KLH Six Speakers: Low-power tube amp or high-power solid state?

[Shug451]

So I've been looking through previous threads about KLH Six speakers and half of them say KLH Sixes and tube amps are a match made in heaven. The other half say that KLH Six speakers sound best with higher-powered amps. What gives? Knowing the time period in which they were produced, I would figure tube amps or lower-power solid state, but I really don't know. Anyone want to weigh in one way or another? Thanks!

 

[marcthisdate]

I run mine off a Marantz 2225 and they sound great.... Receiver is 25 watts and the sixes are the series with removable woofer and tweeters.

 

[RTally]

To properly power a pair of KLH sixes, use an amplifier. The type of amp, tube or SS, is personal preference. Amplifier power rating is best determined by how loud you listen to the speakers.

The KLH is not a difficult speaker to drive. Mine sound fantastic regardless of the type of amplifier.

 

[viennadad]

I just recapped and re-doped a pair of sixes I picked up last year. I tested them with a Sansui G5700, and was satisfied with the work I had done. Then for fun I hooked them up to my everyday system. I use a Carver MX 130 as a pre-amp to feed a NAD 2200PE. I am amazed at the imaging and separation I hear. So much so that I am considering leaving them there to replace KEF 104/2's. But they don't get as loud as the KEF. Sometimes (like when no one is home) that is important. I do love them tho.

 

[Dswankey]

The pair I had for awhile I ran them with Luxman M-2000 power amp and a restored Magnavox 9302 amp they sounded good either way.

The first iteration of the KLH 6 was sometime around 1958-1960 so my guess is they were designed with tube gear in mind as SS was still in it's infancy let alone high powered SS gear which didn't really make the scene until much later.

 

[Shug451]

I just recapped and re-doped a pair of sixes I picked up last year. I tested them with a Sansui G5700, and was satisfied with the work I had done. Then for fun I hooked them up to my everyday system. I use a Carver MX 130 as a pre-amp to feed a NAD 2200PE. I am amazed at the imaging and separation I hear. So much so that I am considering leaving them there to replace KEF 104/2's. But they don't get as loud as the KEF. Sometimes (like when no one is home) that is important. I do love them tho.

Wow, replaced the KEF 104/2s? That's saying something.

 

[gbroot]

I've driven my 6's with low powered receivers such as the Harman Kardon 330B (20w/ch) all the way up to a 120 w/per ch Pioneer SX-1080. They can go a bit louder with the 1080, but they sound very sweet with the tube like sound signature of the HK I guess I wasn't able to give a clear answer to the ops question. Sorry!

 

[GD70]

The correct answer is BOTH!
I've run mine with both, they sound great regardless. Currently, they are hooked up to my LK-72 tube amp and I'm loving this dedicated tube setup.

 

[Shug451]

The correct answer is BOTH!
I've run mine with both, they sound great regardless. Currently, they are hooked up to my LK-72 tube amp and I'm loving this dedicated tube setup.

The do-it-all, be-it-all speaker, eh? Well, I guess that could be the reason for the conflicting opinions. Thanks.

 

[viennadad]

Wow, replaced the KEF 104/2s? That's saying something.

Nothing wrong with the KEF's. I was looking at records and realized I've been using them daily for 5 years. I just really like the brightness the 6's have.

 

[pete1729]

I have run mine with a 14 WPC EL-84 integrated amp from Pilot. Set up in corners of the room, and sitting on top of... other speakers, they sound sublime. The Model Six is just a good speaker. Mine have been recapped and redoped.

As an experiment I redoped one and left the other one be. I put the grills back on and listened to them for months until I forgot which was which. I did some critical listening and decided the one on the right sounded a bit better. It was the redoped one.