KLH Model 5 Speakers

KLH Model Five Three-Way Acoustic Suspension Floorstanding Loudspeaker

The speaker that defined American hi-fi in the late 1960s and early 1970s, re-engineered from the ground up by KLH chief designer Kerry Geist using modern materials, modern measurement techniques, and the same acoustic suspension principles Henry Kloss helped pioneer — now deeper, cleaner, and more capable than the original it honors.

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A Speaker With a History Worth Knowing

The original KLH Model Five was produced from 1968 to 1977 and became one of the most popular American loudspeakers ever made. It sat in living rooms, college dormitories, and apartments across the United States alongside turntables and receivers that define what people mean when they describe the golden age of hi-fi. It was a three-way acoustic suspension design — sealed cabinet, paper-cone woofer, midrange driver, and tweeter — at a price and performance level that made serious sound accessible to anyone who cared about it. Henry Kloss helped develop the acoustic suspension principle at Acoustic Research and brought it to KLH when he cofounded the company in 1957. The original Model Five was one of its finest expressions.

KLH went dormant in 1989 when its Japanese owner discontinued the brand. In 2017, David Kelley — who had served as President of Klipsch — acquired the KLH name and set out to do something specific and deliberate: not revive the brand with entry-level products, but build what Henry Kloss would have built if he had access to 2021 materials, measurement technology, and manufacturing precision. Kerry Geist, who spent 32 years designing speakers at Klipsch before joining KLH, was the engineering lead. The new Model Five launched in 2021 to a level of critical response that is rare in the speaker industry. Stereophile reviewed it. Sound & Vision reviewed it. StereoNET awarded it the Applause Award. Every review said essentially the same thing: this speaker does what acoustic suspension is supposed to do, and it does it at a price that is difficult to explain without simply buying a pair.

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What It Is and Who It's For

The KLH Model Five is a three-way acoustic suspension floorstanding loudspeaker with a 10-inch woofer, a dedicated 4-inch midrange driver in its own sealed internal sub-enclosure, and a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. It stands 26 inches tall without its included 5-degree slant riser base — compact enough for most living rooms, large enough to produce real, room-filling sound without a subwoofer in a typical listening space.

The buyer this serves is wide-ranging. The listener who wants a complete, full-range, no-apologies speaker system without adding a subwoofer. The person who grew up with a pair of acoustic suspension speakers — KLH, Advent, AR — and wants to hear that character again with modern driver performance. The audiophile who has read enough about ported speakers and their tuning resonances to want a sealed design for its linearity and bass accuracy, and who recognizes that a 10-inch sealed woofer at this price is not a common thing. And the practical listener who wants a speaker that can be placed reasonably close to the rear wall without bass quality penalties — a constraint that most ported designs handle poorly and sealed designs handle well.

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Engineering: Old Principle, Modern Execution

Kerry Geist's design brief for the new Model Five was explicit: not to recreate what Henry Kloss built in 1968, but to reimagine what he would have built with today's tools. The cabinet dimensions and the acoustic suspension sealed enclosure were retained as constants — the same external footprint, the same internal volume, the same basic three-way architecture. Everything else was optimized from first principles using modern finite element analysis, laser measurement of driver behavior, and computer-aided crossover modeling.

The 10-inch woofer is built specifically for this application. Its die-cast aluminum frame is designed for the high-excursion demands of a sealed enclosure — acoustic suspension designs require the woofer to travel farther than a ported design of equivalent output capability, and the frame and suspension must accommodate that travel without mechanical stress. The pulp-paper cone uses a reverse-roll rubber surround, and the voice coil is a 2-inch diameter flat-wire design. Flat-wire voice coils fit more turns of conductor in the same gap depth as round-wire coils, which increases the motor's efficiency and force constant. An aluminum flux stabilizing ring in the magnet assembly linearizes the motor behavior during large excursions — the same feature found in high-end woofer designs at significantly higher prices. The tuning frequency measured by Stereophile at approximately 42 Hz confirms that the sealed air spring is providing a meaningful extension advantage compared to smaller sealed designs.

The midrange driver is a 4-inch pulp-paper cone mounted in its own sealed internal sub-enclosure, crossed over from the woofer at 380 Hz and to the tweeter at 2,850 Hz. Both crossovers are second-order (12 dB/octave). The isolated midrange sub-enclosure prevents the woofer's back-pressure during bass reproduction from mechanically coupling to the midrange driver's behavior — without it, the large woofer excursions during bass-heavy content would modulate the midrange and introduce intermodulation distortion in the band most sensitive to the ear. This is the correct engineering approach to three-way speaker design, and it is what separates a genuine three-way from a woofer with an add-on midrange.

The tweeter is a 1-inch aluminum dome with soft rubber suspension, mounted behind a machined aluminum faceplate. The machined faceplate manages diffraction from the dome edge — a source of off-axis irregularity in many aluminum dome designs. Stereophile's step response measurements found that the tweeter and midrange are connected in inverted acoustic polarity to the woofer, which is the correct implementation for the second-order crossover topology — the polarity inversion maintains phase coherence at the crossover points. Geist noted to Stereophile that "the decay of the tweeter's step smoothly blends with the negative-going start of the midrange unit's step, which implies optimal crossover design." That is a technically precise statement from an independent measurement that confirms the crossover was implemented correctly.

The 13-component crossover network uses iron-core inductors and Mylar capacitors — the same construction used in the Model Three and Model Seven. Iron-core inductors in woofer circuits provide high inductance in a compact physical form; Mylar capacitors are stable, low-loss devices well-suited to crossover applications. The whole assembly is tuned to produce a horizontal dispersion specification of 140 degrees — a wide and controlled listening window that supports stable imaging across a broad seating area rather than a narrow sweet spot.

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The Wide Baffle: Acoustic Function and Visual Identity

The Model Five's 13.75-inch-wide cabinet is wide relative to its height and depth — an 18-inch front baffle in the Model Seven and a proportionally wide baffle here. This is not simply an aesthetic homage to vintage KLH designs, though it is that too. The wide baffle reduces the diffraction step frequency — the point at which acoustic energy begins to wrap around the cabinet edges rather than projecting forward — and produces more controlled, consistent sound at the listening position. Stereophile's measurements confirmed broad horizontal dispersion from the front baffle geometry, with the tweeter's output rolling off smoothly to the sides as frequency rises — a behavior that recommends moderate rather than aggressive toe-in for most rooms.

The 5-degree slant riser base is included with every pair. It raises the speaker and tilts the baffle toward a seated listener, aligning the tweeter axis with typical ear height in a listening chair. It is built from powder-coated 14-gauge steel — non-resonant, heavy, and stable. Unlike the Model Three's 8-degree base, the 5-degree angle is gentler because the Model Five's 26-inch cabinet height already places the tweeter closer to seated ear height, requiring less angular correction.

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Critical Reception: What Reviewers Found

The critical record for the new KLH Model Five is consistent and unusually strong for a speaker at this price. Stereophile reviewed it and praised its "clean, uncolored sound with solid bass" and "cool vintage looks." Sound & Vision called it "an exceptional update to an iconic speaker design." StereoNET awarded it the Applause Award. SoundStage reviewed it with measurements taken at Canada's National Research Council and described the combination of performance and price as difficult to rationalize without simply buying a pair.

The specific character that reviewers consistently describe is: tight, fast bass without boom or overhang; a midrange that resolves fine detail and positions instruments precisely; and a presentation that is neutral enough to disappear as a source of coloration, letting the recording itself dominate. Audiophile Heaven described "a sweetness and silky midrange texture" alongside "outstanding precision and clarity." The recurring reference to the midrange — which is the Model Five's defining advantage over a two-way design — reflects what a properly isolated, dedicated 4-inch midrange driver in the most critical frequency band actually does.

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How It Compares: Model Five vs. Model Three and Model Seven

The KLH Model Three is the compact two-way bookshelf speaker in the same family, using an 8-inch woofer with no dedicated midrange. The Model Three is smaller, lighter, less expensive, and appropriate for bookshelf or stand placement in smaller rooms. For a listener who specifically wants a dedicated midrange driver and a 10-inch woofer's bass authority, or whose room is large enough to benefit from the Model Five's additional output capability, the Model Five is the meaningful step up. As Sound & Vision noted, with a subwoofer added the Model Three approaches the Model Five's overall performance — but the Model Five arrives at full-range capability without that additional component.

The KLH Model Seven is the flagship of the Model Collection — a 13-inch woofer in a true three-way design with a wider cabinet, a higher crossover complement, and a price that reflects the more extensive engineering investment. The Model Five is the right choice for most rooms and most budgets. The Model Seven is the right choice when scale, the deepest bass extension, and the widest baffle imaging are the priorities.

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Key Specifications

• Type: Three-way acoustic suspension (sealed) floorstanding loudspeaker
• Woofer: 10" pulp-paper cone; reverse-roll rubber surround; 2" diameter flat-wire voice coil; die-cast aluminum frame; aluminum flux stabilizing ring
• Midrange: 4" pulp-paper cone; reverse-roll rubber surround; die-cast aluminum frame; isolated internal sealed sub-enclosure
• Tweeter: 1" aluminum dome with soft rubber suspension; machined aluminum faceplate
• Crossover Frequencies: 380 Hz (woofer/midrange, 2nd-order); 2,850 Hz (midrange/tweeter, 2nd-order)
• Crossover: 13-component network; iron-core inductors; Mylar capacitors
• Frequency Response: 42 Hz–20 kHz (±3 dB)
• Low-Frequency Extension: −10 dB at 32 Hz
• Sensitivity: 87.5 dB (2.83V/1m, free field); ~90.5 dB in-room
• Impedance: 6Ω nominal; 3.5Ω minimum (at 140 Hz)
• Power Handling: 200W RMS continuous; 800W peak
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 20–200W
• In-Room Maximum SPL: 112.3 dB
• Horizontal Dispersion: 140°
• Acoustic Balance Control: 3-position; 0 / −1.5 / −3.0 dB above 400 Hz (High/Mid/Low)
• Cabinet: Structurally reinforced ¾" MDF; acoustic suspension sealed
• Tweeter Faceplate: Machined aluminum
• Inputs: Gold-plated 5-way binding posts
• Grille: Magnetic attachment; low-profile; zinc-cast vintage KLH logo
• Riser Base: Included; 5-degree slant; powder-coated 14-gauge steel; 8" height
• Dimensions (without base): 13.75"W × 26"H × 11.5"D
• Dimensions (with base): 13.75"W × 34.25"H × 13"D
• Weight: 44 lbs each (without base); 52 lbs each (with base)
• Finish: English Walnut (with Stonewash Linen grille) / West African Mahogany (with Old World Linen grille) (confirm AEE stocked finish(es))
• Sold: As pairs
• Warranty: 10 years parts and labor (KLH Audio USA)

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Why Buy From All Elite Audio

All Elite Audio is an authorized KLH dealer carrying the complete Model Collection Series. The Model Five is a speaker we can demonstrate in context — paired with amplifiers from the brands we carry and set up in a room that lets its sealed-enclosure bass character and three-way midrange make their case directly. If you are deciding between the Model Three, Model Five, and Model Seven, or evaluating the KLH line against other speakers we carry, that comparison is worth making in person.

Call 443-402-5055, text 443-402-5064, or visit us at 1921 York Rd, Timonium, MD 21093.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the KLH Model Five and how does it relate to the original speaker from the 1960s?

The new KLH Model Five is a complete redesign that shares the original's cabinet dimensions, three-way acoustic suspension architecture, and general aesthetic — wide baffle, real-wood veneer, cloth grille, zinc-cast KLH logo — but uses entirely new drivers, a new crossover, and modern manufacturing techniques. The original 1968 Model Five used dual 5-inch midrange drivers; the new version uses a single, more capable 4-inch design in its own sealed sub-enclosure. The original woofer predates modern finite element analysis and laser measurement techniques; the new 10-inch driver was optimized using both. KLH chief designer Kerry Geist described the goal as designing the Model Five that Henry Kloss would have built with today's tools, not recreating the sound of the original. The result is an amplifier that extends lower, measures cleaner, and produces more output than the model it honors.

How does acoustic suspension compare to ported designs in real listening?

In a ported design, the cabinet is tuned to a specific frequency where the port's acoustic output supplements the woofer's output, extending bass below the woofer's natural rolloff. This produces a measurable bass extension advantage and a characteristic peak near the port tuning frequency, followed by a steep rolloff below it. In a sealed acoustic suspension design, the enclosed air acts as a spring that controls the woofer's motion, producing bass that rolls off more gradually and more linearly below resonance. The practical differences are most audible in the character of bass rather than its absolute extension: acoustic suspension bass tends to be tighter and better-defined on transients — drums start and stop more cleanly, bass guitar lines have more pitch definition — while ported designs can produce more total bass energy with more of the tuning resonance character. In a real room, boundary reinforcement at the floor and rear wall adds several decibels of low-frequency energy below 100 Hz, which meaningfully narrows the measured bass extension difference between the two design approaches.

Why does the Model Five have a dedicated midrange driver and why does it matter?

A two-way speaker crosses its woofer over to its tweeter somewhere in the midrange band — the frequency range from roughly 300 Hz to 3,500 Hz where human hearing is most sensitive to tonal accuracy, phase coherence, and distortion. The crossover point falls directly in this critical region, and both drivers must handle frequencies near their performance limits. A dedicated midrange driver changes this: the 4-inch driver in the Model Five handles only the 380 Hz to 2,850 Hz range, optimized exclusively for that application. It reproduces voices, piano fundamentals, guitar body resonance, and the tonal core of most instruments without the compromises imposed by needing to also handle bass extension or treble detail. The isolated internal sub-enclosure prevents the 10-inch woofer's back-pressure during bass reproduction from modulating the midrange driver — a source of intermodulation distortion that would degrade the very quality the three-way design exists to provide.

What amplifier do I need for the Model Five?

KLH recommends 20–200 watts per channel. At 90.5 dB in-room sensitivity, the Model Five is one of the more efficient speakers at its price — it requires relatively little amplifier power to reach comfortable listening levels, and at 20 watts it will play satisfyingly loud in a typical room. The 6-ohm nominal impedance with a minimum of 3.5 ohms at 140 Hz means the amplifier will see a load approaching 4 ohms in a specific bass-frequency band. Confirm your amplifier is rated into 4-ohm loads. A quality integrated amplifier of 40–100 watts into 6–8 ohms is sufficient for most rooms and most listening levels. The Model Five's high sensitivity makes it unusually compatible with lower-powered tube amplifiers — it is one of the few speakers at this price where a 30-watt integrated can provide genuinely satisfying dynamic range in a medium-sized room.

How does the Model Five compare to the KLH Model Three?

The Model Three is the two-way bookshelf version of the same acoustic suspension design philosophy — sealed cabinet, wide baffle, real-wood veneer, Acoustic Balance Control, included riser base. The Model Five adds a dedicated 4-inch midrange driver in its own internal sub-enclosure, a larger 10-inch woofer, and a taller, floorstanding cabinet. The practical advantages are: more bass extension (−10 dB at 32 Hz vs. 35 Hz for the Model Three), higher maximum output (112.3 dB vs. 108 dB in-room SPL), and the midrange driver's contribution to vocal clarity and resolution in the 380–2,850 Hz band. The Model Three is appropriate for smaller rooms, bookshelf placement, and listeners who want to manage cost by adding a subwoofer separately. The Model Five is appropriate when a full-range, no-subwoofer solution is preferred and the room is large enough to benefit from the additional output.

How does the Model Five compare to the KLH Model Seven?

The Model Seven is the flagship of the KLH Model Collection, using a 13-inch woofer (versus the Model Five's 10-inch), a wider 18-inch front baffle, a third-order crossover (versus the Model Five's second-order), and a deeper, more costly enclosure construction. The Model Seven extends lower in bass, achieves higher maximum output, and carries a higher price. For most listening rooms and most listeners, the Model Five is fully satisfying and represents extraordinary value relative to its performance. The Model Seven is the right choice for larger rooms, listeners who want the deepest available bass from an acoustic suspension sealed design, or those who want the widest baffle imaging of the three KLH Collection speakers.

Can the Model Five be used near a rear wall?

Yes, with moderate care. KLH recommends a minimum of 30 centimeters from the rear wall and 30 centimeters from side walls for the best performance. The acoustic suspension sealed design handles rear-wall proximity better than most ported designs because there is no port output to be reinforced or disrupted by boundary reflections. Bass quality remains consistent with moderate wall proximity. The wide baffle's forward-projecting dispersion pattern reduces the energy reflected from the rear wall relative to a narrow-baffle design. For optimal imaging, pulling the speakers at least 18–24 inches from the rear wall is recommended if the room allows — but the Model Five is not unusually demanding in this respect.

What do the finish and grille options mean for the listening experience?

Both the English Walnut and West African Mahogany finishes are real-wood veneers applied over the MDF cabinet — not vinyl wrap or paint. The differences between them are purely aesthetic. The grille cloth affects the high-frequency response to a modest degree — several reviewers noted that listening with the grille in place slightly attenuates the upper treble, which some listeners prefer in brighter rooms or with upstream equipment that emphasizes treble detail. Sound & Vision's review noted "best sound with grilles off" as a minor observation rather than a serious criticism. KLH designed the Model Five to perform with grilles either on or off; experimenting with both in your own room is the practical recommendation.

What is the Acoustic Balance Control and how should I set it?

The three-position Acoustic Balance Control on the rear panel attenuates output above 400 Hz in approximately 1.5 dB steps. High is the neutral reference — the speaker's designed response. Mid applies roughly −1.5 dB above 400 Hz, and Low applies roughly −3.0 dB. The control compensates for acoustic environment differences: live rooms with hard surfaces and minimal absorption produce more cumulative mid and high-frequency energy at the listening position. Engaging Mid or Low corrects for this without requiring room treatment or signal processing. Most listeners in typically furnished rooms start at High and adjust from there based on listening. Stereophile's measurements confirmed the control's effect on both frequency response and input impedance, with the Lo position slightly raising impedance in the midrange band as a secondary effect.

Is the Model Five suitable for home theater use?

Yes. The 200-watt continuous power handling and 800-watt peak capability mean it handles full-range cinematic content with authority, and the sealed acoustic suspension bass is tighter and better-defined on explosive low-frequency effects than most ported designs of similar size. The 90.5 dB in-room sensitivity means even a modestly powered AV receiver can drive it to reference level. For a two-channel system used for both music and home theater, the Model Five performs well in both contexts without the tonal compromise that some audiophile speakers require. For multi-channel systems, the Model Five as a front left/right pair combined with the KLH Model Three as a center channel produces an acoustically coherent front soundstage.

Where can I buy the KLH Model Five and hear it?

All Elite Audio at 1921 York Rd, Timonium, MD 21093 is an authorized KLH dealer. We carry the full KLH Model Collection and can demonstrate the Model Five in a complete system — including the comparison with the Model Three and Model Seven that determines which speaker is right for your space. Call 443-402-5055, text 443-402-5064, or stop in.