Three Amazing Finishes
The KLH Model Five vintage speaker is offered in three gorgeous finishes (English Walnut, West African Mahogany, and Nordic Noir), allowing the loudspeaker to blend with all home decor. The English Walnut Model Five comes with a beautiful Stone Wash Linen grille cloth that magnifies the rich finish of the real wood veneers. Meanwhile, our West African Mahogany finish is complemented by an Old-World Linen grille cloth that will stop you in your tracks. And lastly, the Nordic Noir finish is shipped wearing the lovely Medici Grey Linen grille cloth. Want the option of pairing any grille cloth with the finish of your choosing? Don’t worry- you can purchase each style separately below!
Riser base and grilles included with speaker purchase
Dustin –
Nina Simone Comes Alive ! Well it is a Model 5 after all. Some equipment details: Vertical, linear tracking, quartz servo controlled belt drive turntable 41 years young with AT VM540ML cartridge, Music Hall phono stage, complete solid state separates power and pre-amp at 105 watts/channel into 8ohms. Room size 14′ x 16′ with 9 ft ceilings and 7 windows on 2 walls. Tested with Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Grateful Dead, CSNY, Santana, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, King Crimson, Yes, etc. so as you can see my tastes are very broad and will challenge any speakers. First, I thought I was hearing the brightness of the Aluminum tweeter. But this was overcome by the wide and deep soundstage, speed, accuracy and detail that I wasn’t getting from my Wharfedale Denton 80’s with a separate sub. I love the Wharfee’s but lacked detail and dynamics…great midrange for acoustical piano, guitar etc. After 60 hours, they have loosened up and are warmer. The brightness is mostly due to the recording and the amount of info the AT cartridge extracts from lesser pressings. These have solid bass, again pressing dependent. I don’t plan to use my sub anymore. Placement is a breeze, no more dragging speakers 2 feet from the front wall for ported designs. The Walnut is a satin milk chocolate and while its wood veneer it doesn’t have the detail and character of the Wharfedales….don’t get me wrong built well with 3/4″ MDF, wood veneer, 52 lbs. and a 10 year warranty ! KLH — Keep Listening Hifiers ! Pros: Detail, clarity, speed and accuracy from a true 3 way design. Placement friendly. Well built. Excellent sound from a variety of music types.
Cons: Priced a bit above Wharfedale Linton 80’s, their toughest competitor. But if you have placement challenges using rear ports, buy these!
Crutchfield customer from Coloma, WI –
Let me start this off by saying, NOTHING gets a 5 star review, nothing is perfect… Now that’s out of the way… Speakers are incredible, sound great, look great, were everything I paid for… It took about 4hrs to get them tuned to my liking, that’s not the speakers, but a change in what speakers I had before, got them tuned, dialed in and they are fantastic, great mids and highs, the bass need a little help, solved that, and I am completely satisfied… Now for the not so “incredible”… The grills for the speakers were loose on the frame, as in they weren’t secured all the way around, for the $$$, I expected better attention to detail, HOWEVER, I reached out to Crutchfield CS, and they did me right, I took photos of the grills, emailed them off for examination, CS agreed that they weren’t up to standard, made the effort to get me new grills off another pair and sent them out lickety-split…I received them today, and were in “perfect” condition, packaged up the original grills for return, printed the return label and they’ll go out tomorrow… While the speaker grills may not have been up to snuff, Crutchfield CS was top notch, and THIS is why I do business with Crutchfield… Pros: Everything… Cons: QC, closer attention to detail…
Chris from MADERA, CA –
Best Vintage Style Speaker- OMG! These are the BEST speakers I have ever owned. And I have owned several quality sets. I drive them with a Parasound amp/pre amp and use only vinyl media. Rock is awesome but jazz and anything live (Clapton Uplugged, eg) is STELLAR. Can’t be happier!!! Pros: Soundstage, constuction, value Cons: None
Mike Saccone –
I literally purchased a pair of the KLH Model 5 speakers yesterday from ListenUp in Denver, CO. All I can say is wow. Right out of the box they sound amazing. So warm and engaging. I cannot wait to hear them once they break in a bit. They also look amazing. Just a perfect balance of sound and aesthetics. In addition, I wanted to mention how great the customer service is. As I was unpacking one of the stands, the bag it was in stuck to the adhesive padding and ripped a piece off one of the stands. I called KLH, actually spoke to a person (so nice), and KLH resolved it by agreeing to ship me a new stand at no cost. Overall, just a great experience and it’s nice supporting a U.S. based company. Great product and even better customer service. I am a lifelong customer and highly recommend these, especially for the price.
Lawrence from Hunlock Creek, PA –
KLH Model 5, new vintage- Bought these to connect to a vintage Pioneer system. The sound is excellent, sound stage is impressive. I took advantage of Crutchfields scratch and dent pricing, couldn’t be happier. One unit was perfect, the other has a tiny flaw that you really have to look for. I purchased the walnut with the stone washed grills, very attractive speakers. Lots of reviews , some saying these are hard to drive, others say not so much. KLH states min amp power at 20 watts with sensitivity at 90.5 dB. I think these are a little harder to drive than these numbers would suggest. I’m old school, sensitivity is measured with 1 watt input at a distance of one meter. KLH measures at distance of 1 meter with 2.8 watt input. Kind of skews the numbers. Overall I really enjoy these speakers. The sound , appearance, and ease of setup make these an exceptional value. Highly recommend.
Anonymous –
I had been looking for a vintage styled speaker for a while and have been thrilled at the offerings as of late from Wharfdale, JBL, KLH, etc. This led to me stalling and unable to make a decision. After demoing the Non-KLH models in person, I was itching to hear the Model 5 in person, but no dealers in my area. I took a leap of faith and ordered a pair from Audio Advisor and I could not be happier. First off, these speakers are plain gorgeous! (Walnut) They fit my mid century modern designed home perfectly!! And lets be honest, when your lady walks through the door and says, “Wow! Those are beautiful!” it drives it home how great looking they are. Now for the sound! The details remain crisp and clear with no distortion as the volume goes up. Vocals sound amazing across a range of genres. I had to tweak positioning to get the mids just right, but once I found the sweet spot, boy do they sound great! Lows are punchy and thick, but do not expect a thump that you can feel in your chest. For some songs I long for a sub, but for 90 percent of my listening they sound perfect! I am pushing them with a 100 wpc MA6300 which really makes them sing when I open her up. There are times when they sound so good I have to stop what I am doing and just pay attention to the music. Overall, I think these are cleaner then the Wharfdale Lintons and not as in your face as the JBL L100s. If you want crisp detailed sound in an visually appealing speaker, grab a set of Model 5s.
BlueSky61 –
These speakers bring me back the the 70?s, only there is more clarity and bass than I remember. They put a smile on my face and I highly recommend them.
Bernardo S. –
Amazing speakers. They sound great and they look gorgeous! Also, the customer service (I basically just contact them for simple setup questions) is top notch!
Daniel –
Great sound with great looks! Bought these to replace bookshelf speakers (Kef ls50) in our great room. The improvement was immediate. The KLH present a fuller soundstage with great dynamics. Very happy with our purchase from Crutchfield.
Pros: Sound quality Great ‘retro’ styling
Cons: English Walnut is a different shade then our other walnut furniture
Thomas Lyon –
Excellent speakers. Extraordinary full and natural sound. Very clear tight bass, and surprisingly present on vocals, with detailed imaging. They make me want to listen to my CD collection all over again!
Ken –
Outstanding speaker. Competes with much more expensive speakers. Best bang for the buck!
Simon Court –
Worth every $ and more. I watched hours and hours of reviews before choosing these I am so happy. I have them paired with a stunning Class A amp. BUY THESE SPEAKERS! Just amazing.
Thomas Lyon –
Excellent speakers. Extraordinary full and natural sound. Very clear tight bass, and surprisingly present on vocals, with detailed imaging. They make me want to listen to my CD collection all over again!
Anonymous –
Great sound and the vintage vibe. Yes.
Etienne Leflo… –
This is a very interesting product. I love the walnut fit and finnish. My speakers came with the linen grills. These look fantastic. This speaker takes about 30 hours to break in and toe-in is a must. The speakers respond to every change in speaker placement and cable selection. Right now I am using a Dynaco ST-70, MIT CVT 1 speaker cables, Cardas Clear interconnects and a ARC SP11 Preamplifier. 30 Watts of of EL-34 power never sounded so good.
Anonymous –
Listen Up People! Killer Diller vintage looks YES! But quit buying these speakers if you’re looking for a vintage sound. Will they make a lot of your old 60s and 70s LPs and CDs sound better than super high dollar audiophile speakers – Yes. But be forewarned, these are actually hi-fi speakers. Super wide soundstage, great center image, good image specificity, good to very good depth (with tube amps, I don’t use transistors on main speakers). They are just the tiniest smidge on the cool side of neutral and are surprisingly high in resolution – clean, well recorded audiophile recordings are stupid good on these speakers, but nasty gritty recordings will still sound nasty and gritty. They don’t have any glare and they don’t shout like horn speakers do. The bass has that satisfying natural and tuneful feel that only sealed boxes do, and benefits from being within a foot or two of the front wall (which is normally a no-no). The included stands are superb and a must for tonal balance. They make this a great walk around while listening, turn it up during a party speaker. BUT BE ADVISED, while these are cool as rule vintage looking units – they are serious sit down and listen to your best stuff speakers. One more thing, I looked at all the pics on the web, watched all the YouTube videos – none do the mahogany veneer justice. Kevin sent consecutive serial numbers with identical wood grain and the fit and finish is superb.
Marlin M. –
My purchase was simple and my speakers arrived very quickly! I also appreciated Customer Service calling me to confirm purchase and delivery details and ensuring my delivery was free. Easy-peasy!
Steven Hamilton –
The performance of the KLH Model Five speakers is fantastic, they exceeded my expectations. The only issue I have is the grill cover fabric on one of the speaker covers has fabric that is not tight and the KLH logo is slightly crooked.
Anonymous –
Great sound and the vintage vibe. Yes.
Etienne Leflo… –
This is a very interesting product. I love the walnut fit and finnish. My speakers came with the linen grills. These look fantastic. This speaker takes about 30 hours to break in and toe-in is a must. The speakers respond to every change in speaker placement and cable selection. Right now I am using a Dynaco ST-70, MIT CVT 1 speaker cables, Cardas Clear interconnects and a ARC SP11 Preamplifier. 30 Watts of of EL-34 power never sounded so good.
Jeffery –
Speakers have great low end
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.
Michael –
The sound of my youth! 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!
Zachariah Bu… –
The KLH model five is a great speaker. It makes everything sound good and it does it an a way that feels effortless. I’d say it’s slightly on the brighter side of neutral, but not in a way that’s fatiguing. Plus with the treble attenuator you have the ability to tame the highs a bit if you need to. For me though, the thing that stands out the most about this speaker is the vocal clarity. Without a doubt, vocals are clearer with the model five than any other speaker I’ve heard. Upscale audio was great as well. They were very quick with their responses to any issues or questions I had, and kept me up to date with the status of my order. A great speaker from a great seller. You won’t be disappointed!
Kenneth Ost… –
I really love these. Upscale shipped them out super fast and I’ve been listening 6 hrs a day. I can’t stop, they do that toe tapping thing. Zero listening fatigue. Take the time to position them and you will be rewarded. They opened up more at 20 hrs and will continue to sound better. I usually listen with my sub off. Very tight satisfying bass. I’ve had speakers in the 4K range and these are more satisfying.
MARK GAYN –
Whoa!… These look and sound Great. They haven’t even been broken in yet. I bought them just for my Pro-ject turntable powered by my Prima Luna tube amp, and EAT phono stage. The metal stands that come with them gives them the right tilt for the sound I’m looking for. Jazz, Rock, Easy Listening, KLH 5s can handle it..
John from Brookline,MA –
Which is it? Either way near perfection for the budget. Remarkably accurate given how warm they are. Remarkably warm given how accurate they are. For those who want to have their cake and eat it too, these are a great compromise (or, to be fair, combination) between the musicality and joy of 1970’s era hi-fi gear, and the accuracy of more modern analytical gear. Some have worried about the harshness of the high end for some recordings. I’m not sure about that. they are not forgiving of poorly recorded source material, but should a high end speaker be forgiving? Not if it’s going to extract maximum joy from great recordings. These are fuller than the Linton Heritage, and far more joyous than the KEF LS50 metas, both of which I’ve auditioned in my home. At the price, head and shoulders. And, for the icing on the cake, these go perfectly in a mid-century modern look. Perfect for the living room in any decor. They are proper furniture – especially with the slight jaunty tilt of the stands. Get these now. Pros: Liquid mid-range, musical presentation Disappear similarly into the music Disappear into any high end decor Cons: Not overly kind to poor recordings at the high end Won’t blow away your relatives who think great speakers need to look like they are from Star Trek
Dennis from Carbondale, CO –
Beautiful sounds-At first listen these KLH sounded too bright, and frankly, a little disappointing. I played music on them in an empty room for around 5 days, then hooked them up in the living room, to an Outlaw Audio 110 w/channel amp. Now they are sounding beautiful! I have an RSL subwoofer, but ended up deciding they sounded much clearer and more balanced without the Sub. The bass is excellent, the mid and upper are too. Plus, I love the way they look! It’s a cliche, but listening to the Beatles White album I really was hearing it in a new way. I put on some AC/DC and cranked it up loud, so yes these speakers will rock! I often play an internet streaming station called Folk Alley, and it sounds very good with the KLH 5’s. Great, great speakers, but they take a little breaking in, so be patient. I love’em!!
Paul –
Surprise Surprise. 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.
Seth S. –
Amazing speakers-Zero complaints about the performance of these speakers. They took about 4 months to arrive, but other than that I’m very pleased.
B. –
Great Speaker- Really solid overall performance, I am digging the “acoustic suspension” sound. While I’ve never subscribed to the idea of a break in period, this speaker really did seem to benefit from several hours of play before it started to rock.
Crutchfield customer from Graysville, PA –
Big Musical Sound In A Small box- This is a speaker with a big musical sound in a small acoustic suspension box. The cliche applies: the KLH Modl Five “punches above its weight”, and the price is competitive. The Model Five is not a reproduction of a vintage KLH but is an up to date speaker with good clarity and imaging while being quite musical. Some listeners may appreciate the addition of a subwoofer. Depending on room acoustics and careful speaker placement, a subwoofer may not be missed. Correct placement can yield a wide sound stage (behind the speakers). While I would not choose these speakers for large-scale orchestral music, solo instrumentalists, singers, small chamber, jazz, and folk groups, playing acoustic or electric/electronic instruments all yield sound that rewards music enthusiasts. The high frequencies can be modestly rolled off by a rear mounted control, and these speakers will never induce fatigue. My best guess is that the Model Five can be coupled with almost any type of amplifier that can supply sufficient current. Pros: Big musical sound reproduction in small cabinet. Good clarity and imaging. Competitive price. Cons: Not ideal for large scale orchestral music. An amplifier with a “loudness” control would enhance low volume listening. Not ideal for “off-axis” listening.
John Murphy –
Awesome sound when u get a level ( yes there’s always better) when u miss nothing in sound you are there . Model 5 Accomplish that thank you
Frank from Portland, OR –
I have read on several reviews that they are more musical than analytical. This is the reason I decided to buy them and the return window is why I decided to purchase them from Crutchfield. When I hooked these up the first thing I thought was “oh no these are going to give me ear fatigue”. The treble was too much but I did read that I may need to break these in a bit. From KLH: “.some amount of “break-in” is required. In order for your loudspeakers to sound their best, played at a moderate volume for at least 8 hours prior to any critical listening.” My setup: * Cambridge Audio AXR100 integrated amp * AT-LP120X Turntable with an NAGAOKA MP-110H Cartridge going through a Schiit Mani * Bluesound Node, Denafrips Ares II, Roon, Tidal * AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects. Room: * 11 x 11 * 2- 2 x 4 sound absorption panels behind each KLH Search for L.O.T.S on YouTube. This placement trick helped reduce some of the ear fatigue I was experiencing as I found that reducing the toe-in during the burn-in period would allow me to run music for extended sessions. My Model 5s are pulled away from the wall 2.5′ with no toe-in. From KLH: “The KLH Model Five loudspeaker is tuned for 6 to 24 inches off the back wall..” My first time going down a serious path with 2 channel stereo and it took some work. I’ve always had decent gear but it was almost always built for home theater and now I am lucky enough to have Pros: Musical yet neutral , decent soundstage, beautiful design, Movies sounded great especially concerts going through my DAC.
Cons: Heavy if you need to move these around, break in period, may need a sub if you need to go deeper, highs can be a bit much depending on your gear.
Heidi E C –
The Model 5 is everything my husband ask for…Excellent service and shipping…Thank you World Wide Stereo
Anthony M –
Outstanding Sound Quality- Very impressed with the sound and amazing imaging. Beautiful tone and solid base. Also, very pleasing to the eye with a classy expensive look. Very satisfied customer here. Thanks KLH! A big shout out to World Wide Stereo for a lightning fast delivery!
Crutchfield customer from Westerville, OH –
Relax, enjoy the music. Stop listening to equipment! My very first pair of hi-fi speakers were acoustic suspension (Ohm Acoustics model E). Then later I upgraded to Boston Acoustics A200’s, also acoustic suspension. Over the years, I wanted to place my TV cabinet between my speakers for home theater, the Bostons where thin, and designed to be placed up against the wall behind them. So I replaced them with ported speakers, out away from the walls, and have been miserable since. Sealed speakers just sound right in the bass. Once you have enjoyed sealed speakers, you cannot go back. Even if the sealed speaker does not have as much bass as a similar ported one, the bass is clean. Ported speakers produce bass that just sounds like blowing over a jug. I bought these for my rec room system, but secretly hoped they would work in my main two channel system. Unfortunately, they just did not work as well as I hoped in my large open great room (approx. 17.5 x 18x12H), open to a dining room and large foyer (subwoofer perhaps?). So I moved them to my rec room, still not small (16x24x7.5) but here, I could move them closer to the walls. The KLHs do benefit from room gain. They sounded great, even with my Denon 5.1 set up. Running them in stereo, they immediately sounded great. I fiddled with the placement a bit, and decided I liked them even better with my sub (SVS SB1000, also sealed, crossing over at 60Hz). They sound amazing. After close to 20 years of ported speaker hooting, the smile is back on my face. Amazing sound Pros: Great sound, clean, clear, punchy bass Image like crazy – hey fat speakers aren’t supposed to do that! Not as big as they look on the web – in fact my wife loves they way they look. Comes with stands. They sound great with the grill cloth on. Walnut with white linen look retro fabulous. Play plenty loud and clean with Denon AVR, 110 watts/channel with two channels driven. Cons: Benefit from room gain (place closer to the walls than ported speakers). This may actually be a pro. May get just a bit zingy from time-to-time with certain recordings. They take a few days to open up and swing. Now I want a second pair!
Paquito Lu –
Was Very Happy with this new KLH5, Big Sound, Clarity, Bass….. All in One!!!
Ian –
I’m listening to my new KLH Model 5’s while writing this review, and I’m struggling a little to type out the words. These speakers DEMAND your attention, and I mean this in the absolute best way possible. I think the best part is that over the past 3 weeks they have made me dig records out of my collection that I would traditionally avoid. I listen to alot of indie-rock type stuff, and the recording/mastering quality isn’t always amazing. More times than not, I find that I’m now getting enjoyment these “problem” records… where on my previously owned speakers I would always cringe a bit. And on good recordings? These speakers just blow me away. The Model 5’s have the perfect amount of detail, body, and “musicality” without coloring the sound all that much. They just sound right. If you are on the fence, please do yourself a favor and purchase these. As I’ve shopped around, I’ve had several other speakers in the $1,200 – $2,000 through my house. The KLH 5’s are the clear winner to me, especially after they have broken in a bit. I look forward to enjoying these for a very long time, thank you KLH!
Timothy from Kalamazoo, MI –
Retro aesthetic meets audiophile fidelity- My son, now 31, has been into vinyl since his college days. I remember him drooling over my 500 record collection that lived on a storage shelf in our basement – there was simply no real estate available to accommodate 6 crates of records in the same room housing the monstrous furniture and numerous a/v components of the home theatre age. A few months ago, I smelled a musty odor in the TV room. As I tried to pull the stereo cabinet away from the wall to investigate, it literally crumbled. The engineered wood had sucked up the water like a sponge, rotting from the inside out. After installing gutters to address the root cause of the water leak, it was time to rethink the room. The “Ghost of Stereos Past” was calling my name. By coincidence, we had recently created another home theatre space elsewhere in the house, using smaller Sonos components. I realized I had an opportunity to resurrect a vintage-style audio system for my records. And nothing screams “VINTAGE” louder than the KLH Model 5. The mahogany finish, linen grills and 44 lb heft are circa 1978. However, these speakers not only sport the cool retro aesthetic, they are the best sounding speakers I’ve ever owned. The imaging is superb, delivering mid- and high-frequency detail I haven’t heard before in my music. The sealed cabinet produces tight, punchy bass, without that overstated boomy sound. The only downside to the 5’s is they will test your amplifier – make sure you have enough power to dri Pros:¬†- Beautifully crafted – Incredible mids and highs – Tight, punch bass – Detailed soundstage/imaging Cons:¬†- Expensive – Heavy (careful when lifting!) – Not suited for low-powered amplifier (recommend 60 w/c minimum)
Spencer Griffin –
Hey my KLH Model 5‚Äôs arrived yesterday‚Ķ WOW just WOW!!!! I had been dying to get a set of speakers to complete my vintage stereo rebuild, had been looking at speakers on eBay etc to keep the vintage theme going BUT after reading other reviews I went with these and I am here to tell you these are AMAZING‚Ķ Unreal, brilliant. This is definitely a out of park grand slam of a job, the build quality, finish, packaging and even the retro envelope color and letter.. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. P.S. In my will my family gets it all, BUT these speakers are getting buried with me, I am going to need them in the after life. üòÇüòÇüòÇ‚Äù
Crutchfield customer from Kahului, HI –
Well, so far so good. I just received it 2 days ago and love the look and sound. I guess there still a break in time and I think it’s only going to get better. Pros:¬†Good size and weight love the look of the free stand and veneer. Cons: None yet
Crutchfield customer from Ocean View, NJ –
Great sound!
Charles –
I am very pleased with everything about the KLH Model Fives…….from the way they were packaged to the awesome sound. The speakers look great and every record from Jazz to Maria Muldaur sound amazing! I am so happy that I purchased these speakers and just can’t seem to stop listening!
Will P. –
I ordered my KLH Model 5’s at the beginning of October an received them the day after Thanksgiving. Normally having to wait that long for a pair of speakers would annoy me, not so in this case. “Worth the wait” is an understatement. These speakers deliver everything promised and then some! I am currently pairing the Model 5’s with an Audiolab 6000A Play, and let me tell you, this is a sweet sweet pairing. The clarity of these speakers is fantastic – crisp articulate highs that never get fatiguing, perfect mid range and a sublime low end. Seriously, unless you are a bass head, no sub needed here. The bass is quick, punchy and defined. It doesn’t hurt that the fit and finish are top tier. Beautiful vintage speaker styling. For positioning I have the model 5’s about 2 feet from my back wall, and towed in a bit, giving me a nice full soundstage, with a perfect center vocal image. I couldn’t be happier with a purchase.
William Uzzell –
Wow, just Wow! I read reviews on the Model 5’s, which were generally glowing, but I honestly was not expecting this. These speakers are just near perfection for me. I love the retro type of style – especially the African Mahogany along with the stonewash linen covers, which I have. The craftsmanship is excellent, and the fact that the stands are included is another bonus. But, the sound. The sound I get from these speakers is exactly what I was looking for – though I didn’t actually realize it until I got them in my home and started listening to them. They are addictive. as others have said, the center imaging and soundstage are impeccable, but there is something more with these speakers that I can’t quite articulate. They have a clarity and detail that I love, but at the same time they have this slight warmth to them as well as a fullness that just fills a room, and immerses you in the sound. You are there. I own Martin Logan ESL’s as well as Focal 826’s which are both excellent speakers in their own right, however, I prefer the Model 5’s to either of them, and I can’t believe I’m saying that about my Electorstatics, but I do. I just re-read this review, and I’m thinking it’s kind of ridiculous how I’m gushing on about a set of speakers, but they are really that good for me.
Amazon customer –
Quality built speakers! 
Alejandro Portilla –
Awesome speakers- great price. The seller was on point and over delivered. The speaker are great. They sound crisp/clear, and have sufficient bass. However, for those that want that extra umpfh, you will need a sub. The finish is good. The drivers seems to be of good quality. Although they are made in China, I wouldn’t let that hold you back. The designer of the Heritage Klipsch was the same designer for these speakers. Don’t hesitate, just get them.
Crutchfield customer from Myrtle Beach, SC –
The KLH Model Fives are wonderful. Back in the 70s my brother had a pair of KLHs. We both enjoyed the richness and driving bass. The new Model Five uphold that tradition. Pros:¬†Richness of the highs and midrange. It’s as if I’m hearing a number of my favorite songs for the first time. Cons:¬†Wish my room was larger and I have better sound absorption to turn them up even louder.
Ronald from Danville, NH –
Getting back into HiFi and not owning anything is years 🙂 these speakers sound great! After researching and looking through a ton of reviews I made the purchase and I do not regret it. I listen to various genres of music in various formats, mostly metal and these speakers made everything sound fantastic. I choose the Mahogany because I like the reddish with the old linen look. I have seen both finishes in person and you can’t go wrong either way, they are both beautiful. Pros:¬†Easy speaker placement. Cons:¬†Backordered due to high demand. 🙂
Jack Ruth –
I have had my model fives for several months. I was looking for a new set of speakers and saw these reviewed on Zero Fidelity. I am an experienced musicphile and music is what these do well. The sound is seductive excellent detail but not hard on the ears. These are being played through an Acurus A 250 (250 watts RMS in to 8 ohms). There is no problem handling the power although there may be a tinge of fatigue after an hour or so at high volume. The sound has continually improved especially the sound stage. So there seems to be a break in required say 500 hours or so. My favorite character of the Model 5’s is that they improve the playback on poor to medium quality recordings with consistency. In the rock music genre that would be the majority of the music. The Tinney sound on most of The Yes material is gone. The drum tracks on most recordings will improve. In short you may want to revisit some of your old material in search of something new.
Chris M. –
Old school is what I was going for plus sound. These speakers fit the bill sound great. The one and only down fall is the Logo left speaker placement lower left, right speaker is lower left. Logo should be placed on right speaker at lower right. Music Direct
Crutchfield customer from Astoria –
I’ve had these speakers for 7 seven weeks, and they are not going back to Crutchfield. These speakers have some kind of magic in them. Everything I’ve played through them sounds wonderful. Even music I don’t think of myself as liking sounds better through them. They have a ton of detail, but also produce a very full and balanced sound. The treble is tilted up a little, the midrange seems pretty neutral, and the bass has some welcome warmth to it. This is my first acoustic suspension speaker. When I first got them, I worried that the bass wasn’t punchy enough, but in practice I never feel like I’m missing anything (except of course the bottom octave, which is really subwoofer territory anyway) in the bass. I love the form factor of these. In my room, I can’t place speakers in the corners, so towers tend to stand far into the room like obelisks and dominate the space too much. Even on their included stands, the speakers stand low enough to not be distracting. The wood finish is great, and the linen grilles are beautiful…I wish more speakers used them. My last speakers were Tekton Impact Monitors. They’re great, but just don’t engage me emotionally as much as these. The Model Fives have, to me, a more organic sound. They are thoroughly engaging, to the point of being addictive. I’ve been discovering so much new music since I got these, because it’s honestly hard to stop listening. Thank you KLH for making these magic sound boxes and thank you Cru
Thomas Biddle –
My KLH Model Five speakers are just great and hard to find! So glad you carry that model. Thanks.
Crutchfield customer from San Francisco, CA –
I am very impressed with the KLH model 5s. Center imaging is dead on, soundstage dead on, bass response amazing especially for a 10″ speaker. Vocals on point. Just an amazing speaker. Almost forgot, easy to setup. Don’t require a lot of placement adjustments to get them to sing Pros: Sound clarity, base response and soundstage Cons: Just a tad too large for a small room, cabinet and grill color choices
Crutchfield customer from Glenville, NY –
Really nice sounding speakers. I’d been waiting for a while to pull the trigger on a nicer set of speakers for my living room in the 2k a pair price range. I became aware of these and was attracted to the vintage looks and shorter profile vs larger tower speakers. These are a lot of fun to listen to – the bass is nimble and controlled, not boomy at all and the highs have a nice clarity to them. Soundstage is excellent despite my less than ideal placement due to room and furniture (read: wife) requirements. On top of all that, they are very attractive. The pictures really don’t do them justice, the finish is quite nice in person. Overall very happy with the purchase.
Crutchfield customer from Box Elder, SD –
Last time I bought speakers was 1999,KLH 5 was worth the wait! Great price and sound.
Nathan from Charlotte, NC –
What an incredible sound straight out of the box. Perfect for the smaller size listening room I have. Speakers could be placed in several locations with full clear sound throughout. Very happy with the purchase Pros: Full bodied sound Tight bass Easy speaker placement Cons: None