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Anyone who thinks this speaker sounds woolly and romantic will be deceived. In our opinion, a good speaker should be balanced, and the KLH Model Five is just that. The first thing that stands out is the open and neutral midrange that allows voices and instruments to come through particularly faithfully. There is also a lot of detail to be heard and plenty of refinement. In the low region, we hear a tight bass full of punch and plenty of definition. Our brains had to get used to the contemporary sound these “old-fashioned” speakers produce. But soon we were pulling out one disc after another.
Listening
Caroline Polachek has already made one of the albums of the year as far as we are concerned. With “Desire, I want to turn into You,” this classically trained singer delivers a wonderfully beautiful album that bridges the gap between classical and pop. This album is full of gems and the Model Five represents this music superbly. Polachek’s flawless voice in particular mesmerizes track after track and holds our attention completely. We listen mesmerized by the music and soon take off our reviewer’s hat. Just like the speakers, just sit back and enjoy.
Our love of electronic music will not have escaped loyal readers. Growing up with Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Autechre and Aphex Twin simply leaves its mark. Not surprisingly, we were quick to embrace the work of Wales-based Kelly Lee Owens. Her latest EPs are once again built around her intriguing voice surrounded by particularly stripped-down soundscapes that evoke a haunting world. Through the Model Five you once again hear that pure midrange, perhaps due to the closed system, but also a lot of dynamics and detail. The stereo image is wide and deep and the placement (imaging) excellent. The beats come through controlled and tight, almost as tight as our monitors, and flow nicely.
We continue with Echo Beatty who recently released their new album “Vision Glitch.” Delicious pop music, fine lyrics, sparse arrangements. What’s not to like. The Model Five’s high intelligibility is a strength of this speaker. The transition between the drivers and tweeter is almost seamless resulting in a fast speaker that timed excellently. No smearing, even on more complex tracks. As on their debut, the recording is punchy but the Model Five keeps everything contained. It doesn’t disguise anything but the Model Five, even on the HI setting, doesn’t go into the red. Because of its closed cabinet, it also unravels all the layers in the music better than average.
Our eclectic tastes bring us to the latest throw of Ruben Machtelinckx. We have been following this virtuoso and innovative Belgian guitarist since the beginning and once again he and his companions intrigue us. “Porous Structures” is an album best listened to late at night in the twilight. Again and again we are drawn into a wonderful world of sound and atmosphere that only the very greatest can conjure up. This is hushed music that in these times of noise pollution is a breath of fresh air for this highly sensitive écrivain. The guitar serves as frame work but the sparse sax and clarinet of Joachim Badenhorst and especially the subtle and innovative percussion, of Toma Gouband is a revelation. This is almost transcendent music that makes one think and reflect.
Finally, a pair of CDs by Britain’s Richard Hawley. “Hollow Meadows” and “Standing at the Sky’s Edge.” Delightful, sleazy guitar music with Hawley’s signature voice that can growl and seduce. We immediately experience a wall of sound. Something we haven’t experienced in our listening room in a long time. Voices are nicely centered in the stereo image and sound exceptionally good. ‘Don’t Stare at the Sun’ and ‘Before’ come through beautifully. The abrasive guitars and bells sound crystal clear but it is the slide-guitar that grabs all the attention. ‘Welcome to the Sun’ sounds menacing and mysterious at the same time with the drums and cymbals (cymbals) transmitting just enough ‘zing’. The brush strokes are perfectly audible and nicely woven into the mix.
We also listened to Four Tet, Leonard Cohen, Kasper Marott, Ross from Friends, Faye Webster and Gorillaz.
Great review guys. I have owned these for over a year, and they just keep getting better. They are extremely transparent, and sound very good with a mix of gear. I find the sound most pleasing with an R2R DAC vs a chip DAC. Even my XTZ Edge A2-400 class d amplifier with the right preamp sounds incredibly good. A class A/B amp and preamp sound the best to my ear. Just a fantastic all around versatile speaker. Mine are staying.