KLH model 6 speakers

I'm thinking Bose but I got a couple negative replies when I mentioned Bose before.

Which Bose speakers were you thinking of? I happen to love my 301 series V, but Cambridge Soundworks sells their Model Six, also designed by Henry Kloss, that are inexpensive ($200 per pair), get good reviews, are brand new with warranty, and you get a generous home trial period to see if you like them. I've heard a pair and think they're very good (reminding me of the EPI 100's I used to own), but I've never heard a pair of KLH 6's as a point of comparison. The user manual linked to below has lots of information about their design and use.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61zAQCGf0kL.pdf
 
Thanks for all the great input from everyone. Everything seems to be working in the KLH 6's. They just seem a bit lacking in the the high end. Otherwise they sound pretty good. I'll try them with the Luxman & see what happens. If that brightens them up some then I'll leave well enough alone. Based on what I've been reading online & all your comments I'm inclined to not attempt to open them. I'm also considering bringing a pair of JBL 4312's I have in my cellar recording studio up to the living room & putting the Polk Audio SDA2's in the studio. Then I'd just store the KLH's until I figure out another use for them & possibly sell them. I've got a feeling the JBL's will deliver more highs & be punchier overall than the KLH's. And I won't have to spend any money.
 
Hello
I just registered to AK and a few weeks ago I bought a pair of these klh model six loudspeakers and I must say they sound pretty good. Ohm meter tested about 7.5 ohms or so rather than 8 but that's close enough. My question is that the serial number is 121722 and would just like to know around when they were manufactured, if possible. Thanks !
 
Hello
I just registered to AK and a few weeks ago I bought a pair of these klh model six loudspeakers and I must say they sound pretty good. Ohm meter tested about 7.5 ohms or so rather than 8 but that's close enough. My question is that the serial number is 121722 and would just like to know around when they were manufactured, if possible. Thanks !

Around 66-68. They brought out the Six in '58, and at the height of production were doing 15k a year. I'm not sure, but I think I've read where they were doing about half that for the first couple of years.
 
Thanks for all the great input from everyone. Everything seems to be working in the KLH 6's. They just seem a bit lacking in the the high end. Otherwise they sound pretty good. I'll try them with the Luxman & see what happens. If that brightens them up some then I'll leave well enough alone. Based on what I've been reading online & all your comments I'm inclined to not attempt to open them. I'm also considering bringing a pair of JBL 4312's I have in my cellar recording studio up to the living room & putting the Polk Audio SDA2's in the studio. Then I'd just store the KLH's until I figure out another use for them & possibly sell them. I've got a feeling the JBL's will deliver more highs & be punchier overall than the KLH's. And I won't have to spend any money.

Remember that KLH has that classic, East Coast, sound. IE they tend be a bit darker, not as sparkly as other speakers. So if they sound like the high end is a little lackluster, that could be why. And yes the caps might need changing as well, but given that they're so early in the run, they probably have military grade oil caps in them, and those were much less likely to fail/drift then electrolytes. But they can, and do.

Try moving your tweeter control up and down several times. There's likely oxidation in there, and since you can't inside to squirt it with DeOxit, that might help to get it working better. And note that when it's pushed up to the highest position, it's in the "normal" setting. To put it in the "increase" setting, it has to be turned down.
 
I have a set from 1963 which I restored. They were being thrown in the trash and grabbed them from the original owner.
They needed a complete re-veneer, I recapped them from the back without hacking apart the rear baffle panel, re-sealed the woofers with the only sealer to use from eBay seller "vintage-ar".

Look for my thread, "Free KLH Six's from original 1963 owner". I fully documented the restoration and you may find it helpful.

Great speakers. I also have a pair from 1972, and though they sound virtually identical, the 63's go a bit deeper because of the permanent mounted woofer, which has a longer excursion.
 
Hello
I just registered to AK and a few weeks ago I bought a pair of these klh model six loudspeakers and I must say they sound pretty good. Ohm meter tested about 7.5 ohms or so rather than 8 but that's close enough. My question is that the serial number is 121722 and would just like to know around when they were manufactured, if possible. Thanks !

Your 6's are later in the production so will have those crappy Made in Mexico Caps. If your tweeters are putting out sound at all I'd be surprised! Recap (look at GD70's thread) and put new sealant on the cloth surrounds (very important). Vintage-AR on ebay has the correct mixture. You just brush it on the surrounds. The original sealant more than likely is no longer present leaving the cloth surrounds to leak air through the material. Once the surrounds are treated it's night and day difference in the bass reproduction. Back to the caps, Dayton non-polarlized film caps from Parts Express are inexpensive and work well. You'll need an 8uf and (2) 2uf's for each speaker. Your 6's are later in the production, so the woofer is removable and makes the recap easy peezy. Once your all done with the recap and re-sealing the cloth surrounds you'll be amazed what you were missing. :bigok:
 
If the caps in these early model KLH speakers are oil cap can you replace them with
Polypropylene Capacitor?
If so and one wants to re cap them it's time for wood shop cutting 1' or so around the crossover with a Hand held jigsaw without shredding wires inside.
Another thought before cutting out the crossover if the cap that is tied into the driver between the crossover board and driver VIA wire like I have found on newer sixes and seventeens can it be accessed by pulling the driver if it's screwed to the baffle, and replace that cap first to see if he gets a better response?
I had a bad driver in one of my rebuilds so I thought until I switched them it was working again I found the caps had gone bad in that one cabinet, I re capped the speakers and have been in heaven again.

Can you post some photos?
 
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Your 6's are later in the production so will have those crappy Made in Mexico Caps. If your tweeters are putting out sound at all I'd be surprised! Recap (look at GD70's thread) and put new sealant on the cloth surrounds (very important). Vintage-AR on ebay has the correct mixture. You just brush it on the surrounds. The original sealant more than likely is no longer present leaving the cloth surrounds to leak air through the material. Once the surrounds are treated it's night and day difference in the bass reproduction. Back to the caps, Dayton non-polarlized film caps from Parts Express are inexpensive and work well. You'll need an 8uf and (2) 2uf's for each speaker. Your 6's are later in the production, so the woofer is removable and makes the recap easy peezy. Once your all done with the recap and re-sealing the cloth surrounds you'll be amazed what you were missing. :bigok:
Thank you sir !
 
Just a word here on the KLH 6s. I bought a pair two years ago and set them as the bottom of the stack with my dynacos per another members recommendation. They are all powered by my Yamaha natural sound CR-1020. I usually plug my iPhone into the system and play from there. I have to say that I love them. They fill out the low end with serious expansive power and warmth. Their sound has grown on me and I don't think I could ever part with them. I think they are the old kind with the oil caps so I won't be changing them. I don't want to anyway. They are what they are. Fabulous.
I listen to everything and I especially love the fullness they offer when I listen to my favorite chill, electronic, ambient, sounds. I've got some real love here for the KLH 6s - had to grow on me but that's the best kind, right?
 
Just a word here on the KLH 6s. I bought a pair two years ago and set them as the bottom of the stack with my dynacos per another members recommendation. They are all powered by my Yamaha natural sound CR-1020. I usually plug my iPhone into the system and play from there. I have to say that I love them. They fill out the low end with serious expansive power and warmth. Their sound has grown on me and I don't think I could ever part with them. I think they are the old kind with the oil caps so I won't be changing them. I don't want to anyway. They are what they are. Fabulous.
I listen to everything and I especially love the fullness they offer when I listen to my favorite chill, electronic, ambient, sounds. I've got some real love here for the KLH 6s - had to grow on me but that's the best kind, right?
Damn right!
 
Damn right!

There seems to be several people who either recently got KLH 6s (me) or had them for a while and want to work on them.....or just really like them. I took the chance and bought mine unheard because of the comments I have read on here.
 
There seems to be several people who either recently got KLH 6s (me) or had them for a while and want to work on them.....or just really like them. I took the chance and bought mine unheard because of the comments I have read on here.
I'm considering picking up a pair ($125) without hearing them first. Wondering if you all see any visible red flags here? Off the bat, the non-epoxied woofer is a bonus if anything's amiss. I'm seeing some that have metal grills over the tweeters, so wondering about that. Any advice is welcome!
 

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The tweeters are obvious replacements, but I will give them credit for using a metal plate to hold the tweeter-certainly looks fitting. I’d be inclined to knock a few bucks off the price if you really want them-I see several pairs for sale in my area going for $80-125, all bone stock. Replacements come up on eBay all the time, for not a lot of money. The same tweeter was used in the 17, 23, and a couple other models, and a similar but slightly different tweeter was used in the 5, if I’m remembering right.
 
I'm considering picking up a pair ($125) without hearing them first. Wondering if you all see any visible red flags here? Off the bat, the non-epoxied woofer is a bonus if anything's amiss. I'm seeing some that have metal grills over the tweeters, so wondering about that. Any advice is welcome!

The other posts above are correct. The tweeter is not original so that lowers the value.......not it may not sound bad mind you. What are the cabinets like? If the cabs are nice then around $100 is not out of the question.
 
Looking for some advice....

I recently picked up a set of klh 33’s from a local seller for 40$ in perfect shape. When I went to pick them up I noticed he had a pair of 6’s in the corner so obviously I inquired about them and was shut down instantly! Without being pushy I explained I would be interested if the time ever came that he wanted to part with them. Well I got a call the next day and he will let them go but for $200.

Now I kind of feel obligated after lightly pestering him but also seems like a little much? I guess my question would be is there that much difference between the 6’s and 33’s? The 33’s sound really good. I also have Advent/1’s and the KLH 33’s edged them out slightly. Should I grab the 6’s??
 
Looking for some advice....

I recently picked up a set of klh 33’s from a local seller for 40$ in perfect shape. When I went to pick them up I noticed he had a pair of 6’s in the corner so obviously I inquired about them and was shut down instantly! Without being pushy I explained I would be interested if the time ever came that he wanted to part with them. Well I got a call the next day and he will let them go but for $200.

Now I kind of feel obligated after lightly pestering him but also seems like a little much? I guess my question would be is there that much difference between the 6’s and 33’s? The 33’s sound really good. I also have Advent/1’s and the KLH 33’s edged them out slightly. Should I grab the 6’s??

I would assume the Model Six sounds better than the Thirtythree based on the Six having a larger woofer and a sealed design.

A fully restored, prime condition Model Six may be worth $200. i paid $60 for one pair of Sixes (and a receiver) and $25 for my second pair. I know I would not sell either of my Model Sixes for that much, and they are far from good cosmetic condition. Although, it sounds like your seller is looking to profit from your desire.
 
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