“Speakers have great low end frequency response and tight bass, great clear mid range and great clear high frequency response. These are the greatest speakers I have ever owned.”
“I already reviewed these, but should have waited. (Pull the first review if need be). What I want to tell any perspective buyer(s), to get the most incredible sound out of these, and I mean the largest biggest, baddest soundstage out of the KLH Model 5 speakers, you need to do this... And nowhere I have heard anyone state this in any review on the speakers I have read of viewed.
If you want that HUGE, and I mean HUGE soundstage, you need to feed the Model 5's clean and neutral sounding power in the 200+ wpc range, the more the better, they can handle it. I already did the work for you. I'm using 10 ga OFC speaker cable and banana plugs, just so you know, nothing fancy.
First up, my Emotiva XPA2 Class A/B amplifier, 200+ wpc, these have the power, but were only ok, I did not like the A/B amp sound, they were a bit dull, just my ears folks, it did not do it for me, there was something going on, a bit warm and again, dull. It added coloration or warmth to the DAC, not good. Neutral, you want a truly neutral amplifier.
Then I tried the SVS SoundBase, a 150 wpc Class D amp/DAC was a definite sound improvement, got my toe tapping, BIG soundstage, but just a tad bright. These Class D amps seem to really open up the model 5's.
And finally, I hooked up the XTZ Edge A2-400 Class D amplifier... This is a small, yet powerful amplifier. This amp is putting out 2 x 220 W (1% THD, 8 Î:copyright:), 2 x 420 W (1% THD, 4 Î:copyright:) and Bridged/BTL operation 1 x 800 W (1% THD, 8 Î:copyright:). One caveat with this amp over some others out there, and this is a good thing. The XTZ amp, once the gain control is set, is dead silent, and extremely neutral from everything I have read and watched. So, keep that in mind when looking for an amplifier in this class and wattage.
This is now about RAW POWER. And that was the game changer with the 6 ohm rated KLH Model 5's and this muscular amplifier. I cannot measure how many actual watts per channel are physically going to my Model 5's... BUT!
The extra power of this XTZ amp took the Model 5's to a completely new level, I went from toe tapping to slack jawed in amazement. The soundstage expanded into the room, it surrounds you, envelops you. But, it gets even better, keep reading...
For Home Theater, these two speakers and amp pairing make my prior SVS Ultra HT speaker package sound like a total and complete waste of money. I did keep the pair of SVS SB3000 subs, and have since added those to the Model 5's, and this has yet AGAIN taken the KLH speakers to yet another level, if that was even possible.
The addition of the SVS sealed subwoofers, sealed being critical to the sound, took the already fantastic soundstage from an intimate club/concert venue to a full blown concert hall. The soundstage expanded, exploded, the subs blend seamlessly with the speakers, and the presentation is there, it puts you in the room "there". The improvement was not just minor, it was actually quite a bit, I cannot even explain it, the speakers are now transparent, as the sound wraps around you, and yet you can hear something going on in the left channel, but now you can hear it like it is right next to you, to the point you have to look. It is a really cool effect of this system since adding the more powerful amplifier and dual subwoofers.
So, I have now replaced an entire HT system that comprised of two huge Emotiva XPA amplifiers, the SVS Ultra 5 pc. HT speaker package, the Denon X4400H AVR, and all of the other stuff that goes with it, including miles of cable, down to two pieces of gear and a few inexpensive, yet quality cables, sitting on a downsized Pangea Vulcan, now three shelf audio rack, which holds the small class D amp and the Cambridge Audio CXN v2 network streamer/DAC/preamp.
I have the Cambridge hooked to the TV via optical cable along with a Roku Ultra and AppleTV via HDMI to the Sony TV, the two speakers and two subs. The Cambridge unit has AirPlay too, and it sounds fantastic with both Amazon and Apple Music. The built in DAC up samples everything you feed it, this does not add anything to the sound, but to my understanding, it opens up the sound, giving you much finer detail that other DACs will not give. Yes, there are better DACs out there, but you will pay for them, more than the cost of the entire Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer.
This combination I stumbled into, hits every cylinder and checks every box for roughly $6000. Yep, that is a lot of money, but is something, at least I am assuming, can be achieved by most folks that would be purchasing these KLH speakers that want to hit this higher level that the KLH bring to the table. The few folks that have heard this setup have been totally amazed at the sound, they all told me flat out the SVS system sucked, like stunk up the place sucked. LOL! And I have to agree with them! Hours of room correction, sub tuning, etc. Meh.
So, if you are thinking of pairing these with a sub, and they honestly DO NOT need a sub, but if you want to go to the next level... One sub, or even better, a pair of subs, I would go with the REL that Audio Advisor sells, the T5x, T7x or T9x models, depending on your room size, one of the Audio Advisor guys can help make that decision. The REL's to my ear are as good or better than my SVS SB3000 subs, a tad bit tighter and faster than the SVS, just a tad, but the SVS comes with an app to control every function of the sub from your phone or iPad, just saying. Either brand and you will be good to go. Me, I would go with the REL.
Audio Advisor also sell the Cambridge CXN v2 network streamer, and honestly that was a great purchase, as the DAC in it is fantastic along with the preamp function that just adds to the value. You are getting three units in one box, it has volume control via the remote, and is easy to use, just add an amplifier. I run the XLR out to the amp, and the L/R RCA outputs to each of the subs, so I get proper bass over the Left and Right channels. The SVS subwoofers handle the crossover, which I am still experimenting with. Currently it is set at 65hz and the volume is I believe at -11db, somewhere around there, again, still tuning it in, but I am very close.
So, if you purchase the KLH Model 5, do yourself a favor and pair it with a similar power amplifier, look at a Crown amp too if you can get around the looks, because if you do not, you are truly missing the party. I honestly do not think you can find a better speaker for the money. I would put these up against anything out there currently in the market at this price point. To my ear, these sound better than the Klipsch and JBL offerings that go for twice the money, and yes, I have heard them. I could have bought the Klipsch, but took a chance on the KLH, paid 50% less and glad I did.
And folks, the Model 5's honestly do not take up that much room, and the cabinets look like quality furniture, I have the walnut with white linen grills, and they look gorgeous. Also, if you are on carpet, the stands slide effortlessly when you need to vacuum or dust. Also, the Pangea Vulcan stand, I bought the roll on casters, Audio Advisor sells those, along with the Vulcan rack. This makes cleaning that much easier, as the rack simply rolls out into the room. Just make sure you have long enough cables to do just that, or you will possibly break or damage something.
If this gets posted, and you made it this far, I hope this helped someone.”
“Having auditioned the Klipsch, JBL, etc., large old school cabinet speakers, I could never justify the price. Well, along comes KLH. These Model 5 speakers are just as good, and actually better than the similar speakers I have heard at two, three and four times the price. The soundstage of these speakers, in my listening area, is GYNORMOUS! The highs have that sparkle, not bright, grainy or harsh, a more natural in the studio or at the club sound. Mid range is present, but invisible, the speakers are invisible, You do not know they are there, the room is filled with sound, it is just incredible. The bass, I have two SVS SB3000 subs, I will put them into the mix for movie night, I ditched the home theater set up. But honestly, for most music, the bass on the Model 5's is there, it hits very low in my room, so low you can feel the bass in your feet. And the bass is tight, musical, and will get pretty darn low, tight and controlled, no boom, it is an acoustic suspension speaker.
I have only had time to hook them up to my SVS Soundbase, and the sound was incredible. I have an XPA 2 that I would like to try with these, and a XTZ Edge A2-400 Class D that I will try too. I just picked up the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 streamer. I'm really curious how the DAC on that unit compares to the DAC in the SVS Soundbase. Then we also have a Schiit Gumby, and some other preamps, Freya, Emotiva, etc...
For the money, I do not think you can go wrong, even with the recent price increase, they are worth every penny in my book. I can only imagine how these will sound on better gear, it is only up from here. And thank you Jay for locking down the Demo speakers, you are the man!”
“Been a long time since I've listened to acoustic suspension speakers, but I've got to say that the Model 5 is beautifully balanced and shows the positive characteristics of the design.....namely smooth and well articulated bass. Overall, the bass, mids, and highs are well integrated. These speakers are being used with entry level electronics....I can only imagine how goid they could sound with higher end gear. Well worth the asking price.”
