KLH Model Eight (1958)

The KLH Model Eight is a compact FM receiver from KLH's early years. KLH's own advertising in High Fidelity (June 1966, p.17) later called it "the miniature FM radio that filled a room with music rather than with equipment." It was a self-contained tabletop unit: a superheterodyne FM tuner, a single 1-watt amplifier stage, and a speaker, all in one wooden cabinet. It was not a component meant to be paired with a separate amplifier and speakers.

The record on this model is thin in places. The one production year that appears in period directories is 1958, and no original price has surfaced. What is documented comes mostly from equipment listings. The unit is FM-only, covering 88-108 MHz, with a quoted sensitivity of 2.5 µV and an output impedance of 8 ohms. It runs on 117-volt AC power, drawing 20 watts, and uses a 10.7 MHz IF stage with four FM tuning circuits and two AF stages. The wooden case measures 16.5 × 7.5 × 9.5 inches. Weight is given as 12 lb 12 oz in one source and 13 lbs in another, a minor discrepancy that likely comes down to rounding at the scale. Power output is listed as 1 watt maximum.

Known specs, in brief:

Type: FM receiver (tuner + amplifier + speaker in one wooden cabinet)
Tuning range: 88–108 MHz
Sensitivity: 2.5 µV
Audio output: 1 W max
Output impedance: 8 ohms
Power: 117 V AC, 20 W consumption
Circuitry: Superheterodyne, 10.7 MHz IF, 4 FM circuits, 2 AF stages
Dimensions: 16.5 × 7.5 × 9.5 in
Weight: approx. 12.75–13 lbs

Stereophile's "Suggested Components" listing for Spring 1967 still included the Model Eight, classified as a radio. That suggests it stayed in circulation, or at least in the recommended conversation, nearly a decade after its reported introduction. No period reviews, sound descriptions, or owner commentary have surfaced in the sources available. How it sounded and how it sold are not documented here.