also have a pair of 3a's that need to be corrected. They were restored and they sound bad. I am going to have the L-pads replaced with pots and the HiVi Q1R tweeters replaced with rebuilt original tweeters. While the small AR speakers sound great, they sound nothing like the 3a's.

 

[dly66]

Been using a pair of 17s as my workroom speakers for several years now. Right now a Sherwood S-7200 is driving them. Easy to listen to them for hours.

 

[alteclipsch]

Been using a pair of 17s as my workroom speakers for several years now. Right now a Sherwood S-7200 is driving them. Easy to listen to them for hours.

Ah, Sherwood. My S7100 has been with me for 49 years and is still a favorite. Good to see you're using yours.

 

[toodletunes]

SUCH an over performer, those KLH 17s. We also downsized a while back, and I couldn't pull the string on letting them go. However, after a few years of them roosting in the basement, unplayed, they went to a friend who was putting together a system for his daughter. Rather enjoy the memory of how much enjoyment they brought than having them just for the sake of having them.

 

[milanomike]

Got them in my bedroom system, really need to build/get some stands, but they are sweet units. Punch above their weight class. I've got a pair of 6's I need to work on, but would like to score some AR speakers someday. Enjoy them, they are sweet.

 

[TT-newbie]

I found my pair of KLH 17s from Value Village with a pioneer SX-750 and TEAC 2230SX, apparently from the same owner. These three pieces added with a JVC turntable have been in my family room for many years. They sound good with all genres of music. All I did to the speakers was to put the sealers on surround of woofers. I put them on 20" stands.

 

[Gnesen]

It's pouring rain today here in Excelsior, Minnesota. Itching to get these little guys back into the rotation, but so little room since we reduced our living space last year. I decided to stick them in a corner this morning, no turntable, no big amp, etc., just the speakers, my trusty, tiny, 40 wpc Onkyo CR 445 and the CD Super Session.

Seventeens are truly amazing. Half the weight and a lot smaller than my Fives and Twenty Threes, but they have all the clarity, the right amount of bass, and a mid range presence of a much more expensive speaker.

Here they are, cute, diminutive powerhouses. Henry Kloss was a genius.

View attachment 2158591

Very nice. By the way, those look familiar (due to a few distinctive cues). Any chance there's a piece of masking tape on the rear of each speaker saying when a recap and re-sealing was done?

 

[alteclipsch]

Very nice. By the way, those look familiar (due to a few distinctive cues). Any chance there's a piece of masking tape on the rear of each speaker saying when a recap and re-sealing was done?

I don't think so but the binding posts were changed at some point in their past. They have been recapped and redoped, too, just not sure when. This is the third pair I've had since I was a kid. About 50 years ago.

 

[audiojones]

I found my pair of KLH 17s from Value Village with a pioneer SX-750 and TEAC 2230SX, apparently from the same owner. These three pieces added with a JVC turntable have been in my family room for many years. They sound good with all genres of music. All I did to the speakers was to put the sealers on surround of woofers. I put them on 20" stands.

That’s a terrific setup!