In this review, we will be comparing Model Five and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Model Five and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Model Five | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" Pulp-Paper | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-20k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-1/4" x 13-3/4" x 13"
870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 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
Both Model Five and Kendall are 3-way speakers.
KLH Model FiveKLH Kendall
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 Model Five |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Model Five features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 10" Pulp-Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 2850Hz. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Model Five has a frequency range of 42-20k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Model Five's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Model Five is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Kendall which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Model Five sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Model Five, 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 Model Five has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 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. Model Five has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Model Five's Binding post terminals
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 Model Five's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. KLH Model Five has external dimensions of 870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm (34-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 13inch) whereas 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).
KLH Model Five is 151mm shorter and 50mm less deeper than KLH Kendall but it is also 138mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Model Five and KLH Kendall in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Model Five and KLH Kendall 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 Model Five is approximately 1155.0cm2 / 179.0inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Model Five requires 43% more surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Model Five weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the KLH Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs. This makes the Kendall 11% heavier than the Model Five.
Here is a comparison of how Model Five and Kendall'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 Model Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Model Five:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Riser base
- Grille
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
870mm
vs
1021mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
1155cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Model Five |
KLH Kendall |
| Brand |
KLH |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-20k Hz |
25-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pulp-Paper |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz and 2850Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
870.0mm (34.3") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
350.0mm (13.8") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
330.0mm (13") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
English Walnut, West African Mahogany |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - KLH Model Five costs roughly 1.7x what KLH Kendall does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Kendall is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Kendall takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | depends | KLH Kendall: bi-amping. KLH Model Five sits in a wider range (4 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | KLH Kendall is cheaper - $1,500 against $2,500, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A KLH Model Five B KLH Kendall
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?
KLH Kendall is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take KLH Model Five if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. 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.
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.