KLH Model 17

The KLH Model 17 is a full-range speaker system introduced in the mid-1960s. Not much documentation survives beyond period equipment reviews. Those reviews describe a well-regarded compact model that held its own against costlier speakers.

High Fidelity reviewed the Model 17 in August 1965 (p.61). It measured 11¾ by 23½ by 9 inches, came in oiled walnut, and sold for $69.95. Impedance was 8 ohms, with binding posts marked for polarity. A three-position switch on the rear panel adjusted the high-frequency output. The same review (p.62) noted that off-axis response stayed strong through the 12 and 13 kHz region, then rolled off gradually past 14 kHz. The reviewer called the sound natural and unstrained, something you could listen to for hours without fatigue, and said it never felt like a "small box." In a direct comparison, the Model 17 was judged against systems costing three times as much, including KLH's own Model 4 and the AR-3.

The Model 17 also showed up in a Popular Science roundup of compact speakers, cited in High Fidelity (May 1965, p.29). It was tested alongside the AR-4 and Fisher XP-5 as part of a new breed of low-cost, high-performance bookshelf designs.

Dimensions: 11¾ × 23½ × 9 inches
Finish: Oiled walnut
Impedance: 8 ohms
Price when new: $69.95
Features: Three-position high-frequency adjustment switch, polarity-marked binding posts

The surviving sources don't record production years, exact driver configuration or crossover details. The period press does make clear that the Model 17 punched well above its price point.