Who will be the first to do a head-to-head with the Lintons? (Rhetorical question.) Hopefully Herb will review the KLH, as he's done the Lintons and JA has done the measurements. Unfortunately, it would be an "aural memory" comparison. Guttenberg will do comparisons, but probably doesn't have the Lintons around anymore.
Henri Kloss has always spent zillion $ in advertising.... The glowing reviews are clearly well synchronized with the launch. The 2 reviewers must have cashed-in quite a lot! I hope the model 5s are as good as they claim.
This company is KLH in name (and possibly IP) only so the relation to Henry Kloss or his former company’s way of doing business is a bit of a stretch. Its owned by a company called Kelly Global Brands... “In January of 2017, KLH was purchased by Kelley Global Brands, owned by CEO David Kelley, audio industry veteran and entrepreneur.”, from their web site.
Does KLH offer any in home audition period or anything? I couldn’t find anything on their site. I live close enough to Noblesville, IN to drive there but they haven’t answered the phone either time I called to see if they had any demo models I could hear. I called the closest retailer and they said they didn’t expect to get them for a few weeks (despite the KLH site saying they’ll ship in April). I’d love to hear them next to the Forte IV
True, Kelly purchased the name only, but he has been on the record and very open about trying to bring the storied KLH name back into audio prominence because of what it once represented. I think the new Model 5 bears more than just a passing similarity to the classic vintage speaker. It’s almost exactly the same in size and appearance, it’s a 3-way design, and most importantly, it’s acoustic suspension, unlike most modern designs which are almost universally ported. It’s priced modestly in relation to the speakers it is most often compared to, something else Henry Kloss regularly did, striving always to give his consumers exceptional value. The Model 5 also sports a 10 year warranty, unheard of in modern speakers and double what Kelly’s former company Klipsch offers on their speakers. Henry was well known for standing behind his products with great pride. Do I sound too much like a Henry Kloss fan? I hope so. My parents purchased a KLH Model 20 Music System when I was a teen and I have enjoyed music, audio, and reading about Henry Kloss and his exploits ever since. I love the fact that Kelley’s new company is resurrecting the KLH name and I hope that it is wildly successful.
I’ve been calling audio stores that stock KLH. They have other KLH speakers but not the Model Five. I think they are going to be hard to find.
Why do I get the impression that these are going to be tough to get a hold of? I know the Wharfdale Linton's I have sold out pretty fast when they were released. Hoping to get a pair of the Fives this summer.
If the engineers managed to duplicate most of the original Kloss DNA, or better yet, improve upon it, there is no reason why this speaker shouldn’t be a knock-out, excluding any unforeseen QC issues. In my experience, Large Advents in good condition are still competitive with $1K/pair contemporary offerings, and even surpass them in some cases. So a resurrected Model 5 with modern driver tech is a very tempting proposition at $2K/pair. I think there is potential here for a true giant-slayer.
I would love to hear them, they would look nice in that optional lighter grille color. Maybe AXPONA this August? The concern would be cabinet resonance and if they can make it work for them. They have to sound better than the W/D Lintons though.
Too bad they couldn't make them in America. Looks nice from a distance, but not sure they're as good from up-close (little QC issues typical of Chinese mfg). For almost $400 less, you can buy made in America Vandersteen 1Ci, which are true vintage speakers that have never gone out of production since the 70's.
Maybe I missed the price on these new speakers...but the 1Ci had a price increase awhile back...I think the only way Vandersteens would be less is if they were bought used.
Hasn’t been my experience with Chinese-made gear. In fact, my Chinese tube amp is of far better build quality than one of the popular American brands. We’re in 2021, not 1990.
Vandersteen 1Cis are $1499 US (Acoustic Sounds). The KLH are $1999 (Music Direct) so more expensive. I have the 1Cis and they are great. Still, curious about the Model 5s for another room, but I'll wait until they are actually out and the dust settles a bit. I can't imagine they'll be hard to find if Crutchfield and Music Direct are carrying them.
Did anyone notice there's a single mid driver as opposed to the dual mids on the original? I'm wondering what they have in common with Henry's version other than name?
I just bought some new speakers so I gotta wait at least a year before I start seeding the new speakers conversation.
There is good gear and crap gear made in both China and USA as well as other places around the world. I’m all about buying American made, but it’s hats not always possible. Unfortunately, to hit price points or capacity some things have to be produced overseas. If the new KLH does well maybe they’ll bring some production back to the USA, but calling into question the quality of a product just because it’s made in China is ********.