KLH Model Three vs KLH Model Five Comparison

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KLH Model Three

Passive Bookshelf | 46-20k Hz

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KLH Model Five

Passive Floor-standing | 42-20k Hz

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KLH Model Three

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KLH Model Five

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KLH Model Three

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KLH Model Five

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KLH Model Three vs KLH Model Five Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by KLH. KLH Model Three is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Model Five is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of KLH Model Three and KLH Model Five first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	KLH Model Three	KLH Model Five
Brand	KLH United States · founded 1957	KLH United States · founded 1957
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1"	1" Hard-Dome
Midrange	—	4"
Woofer	8" Pulp-Paper Cone	10" Pulp-Paper
Frequency response	46-20k Hz	42-20k Hz
Sensitivity	88 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	30-150 watts	20-200 watts
Weight	13.20kg / 29lbs	20.00kg / 44lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	19.0" x 12.25" x 10.5" 482.0 x 311.0 x 267.0mm	34-1/4" x 13-3/4" x 13" 870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm

Model Three and Model Five are members of KLH's Model series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

KLH Model Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
KLH Model Three	Bookshelf	46-20k Hz	88 dB	6Ω	1 x 8"
KLH Model Five	Floor-standing	42-20k Hz	90.5 dB	6Ω	1 x 10"
KLH Model Seven	Floor-standing	38-20k Hz	91 dB	4Ω	1 x 13"
KLH Model Four	Bookshelf	46-20K Hz	88 dB	6Ω	1 x 8"

What size room are the KLH Model Three and KLH Model Five speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment*	KLH Model Three	KLH Model Five
Near-field	Poor	Bad
Small Room	Average	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Poor

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m², Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m², Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m², Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m². Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Model Three is a 2-way design whereas the Model Five is a 3-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 Model Three

KLH Model Five

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 Three	KLH Model Five
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 4-inch
Woofer	1 x 8-inch	1 x 10-inch

Model Three features a 1" Aluminum Tweeter and 1 x 8" Pulp-Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1600Hz. On the other hand, the 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.

Frequency Response

Model Three has a frequency range of 46-20k Hz whereas Model Five has a frequency range of 42-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Model Five can go slightly deeper then the Model Three's min frequency of 46Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Model Three

Model Five

Min

Average

Median

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 Three and Model Five have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Model Three sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Model Five's is at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KLH Model Five a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Model Three, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Model Three

Model Five

Min

Average

Median

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.

Model Five can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Model Three has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Model Five.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

KLH Model Three

KLH Model Five

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Model Three features Binding post type posts and Model Five has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

KLH Model Three's Binding post terminals

KLH Model Five's Binding 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 Model Three's and KLH Model Five's external dimensions. KLH Model Three has external dimensions of 482.0 x 311.0 x 267.0mm (19.0 x 12.25 x 10.5inch) whereas KLH Model Five has external dimensions of 870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm (34-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 13inch).

KLH Model Five is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 39mm wider, 388mm taller and 63mm deeper than KLH Model Three.

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 Three is approximately 830.4cm² / 128.7inch² and base area of the KLH Model Five is approximately 1155.0cm² / 179.0inch². The Model Three requires 28% less surface area than the Model Five which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of KLH Model Three?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Model Three:

Floorstanding loudspeaker
Riser base
Grille
Owners Manual

What's in the Box of KLH Model Five?

Here are the items that come with the Model Five:

Floorstanding loudspeaker
Riser base
Grille
Owners Manual

Reasons to choose KLH Model Three over KLH Model Five

Minimum Impedance	3.7 ohms vs 3.5 ohms	Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
Height	482mm vs 870mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	830cm² vs 1155cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	2000USD vs 2500USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose KLH Model Five over KLH Model Three

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity	91 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	10 inches vs 8 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	42 Hz vs 46 Hz	Generates deeper bass

KLH Model Three vs KLH Model Five Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	KLH Model Three	KLH Model Five
Brand	KLH	KLH
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	30-150 watts	20-200 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Impedance	3.7 ohms	3.5 ohms
Frequency Response	46-20k Hz	42-20k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	8"	10"
Woofer Composition	Pulp-Paper Cone	Pulp-Paper
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	n/a	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	4"
Crossover Frequency	1600Hz	380Hz and 2850Hz
Physical Specs
Height	482.0mm (19")	870.0mm (34.3")
Width	311.0mm (12.2")	350.0mm (13.8")
Depth	267.0mm (10.5")	330.0mm (13")
Weight	13.20kg (29lbs)	20.00kg (44lbs)
Enclosure	Acoustic Suspension	Acoustic Suspension
Finish	MDF/Wood Veneer	MDF/Wood Veneer
Available Colors	English Walnut, West African Mahogany	English Walnut, West African Mahogany
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	10 Years	10 Years
Labor Warranty	10 Years	10 Years

Verdict

Siblings in KLH's Model series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	KLH Model Five digs deeper - 42Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	KLH Model Five is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	KLH Model Five takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	KLH Model Three is easier to place; KLH Model Five is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Price	A	KLH Model Three is cheaper - $2,000 against $2,500, about 20% less.

A KLH Model Three B KLH Model Five
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 Model Five leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. KLH Model Three is the one to take if it does not. Match it to your room: we rate KLH Model Three the better fit for a small room, and KLH Model Five for a large room. In a large or open-plan room, KLH Model Five has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KLH Model Three is the easier speaker to get right.

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.