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KLH Speakers Brand Relaunched, Announces VX-1 Voice-Enabled Amplified Keypad
By: Mark Henninger-AVS Forum
Mark Henninger on August 23, 2018
KLH is a speaker brand with a storied history that dates all the way back to 1957 when the company was founded in Cambridge Massachusetts.
Now, the brand is owned by former Klipsch President David P Kelly and a major relaunch is in the works. Concurrent to the CEDIA Expo 2018 in San Diego, KLH will show its new speakers as well as a new “Voice-Enabled Amplified Keypad” dubbed the VX-1 that the company says will “transform a single-source home audio system to a wireless multi-source streaming music system.” These demos will take place offsite at a hotel suite, away from the noisy show floor of CEDIA.
With the relaunch, Kelly plans to take the company back to its roots; founder Henry Kloss sought to make gear that delivers high-performance audio at approachable prices. The VX-1, which is said to be a patented “world’s first” of its type, brings Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, hi-res audio circuitry, and high-quality amps to a consolidated package that utilizes existing in wall speaker wiring and has an MSRP of $199. The device is a zone and maybe controlled by an iOS or Android app, as well as any Alexa-enabled device.
Beyond the VX-1, KLH has a lineup of a dozen in-room speakers. The models are the Ames and Albany 2-way bookshelf; the Kendall, Quincy, and Cambridge floor standing. Then there is the Story center channel, the Beacon and Broadway surrounds; and the Stratton and Windsor powered subwoofers.
KLH has a dozen different in-room speaker and subwoofer models.
The company also has two series of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. One is named Maxwell, which refers to the physicist James Clerk Maxwell. the reason for this is that Mr. Maxwell’s name is found on the building at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is where Henry Kloss studied. This is the higher-end line, within walls costing between $500 and $650 while in-ceiling models run $300 to $450 each.
Maxwell speakers include tuned sealed back boxes and feature MDF baffles plus 6.5-inch Kevlar fiberglass drivers. the top model the series has an extra-large voice coil that increases the power handling.
Meanwhile, a more affordable line speakers named Faraday, after the rather famous Michael Faraday (also, another scientist whose name is on the building at MIT) offers options with prices that range from $100-$300 for the five different in-ceiling models and between $100 and $150 for the two different in-wall models.
Key features in this line include bezel-free magnetic paintable micro-perf grills, IMG what first, soft own feeders, and five-way binding posts.
Additionally, there are two all-weather faraday models although no pricing was provided.
Regarding this new product line, Bob Cole, President, CEO, and Founder of retail establishment World Wide Stereo said “It’s got everything you’d expect of a mature, premium brand but its brand-new and I think is going to be a major player. Somehow, David Kelley hits it out of the park, but I’m not surprised; he’s old school with a fresh perspective. Speakers are what he’s always done, selling them, building them, marketing them. He knows what to do. He understands what consumers want, what dealers need, and has the resources and team to achieve it. I trust him and believe KLH is the next big line to hang your hat on. If you are a smart dealer, you’ll get to the Intercontinental Hotel and check the new KLH out. It will prove a very pleasant surprise.”
About KLH (taken from the original press release)
Originally founded in 1957 as KLH Research and Development Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann, the company developed some of the biggest innovations in audio, most notably the Model Eight high-selectivity radio; Model Nine full-range electrostatic loudspeaker; Model Forty tape recorder, and Model Eleven portable phonograph with stereo speakers. In 2017, the brand was acquired by David P. Kelley, formerly President of Global Sales and board member for Klipsch.
As president and CEO of KLH, Mr. Kelley has taken KLH back to its roots, to Henry Kloss’s original mission, to build world-class loudspeakers and radios at affordable prices beginning with a robust line of bookshelf, floor standing and home theater speakers, as well as updated versions of the iconic Model Nine and Model Eight.