This is how you modernize a vintage speaker. KLH Model 5 speaker thoughts and review 

I forgot to mention the Piers Audio 580 is 50w. With that amp, I lost about 30% of the bass compared to the Mcintosh MAC6700. Non-affiliated links Quebec dealer: www.centrehifi.com/fr/produit/674073-klh-model-five?searchterm=KLH Rest of Canada dealer: motetdistribution.com/find-klh.html Saskatchewan dealer: www.everestaudio.com/klh-model-5-floor-standing-speaker-pair.html

You are the most through reviewer on RU-vid. I will never miss another video again!

Thomas, thank you for this. I was still in a quandary as to exactly how these KLH’s would present themselves, until your video. Beyond equipment pairing, and typical assessment, you got into the soul of the presentation. Plus different perspectives from others in your audio circle. Super comprehensive, and enjoyable. 🙏🏼

In 1973 I owned a pair of KLH 5. After all the years I can still hear the Doobie Brothers in “Long Train Running” and “Listen to the Music” played on vinyl through those great sounding speakers. That was some of the sweetest sound I have ever heard! Those songs have never sounded as good on anything else for me, and I have owned more than my fair share of great sounding speakers. I have a nice audio setup now that suits me, but this new KLH 5 might be just too strong a temptation to go back to 1973 once again, maybe even better.

Thomas, you are getting so good at reviews. Makes us feel like we are hearing it ourselves. Great job!!

Thomas is the Professor of hifi. Really enjoyed the breakdown of the vintage speakers and I’m not surprised they demand quite a bit of power to drive them. Bigger woofers on the vintage speakers, and also for the lesser vintage, a high level impedance forcing amps to work harder.

For those about to rock...We salute you Thomas!!!

Well, I hooked up the KLH M5's, and OMG! This is the sound I have been dreaming of. This brings back the days of my youth. The big cabinet speakers that enveloped the room. These KLH do that and more. The soundstage is incredible in my room. You feel like you are sitting right there at the foot of the stage. The highs and miss are just sweet to the ear, I could listen to these all day long, they simply bring music to life. I will never go back to a ported bookshelf speaker, I don't care who makes them or the price. The SVS Ultra's are going on the block. The KLH bass, right now, I do not see pairing these with my SVS SB3000 subs. I really do not see the need. The bass, again, in my room, is easily hitting down in the 30hz range according to other articles I have read. I will still try the SB3000, or both, and see how everything plays together. I kind of doubt I will keep them in the mix for two channel, but may leave them for two channel movie night. I found all of the reviews I have seen on these difficult to believe, but I was proven wrong. These are staying, and I see no need to continue looking for "that sound", as I have found it. I hooked these up to my SVS Soundbase and streamed off my iPad via Apple Music... If what I heard is any indication, these will sound even better playing solid source material. I don't know what KLH did, but they nailed it with the Model 5's.

Terrific review Thomas. I loved that you had your friends listen to them, and the detail you went into talking about the speakers, especially amp matching. Thanks Thom.

Another great review. Thoughtful, informative and entertaining. You brought this experience to life. The sound clip at the end even reinforced what you heard with the Mac amp.

Thomas, I "enjoy" how you do your reviews. Getting your buds to listen to the same speakers is a great idea. Your reviews are excellent! Mr. Pete-----------> aging hippie

Great review, Thomas. Thorough and it nice you got feedback from your audiophile friends. Thanks!

Outstanding review. I never heard of the KLH Model 5, but your unbiased, clear description made me listen to the full review

Thanks for the balanced review. Most reviewers only focus on the good.

I am glad to see that I am not the only guy that loves his woofer speaker with his tweeters all in the same package 🙂

Hello Thomas Sir, All your reviews are lively and great.! Very natural, and you make us feel as if we are actually listening to the speakers, just by the way you describe it. Thank you so much.

Apreciate these videos as both advice and entertainment

Damn Thomas you really tested these. I'm glad you guys had fun! 👍😀

one of the best reviews I have watched. Makes me quite envious of the electronics.

Thanks for the great review Thomas! I used to own vintage model 4's and Model 5's but Vintage look with modern tec is pretty cool to me! I really appreciate your revews and the genuine quality of your character as a great person.

Thanks for the solid unbiased review. I just ordered a pair and am excited to see how they sound paired with my Mac MA6300, Rega P3, with Ortofon LVB cart.

Was looking for true Acoustic Suspension speaker. Glad KLH makes them!!!

I just found your channel. I had to sub. I bought my first Hi Fi system in 1975. I also prefer sealed cabinets. Back in my day you had to buy large speakers with ports to get deep bass. Man, you have some awesome gear!

🤗. ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW FOR “OLD SCHOOL “ AUDIOPHILES 😍😍😍

Great review Thomas! I have had the Model 5s in my setup for about 3 months now and absolutely adore the speakers. I will never sell them. Ironically, the only area I think could be improved upon is the bass. Currently driving them with the Doge 10 and while I really enjoy the pairing it seems they are just a little shy of being able to fully bring out the glory of the Model 5 down low. Currently considering Vincent audio hybrid integrated (tube pre amp- solid state output stage - 150w into 8 / 250w into 4), Yamaha, Musical Fidelity, and after your review I'm going to have to look closer into McIntosh! Pairing with a powerful warm amp makes a lot of sense to me after listening to your experience. Thanks for bringing something new of value to the conversation on these speakers by discussing amp pairing in detail and the feedback from your friends is always helpful! Edit: I really think these Model 5s being a 6ohm speaker is in part what makes it a little tricky getting them to their highest potential.

Hey Thomas. KLH was the speaker that got me going into this hobby. I owned 3 different models and really liked them all. Mr. Kloss created some amazing speakers with terrific performance.Thanks for the video.

sealed boxes tend to have good mid-bass and are particularly good in smaller rooms

I've got 4 pairs of the KLH and they sound awesome with all kinds of music, I have a wide variety of music and they handle all of it with ease

Thomas, you out did your self on this one. Thanks for your efforts

Another great review. I am old and still love vintage gear. Amazing that even with RU-vid compression you could hear the difference with the McIntosh 6700 seems like a good match and a fun sound.

Takes me back to my STEREO REVIEW days.

Thomas you are such a great audiophile story teller. I have little interest in this speaker and yours is the first video I've watched about them, I just can't resist a Thomas and Stereo story time. I really loved the bit at the end about showing your setup to your mentor.

Love the detail and not vague analysis. Told me what I wanted to know. Thankyou

Waiting for mine to arrive in a couple of weeks. I hope they sound as good in my room too!! Thanks for all your awesome reviews, Thomas. it's always so refreshing to watch your reviews!! I think you are one of those lucky ones to have a bunch of audiophile friends to have different views/thoughts in the gear you review. Their contribution is so valuable too.

Nice, they seem to be the ones that give you the best of both worlds. Enjoy, because that the ultimate goal!

You are really talented in your descriptions. In framing this review you really conveyed a clear idea of the sound profile..outstanding review!

this is the sound i have been waiting to hear , it reminds me of the old mission 710 , i can not afford them now but its the one for the future KLH YOU HAVE BROUGHT THAT VINTAGE SOUND BACK SOUND BACK

I’m also glad they have the walnut finish available in the U.S. now !

I had one like that in the 70s. Recently I bought a pair of speakers which did not sell. Got it cheap and spent some money on new crossovers. Man it sounded great.

Excellent information. You're adding scope to my listening abilities. 😊

Awesome review as usual. Comparing the sound signature with various equipment is very helpful to understand not only the speakers but the equipment as well. Well done.

Excellent description and overview. I grew up on all paper cones with woofers of ten inches and up. I still like paper. If I had the space I would buy these without hearing them because I know the sound you are describing. Thank you for this video. Great !!!

I was given a pair of old KLH Heritage USA bookshelf speakers. 6.5” and tweeter. They are impressive for their size. I made them my garage speakers and have a very nice sounding garage.

Best review yet on model 5s. Now lets get an update in the braun 810s and compare ir ADS 810S.

Thomas - Hey great review on the KLH Model 5's. I think I'll add a pair to my collection as well. Keep up the great reviews!

Wow.. first of your videos I've watched. Incredible review format Thomas, really enjoyed.

I did not realize how bad these Model 5's were sounding until I bought the Denafrips Ares II DAC... I wish I would have bought the Pontus II now... But, the Ares II was the game changer and honestly brought the KLH speakers to life. I loved the sound of the Ares, so I went and purchased their Iris DDC, Hades preamp and their Thallo amplifier. I also picked up the new BS Node to stream with. The Denafrips gear has a smooth and warm sound to them, which just as Thomas stated, they sound the best with this setup. I can now sit for hours and actually enjoy the music without wondering what the hell is wrong with my system, or why my ears are bleeding. It was the DAC! The Ares II solved ALL of those issues. Pontus II coming soon.

Thanks for the review, love the old school look.

Mine will be here in the next two weeks😎😎😎

Hi Thomas another great review, my first set of speakers KLH 2 way in 1974, still miss them. Hope to get these speakers at some point. Take Care

Great A-B comparison. Thank you so much. They are and were no.1 on my list.

I bet Mr. Vintage loved it!

Nice review Thomas. Also I like the look of the speakers, nice to see some more old school look again.

Love the KLH vintage looks. Reminds me of dad’s Sony speakers from the 80’s. Enjoyed your review and explanation about draw of the vintage sound. Looks like KLH has nailed it with this version of model 5. I see you have the Doge 8 pre … look forward to your review of it. I have the 2021 XLR version with Telefunken and Brimar yellow tubes.

Great review Thomas !! These are definitely on my radar .. alot to think about…

Hi Thomas, new to your channel and just subscribed...I love your layed back approach. I have in my system vintage KLH Model 5's a beautiful well crafted speaker inside and out....I needed to replace the caps in the crossovers, the build inside the Model 5 was so impressive.

Wow. Just beautiful. I wouldn't say vintage. I would say timeless.

Thomas wait until you review the new Revival Audio Atalante 5 Speakers ! They are the very best cheaper speakers out there right now that can hang with the Big Boys...

First time listener/watcher, and I thought your review was very good. I am very much considering purchasing the Model 5's, if there's room in our living room. I'm a bit "late to the table" regarding watching this review, though. And the main takeaway I get(from your review, and then reading a slew of comments below) is that the only amp that will make these sound great is the McIntosh MAC6700, or a similar McIntosh. I understand that your thoughts are that the amp generally needs to be "warm", and it needs to have a bit of power, but after all was said and done, I still get the feeling that the only way to go is with a very expensive McIntosh amp. Now I'm not so sure whether I want to purchase the Model 5's. I don't know if my amp is capable of making them sound their best. If I'm getting ready to plunk down $2K+ on a pair of speakers, I'd like to know my amp can "make them sing".

Wow very impressive review Thomas! The fantastic review itself aside I’m so impressed with the filming, lighting, audio, editing, and also getting multiple audio friends to try the speakers!?! I think we viewers can take for granted how many hours it takes to put together a review this polished and all the practice in front of a camera to come across as natural as you do - especially without a “professional” video crew doing everything!! Well done. *slow golf clap* (Ps I have had these speakers for awhile now after having a few other pairs over the years and love these!! Don’t see myself switching for a long time. Have them paired with a Hegel amp and it gives lots of bass control, power, warmth and imaging Hegel is known for and makes them come alive)

Been waiting for this review...and it was worth the wait! I've been enjoying these speakers for a few months now, and your assessment more or less matches mine. When I first got them, I was concerned that I wouldn't be satisfied with the relatively non-"punchy" bass, but I've not felt any lack in the bass performance. In fact, the bass is excellent. It obviously doesn't go super low, but it sounds very natural to me. I've definitely had your experience of being drawn away from what I was doing to just enjoy the music. These are the most emotionally engaging speakers I've had, and for me that's what it's all about. My previous speakers were Tekton Impact Monitors, which are technically excellent, but they just don't speak to my heart like these. I'm driving them with a Purifi-based amp from VTV Amplifier, which has plenty of power. I think the combo sounds great, but I haven't tried them with any other amps. I'm VERY curious to hear the upcoming Models 3 and 7.

The Mac setup sounds so much warmer with tons of clarity. Thanks for sharing.

'Scotty, man, I need more power' made me laugh so hard! You made my day! Thank you! Again, the synergy between amp and speakers seems to be at the forefront of audio nirvana.

One does not simply walk into a store and buy a model5 ,but rather the model 5 buys you!!!

Gorgeous speakers by KLH!👌

Wonderful review as alway. Thx Thomas!

I own a pair of 900B's and the clarity and bass are just beautiful,and if that sound quality continues ... i am dying to hear these model 5's in person.

I have these paired with the Yamaha as1200s. I never tried them with the McIntosh. But I have found a solution that works for me to take care of the edginess that you are referring to with brighter sounding amps. If I EQ the 200hz region to plus 2db you can get a warmer less peaky sound. Erin’s audio corner says there is a baffle step mismatch in the measurements in this region where there is a slight lack in the mid bass. This really makes this set up much fuller in sound and almost perfect to my ears. I do this using the digital EQ on my WiiM pro. I found you can’t achieve this using the analog EQ on the Yamaha or the attenuators on the back of the speakers. Just my experience. Cheers.

Good at everything. Master of none. Which is high praise.

recently listened to a pair / set of these, in a specialist Hi-Fi store. Man these definitely sounded fantastic, and I have Focal Chorus speakers..

Hi Thomas, I absolutely love your channel! Thank you for all of your time and efforts to really impart your genuine thoughts and feeling about audio equipment. It’s clear that you really put a lot of heart into all of your videos, and I must say, it’s truly appreciated! I wasn’t sure how to email you, so I figured I would just leave you a message on your latest video. I recently purchased the SVS Prime Pinnacles and for their relatively meager price of $800.00 a speaker ($1,600 for the pair), I think they’re pretty special. I’ve had a hard time finding a speaker that has detail, but isn’t too bright. This speaker has done that in my space where other speakers really struggled (my area is not sound treated), but they also have a surprisingly controlled bass response and a wonderfully transparent sound stage IMO. Probably their best feature is that I can see only through just about any source at them and they do a pretty great job - they’ve been super versatile. Perhaps my only complaint is a thin lower midrange, but there’s always a trade off and all things considered, I believe this is a very smooth, balanced loud speaker. There aren’t many reviews of the Pinnacle towers - it would be amazing if you were able to do one. I would love to hear your thoughts about them! For what it’s worth, for home theater I’ve paired them with an SVS Ultra center and two SVS Prime satellite speakers for ceiling mounted rears. I also have two HSU Research subs that have been great. Anyways, think about checking out the SVS Prime Pinnacle towers. I haven’t seen you review anything recently that is quiet like them. Regardless, keep up the great work!

I took my 1974 KLH Model 32s out of mothballs. I replaced the capacitors with better quality modern audio grade capacitors and replaced the iron core inductors with high quality air core inductors of similar value. I reinforced the inside of the cabinet and applied Noico sound deadening mats inside and on the backs of the speaker magnets and frame plus inserted sheets of 3/4” Rockwool on top of the Noico and put more fiberglass fill inside. The cloth surrounds of the woofers were recoated with Permatex. Overkill? Maybe but I considered them relatively cheap modifications and the improvement was remarkable. I made up a new set of higher quality speaker cables and with my old 1979 JVc 60wpc receiver it was well worth the time and it was minimal expense to improve a classic KLH 2 way Speaker. Plus it was an enjoyable project.

Super presentation... well done. Thank you.

Excellent review and analysis!

I had some KLH one speakers I dearly love them until they just fell apart. I used them to fill an entire school auditorium with music for a dance recital using a Marantz 30 white per channel amplifier and it was loud.

Was so excited for this one I streamed it in the car on the way to work hahah. The equipment matching here really surprised me as other reviewers said they sound good with everything. I found that hard to believe, so I'm glad you clarified for us the differences. Thank you! Mcintosh has the signature of adding white gloves and beauty to speakers, so sounds like KLH really benefits from that, for other speakers it can be "boring". Now I need Mcintosh gear and KLH, boy life is tough hahah. Thanks Thomas

no one says the word 'fantastic' in such a funtastic way as Thomas does 06:38

Hey I bought these when they first came out this year. I tried not to overpraise them to others, but I've been very happy with them vs where I came from. I didn't realize the soundstage was so big comparatively. Probably cause my old speakers were omnipolar.

YOU GOT ME, I MUST HAVE THESE.

Excellent, detailed review. Thank you.

A very interesting and detail analysis. Thank you.

I ordered mine back in April, I was assured they would ship in May, now when I inquire, I'm told that they will be shipped in two weeks but I have got this same message several times. I have given up asking them - ship dates come and go.

hello I discovered these historic speakers, which I would like. in France we have cabasse historique cabasse has produced and still produces over the years, wonderful speakers. models from the 70s / 80s always ready to offer the best thanks for this presentation.

I started my audio journey with the Original Large Advents,and I'll never the BASS ,good to 32 hz fundamental...midrange was clear but a tad shy on the very top end;I'm in the process of having them "re-foamed",totally worth it

I visited some friends beautiful mid century California home the other day. While they have no audio system, it occurred to me that the KLH 5 speakers (Or Lynton for that matter) driven by some Mac electronics (Leak is too underpowered) would be just perfect for the home from a nostalgia design stand point. Add some LPs and a record player of the era and It would take me back to my youth. Just put on Dave Brubeck, Take Five, add slippers, a cardigan sweater and some nice whisky and the picture is complete. Sounds like a place Id like to be. heh.

I think speakers around this price range should be tested with amps around this price range-to make the review relevant to a lot of us for whom the 10K amps will forever be unattainable. How does KLH work with Rega, Rotel a11, a14-mki; Audiolab 6000A; Atoll; Sphinx Rougue; Msi5 -from low to the mid-tier hi-fi amps? I appreciate the reporting of the pairing with Iota.

Modern high resolving systems accurately reproduce the flaws of poor recordings. One reason people like tubes and vinyl is that they blur or gloss over these imperfections and make them sound much "nicer" and therefore "heartwarming". It's like an open fire vs radiant heating. A fireplace is badly flawed but it's got poetry and character. The "quest" drives me to higher resolution sources that highly resolving gear will portray as they should, i.e. "great". In my case I'd rather have my emotions stirred by truly great and accurate sound, not by throwing a veil over the defects.

Thank you. Very interesting review. It sounds like these might be very good for most classical music as long as you add a sub for organ passages. I am old enough to remember when 10" woofers we're generally for bookshelf speakers. 😉 Technically Acoustic Suspension is distinct from sealed in that the driver's parameters are specifically designed to use the compression of air in the smallish box as part of the suspension. In a way it is a matter of degree but in a classic sealed system the box is primarily serving to capture the rear wave rather than to be a part of Qms.

Those look beautiful.

Thomas, I love your stories, keep them coming. Speakers today, sterile, that is what I hear in these modern speakers... I currently have the SVS Ultras, the bookshelf models. I had the big Emotiva towers, have some Klipsch, some Wharfedales, etc... Nothing does it for me. After awhile, they all sound small and boxy, no excitement and quite honestly, not that much fun to listen to. I want that old school sound I grew up with, those big cabinets, BIG Woofers, etc... Throw the Led Zeppelin on, The Who, Floyd, Dire Straits, Yes, Jimmy Hendrix, Queen, some old Stones, Muddy Waters, Boston, Ted Nugent, The Beastie Boys.... So much stuff out there that was never meant to be played on speakers the size of shoe boxes, it is time to regress! And screw the detail, LOL! I want to tap my toe and say hell ya! LOL! I am genuinely excited, and I hope this silly speaker nonsense can come to an end for awhile. I did just order a pair. I love the sealed box, these should play well with my SVS SB3000 subs... Yes, I'm a bass head... This should be fun, I have a few A/B amps, some D's, along with a couple of Schiit preamps and DACs. I should be able to make these sing and find the sound I am looking for. Thank you for the review Thomas, you and Mr Vintage sealed the deal. If this does not fill the bill, a set of X-Statik open baffles from GR-Research, if the parts are available.

I’m currently in a very small room and can only really support bookshelf speakers so went with the Buchardt S300s. But these look perfect for a larger space, when I move in a couple of years I think I’ll probably invest in a pair of these for the front room.

I have the original 5's. They truly rock. They have twin midrange drivers side by side. If you can find & review them and compare with these "new" ones that would be very interesting. Thanks for this excellent video.

G'day Tomas great review mate you've picked my interest about these speakers. I love there look😎 and l will audition them after your review thanks.👍🎧😁

Wonderful video! Nice review!

If I need a McIntosh to drive no.5 - I’m in trouble. Thanks for the most informative KLH no5 review.

Thomas, great review! But why do you call these boxes "sealed port" design? They don't have any ports at all. Usually such design is called either sealed(closed) box or acoustic suspension.

I'll also have to concur with what Thomas says here about power. Though I don't really have audiophile type amplification on these (I have a Yamaha AVR Aventage RX1080), the receiver does allow me to either power these at small (as low as 40hz cutoff) vs large (full range). Despite popular advice of always setting your speakers to small unless you speakers can do 20-ish hz., with these there is a very noticable loss of bass quality if you do a low pass cutoff. They sound better driven at full range with as much power as is available. Also I've tried, but any sort of electronic room EQ doesn't do the speakers any favors, so I run the receiver in the "front" setting which leaves the speakers uncorrected, and just eq's rest of the system around that baseline. Every room is different though so maybe EQ will help in other peoples situations. I did find these easy to place in room and blend with my subwoofer though, and having the crossovers overlap (sub is still at 60hz) hasn't caused any issues, sounds great. Toe-in affected my sound the most, backwall placement was not an issue, I could get pretty close with no noticable change (I'm not a stickler for imaging though, I just like some soundstage and non-exaggerated bass response).

I can see how these KLH 5s stand out among other speakers. The Spendor classic series cost several times the price of these. Makes the KLH offerings much more accessible.

Marks room is the neatest 😁

Thank you for the well rounded review. I really am intrigued by these speakers but was afraid my McIntosh MA-6600 might be overkill. Now I think I may order a set.