Big difference between KLH 17 and KLH 5?
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alteclipsch
Super Member
Fives are vastly better in every respect. Bass goes much deeper. Mids are cleaner and clearer and with more presence. Highs are crisper, likely because the midrange drivers handle more of the load so the tweeters don't have to. Fives have 12 inch woofers and obviously are three way, so everything just gets spread to the drivers it should go to. Don't get me wrong, Seventeens are great speakers, but they're smaller and are two ways so they can't be expected to do what Fives do. I have both and are very happy with them.
Fives are also somewhat more power-hungry than Seventeens.
Fives are also somewhat more power-hungry than Seventeens.
alteclipsch
Super Member
I just found some info on that online. At 20 wpc, that is pretty low for Fives. KLH recommended 25 wpc minimum on their ads back in the day.
Others will weigh in on all of this so stay tuned.
Fives are really the pinnacle of the KLH line.
Others will weigh in on all of this so stay tuned.
Fives are really the pinnacle of the KLH line.
noogies
My Favorite Woofers.
Yeah, 80 watts a side should do the trick, knobs notwithstanding.
KLH Model Seventeens are nice little speakers. But, they were pretty much a smaller/budget speaker. I have three pairs of Seventeens and one pair of KLH Model Twenties (the 4ohm version). They sound nice. But, the Model Six and the Model twenty Three (which I have) are in a whole different league. I have never heard "Fives". But, I have been told that they are even better than the Six or the Twenty Three. Of course, that is subjective and each person needs to hear them for themselves and determine how they like them.
Actually, the woofers are 10". But comparing them to my AR3a's that do have 12" woofers, the difference is insignificant. I listen mostly to the 3a's, but put the Five's into rotation this morning and they sound GREAT, and very close, if not completely identical to the much more expensive 3a's. I could easily live with either speaker. If you have a chance to get the Five's, do so. You will not regret it.
And yes, go for as much power as possible. You could use the Marantz if you don't play music very loudly/have a small space, but the more power the better the Five's will like it.
I had a pair of 17's thinking they'd be like my 6's but smaller, wasn't very impressed. The Model Six is much smoother and the bass goes much deeper, while the Seventeens were just kinda dry and boxy in comparison. Both were recapped and resealed, but the seller of the 17's had done away with the two 2uF caps on the crossover in favor of just one ClarityCap 8uF, which undoubtedly ruined their performance. Bit of a shame, since the real walnut on the 17's was so much nicer than the rather depressing vinyl on my Sixes.
I'm sure that the 17's aren't half bad when they're in good fettle, but the Sixes are just several steps above it in every way, and I'd imagine the Fives are at least a cut or two above the Sixes.
I'm sure that the 17's aren't half bad when they're in good fettle, but the Sixes are just several steps above it in every way, and I'd imagine the Fives are at least a cut or two above the Sixes.
alteclipsch
Super Member
I'm just calling them what KLH called them, which was 12" but who's counting, they're really about 11"
Right. But they're not 12", and to me that's the most significant difference to the 3a. They were competing with the 3a's at the time so I'm pretty certain that's why they said they were 12's. Not sure why they didn't just use 12's, other then a cost measure? Although the Five's were pretty expensive at the time.
45rpmspinner
Super Member
My Model 5's are currently at the refinishers, so I can't put a tape measure to them, but I suspect the 10in measurement comes from the original KLH woofers, which had no metal basket and were directly mounted to the baffle with epoxy. The only way to measure those drivers is via the diameter of the surround+cone.
And they do indeed measure 10 inches that way.
However, if you apply that method of measurement to other speakers you'll find, for example, that the "12 inch" woofers in JBL 4311's measure 10 5/8".
If you're wondering, I did just check.
Measuring from outside the metal surrounding of the woofer, the Five is about 10 3/4". The 3a is 12.
MrRogers385
Active Member
Besides the obvious the 5 does have the heavy duty woofer where as the 17s woofer is more lightweight. I believe the 5 shares the woofer of the 23. I'm on my second set of 17s and they do put out good bass when they are positioned to do so. For me, that's close to the wall and pointed inwards forming a triangle with the listener. I have the 23s also.
45rpmspinner
Super Member
That's interesting.
The epoxied-in KLH woofer is a bit larger?
If it had the 3/4 inch mounting flange of the JBL it would measure 11 1/2".
As with all of the "classic" KLH speakers, sensitivity is not high. I would suggest an amp of 60 watts or more.
I would also suggest that the pinnacle of the box-based KLHs would be the Twelve. But the real top of the KLH heap might be the Nines. Also, a goodly number of people seem to prefer the Six to the Five.
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I thought the only glued-in/frameless woofer in the KLH line was the early version of the Six?
45rpmspinner
Super Member
Model 7's as well.
They're the big box [about 4 cu ft] version of the 6's with double tweeters.
Slightly smaller than the Model 12's.
And I forget, the same woofers are used in the Model 4???
