Loading cart contents...
Famed American Speaker Brand KLH Expands into Europe, Partners with Ireland’s TBM Solution to Manage Sales, Marketing, Logistics and Dealer-Distributor Support
By: TBM Solutions
Recently reborn and revitalized, the new KLH consists of former Klipsch and loudspeaker industry specialists that have created a range of performance-rich yet modestly-priced in-room and architectural loudspeakers and headphones for home cinema and hi-fi.
DUBLIN, Ireland – Legendary American audio brand KLH, now reborn, today announced its expansion into Europe by way of a partnership with TBM Solution of Dublin, Ireland. TBM Solution will manage sales, marketing, inventory, logistics and after-sale dealer and distributor support. The company has a warehouse in Dublin, along with a team of specialists on the ground throughout Europe to work closely with dealers and distributors. For additional convenience, the two companies have created a multi-lingual KLH website www.klhaudio.eu
KLH, perhaps best remembered by loudspeaker enthusiasts for its ground-breaking Model Nine full-range electrostatic speaker (1960’s), is now an all-new venture led by former Klipsch Global Sales President David P. Kelley and a team of former Klipsch and loudspeaker industry executives. Launched during the 2018 CEDIA Expo in the US, the brand’s in-room speakers and headphones have already received high-praise from the press for their tremendous performance and value propositions, including a glowing review of the flagship Kendall floorstander by AVS Forum.
“As we expand KLH globally — presently we are in 22 countries and growing – it is critical to partner with the right companies,” says Kelley. “Having TBM Solution as an extension of KLH will allow us to best serve our European customers. They will handle everything, in real-time, in their time zone, with inventory readily available to ship and fast support for dealers and distributors.” “TBM Solution brings unrivalled logistics and distribution skills to bear along with over 50-years of combined HiFi industry knowledge,” says TBM Solution Account Manager Walter Hegarty. “We are hugely excited to be involved at the start of the epic journey that KLH is going to be, and are committed to provide the level of support that such a legendary brand deserves.”
The TBM Solution team consists of co-founders Alan Eustace and Ed Corkery, Account Manager Walter Hegarty, and Customer Excellence Team Leader Imelda Russell. They can be reached at + 353 1 901 0491 and sales@tbm-solution.com.
In-Room Loudspeakers
The KLH in-room loudspeaker range consists of 12 models. As a nod to the brand’s history, each is named after a street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the birthplace of KLH.
Models are the 3-way Kendall, Quincy and Cambridge (2-way) floorstanders; Ames and Albany 2-way bookshelf; Story centre channel; Beacon and Broadway surrounds and Stratton and Windsor 10- and 12-inch powered subwoofers – with a 1,000-watt Class AB amplified dual 12-inch, side-firing subwoofer becoming available the summer.
All boast luxurious real-wood veneer finishes, the finest MDF cabinetry, internal components and dampening, and powerful, performance-rich Kevlar drivers with anodised aluminum dome tweeters. To maximise floorstanders bass performance, incorporated are low resonance driver chambers with hand-tunable baffle ports.
“With a KLH executive team that together brings nearly 200-years of combined experience, plus our deep global manufacturing and distribution relationships, vertical integration and world-class engineering, we’ve got a range so serious that we confidently pit each model against competitors’ similar designs, including those 2 and 3 times the price,” says Kelley. “And our warranty is unprecedented: 10-years on passive speakers and 5-years on subwoofers.”
Headphones
At January’s International Consumer Electronics Show, KLH unveiled its very first headphones. The Ultimate One are classic open-air/over-ear headphones that boast real ebony wood finished earcups complemented by hand-stitched headbands and ear pads made of premium-grade cow leather and sheepskin and filled with high-density microfiber fill. Inside are 50 mm pure beryllium drivers that deliver frequency responses of 18Hz -22KHz.
The Ultimate Two are wireless, hand-tuned, sound-isolating in-ear monitors that utilise a 11.5mm dynamic driver with balanced armature to deliver perfectly isolated, full-bodied sound (18 Hz – 20 kHz).
For CD-quality audio incorporated is Bluetooth aptX technology. Also provided is an easy-to-access 3-button wireless remote control. The Ultimate Two are offered in a beautiful jewelry-like, high-gloss pearlised black finish.
Voice-Enabled Amplified Keypad Delivers Streaming HiRES Audio
KLH’s unique, patented VX-1 Voice-Enabled Amplified Keypad is a simple and cost-efficient solution to create wireless streaming music in the home. Outfitted with WiFi, Bluetooth with aptX, HiRES audio circuitry, and amplification, the VX-1 replaces a home’s existing passive in-wall volume control while utilizing the existing speaker wires, making it easy for both the professional installer and home hobbyist to install. It can also be paired with new speakers in the home.
The VX-1 becomes Alexa voice control-enabled when used with the free MUZO iOS / Android control app.
In addition to this local zone, the addition of any Amazon Alexa device allows voice-enabled control of other sources / components throughout the home.
Architectural Series Speakers
KLH’s architectural speakers are named after physicist James Clerk Maxwell and scientist Michael Faraday, both of whose names appear on buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which KLH co-founder Henry Kloss attended.
The Maxwell In-Walls are comprised of 2- and 3-way models. They incorporate tuned, sealed back-boxes with MDF baffles, powerful 6.5-inch Kevlar-coated fiberglass drivers, 1-inch silk dome tweeters, tapered array crossovers and gold-plated 5-way push-pin binding posts.
The Maxwell In-Ceilings utilize a concentric design to achieve broad dispersion plus sealed tuned enclosures with integrated back cans. Three 2-way models are available including both 5.25- and 6.5-inch driver versions with an extra-large voice coil version.
The Faraday 2-way in-ceiling and in-wall speakers are solid performers yet at lesser price points. All feature injection-molded graphite woofers, soft dome tweeters, magnetic bezel-less paintable microperf grilles, and gold-plated, 5-way push-pin binding posts. Options include 6.5- and 8.5-inch driver versions with a dual voice coil version. Also available is an All-Weather outdoor model.
KLH Mission: Bringing the Brand Back to its Roots
“KLH is one of the most storied and revered audio brands in the world, founded by one of the most iconic engineers in the history of consumer electronics,” says Kelley. “I am taking the brand back to its roots, to Henry’s original mission, to build world-class loudspeakers and radios at affordable prices. I am proud to be the new owner of KLH and will honor Henry and his many contributions to the audio industry through the introduction of our extraordinary new KLH products.”
About KLH
Originally founded in 1957 as KLH Research and Development Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann, KLH 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, 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 and floor home theater speakers, as well as updated versions of the iconic Model Nine and Model Eight.www.klhaudio.eu