peppy Posted June 4, 2021 Posted June 4, 2021 This is an impressions post about KLH Model 5. I wanted to buy one and was looking if someone has tried it, but couldn't find any impressions post. Didn't want to purchase without listening to it and couldn't listen to it anywhere in Sydney (couldn't find a Sydney dealer that stocks it , not at least on google results did I find any result). But Heynow Hi-fi's name popped up on Google for KLH Model 5 in Australia and reached out to Geoff from @HeyNow Hi-Fi given he is an active member here and in the past I have had very very positive experience in dealing with him. To my surprise and I was not expecting this, when I asked him about the KLH Model 5 , he offered if I would like to test them at my home !!! He is based in Melbourne but arranged for a brand new pair to be sent to me for a demo at my home..... So definitely a BIG THANKS to Geoff from @HeyNow Hi-Fi for being so kind and accomodate me. Build: It is a HEAVY speaker. The courier I received was 60kgs in total for both speakers. The speaker is exceptionally well built and definitely looks the part. I have this Rosewood colour sent to me and looks nice. I understand there's another colour available soon but I prefer the grill colour on this and overall this as a colour compared to the other new colour I saw online. Subjective , pretty much, YES. Apart from the awesome build, it does come with the stand included. Although to some people it might not matter, to me it does. When you are selling a $4000 speaker which is supposed to go on a stand, why would more manufacturers not include it in and rather sell a piece of metal for $500-$1000 a pair which is ridiculous . I know KEF does that. I was at Lifestyle Store recently testing the Klipsch Heresy and JBL L100 - Both were stands to be sold separate. And their own stands or recommended ones, were ridiculously priced. As if paying high prices for Hifi products is not enough, they need to sell the stands for ridiculous sums. So yes overall as a package KLH Model 5 already ticks all the build and overall package box for me. My Room & Setup: Setup is pretty straight forward. Adjust them on the stand , connect cables and done. I used the amazing quality cable made by @Bengineer for this. I tried it with different amplifiers : My mate @xtiva2000's McChanson KT Series amp, @indyfromoz was also kind enough to lend me his Elekit 8200 and Yamaha WXA-50 And my own Marantz 1200n Amplifier. As you can see I tried this from a $500 Yamaha WXA50 to $2000 McChanson KT TimE Amp and all powered them up easy. I do not believe you need an expensive amp to enjoy these speakers. Sure more expensive amp might be better but for my needs, these amps worked fine. All of them different results, of course not the same quality, but in terms of powering them they all were sufficient. Used RME ADI 2 DAC with the McChanson and Elekit. -- Connected via USB to iPad and Optical for TV (via Apple TV for music and movies) I have a 3.8 x 3.8 room with the sitting lounge at about 2.5 mts away from the speakers. No the room is not acoustically treated or designed. With time may be. Listening Impressions: Again, I know it is subjective and more importantly my preferred signature maybe different to yours hence I will start with this to give you an idea of my preference I prefer neutral over warmth. (not analytical) I prefer natural / organic over analytical. I prefer expansive over narrow. I prefer HD800s over Empyrean I prefer Abyss 1266 over Empyrean I prefer ATH R70x over HD650 I prefer Focal Clear over Focal Clear MG I prefer Focal Stellia over Focal Utopia (due to the slight bass push) I prefer Hugo TT DAC over TT2 and any other DAC I have ever heard. I prefer Solid State amps over Tube amps This should give you an idea of my preference and what is to follow next. of my subjective review. Tracks : Liberty by Annette Askvik Shadows by The Midnight Trio Sonata by Bach Trio Tadow by Masego & FKJ God's Whisper by Raury The Wheel by SOHN Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club **** with Myself by Banks Gimme by Banks Down by Marian hill (Various) Ghazals by Jagjit singh (Various) Sufi Punjabi Singers Tracks Raoui by Souad Massi Ghir Enta by Souad Massi Twisted Olive Branch by Asaf Avidan One Day / Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) [Radio Edit] by Asaf Avidan Live in Prague by Hans Zimmer Sarah Hicks recreations played by Danish Symphony Orchestra As you can see my choice of music is wide , from North to South Pole, Equator to Equator, across at least 6 languages if not more. And I dont have the room or the budget to afford different types of speakers for different genres. Hence I am looking for a very good all rounder speaker pair. I have built that specific genre Head-fi setup , hence cannot do that anymore using my speakers and is not practical. Summary : THE SPEAKER IS SUBLIME !! It truly is an all rounder speaker. I was using KEF LS50 Meta before this. (will come to various comparisons later) Highs: The speaker has a controller switch which at the back (as you can see in the photos) which controls highs. Can control more airy or less airy and does make audible difference , not a gimmick. Ask my friend who tested this @xtiva2000. It is a 3 way speaker and sounds phenomenal up top especially love the controlling ability based on my mood and energy level. The highs never pierce, not sound analytical, they are present and deliver with smoothness. It can sound attacking when needed case in point Shadows by The Midnight - Amazing synth needs that air and attack in treble to make the track shine. Never did I feel fatigued in my 2 weeks of listening of this product. Mids: This is my favourite part combined with the Bass context. Play my electronic music like Tadow by Masego and you will see amazing separation of bass and mids, never meddling in each others business. And this is one quality and my weighted requirement from the Speaker that I was testing , and it delivered. I cannot enjoy my Indie Electronic music like The Wheel by Sohn or **** with Myself by Banks if the bass bleeds into mids and ruins the fun for me especially given the headphones that I have deliver this , and have been spoiled by it. One gripe I have with the mids is the lower mids. When listening to Jagjit Singh Ghazals, or Sufi songs, I was left wanting for slightly more weight to the male vocals and tonality in Ghazals. It works perfectly for other male vocals like Wicked Game by Chris Isaak but I was left wanting more from Ghazals. Again for most of us here on SNA, that Ghazal genre is not even heard of or relevant, so all good for most of us, I guess. Listen to Jazz music like Seven Nation Army by Scott Bradlee (in fact the whole album) or Bombay Velvet (album) and all that is missing is a glass of a nice Single Malt . or Nana Mouskouri's - Over & Over will remind you of the first crush ,(LOL -- if you are a 80s-90s kid) Mids are really present and come out exceptionally well. Even while watching movies , I dont think so I really now, feel the need for a dedicated centre My worry always with headphones or speakers is that the mids should not be recessed, and am happy to report they were absolutely not. Bass: Plenty for me. Not like a subwoofer , but present enough to enjoy constant shooting and explosions in John Wick 3 when watching. And very well present and punching in the songs like Road by Lane8 , Tadow and Armin Van Burren tracks. Expecting subwoofer like bass from this is not correct, and rather would have been disappointed if that was the case. It does not go too deep or rumbles the furniture , but is there and is kicking is alive enough for most of us to enjoy the music , electronic music especially , if you are into it. In headphone terms I can compare and say the bass is like Stellia not like D8000. Overall I can summarise that this speaker is : Very Detailed (it reproduces the old phone spring perfectly at 00:15 secs in Liberty by Annette Askvik, as perfect as my expensive headphones) Musical Present in all frequencies. Separates exceptionally well Can add or reduce air based on tracks and your preference using that regulator at the back BIG Soundstage with presence Awesome Mids reproduction with the exception of some lower mids. Can be easily placed as its closed from the back. Comparisons: KEF LS50 Meta Owned these for close to 2 months. Model 5 Better in every way, but is to be expected purely based on size, may not be a fair comparison. as the price is double to a passive KEF LS50 Meta...But the difference is not Night & Day. KEF is an exceptional speaker/ KLIPSCH Heresy IV Tried these at a local store not side by side, but within 15 mins gap. I found Heresy to be in your face and a little fatiguing. Plus the store guy told me to go with at least a $2500-$3000 amp to run them properly (not sure if that is the case, but a negative in my eyes). Heresy is a very very nice speaker, loved it. But slight fatigue-ness and that $$ difference makes that a NO NO for me. JBL L100 Very Very similar sounding to my ears. Love L100 over Heresy IV. But that price difference between Model 5 & L100 is nearly double. Martin Logan 35xt Towers Model 5 has more heft in the low end and sound fuller compared to 35xt towers. Martin Logan have better highs I felt (may be due to AMT) but the mids and overall sound was more analytical compared to Model 5. Hence preferred Model 5. If I have to focus on acoustic or classical music only, then Martin Logan 35xt are the one for me ... @xtiva2000, you listening to me mate ? Overall its just not the speaker sound that I considered but the overall package with stands, $$ , value for money (relative) and An All Rounder that I wanted, hence picked Model 5 over the others. It is a loaner from Geoff so I am sure many others in NSW / Sydney surrounds can benefit from it and try it at their own home setups ... Ask Geoff @HeyNow Hi-Fi and you can pick it from my place to have your loaner for sometime And YES... to my Ears , it does Live Up To The Hype 21
08Boss302 Posted June 4, 2021 Posted June 4, 2021 Thanks for this. I too have been watching many reviews on this and am interested in knowing more about them. I did see a seller in Sydney but hadn't checked in the past few weeks again to see if there was a seller in Victoria to go and view/audition a set or even get a home trial! I"ll look up Geoff and @HeyNow Hi-Fi and see what options are available. Your review is great, thank you for taking the time to post and take pics!!! They look great and judging your feedback they've impressed you...consistent with the majority of reviews I've watched. How do you think they'd go with some heavy metal/hard rock (my preferred musical taste). I have a solid state amp and a tube amp that I'd run through them. Electronic music would likely have lower frequency bass than most metal but could be comparably. Watching John Wick is a good gauge too with shots etc if they are impactful then they must produce a decent level of bass. 4
peppy Posted June 4, 2021 Author Posted June 4, 2021 6 minutes ago, 08Boss302 said: Thanks for this. I too have been watching many reviews on this and am interested in knowing more about them. I did see a seller in Sydney but hadn't checked in the past few weeks again to see if there was a seller in Victoria to go and view/audition a set or even get a home trial! I"ll look up Geoff and @HeyNow Hi-Fi and see what options are available. Your review is great, thank you for taking the time to post and take pics!!! They look great and judging your feedback they've impressed you...consistent with the majority of reviews I've watched. How do you think they'd go with some heavy metal/hard rock (my preferred musical taste). I have a solid state amp and a tube amp that I'd run through them. Electronic music would likely have lower frequency bass than most metal but could be comparably. Watching John Wick is a good gauge too with shots etc if they are impactful then they must produce a decent level of bass. Share some test tracks and will let you know
08Boss302 Posted June 4, 2021 Posted June 4, 2021 Cool, thank you. When I was auditioning speakers I essentially went with these tracks from the metal genre. They all bring slightly different perspective. Slayer - South of Heaven. Very analogue sounding Vocals dead centre, cymbals clear not bright and kick drum very live sounding Ne Obliviscaris - And The Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope. Massive sound with instruments everywhere, violins etc and middle of song fast double kick with authority Metallica - Sad But True. Big production, lots of mid and kick drum with clean sound through Carcass - Buried Dreams. impactul kicks, clean highs. Should throw a good soundstage with guitars. Trivium - Becoming the Dragon. well produced track, probably lacks some dynamics, even brick walled to some but middle of song will test mids and bottom end IMO much like yourself I dont like overly analytical or bright, i do however like impactful bass. Those are the metal tracks I ran with and tend to use if I've moved anything or buy something new....but also listen to other styles so I generally also use as test tracks Pink Floyd - Signs of Life/Learning to Fly and The Turning away and tracks like madonna vogue, Eagles Hotel California & America Sandman. Fairfileld Four. Gospel song amazing barrotone going on here and on a more pop side of things to test bass out Destinys Child bootylicious has this bass thing going on at the start that hits you in the chest at good volume another good one. I certainly dont expect that you'd listen to all listed but if you can give the metal tracks a go and let me know what you thing that would be amazing! If you do check a snippet of the other tracks out all good too but again, Im grateful for your thoughts even if you get through 1 or 2 tracks! cheers. 1
peppy Posted June 4, 2021 Author Posted June 4, 2021 @08Boss302 Will try these tracks and report back later in the day today 1
Cope Posted June 4, 2021 Posted June 4, 2021 Thanks for this - great to see a real-world impression. There's been a lot of hype, but it's hard to look at that speaker with the grille off and not think "that looks like something I could find on Gumtree for 50 bucks". Clearly the build quality is much more apparent in person! How's the bass tightness? If you play this track, does the drum kick at 3:20 sound like a drum, or a bit dumpy? Amusingly, I can't afford these at the moment because I'm getting into headphones. 1
peppy Posted June 5, 2021 Author Posted June 5, 2021 (edited) @08Boss302 Dude these are my notes as I was listening to the tracks. Not refined but truest as notes typed while listening . And pls don’t ask me to test that genre again on these speakers. ——— Slayer - South of Heaven Left was guitar and right was other guitar (at the start very clear diff) Clear drum hits (amazing drum work BTW) in this song Vocals are not as pronounced as the music is..but maybe this is how metal genre is.. I have never dared to try this genre. Guitars overshadow any other instrument .. but when the drums go quick they draw ALL attention —— Ne Obliviscaris - And The Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope. Violin at the start very alive. Instrument separation is class demo using this song. The background drum sounds very nice whenever comes into play. That very angry and scary vocal I think he was trying to sing but my 4yr old ran to his mum. I hope the singer gets what he wants, and he can calm down… Love the guitar work in this track though. Very very busy track but we’ll separated. —— Mettalica Sad but true Best of all 3 tested until now. Bearable. And has musicality to it and the best vocal. Vocals are dead Centre in these. —— Carcass Buried Dreams Intense music all around With guitar centred and that plate hits on right. Music creates a bigger envelope. And the screams start again .. someone is very upset and maybe screaming and swearing **** Sorry can’t keep going in this genre anymore. Switched to Pink Floyd signs of life immediately now. The immediate (relative) calmness now.. my ears like it much better… I am in a happy place where ppl are not upset and shouting . The water sounds is clear and boat is being pulled/paddled. Not much to test in this track honestly. ——- Hotel California Yes yes yes back to the earth surface . Music playing now to my ears. L-R separation is quite nice The drums are very very nice just before vocals kick in. The guitar and vocals are separated better. Chorus is a step or two behind the main singer. The depth is apparent. ——-^^^^^——- Back to TADOW Ooohhh that lower bass bump And those vocals !! Edited June 8, 2021 by peppy 3
peppy Posted June 5, 2021 Author Posted June 5, 2021 10 hours ago, twofires said: bass tightness Tightness yes but it’s not a bassy song atleast not on these speakers and not even on Meze Empy 10 hours ago, twofires said: does the drum kick at 3:20 sound like a drum Oh that was absolute drum 1 1
Bengineer Posted June 5, 2021 Posted June 5, 2021 Ha. Hint of metal and Peppy needs treatment haha. My mate is in a band called The Art is Murder. Stick on Holy War and let me know how it sounds please. Turn it up too yeah. 1
peppy Posted June 5, 2021 Author Posted June 5, 2021 (edited) On 05/06/2021 at 7:47 PM, Bengineer said: Ha. Hint of metal and Peppy needs treatment haha. My mate is in a band called The Art is Murder. Stick on Holy War and let me know how it sounds please. Turn it up too yeah. My lifetime quota of metal just expired. can’t take no more. Edited June 6, 2021 by peppy 1
Cope Posted June 5, 2021 Posted June 5, 2021 41 minutes ago, peppy said: Tightness yes but it’s not a bassy song atleast not on these speakers and not even on Meze Empy Oh that was absolute drum Cheers! Not a bassy track, but I noticed recently that on my Yamaha NS-1000Ms it sounds like a sharp strike, whereas my Dynaudio Special Forties flub it a bit - less of a 'DUN' and more of a 'DOOBF', if that makes sense. The price of the mid bass hump in a smaller speaker, I guess. As for metal and drums, try Sepultura - Refuse/Resist.
xtiva2000 Posted June 5, 2021 Posted June 5, 2021 Wow @peppy awesome review!!! Speaker was amazing with airy and wide soundstage with very tight bass which I loved the most about the speaker. Actually found KLH to be better with classical music than Martin Logan's 15x, haven't heard 35xt switch to change airiness actually did the magic when turning onto High. Brought so much airiness to the music without any harshness on treble. It actually mated so well with my Eric Mcchanson's amp. 1
08Boss302 Posted June 5, 2021 Posted June 5, 2021 13 hours ago, peppy said: @08Boss302 Dude these are my notes as I was listening to the tracks. Not refined but truest as notes typed as listening . pls don’t ask me to test that genre again on these speakers. That very angry and scary vocal I think he was trying to sing but my 4yr old ran to his mum. I hope the singer gets what he wants, and he can calm down… Sorry can’t keep going in this genre anymore. Switched to Pink Floyd signs of life immediately now. hi @peppy amazing thank you and apologies for scaring the family hahahha I think the speakers had a good workout though!! From your analysis it seems as though the speakers carried the music well. I like the sound to be smooth in the highs and the kick drums to have impact and it sounds like this was the case. I will source a listen locally at some point and see in person my thoughts but what youve done (gone through) for me is great. If you have not heard the fairfield four check out the song these bones. Its gospel and a track I was intoduced by a member when buying a dac from him. Very deep vocals and placement, i think you'll be comfortable listening to it but also may enjoy it. Think barber shop style music! thanks again for the detailed explanation and time taken to evaluate a few metal tracks on your system mate, much appreciated and I hope the 4yr old didnt have any nightmates last night! LOL 2
peppy Posted June 6, 2021 Author Posted June 6, 2021 @08Boss302 Hahaha All good . U have to keep the speaker setting to low (at the back) for these tracks. Go and have a listen in Melb. Geoff is based out of Melb. Of course once ur allowed out from the cell. 1
HeyNow Hi-Fi Posted June 7, 2021 Posted June 7, 2021 On 06/06/2021 at 10:12 AM, peppy said: @08Boss302 Hahaha All good . U have to keep the speaker setting to low (at the back) for these tracks. Go and have a listen in Melb. Geoff is based out of Melb. Of course once ur allowed out from the cell. Thank you @peppy for writing such a coherant review of the KLH. Your review gave me a sense of your listening preferences. I'm sure has helped others to understand how you listen in order to judge the speakers for themselves. I think you sould listen to the rest of the Metallica album. I'm very glad you loved the speakers. Anyone who would like to listen to them or purchase a pair based on this review , youtube clips and general great sentiment about them, please, get in contact with me. @HeyNow Hi-Fi. I am melbourne based and am happy to ship anywhere for free across Australia, Although we are in lockdown in Melbourne, I am always available to offer advice via phone, text and email. Kind regards Geoff 3 1
08Boss302 Posted June 7, 2021 Posted June 7, 2021 Hi Geoff. I am in Melbourne also, will shoot you a PM later this evening to chat a bit further about these cheers, 1
Phydeaux III Posted June 11, 2021 Posted June 11, 2021 Thanks, Peppy. Like many others I’ve been very curious about these and it’s great to hear your thoughts. 1
indyfromoz Posted June 11, 2021 Posted June 11, 2021 I had the pleasure of listening to some of my favourite tracks on the KLH Model 5 last night. Thank you @peppy for having me over and experience them. Having spent the last decade working for Dolby Laboratories Australia and various media streaming services, I am very close to "reproduction" of music, its purity and the technology behind the gear. I have owned Mission, Acoustic Research, Paradigm, Dali and Yamaha speakers and a variety of Amplifiers. Listening to the KLH Model 5 with a few Amplifiers and DACs yesterday was a very refreshing, mesmerising and immensely satisfying experience. Some of the albums / tracks we sampled - Keith Don't Go - NIls Lofgen (Album - Acoustic Live) Careful with that Axe, Eugene - Pink Floyd (Album - Live at Pompeii, 1972) Wish you were here - David Gilmour (Album - Live at Pompeii, 1996) Why should I cry for you? - Sting (Album - Live in Berlin, 2010) Every breath you take - Sting (Album - The very best of Sting and the Police) Hanuman - Rodrigo y Gabriela (Album - 11:11) and several other tracks. We used a variety of Amplifiers such as the Rega Brio, Cyrus, and DACs such as the NAD M51 and RME ADI-2. I felt the Model 5 provides very comfortable, detailed and immersive experience that I will never get bored. Separation, tightness of bass, rich vocals along with the "depth" are some of the highlights from the Model 5. I didn't try any heavy metal (Led Zeppelin & Metallica), rock & roll (Bruce Springsteen & many others) but I could feel from the experience that these genres will also play really well on the Model 5. One thing to note with the Model 5 - it needs a good Amplifier to bring the best out of them. I am going to try them with the Hegel H120 and the NAD M10 soon. Thank you Geoff / @HeyNow Hi-Fi for bringing this amazing iconic speakers to Australia. I will surely PM you soon to ask about availability. 2 1 1
SDB Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 Indyfromoz How did the pairing of the KLH and the Rega Brio go specifically? Would you recommend them as a pairing or did you feel something else matched better?
indyfromoz Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 @SDB The Brio is a nice little Amp but not the best pairing with the KLH. Cambridge CXA81 is what I feel brings the best out of the KLH M5. I would want to try the Hegel H120 before deciding on the combination I would love to own. 2
harrislp Posted July 20, 2021 Posted July 20, 2021 @SDBI am running the KLH model 5s with the older Rega Brio and find it to be a very enjoyable pairing. The Rega is relaxed enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the KLHs with too much top end shoutiness, which did happen with another amp that I tried with it (albeit that was not a hifi amp per se). I especially like the KLH Model 5s when using the phono input of the Brio (I have a Rega P1 from around 2005) and it really shines in that use case. With digital inputs (Spotify and Amazon music through a couple of different $200-ish dacs) I don’t love it as much, can get occasionally too clinical for my taste and some of the magic of the KLHs (and they do have magic in them) dissipates just a touch. I have also tried them with a couple of my uncle‘s vintage pioneer amps and they really sing but don’t quite have the power to push the bass to the levels that the Brio can. I would suggest that to get the most out of them you would need something with a little bit more grunt in the lower end than the Brio. Having said that I happily use this combo everyday and will continue to do so as it is more than enough to have me smiling and looking forward to spinning some tunes any chance that I get. 1
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