In this review, we will be comparing Kendall and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Kendall | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-23k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 96 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Kendall is a 3-way design whereas the Concord is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
KLH KendallKLH Concord
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KLH Kendall |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go slightly deeper then the Concord's min frequency of 28Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Kendall and Concord have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kendall sensitivity is rated at 96 dB and the Concord's is at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Concord, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Kendall can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Concord has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Kendall.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Kendall features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare KLH Kendall's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Kendall and KLH Concord in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Kendall and KLH Concord Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The KLH Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Kendall 8% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Kendall and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
225 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
94 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1021mm
vs
1026mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Kendall |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
KLH |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
96 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
25-23k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Kevlar |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
212.0mm (8.3") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
380.0mm (15") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 Years |
10 Years |
Both are KLH, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 28Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 94dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 225W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | KLH Kendall: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $1,500, about 33% less. |
A KLH Kendall B KLH Concord
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: KLH Kendall measures better, KLH Concord costs about about 50% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Kendall is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $500 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.