KLH 20 Receiver TT Combo

[katzscratch]

Anyone know anything about this? Comments?

[Jukin Jay]

FM section is very sensitive and selective, same basic tuner as the 21 table radio.

[Brian]

You have the am-fm version. Nice find. Basically a 18 and 16 tuner/preamp with an added am tuner. They were the standard issue for many a student at the likes of BU, Harvard, MIT, BC and others. Nice find. If you have kids, don't be surprised if one shows some interest in it, especially if you can supply some 12" black small hole CDs with the grooves made from vinyl.

[katzscratch]

cool, someone here in LA has one on craigslist for $25. Is there enough power to push the KLH 17's that I have, or would I need a bigger amp?

[Brian]

It will do fine with them.

[JohnVF]

This was designed as an all in one with matching speakers, which were essentially the same size as KLH-17s, but were 4ohm. I had one of these and the speakers really looked almost identical to my 17s. Word has it that the speakers that came with it were voiced for this particular unit (or vice versa), and that neither the receiver/TT nor the speakers sounds quite as good without the match. But..that said...it should still sound pretty nice with 17s. I've seen two pair of the matching speakers in my thrift travels w/o the matching TT/system in the past year in addition to the whole system that I found, so they're out there.

[david barsanti]

i bought one of these at a yard sale some yeasr ago...$25 i think...
my brother had one as a teen...we used it alot...
classic east coast audio

[grateful]

If it has not had service it will certainly need to be recapped.

[vinylviola]

I've got the model 24+ - FM tuner and phono.

It is just about the greatest, warm sounding TT I've heard. I can't bring myself to part with it.

I did pair mine with a pair of 17's, but all of the color and warmth disappeared. Kloss did some great sorcery with this combo - its best to let lie.

[JohnVF]

Were there two different models? Was the Twenty the one with the speakers that looked like 4ohm 17s and the Am/Fm tuner/TT, with the Model 24 having smaller speakers and FM only?

I think there was also an option for fiberglass pedestals for the combo and speakers, giving it a very mid-century design look:

http://www.midcenturymodernist.com/2007/04/klh_model_twent.html

[JohnVF]

correction: they were metal bases according to the above link.

[Redikilowatt]

If you tire of it, I'll be glad to take it off your hands :D
I think the turntable is Garrard. I had the small version (Model 11???) in late '60s and loved it. Also love the Model 20 speakers I found recently. No doubt they would enjoy being reunited into a complete system :yes: I think the Model 17 looks the same but has real walnut cabs.

Redi

[Jack Lord]

I found one once at the GW but it had massive cosmetic issue. Being a fan of all things KLH (60s Era), it is on my list to get.

[vinylviola]

The original Model 20 (http://www.midcenturymodernist.com/2007/04/klh_model_twent.html) is on my list for "some day" when there's room. I love the way it looks, in addition to the smaller 24's beautiful sound.

[kbott]

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7790/klhmodel20system0001medbu7.jpg

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3799/klhmodel20system0006medhr6.jpg

while mine looked cool it was dead and after listening to the speakers felt it wasn't worth putting any money into just wasn't impressed with their sound at all

[Brian]

It looks like it is outside. If that is where you were using in, I can understand why you would not like either the unit or the speakers. The design goal for the system was concept was a unit for a small apartment or, dorm space where good sound but not ear shattering and little space available. It was voiced to produce a definitive New England sound. In this it succeeded.

[kbott]

it was outside just to take the pictures I thought the speakers sounded like crap and while it did look very nice throwing money at it to make it work didn't make any sense for me

[JohnVF]

On the speakers of the one I had, the tweeters were non-functional because of bad caps. They sounded like crap until recapped. Maybe there was something similar going on. KLH speakers usually sound pretty nice in my experience, but we all like different things.

[analog addict]

I really like my 20's, and haven't done a thing to them, except pair them up with a Pioneer SX-828. Helluva nice sounding little system....:thmbsp:

I'd love to find the rest of the set one day.....:yes:

[Arkay]

Aw, come on guys... this was just a pre-cassette version of a "casseiver"! :D

Just kidding, of course. It's a nice bit of KLH audio history, and illustrates the evolution of build quality. Can you imagine them making an iPod dock station today for students, with a sheet metal top that size, wood and glass case like that, etc...?

I've never owned one of those, and haven't seen one for many years. Just curious: is that TT a direct drive or a belt drive? Is there room in the case for tweaking (adding damping layers, etc... inside that presumably resonant box)? And what kind of electronics/circuitry does it have?

[JohnVF]

I think it was a direct drive Garrard, but I never took mine apart. (It was non-functional and I gave it as a whole to a friend who fixes up turntables and sells them.) I'm sure it sounds great. I have KLH model 27 and 52 recievers and they are really nice (though I think the 52 was sourced from Kyocera IIRC).

[Celt]

The TT was made by Garrard and an idler drive with a Pickering (or similar) magnetic cartridge.

[katzscratch]

Thanks for all the input guys ...lost the sale unfortunately, but will keep my eye out for another. I already have a pair of KLH 17's.