KLH Model Two (1967–1970)

Name: KLH 2
Brand: KLH

The top of the KLH line, built to take on the AR-2a and AR-3 on their own turf.

Overview

The KLH Model Two was made from 1967 to 1970 and sat at the top of the KLH line. The company built it to compete head-to-head with the Acoustic Research AR-2a and AR-3, the heavyweights of the acoustic suspension scene. It weighs roughly 39 pounds and cost US $159 each or $300 per pair originally. That is a serious price for a serious speaker, not a casual bookshelf afterthought.

It is a straightforward 2-way system with a 10-inch acoustic suspension woofer and a 2-inch direct radiating tweeter, rated at 8 ohms nominal. The design is classic KLH: sealed enclosure, no ports, and an air spring behind the woofer doing the heavy lifting. Owners describe the sound as well balanced, smooth, and non-fatiguing. The bass is tight and extended for the cabinet's size, even if it doesn't dig quite as deep as the AR-3's larger driver.

The cabinet came in walnut veneer, with an unfinished pine option for buyers who wanted to paint or stain it themselves. The DIY crowd was still thriving in the late 1960s. It's a handsome, understated box that doesn't shout for attention.

Key Features

10-Inch Acoustic Suspension Woofer

The 10-inch woofer works in a sealed acoustic suspension enclosure. KLH helped pioneer this technology, and it gives the Model Two a controlled low end. The woofer works against the trapped air in the cabinet like a pneumatic spring, so the bass stays tight and articulate rather than loose and boomy. It won't shake the walls like a larger floor-stander, but within its physical limits the low end is honest and well-defined. The woofer surrounds are foam, and foam rots. It's the single most common problem with the Model Two today, and virtually every surviving example has either been refoamed or needs to be.

2-Inch Direct Radiating Tweeter

Above the woofer sits a 2-inch direct radiating tweeter. It's a simple design that delivers smooth highs without the harshness that plagued some contemporary dome designs. Enthusiasts note the top end is slightly rolled off at the extreme upper frequencies, and the Model Two isn't the most detailed speaker by modern standards. It is a forgiving, non-fatiguing listen that lets you play music for hours without ear fatigue. Most owners accept the trade-off, especially given the speaker's strengths in the midrange. The tweeter is no longer available from KLH, so replacements must come from third-party sources when one fails.

Walnut Veneer or Unfinished Pine Cabinet

KLH offered the Model Two in two cabinet treatments: walnut veneer and unfinished pine. The walnut version is the one most collectors seek out today, and it refinishes easily if the original finish has seen better decades. The pine option was aimed at buyers who wanted to match the speakers to their own decor. Either way, the enclosure is solid and well-braced, and it does its job without rattling or resonating.

Historical Context

In the late 1960s, acoustic suspension had proven itself as the technology that could deliver real bass from a compact sealed cabinet, and the competition among the pioneering firms was fierce. According to available documentation, the Model Two was an explicit attempt to compete with those two benchmarks. At $159 each or $300 per pair, it was priced to do so seriously.

Reviews and owner reports from the period and since have been largely favorable. A 1983 retrospective in HiFI-Stereo (April 1983, p.68) framed KLH's reputation around a simple idea: quality, year after year, model after model. So many examples still circulate today, often after a straightforward refoam.

Collectibility & Value

The KLH Model Two doesn't command the collector premiums of some of its more famous contemporaries. A pair recently sold through Classic Audio Exchange at $300, which is a reasonable ballpark for a clean, refoamed set. Prices vary with condition and whether the cabinets have been refinished.

Check the foam first. The woofer surrounds will disintegrate over time - it's not a question of if, but when. Replacement foam surrounds are available from numerous suppliers, and refoaming is a well-understood job that most owners can tackle themselves or have done affordably. The walnut veneer refinishes easily, so cabinet wear isn't a dealbreaker. The tweeter is a harder problem. KLH no longer supplies it, so if a tweeter is dead, you have to hunt for a compatible replacement from another source. Factor that into your negotiation if you find a pair with a silent driver.

Sources disagree on a few details. Most list 8 ohms nominal impedance, though one database suggests 4-8 ohms. Weight is given as 39 pounds in one source, while a pair sale listing claims 40 pounds per speaker. The cabinet finish is split between "walnut and unfinished pine" and "oil walnut." The production window of 1967-1970 comes from a single source, so treat the end date as approximate.