• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

KLH 5 2020 New VS Old

Zack Sainz

Zack Sainz

Active Member
Hello All!

KLH just announced an updated Model 5!

Very exciting news!

I have been speaking with one of their sales reps and they are trying to keep it as similar to the original Model 5 as possible.

I have a set of original model 5s, I just replaced a woofer in one of the cabinets, and since I’ve heard the news about the updated 5s I’m considering holding off on recapping.

Thoughts?

Has anyone been to CES to check these out?
 

Attachments

  • 483E027D-180C-4CAA-86EA-0BF977A8E58A.png
    483E027D-180C-4CAA-86EA-0BF977A8E58A.png
    275.5 KB · Views: 314
Register to hide this ad
The cynical side of me says this’ll be another laughably expensive boomer cash-grab like the L100 Classic is, but the hopeful side says this might be a return of the classic, relatively affordable acoustic suspension-style speaker for the masses. If they keep it <$1000, and offer a 2-way Model Six and smaller Seventeen, I think they’ll have a winning lineup. If it’s any more than that, pass.
 
FluxT said:
The cynical side of me says this’ll be another laughably expensive boomer cash-grab like the L100 Classic is, but the hopeful side says this might be a return of the classic, relatively affordable acoustic suspension-style speaker for the masses. If they keep it <$1000, and offer a 2-way Model Six and smaller Seventeen, I think they’ll have a winning lineup.
Click to expand...
They haven’t announced prices yet, but they said “affordable.” Fingers crossed!
 
FWIW, the other speakers in the KLH line would mostly be considered affordable. Their most expensive model (excluding the Model 9 ESL) is a $650 tower.
 
It appears to have more in common with a Boston Acoustics A-150 than a Model Five so the Rep saying they tried to keep it " as close as possible" is a bit off. Oh wait, the badge and grill are just like a Five.
 
crdm6 said:
It appears to have more in common with a Boston Acoustics A-150 than a Model Five so the Rep saying they tried to keep it " as close as possible" is a bit off. Oh wait, the badge and grill are just like a Five.
Click to expand...

My guess is that the twin mids produce undesirable combing/smearing that most modern listeners would find objectionable. Granted, I’ve never heard the Model Five, but I did notice it on the Realistic Nova 8’s I listened to, which are a Model Five clone. I guess this wasn’t really noticed or cared about in 1967, but hindsight is, pardon the pun, 2020.

My other guess is that they tried to do the more iconic Model Six, but couldn’t make a tweeter that dug down low enough while still reaching acceptably high for modern tastes. The original KLH tweeters kinda give up after 14-16kHz, which is more than satisfactory for most of the music and are exceedingly musical, but I do notice that snares and cymbals tend to lose their bite when I compare them against different speakers. Hopefully they still retain the classic laid-back Boston sound with just a bit more treble extension.

Wonder how these will compare against the new Wharfedale Lintons?
 
Wandering off topic a teeny bit. A good example of improving tech changing a speaker are the Dahlquist DQ-10 to DQ-20 changes. At least they didn't call it "The NEW DQ-10!".
 
Nice looking speaker. Front bezel is skinnier but the linen-looking grill is pleasing, at least on my phone image. I'd love to a/b them against my Fives, the new ones would probably blow them away. But, to my old ears, my old ones have everything I want in a speaker. I wonder where they're made.
 
Very nice and exciting to see this come to market. We should all be very thankful and excited that this is happening. $2k is not a lot of money for a good set of speakers. Manufacturing costs are not like what they were in 1970.
 
baco99 said:
Very nice and exciting to see this come to market. We should all be very thankful and excited that this is happening. $2k is not a lot of money for a good set of speakers. Manufacturing costs are not like what they were in 1970.
Click to expand...

Will be interesting to see the reviews on these, at $2k a pair they may compete directly with the Klipsch Heresy IV at $3k a pair (to be released soon). The guy that recently bought the KLH brand and is putting out the KLH 5 is a former Klipsch executive.

I think it is very cool that companies like Klipsch continue to upgrade their Heritage line and companies like JBL and now KLH put out upgrades of vintage speaker designs.

The price tag of these new, vintage speakers seems shocking to guys like us on AK because we know of scores on old KLH 5 speakers for under $200. But at $2k for these new KLH 5, I bet if they sound good, they may sell a lot of them.

Snade
 
It will be interesting to see how they fare. JBL and Klipsch have the advantage of being HUGE companies with wide distribution networks, and their legacy products have much larger cult-followings than anything KLH ever put out. In that price range, reputation matters almost as much, if not more, than performance, and there’s a LOT of competition in that area.

As for me, I have to laugh at $2,000 speakers being “affordable”. It’s not a bad price for what you’re getting, but affordable ain’t the word I’d use. The Wharfedale Dentons and Lintons, at $400 and $1200 respectively, are the only reissued speakers that I’d call “affordable”, and even then only to the more well-heeled Average Joe. A new Model Six and Model Seventeen at those price points would really hit the ball out of the park.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom