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Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

RE: What to do with a pair of KLH model 5s?

Just a couple of thoughts. Try moving the speakers. Changing anything in the system may require adjusting the speaker placement slightly. However, back then soundstage was not a well known or understood concept. Remember these were designed when mono was still a dominate system. Also, big speakers seem always soundstage challenged unless in large rooms, one reason why those little mini monitors seem to soundstage well.

You can add a "super tweeter" or an array to push the upper response out. Again back then not having upper response out to light speed helped because records and tape generally had a lot of high end hiss. Rolling it off helped here without losing the music. There were array addons back then such as Microacoustic and the JansZen I30. The JansZens when found today global for big bucks. Part of the reason is they are Art Janszen's famous electrostatics, 1 of the best tweeter design of all time. The Microacoustic array is 4 cone tweeters in a curved configuration. These can easily be duplicated today and with something like a good dome tweeter maybe even a simpler addon can be done.

I do not think changing the tweeter cap is going to help in the high frequency response as it effects the tweeter's low end response.

There are some realities we have to deal with when it comes to speakers. There has been a major shift in design goals over the decades and with each there have been improvements while also negatives. As a general proposition the emphasis on high end delivery to maximize source system improvements as to noise and hiss has been good if well executed. On the other hand small boxes limit bass and efficiency. What has become almost an accepted bass standard today would have been laughed at even in the '70s. It is interesting that a 60 hz low end is not knocked with speakers today while the Klipsch Heresy 50 hz low end is endlessly knocked as lacking bass.

It is a matter of personal tastes and opinion as to whether to go new or stay with vintage. With new, a subwoofer generally requiring an added amp gets around the limitations associated with newer designs while the tweeter addon solves the high end issue with vintage speakers.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada


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