Klh 17????

[Freewillisdead112]

Im being offered a pair of these for a very low price

are they worth looking into?

I read a restoration review and it looked quite simple to do!

do they sound any good?

[mlsstl]

The KLH brand was a well-regarded speaker in the 1960s and 70s. This particular model has a 10" woofer and a 4" tweeter. They have a sound similar to the Acoustic Research models of that period, but perhaps a tad brighter.

With a 4" tweeter, you're certainly not going to set any records for an "airy" high frequency response. But, if they are working (or fixable) they should give you a pleasant sounding system. However I wouldn't consider them suitable for "critical" listening.

I would check to see that the tweeters still work and that the surround on the woofers is still good (or at least replaceable.) I think that model used a treated fabric surround so if you replace it with foam you're probably going to change the bass response a bit.

You didn't say exactly how "low" of a price but you should probably make an allowance for some repair work, including your time.

I've restored a number of older tube electronic pieces from that era but I'd probably pass on these speakers unless it was a third or fourth system or I was helping someone else. There are a few truly classic speakers from that era that would temp me at the right price (Quad 57s, LS3/5a or BC1 for example) but this KLH is not in that class.

[Freewillisdead112]

thanks alot for your input.

the person wants 90 but i think i can nock it down to 70-80

too much?

they do have the cloth and just need to tidyed up

[emaidel]

Just as a point of interest, when brand new, the KLH 17's sold for $79.95 each, so I think the price being asked is a bit excessive. They were nice speakers, but "nice" is as good a compliment as can be offered today.

[mlsstl]

the person wants 90 but i think i can nock it down to 70-80

too much?
You're the only one who can answer that question. For me that is a bit high even at your lower offer but different people put different values on things.

How bad do you need a set of speakers? Are you a vintage collector (or would you like to be?) Did you listen to them and were you "taken" with them? What are your alternative choices if you are determined to buy something in the immediate future?

The pricing would look a lot better if you really like them or need a pair of speakers and have no better alternatives at that price.

[thekid]

They are a good pair of vintage speakers and they have a well deserved reputation. I have a pair that were a steal at only $10 but $90 is probably on the high side unless they are in excellent condition,have all the original drivers and have been recapped. I would say $50 would probably be more in line but you can check completed listings on E-Bay and see what they are going for and look at pics to get some idea of price and condition.

[Freewillisdead112]

I am starting to get into the whole vintage thing.

I am looking to buying a pair of mach ones this week too. Im moving into a two bedroom from a one where im at now and get my own dedicated two channel room. I was going to turn it into a 70's/80's flashback room. With a blue led Receiver/Int. amp and some old (restored) vintage speakers

And the funny thing was, i wasnt even alive then =]

Im def in the market for something quality

I listen to metal alot, but this room would be more for relaxation so rock and pop rock would get most playback (would still see HEAVY metal)

what would be a good setup to look into?

I know my ears are the judge of whats to come but im new to this and dont have super funds to get AMAZING stuff.

all i want is a int amp/receiver, cd player and speakers

anything i should be looking out for?????

[harley .guy07]

I would be looking at the drivers in the cabinets to make sure they are up to the task of playing the music you are looking at playing through them. Heavy metal music can be hard on vintage speakers since they are old, and back in those years they mostly used paper cones and foam surrounds which both get week over years of use. I would try to talk this person down to around 25 or 30 bucks or so because like most vintage speakers they will most likely need some work done on them to get good long term use of them. If this work has already taken place then great but if not you will be looking at possible refoaming and possibly other repairs. Luckily there are websites that cater to that very thing with vintage equipment but you are talking about added money that you will probably never get back out of them. But if they sound good to you then go for it.

[Freewillisdead112]

I think ima go with the mach ones i got offered for 70, there alot more of a speaker and have a little more to give then the klh's

plus i was offered some bby advents for 30 bucks

I dont have 50,000 dollars for a system, but i do have time to make a great system for my ears.

I grew up on sony micro systems and thought they sounded good, i remember the first time i walked into a Hi-Fi store, I almost **** my pants when i heard a pair of 20,000 dollar speakers....not sure which brand, was about 6 years ago.

that made me sell my sony and get going.

im working my way there.

=]

Whats a good Int amp???

[harley .guy07]

It seems to me like you are more of a heavy metal and hard core music enthusiast and from what I know of the mach ones they will probably serve you better in this regard. I have heard the mach ones and for heavy metal music they are quite capable of playing clean and louder than the other speakers you have mentioned. And if my memory serves me well they are pretty a easy to drive speaker so you don't need a ton of power to make them sound good. Don't get me wrong the mach ones with their 15 inch woofers can handle a descent amount of power and would probably benefit from the power but your typical good quality integrated amp or receiver should make them rock.

[Freewillisdead112]

I do enjoy all music, mostly rock metal/hardcore/death and pop/punk. Only think I cant deal with is screaming tweeters. My music tents to have heavy symbols that really tear down a bad speaker. The G.A.F. factor seems to beat down wooden speakers, but thats what my own rooms for =]

Is there any cd players out there that have a vintage look that are good sounding?

Id hate to have a sweet looking/sounding receiver/int. amp and have a new black cd player sitting next to it. seems it would throw my vibe off.

lets face it, Im 19 and wasnt around for all the crazy fancy stuff from times of the past. but really find it fun and sweet

all i want is receiver/amp and a cd player (maybe a dvd player to play mp3s before deciding if i should buy the real cd for a sonic better)

Most the music i listen to is bad recordings and just get worse on mp3 format.

would i +1 from a DAC even with such low level stuff?

Preston

[harley .guy07]

The only cd players that I can think of with the vintage look are the Mcintosh cd players but they are very expensive even used and I don't think you would want to pay that much for a cd player. The only problem I see in getting an older vintage looking player that would be cheaper priced is that the first generation players had DACs that were very harsh souding and could not produce the kind of smooth sound that todays cd and dvd players can produce. The only way you might do it is if you luck out and could find one of the older players with the look you wanted that has the digital output on it so you could put a up to date better DAC in line with it so it would not hurt the sound of your system.

I remember the first cd player I bought and remember when I compared it to a up to date unit a few years ago and the difference in the overall sound was amazing. The old unit was very very harsh sounding and had that overly (digital) sound that made the vinyl purist cringe when they heard them.

[thekid]

If you are going to rock out then the Mach 1's would be a good choice or even a pair of Pioneer HPM 100's. If you can afford it I'd snag those Baby Advents if they are in good shape. They might not be your main speakers but for a bookshelf speaker they are very good.

There are some "vintage" looking CD players out there but you have to keep in mind that the tray is usually the first thing to go on a lot of CD players so you really almost need to get lucky and find an older one that was lightly used. However some of the older Denon's and Philip's were built like tanks and seem to have done well over the years. here is a pic of my Denon 1800 that I think has a nice vintage look to it.

If you are starting to collect vintage gear i would suggest going to your local thrift stores and searching Craigslist. Vintage gear can often be found there for cheap and in many cases are in very good condition. Plus unlike E-Bay you can usually test the gear before you buy it.

[harley .guy07]

How does that older Denon sound in comparison to todays newer cd and dvd players. Do you use a external DAC or is the DAC inside good enough. I am just wondering because I heard a lot of harsh players from the 80's even from very reputable brands. And Denom is a reputable brand. It does look rather retro though

[Freewillisdead112]

i dont mess with ebay

thanks guys for your input!

I think if im going to have to throw a DAC in the mix ima just get the emotiva cd player. Its got the blue lights that make me smile. and i havnt heard one bad thing about it, plus the price is quite attractive!

now what should i be looking for that quality that had blue lights, thats NOT mcintosh....not mister money bags here!

didnt a couple pioneers have them?

I wanna go retro but without the lights i feel its just old looking stuff!

and when i buy all this should i be recapping? or is it a waste if it sounds fine?

[MikeyBC]

If you must get a CD player from the 80's I'd recommend the Philips/Magnavox CDB-650 that used the Philips CDM2 transport and TDA1541 DAC. they were popular with modders and had an extra set of analogue filtered rca outputs that softened the top octave a wee bit.

[Freewillisdead112]

If you must get a CD player from the 80's I'd recommend the Philips/Magnavox CDB-650 that used the Philips CDM2 transport and TDA1541 DAC. they were popular with modders and had an extra set of analogue filtered rca outputs that softened the top octave a wee bit.


well thank you!

i was being pretty sarcastic about the who 80's thing, just hate that everything has to look so modern these days!

makes me feel weird to have a old fashioned setup with one random cd player

maybe the onkyo audiophile cd player???

[thekid]

How does that older Denon sound in comparison to todays newer cd and dvd players. Do you use a external DAC or is the DAC inside good enough. I am just wondering because I heard a lot of harsh players from the 80's even from very reputable brands. And Denom is a reputable brand. It does look rather retro though

The Denon is used as a stand alone player as part of my bedroom 2-channel in part just because it looks cool. Sound wise it is pretty good and can hold its own with alot of more modern gear up to a certain point. I run it with a Nikko NR-819 and a pair of Dynaco A25's and I have not detected the harshness you mention in other units of that period. I would say it is definite mid-fi but its kind of hard to compare it to my DAC player for a lot of reasons.