The stunningly beautiful KLH Kendall Floorstanding Speaker, aptly named after Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the birthplace of KLH, is our flagship electrodynamic 3-way bass-reflex loudspeaker. It features woven Kevlar drivers with powder-coated die-cast aluminum baskets, braided tinsel leads, custom-designed crossovers, an anodized aluminum tweeter with linear response faceplate, and much more, all in real wood veneers. The Kendall loudspeaker effortlessly reproduces the artist’s original soundtrack recording with such astonishing natural detail and deep visceral bass, that you will swear you’re sitting at a live concert venue.
3-Way bass reflex system with 2 x 6.5” Woven Kevlar® bass drivers, 1 x 5.25” Woven Kevlar mid/bass driver, and a high performance 1” Anodized Aluminum tweeter with a linear response faceplate.
Butyl rubber surrounds and braided tinsel leads on all drivers.
REAL WOOD VENEERS – Black Oak, American Walnut. ¾” MDF construction featuring custom-designed internal low resonance driver chambers and bracing optimized through finite element analysis. Powder coated die-cast aluminum driver baskets, featuring oversized magnets for superior control and output.
Brushed aluminum tweeter faceplate and driver fascia.
Dual 5-Way Binding Posts
Custom multi-element crossovers with high-grade components to ensure smooth and natural transition between drivers.
Black Satin MDF base for additional stability as needed.
Chrome plated steel spikes OR rubber feet for proper decoupling.
Magnetic Grilles featuring a custom honeycomb design with NO visible fasteners for durability and a flawless appearance.
“The Kendall is another exciting example of a floorstander with impressive bandwidth capability that offers outstanding sound quality for the money in a package that looks smart and is well made.”
The KLH Kendall’s exceeded my expectations. They sound wonderful and are very beautiful in walnut. Music that I have listened to for years sounds new all over again especially while listening in 2-channel setting. Awesome speaker.
Jeff –
Right out of the box these speakers appeared to exhibit a proud builders attention to detail. Superb build quality (for a speaker in this price range), and I have to add that the packaging was excellent. The double boxing and inside protection offered much to withstand the sometimes harsh rigors of transportation. To me these are beautiful speakers, attractive wood veneer and they appear to be built with tight tolerances. Presently I have approximately 20 hours on the speakers and I have to admit this in probably my most satisfying purchase in the last 10 years. In addition to the good looks ( I purchased the black or ebony model ) I fell in love with the very dynamic but still graceful tonal quality they exhibit. I really like the music (I only use these for two channel music listening) these Kendall’s present. The bass is tight and mature, solid mid-range, with accurate highs, and extremely smooth tonal balance. I purchased these to replace 3 month old Klipsch RP-6000F speakers that I found to be musically inferior with questionable build quality, and terrible colorization in their musical presentation. I still own the Klipsch speakers and have them sitting next to the Kendall’s so that i can side by side A/B test the two. No comparison to my ears the KLH Kendall wins hands down my a significant margin.
Jonathan –
I have been so delighted with this speaker. I bought a pair to go with my NAD C388 integrated amplifier, and I find the sound airy but substantial, with lifelike detail and robust bass. I listen mostly to classical music, along with some jazz, and couldn’t be happier with the results! I had been using a pair of Focal Clear MG headphones over the last few months, and had been a little in awe of their quality. Because of this I was reticent about finding a good speaker which would approach their quality, without spending too large an amount of money. For me, the KLH Kendall offers the best of all worlds without breaking the bank. I recommend you give it a try!
David –
My first impression, on opening the box, is that these speakers are big, boxy and heavy. Aesthetically, I would have preferred a more sculptured tapered speaker enclosure. The exterior finish was as fine as any other similarly priced speaker; however, the magnetically attached grills are great. I bought the Kendall primarily based on reviews and reported specs of the measured sensitivity level, so as to match with my lower watt tube amp and price range for which I was willing to spend. The sensitivity was comparable to Klipsch speakers, which I was also considering, but of whom I am not a particular fan of the horn tweeter. After getting over the size of each speaker, I was pleasantly satisfied with my listening initiation. I immediately went to my classic rock album favorites and noted that bass was not boomy and more than satisfactory for my senior aged ears. I was also impressed with the clarity of the overall sound and crossover separation. Treble did not seem overly bright as has been reported in some reviews. Overall, the speakers seem to be very musical and I am satisfied with my purchase.
William –
I have two pairs of KLH Kendall’s. One pair on two different amplifiers, the first pair is powered by a Denon x4500H, preamplifier is a Emotiva 5.0 XPA GEN 3 250 watt amplifier. Second system, is powered by a YAMAHA A-S801 integrated. The KLH Kendall’s are a great sounding speaker at the price range. The problem I have is with the tweeters on these models. I’ve blown two tweeters on each system. Yes the power cords were unplugged , yes I had the correct polarity, red to positive and black to negative. Binding post jumpers were tight. Everything was tip top and hooked up correctly. Conclusion: the tweeters blow much too easily for my liking, but that’s not the worst part. These speakers have a 10 year warranty, but it’s not that easy to get KLH to replace the defective tweeters after you’ve had previous problems. I won’t buy KLH again. Just for a comparison, I also have a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 500’s hooked up to my first system with no problem.
Dan –
What a dynamo! This speaker checked all the boxes for me. After listening to speakers from Polk, Wharfedale, Emotiva, and Infinity, these are the keepers. Punchy, extended bass, smooth seductive midrange, and highs with just the right amount of sparkle. Oh, and did I mention these will flat-out bring it when you start spinning the volume knob! The perfect combination of articulate, subtle reproduction of music with the ability to play loudly and cleanly. Can I say “Loud Butter”.
Ruben –
If you want crisp sound from your tweeters, mellow from your mids and deep bass from your woofers then don’t compromise. Not only do the KLH Kendall perform, they look good doing so. I run a Pioneer SX-1280 from 1979 and the Kendall’s can handle the power. Don’t forget to break them in slowly. Did I mention a 10 year warranty ? You won’t be sorry. Peace my friend.
Robert –
Love these speakers ! Don’t worry. Just buy these and be happy. Great speakers. Great deal. Crutchfield is the BEST place to buy audio. You won’t be disappointed. Bought these a while ago and am still happy with them. Great sound. Great looks.
Andrew –
I purchased these from Parker Gwen over a year ago. I just found out Parker Gwen is out of business.
Anyway, I have been enjoying these speakers for more than one year. I like them better than my Klipsch RP280F’s. They have more clarity and better mid bass. Smoother treble, not fatiguing. Bass is very good, subwoofer not essential, in my opinion. Overall, a solid set of floor standers for the price. I run them with a Vincent SV-500 and Vincent PHO-701 phono pre-amp for vinyl and CD’s and a Marantz NR-1602 for streaming. Both sound excellent. Yes, they can go very loud and are neutral to my ears. The Klipsch are a bit bright in the treble, to me.
Craig S –
So this past month or so I spent a while both reading and auditioning Speakers and Amps, as I wanted to build a 2 Channel System for the primary use of listening to music…like I did “BACK IN THE DAY”!!! In doing so, I discovered just how far streaming music capabilities have come and was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality available over the air. With so many of the Tower Type Speakers I was liking, costing 3 grand or more, I was not optimistic wanting a 4 Driver, 3 way system. Initially, the Blue PowerNode, made for a no-brainer of a choice for an amp and streamer, with an included HDMI input for my Roku Device. So after reading and hearing simply raving reviews about the sound of the KLH Kendall Towers at $1299 a pair, I purchased the PowerNode at my Local Dealer, and ordered a pair of the KLF Kendalls. Ordered via Amazon, shipped from World Wide. Setting up the Black Oak finished Towers was pretty easy, screwing the rubber feet on and using Banana Plug connectors to12 gauge speaker wire, connected to the PowerNode. Even at first use, before any break in period, it was apparent that these speakers were a bargain at $1299 a pair!! The PowerNode offers a very clean and un-“colored” feed and for an entry level pairing, the duo sounded quite good….very good in fact. I had all tone controls off on the PowerNode, and the music just dripped through the KLH Kendalls. But there was something missing in the “presence” of the music using the PowerNode. Rated at 60watts, I just felt like more was needed as I had auditioned many amps driving speakers before my purchase. So I had seen the reviews about Yamaha’s newest line of Amplifiers and the one that stood out was the A-S801. At $900, it was going to fit well in to my budget, with room for a Media Streaming device to replace the PowerNode as it had no “Pre-out” to connect to another Amplifier. So…..in cutting to the chase, all I can say is Holy Freaking Shat!!! I decided to purchase the Blue Node2i, since I had become familiar with its operation and was very happy with its uncolored sound quality, and in combination, for under three grand, I challenge you to spend double that and find a system that sounds as good as this!! Really….as a life long lover of great music and the equipment its re-created on, this system is as good as anything you can listen to, when it comes to the simplicity of being satisfied….thoroughly!!! The Kendall’s are made like a brick as the internal MDF internal driver chambers make for a speaker that weighs every bit of 50 pounds, and giving way to zero cabinet resonance. The Cabinets “knuckle test” passes with a 100!! Rated as getting as low as 25htz, lower than most towers…you can believe me when I say, adding a Subwoofer would be completely unnecessary!! The bass is so tight and controlled…and the midrange….ohhh the midrange!!! Simply “liquid”!! Playing anything from Adelle to Bob James to Earth Wind and Fire, the music just takes on a life of its own as the speakers disappear with a soundstage that reaches far beyond their placement. And let’s talk movies for a minute….ok! I wasn’t sure if this system would be the most enjoyable for watching movies, but damn!!! I played the film “1912” through my OPPO BDP-83, with the connection scheme involving the Opposing HDMI to the Sony 55 TV, and the Optical Output from the Sony to the Yamaha A-S801. Again, no Sub needed!! It was an amazing experience as sound moved across the screen and behind me at times, engulfing me into every moment of the film! One last thing…DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME BI-AMPING these speakers. Seriously…it creates an overpowered and much more annoying BASS field. It muddied up the Mid Range significantly, and proved to be…well… as I said, a waste of time…but good for you to know right?? The Yamaha A-S801 is not a Bells and Whistle, Light Flashing Amplifier. Its remote is very useful, but with small buttons the you have to learn to braille over! There is no indicator light on the Volume knob either, so its always best to turn it down first if you aren’t sure when powering up. But guess what, these few short comings I could give a shat about, you know why…because this amp is truly in a class by itself musically!! I keep the Music Direct button on 99% of the time and its just a fantastic pairing with a set of Speakers that are as uncolored and as musical as it is! You’d have to spend a lot more to equal the sound the KLH Kendalls and the Yamaha A-S801 create. But if you are on a budget, or a true Audiophile who just wants to enjoy the music…this duo may end up being a “cult” pair, even for those owing multiple systems!! “Yeah I’ve got a Kendall/801 set up!!” It is simply that freaking good.
Ryan –
Absolutely incredible. Abso-damn-lutley incredible. The sound stage is next level. Anyone looking to get into actual hifi and don’t want to spend a fortune should put this on their short list. They sound outstanding. The bass is very, very good. The only downside is they are quite bright in the highs, you’ll have to adjust sound accordingly because atleast in my room I do get some hiss, but my room is definitely not an audiophiles dream I’ll tell you that. These are definitely a good purchase. KLH is really pulling all the stops to rebrand the image and I’m impressed.
Crutchfield customer from LINCOLN, NE –
Great job KLH! I’m reviewing the KLH Kendall speakers I purchased from Crutchfield. What attracted me originally to the Kendall’s was the richness of the cabinets and the overall appearance. I know this sounds like I don’t have 45 years of experience when it comes to playing music but I really didn’t want my speaker cabinets to be overstated. In fact, I have a dedicated listening room with some really good equipment (Krell, Sansui, Luxman, B&O, Linn) to name a few, and I didn’t want my speakers to stand out, I really prefer the quietness of the look. The specs are good so I ordered my new Kendall’s. I’m always amazed at how efficient and knowledgeable the great people at Crutchfield are because once again my Kendall’s arrived in a few short days. (Thank You!) I’m a person who prefers to listen to the music rather than the gear which brings me back to the Kendall’s. Honestly let’s forget for a moment about how much, or how little these speakers cost and just focus on the outcome I wanted which is a great tonal listening experience across different genres. The fullness of the sound reminds me of my big Klipsch speakers but a smaller presence (physically) which is a good thing. And the detail of the music is on parr with speakers that are much larger and more costly. I described the sound as a very honest sound. If you have vintage gear to the latest greatest money can buy, I don’t believe the Kendall’s will be robbing you of great sound and the performance is well above its price point.
Crutchfield customer –
I’m reviewing the KLH Kendall speakers I purchased from Crutchfield. What attracted me originally to the Kendall’s was the richness of the cabinets and the overall appearance. I know this sounds like I don’t have 45 years of experience when it comes to playing music but I really didn’t want my speaker cabinets to be overstated. In fact, I have a dedicated listening room with some really good equipment (Krell, Sansui, Luxman, B&O, Linn) to name a few, and I didn’t want my speakers to stand out, I really prefer the quietness of the look. The specs are good so I ordered my new Kendall’s. I’m always amazed at how efficient and knowledgeable the great people at Crutchfield are because once again my Kendall’s arrived in a few short days. (Thank You!) I’m a person who prefers to listen to the music rather than the gear which brings me back to the Kendall’s. Honestly let’s forget for a moment about how much, or how little these speakers cost and just focus on the outcome I wanted which is a great tonal listening experience across different genres. The fullness of the sound reminds me of my big Klipsch speakers but a smaller presence (physically) which is a good thing. And the detail of the music is on parr with speakers that are much larger and more costly. I described the sound as a very honest sound. If you have vintage gear to the latest greatest money can buy, I don’t believe the Kendall’s will be robbing you of great sound and the performance is well above its price point.
James from San Francisco, CA –
great sound; easy to install
Crutchfield customer from Ponce, PR –
Proof that outstanding speakers don’t have to cost a fortune. These speakers are the best kept secret at Crutchfield! They sound amazing, excellent highs and lows, the music comes out clear with no distortion whatsoever(at high volume). I can listen to them for long hours and they don’t cause speaker fatigue. Their construction is solid and the walnut finished is so elegant, very well done. For all the things that these speakers offer their price is ridiculously low, they are a real bargain. Pros: Excellent value, beautiful sound…very detailed. Well constructed, beautiful finish…get them!
Crutchfield customer from Hollywood, FL –
Overall this is an excellent speaker choice. Build quality is top notch appearance is pleasing. I had them paired with a Yamaha AS801 amplifier and an audio technica turntable. Playing the Rush 2112 LP Geddy’s voice was most prominent and I would say slightly annoying. The mids and lows we’re flat in comparison. The Robert plant raising sand LP Had a nice balance again mids and highs really stand out. Godsmack when legends fall LP sounded good but lackedthat low and punch that they are known for. Grateful dead skull and roses LP sounded good but again lacked a solid punch. Led Zeppelin ll LP The speaker started to come to life. The low end punch woke up. Bonhams power and presence shown through. When I put on Dre chronic LP the speakers really perked up. I had them placed 7 feet apart perpendicular to the wall the sweet spot was about 9 feet Dead center. Bass was awesome. Mids and highs were well-balanced and pleasing to my ear. I did adjust the EQ on the amplifier 60% base 20 to 30% treble was where I enjoyed listening the most. The speakers are versatile they are powerful and with the right tuning and tweaking I highly recommend them. I did have them bi wired Through the amplifier originally but changed over the single wiring Early on. 100 watt per channel on the Yamaha wasn’t enough to drive them properly 50 watts go to the tweeer And 50 watts drive the other three speakers. Overall I highly recommend the speakers and with a proper break in I feel they’ll only improve. Pros: Loud, Versatile, well Built, Good Bass Response Cons: Can be bright in the upper register. Lowered volume often.
Matthew W. from Toledo, OH –
Amazing speakers that punch way above the price. I did my due diligence and auditioned a ton of floor standing speakers. I could have bought these at a box store, but I know that Crutchfield give points towards a future purchase and they have 2 day shipping. I unboxed my speakers, and just played Music through them for 100 hours while messing with positioning, room correction and EQ. These speakers sound amazing for the price. The clarity, detail and sound stage are amazing and bass amount is excellent. I have the Speakers mated to a Cambridge Audio CXA-81 with an HP Laptop plugged in to play my digital files. I also have an old Kenwood turntable with a Grado red needle playing through an IFI Zen phono preamp. 80 watts/channel of clean power is more than enough to drive these speakers to concert level volumes. I have never pushed the amp past 50%. The efficiency of these speakers is very noticeable. I went from a pair of JBL L1 bookshelf speakers (1991 model) at 87db efficiency to 96db with the Kendalls. The Kendalls sound better and play louder with less watts being pushed. I highly recommend these speakers for all types of music. Pros: Solid Build, Classy Looks, Great Bass!, Clarity detail and sound stage are excellent. Highly recommend! Cons: None.
Crutchfield customer from Kearney, NE –
Terrific sound and great service from Crutchfield.
Craig S. –
I am an actual owner of one of the best valued passive floor standing speakers EVER made! These three-way four driver towers deliver one of the widest frequency ranges combined with an astonishing 96db sensitivity!! That means these speakers can be driven with minimal wattage from your amplifier, but it also means you can play your music or watch your movies at higher levels with less distortion. The frequency range is 25hz to 23,000khz. With a maximum of 250 watts, these speakers sound best with at least a clean 100 Watts of power. At 1299.00 a pair, this system is impossible to match in how it?s sounds! Rich beautiful mids, point accurate highs, and that Bass!! A subwoofer is simply not required. The included spikes and spike plates are almost impossible to set up on a hard floor, so I fashioned my own ?plates? from a carpet like material that had a foam rubber backing, cut into one inch squares. The Grills are made very nicely, and attach magnetically. But for music listening, leave the grills off. My KLH Kendall?s are driven by the Yamaha AS-801(100w per channel @ 8ohms). This combination is an almost perfect pairing both in keeping the cost down and most importantly, sonically! The smaller footprint of the Kendall?s (Less than 8 inches wide), helps to produce the wonderful soundstage as the speakers themselves become transparent, disappearing in all of the luscious sound they deliver. In closing, the KLH Kendall Floor Standing Speaker system, may very well be the last speakers you?ll ever buy…..they are simply……that good!
Crutchfield customer from Birmingham, AL –
Wife Approved! Just Perfect- beautiful speaker.
Brent Mark Otterlei –
These speakers are amazing. I was more than a little worried dropping this much on a pair of speakers sight unseen and never heard but boy I am not disappointed. They showed up in pristine shape and on time and the customer service was great. I received a message with two separate tracking numbers so I can track both boxes vs just the one Amazon provided.I paired them with a Cambridge audio AXR100 and have been running them in. The first couple listens I was not too impressed but as they run in every day they seem to sound exponentially better. They now sound better than my friends setup that cost 3x as much as mine and they still need many more hours of run in time.
Craig from Athens, AL –
At any price… Nothing is “Better”!!! Ive auditioned hundreds of pieces of Sound Reproduction Equipment over the Sixty years of my life. From Vandersrteen to Magnepan to Dalquihst to Dynaudio. Its a long and extensive list. I actual downed a pair of the original KLH Model 5’s many years ago and loves them. Who knew Id be here raving about another pair of KLH Speakers so many years later. If KLH would have placed a $3500 per pair sticker on this exceptional speaker system, I believe you would have seen many more reviews…but most of the comprehensive reviews are found here, on sites like these that sell them. The KLH Kendall’s in my very humble opinion, are easily the finest speakers you can purchase at any price. WHAT??? And sincerely, no amount of money will buy you a “BETTER” more enjoyable music listening experience. Sure they may look much more impressive than these towers, but for sound…no. Look at all the specs for the available towers…none approach the Kendalls low end of 25hz. And the mids and highs produced, along with a wonderful soundstage, are simply sublime!! My system is powered by a Yamaha AS-801 who’s clean 100wpc drive these speakers effortlessly, playing any and all types of material with detail, scale and depth. I played Spyro Gyra’s CD “Got the Magic” last night (OPPO BDP83) and just sat in the dark in awe…once again, at how shockingly good these speakers are! I used the included rubber feet with the washers for the spikes on the front to tilt the speakers up. Base port included! Pros: An absolute Joy to listen to! There beauty is understated, until you take off the grill. Bass response is second to none! Cons: You may end up being late for your next appointment because you cant stop listening to them! LOL!!
William from Denver, CO –
KLH, Shades of My Youth Have had these speakers for a few weeks now and love them. It was also nice to get KLH speakers as it reminded me of speakers from my youth. The wood finish is a bonus–they look beautiful– and they sound great. I had a 25 year old amp and turntable that both died within a few weeks of each other and I went in search of new equipment. Then I splurged and went for these speakers as well. I am happy I did. My old PSB speakers still sound good, but this is a definite upgrade. I made the mistake of only ordering one set of speaker cables, so the first day I only had one speaker attached. I thought there was not enough bass and so I changed the level and it sounded awesome. But once I got the second speaker hooked up it almost seemed like too much bass and I set the dial back down again. Still playing with it but honestly these things are awesome. And did I mention, they look great too!
Crutchfield customer from Camp Hill, PA –
better than expected bass and midrange. I would buy again. This speaker is very inexpensive for what you get from it!!
Dennis from Independence –
INCREDIBLE My son in law purchased a set of these speakers and I ran some old Mountain, old Sabbath, Hot Tuna and the first two Roy Buchannan albums through his set and what was my opinion? I think that when we die and have been good enough to get into heaven that the only speakers allowed there will be KLH Kendalls being run by a 150WPC amplifier of great quality. You can pay three times as much for Zappereli Quantum Prince Henry Stage King Zipidees or whatever and still not find what you can hear from these fairly modestly priced speakers. I am now waiting to call Crutchfield to see if they might happen to have a couple “scratch and dent” versions as I could give a rats backside how they look as long as they can recreate what I heard at my son in laws house. Pros: Their existance in my presence Cons: I am a cheapskate looking to buy them at as low a price as possible.
Unwokeandproudofit –
Incredible speakers,,,, surreal sound My best friend got a pair of the Walnut finished Kendalls and I got to hear them at low, intermediate and at EXTREMELY high levels listening to everything from old Traffic and Led Zep to Motorhead to Mother Love Bone and Nirvana. My opinion? If I died and got into heaven there would be a listening room just for me set up with a pair of these speakers and perhaps a Denon receiver of significant power and I would spend eternity having my hair (one has a full head of hair again in Heaven), blown back. Clear, incredibly sensitive and these speakers re-create the actual experience better than any speakers at even 3 times their price that I have EVER heard. My goodness these are incredible speakers and worth every penny and minute of your bank account and allotted time.
Greg From Philadelphia area –
For what it’s worth!!! I have been looking for a set of tower speakers to replace the ADS L1090 towers, that I have owned for the past 40yrs. I didn’t have a set purchase price in mind when shopping, do to the fact I will probably never buy another pair of towers again in my life time. I am not a professional reviewer, however I have read quite a few reviews, trying to get my bearings on the huge selection speakers available on the market to day. You can stop reading now, if you like, because my recommendation is simple go buy a pair of KLH Kendall’s… you may ask why, ok, let’s forget about the price for minute. The Kendall’s boste all of the features you would expect from a modern speaker build. The highlights for me are cast aluminum baskets, over sized magnets, kevlar woven wolfers and a cross over that keeps sound right at all sound pressures. I have owned these guys for about two months and honestly the more I listened to them the better they sound. I say, don’t overthink this, just order them now and you will want to bring your friends over right away for a listen. My background in music is as follows: I love to listening to a lot of different types of music, and do so quite often. I am a bass player since 1980 and still play in a band today. If you have ever been in a band, then you know that getting the right sound isn’t always easy. One way or another you could spend a lot of money on your equipment, but before you make possibly make a big mistake buy the Kendall’s. One final note, the sound is fantastic as part on my home theater. Well, I hope this helps all of you out there especially, if your on the fence.
Crutchfield customer from Cortland, NY –
It’s tough making a decision on speakers without a live audition, and it took me forever, but Crutchfield’s Speaker Compare feature was invaluable and after endless listening and comparing, I landed on the KLH Kendall. WOW! I can’t speak highly enough about them. First, the shipping was immediate (like Crutchfield always does) and the packaging was bullet-proof. Their handsome physical appearance is really very classy and they fit in our room space beautifully. Extremely well-made, heavy, and solid. They look terrific both with and without the grill cover. But the sound is the thing. At this price, they’re not the priciest speakers by any means, but the sound is just stunning, and you’d think they cost much much more. It’s the clarity that stands out to me – just clean, clear, crisp, transparent music reproduction without being the least bit harsh. We have pretty eclectic tastes – classical, jazz, blues, maybe a little R&B, soul. Chris Botti, Nina Simone, Diana Krall, Bruckner’s 4th, Walter Trout, Mark Knopfler, Joey Bonnamassa, and of course Ray Charles – everything sounds just fantastic! We’ve gone well past the standard 60-hour break-in period and they’ve definitely gotten better and better as time goes by. Zero listening fatigue – we frequently have them on for hours and actually hate shutting things down at days end. Matter of fact, I think I’ll wrap this up and go fire them back up now! Henry Kloss would be proud!
Steven M –
Great sound. Good looking.
Yamaha2021 –
I was very skeptical on purchasing the Klh Kendall’s in years past Klh has been middle of the Road type of speaker I own 4 advents from 1978 a pair of Klh model six which sounds awesome. Also own Klipsch RF 7 and 3 the Klh Kendall’s are Amazing deep bridge base the mid range does not stand out has a great mix with a Twitter great sound stage I am very impressed with this product I will buy others.
RJ –
Just got these speakers and so far they sound amazing one came with a damaged tweeter the seller Listenup made the exchange nice and easy
David –
They are beautiful- Product is totally awesome
ProPhotog –
The KLH Kendall Speaker system is so good that it begs to be paired with an Amp that compliments its ability to reproduce simply great sound from top to bottom! I’ll come back to that in a minute… First thing that was apparent when the first speaker arrived was just how solid/rigid the cabinet is. And it’s deeper than you might think as well by a few inches. Its conventional box design with its beautiful real wood finish and magnetically detachable grill, tells you that no money was wasted on trying to make this system a visual standout. Yet with the grille off, it is impressive!! I won’t get into the packaging as it is top notch. Rubber feet and Spikes with plates are included but I used the rubber feet and here is a trick….I screwed two of the Nuts from the Spikes on each of the front rubber feet to get a good tilt up!! Really helps create a higher soundstage. Soooo… lets talk about that soundstage!! These speakers are as good as any towers I have ever heard under 5 Thousand Dollars….seriously. I’ve listen to Martin Logan’s, Monitor Audio, Def Tech’, B&W and many other speaker systems, and this system is on par with all of them. No matter what you play through the KLH Kendalls, I cant find anything to criticize!! And do these speakers get as low as the advertised 25Hz….YES… in the most controlled and tightest way I’ve ever heard!! There is simply no need for a subwoofer at all! And I do watch movies on these as well, although I built this system for listening to Music. So, lets take a step back to what must be considered for understanding how good these speakers are. I originally had the BlueSound PowerNode2i, rated at 60 Watts via Class D amplification. The all-in-one streaming device more than did its job and very well! But there was still, from experience listening to many sound systems, something missing in the deep mid and low end. SOooo…. I researched for an integrated Amp as I wanted to stay within my budget, and what stood out was the YAMAHA A-S801. Rated at a clean high amperage of 100wats per channel @ 8ohms, via Class A-B Amplification, I can tell you that there is no better Speaker/Amp combination for the money!! This Integrated Amplifier simply allows the KLH Kendalls to compete with $10,000 systems…seriously…I am not exaggerating. I have an OPPO Blu-Ray player I purchased used for 2-Channel Playback of my CD collection, and when the Amp is operating in its CD Direct mode as well as its “Pure Direct” mode for streaming music from the non-powered BlueSound Node2i, which replaced the PowerNode, the music is as uncolored and pristine as anything you can hear for anywhere near this price!! My Reference CD is the Thom Rotella Band on the DMP label, where years ago they recorded the Band live to disc in a all digital environment. The music reproduced is simply sublime as cymbals and bass kicks and guitar plucks grace a soundstage that exceeds far beyond the cabinets of the KLH Kendalls. And here is a piece of advice that will save you the effort….DO NOT BI-AMP THESE SPEAKERS using the Yamaha A-S801!! BASS becomes…well, uncontrolled and overwhelming. While the Amp has no HDMI, I run an optical link from the Sony 55in TV, fed from the OPPO Blu-ray Player and my ROKU Streaming Device via HDMI, and the sound is very, very good for watching Live TV and Movies. I purchased the Black finish as I like my equipment to disappear when I listen to music at night or watch a movie, and the Black Walnut finish is all but non reflective. I simply can’t express how the Yamaha A-S801, with its build quality and just like KLH, its decision to focus on what’s inside and not on the outside with a minimalistic design, is an AMP that sonically punches more than “well” above its price range. There is a reason why this Speaker System is the “Amazon Choice”…it is that good!! But paired with the Yamaha A-S801…..you will be simply “open mouthed” at what you will be listening to!!! Added April 13,2021: One more thing that needs to stressed when “tweeking” these speakers in achieving the optimal sound is its “Dual Port” design and the included Port Plug. Most often times when heavier gauge cables, Silver instead of Gold connectors are used, a bump in conductivity will result in a boost in the Bass and lower Midrange frequencies….And it’s sonically noticeable!! When I switched out my gold plated banana plugs for some AudioQuest Silver Banana plugs the bass was immediately “punchier”….in fact it was a bit too much, but the Midrange was much richer and fuller! Solution….use the included port plug on the bottom Port!! Not only was the Bass tighter and more controlled, the soundstage became much more focused and cleaner sounding. These included plugs are priceless….keep them close and when the come out of the box they are a bit compressed and mis-shaped, but in about a week or two they will be a perfect circle. The KLH Kendall Loudspeker system will one day be one of those cult Audiophile Items as it represents a true “BARGAIN” in Audio Equipment. But at any price, the sound quality is one of the most pleasing you could experience!! Added August 24, 2021: After a good bit of A-B testing, these Speakers most definitely sound just a bit cleaner without the grills on for listening to music. I leave them on while watching TV or Movies so the beauty of the drivers don’t distract while watching!
Craig S –
KLH + YAMAHA = Match made in Audio Heaven!! So this past month or so I spent a while both reading and auditioning Speakers and Amps, as I wanted to build a 2 Channel System for the primary use of listening to music…like I did “BACK IN THE DAY”!!! In doing so, I discovered just how far streaming music capabilities have come and was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality available over the air. With so many of the Tower Type Speakers I was liking, costing 3 grand or more, I was not optimistic wanting a 4 Driver, 3 way system. Initially, the Blue PowerNode, made for a no-brainer of a choice for an amp and streamer, with an included HDMI input for my Roku Device. So after reading and hearing simply raving reviews about the sound of the KLH Kendall Towers at $1299 a pair, I purchased the PowerNode at my Local Dealer, and ordered a pair of the KLF Kendalls. Ordered via Amazon, shipped from World Wide. Setting up the Black Oak finished Towers was pretty easy, screwing the rubber feet on and using Banana Plug connectors to12 gauge speaker wire, connected to the PowerNode. Even at first use, before any break in period, it was apparent that these speakers were a bargain at $1299 a pair!! The PowerNode offers a very clean and un-“colored” feed and for an entry level pairing, the duo sounded quite good….very good in fact. I had all tone controls off on the PowerNode, and the music just dripped through the KLH Kendalls. But there was something missing in the “presence” of the music using the PowerNode. Rated at 60watts, I just felt like more was needed as I had auditioned many amps driving speakers before my purchase. So I had seen the reviews about Yamaha’s newest line of Amplifiers and the one that stood out was the A-S801. At $900, it was going to fit well in to my budget, with room for a Media Streaming device to replace the PowerNode as it had no “Pre-out” to connect to another Amplifier. So…..in cutting to the chase, all I can say is Holy Freaking Shat!!! I decided to purchase the Blue Node2i, since I had become familiar with its operation and was very happy with its uncolored sound quality, and in combination, for under three grand, I challenge you to spend double that and find a system that sounds as good as this!! Really….as a life long lover of great music and the equipment its re-created on, this system is as good as anything you can listen to, when it comes to the simplicity of being satisfied….thoroughly!!! The Kendall’s are made like a brick as the internal MDF internal driver chambers make for a speaker that weighs every bit of 50 pounds, and giving way to zero cabinet resonance. The Cabinets “knuckle test” passes with a 100!! Rated as getting as low as 25htz, lower than most towers…you can believe me when I say, adding a Subwoofer would be completely unnecessary!! The bass is so tight and controlled…and the midrange….ohhh the midrange!!! Simply “liquid”!! Playing anything from Adelle to Bob James to Earth Wind and Fire, the music just takes on a life of its own as the speakers disappear with a soundstage that reaches far beyond their placement. And let’s talk movies for a minute….ok! I wasn’t sure if this system would be the most enjoyable for watching movies, but damn!!! I played the film “1912” through my OPPO BDP-83, with the connection scheme involving the Opposing HDMI to the Sony 55 TV, and the Optical Output from the Sony to the Yamaha A-S801. Again, no Sub needed!! It was an amazing experience as sound moved across the screen and behind me at times, engulfing me into every moment of the film! One last thing…DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME BI-AMPING these speakers. Seriously…it creates an overpowered and much more annoying BASS field. It muddied up the Mid Range significantly, and proved to be…well… as I said, a waste of time…but good for you to know right?? The Yamaha A-S801 is not a Bells and Whistle, Light Flashing Amplifier. Its remote is very useful, but with small buttons the you have to learn to braille over! There is no indicator light on the Volume knob either, so its always best to turn it down first if you aren’t sure when powering up. But guess what, these few short comings I could give a shat about, you know why…because this amp is truly in a class by itself musically!! I keep the Music Direct button on 99% of the time and its just a fantastic pairing with a set of Speakers that are as uncolored and as musical as it is! You’d have to spend a lot more to equal the sound the KLH Kendalls and the Yamaha A-S801 create. But if you are on a budget, or a true Audiophile who just wants to enjoy the music…this duo may end up being a “cult” pair, even for those owing multiple systems!! “Yeah I’ve got a Kendall/801 set up!!” It is simply that freaking good.
BW –
Sound is clean without speaker coloration Sound reproduction is clear, clean and without superfluous coloration especially for acoustic and vocal content. It is a a real pleasure to hear each instrumental voice in a symphony with superb separation.
Michael from Howell, MI –
Great sounding speaker. Owned them for over a year. Beautiful! I can’t say enough about the build quality and look. I love to look at them with the grills off. Definitely need a break-in period. Powering with a Denon AVR4700 (125w/channel). Work well well with a 12″ Klipsch powered sub. Clarity is great, not “tinny”, but sharp. At their best with jazz, country or light rock. Hard rock or heavy metal stress them a bit. If you’re a loud & hard music listener, you’ll definitely want a good sub. Great with surround sound. I would give 5 stars, however I had a tweeter failure. 10 year warranty is awesome and KLH customer service is top notch. I had a replacement in 4 days. Driver was difficult to remove from cabinet. I wouldn’t want to exchange more than once or cabinet will become damaged. All in all awesome sound but nervous about the tweeter failure at this price point.
Crutchfield customer from Hampton, VA –
Great sounding speakers. If you want to hear your music, these speakers produce every sound in the music.
Crutchfield customer from Clarinda, IA –
Enjoying the Kendall speakers a great deal. Was hesitant at first with so many fine speakers in this price range. Being old enough to remember the quality of KLH and AR speakers from the 60-70s i decided to take a chance on the Kendalls. Glad I did! I was considering purchasing a sub to go with the Kendalls but at this point i don’t see a reason to do so. I know my ears don’t pick up what they did 40 years ago but the Kendall speakers deliver and i have not turned on the TV in the evening for a week. My evenings have been filled with Martini’s and listening to old vinyl and cds. Also a shout out to all the staff at Crutchfield. They have been an example of how employees of any company should approach customer service!
L. Esposito –
It has only been a month but sounds good! thanks!
Daniel K –
Attractive speakers and excellent sound These speakers sound as good as some costing twice as much. And they fit into our decor nicely.
Tman –
Great speakers and value for your money. Betters other speakers costing twice as much.
Mark Reeves and the Tech Truth. June 16, 2020. –
Ok. I’ll come back and edit this later, due to time constraints. But here’s what I got. My ears are very sensitive to highs. The reason for me taking out gold Bi-Wire plates and putting in 12gauge wire is what turned out to be an attempt, to pull some highs out of the tweeters, that worked. If you understood how cross-over’s work, then you understand that this could of gone either way, dependinding on the capacitance and resistance leading to the tweet. Usually the capacitor slows the flow, therefore also acting as the resistance or resistor making the tweeters nail the higher octave the manufacturer was looking for. Too high for me. Probably not you.
The real meat and potatoes is the mid and lows. So much so, one can understand why the top end production was made as high. Because people talk about bass and not needing a sub due to such awesomeness off their towers. Well they’ve never had a sub. But these dig so deep, all the way down to 26-ish Hz, that I’ve heard some subs that would not compliment these speakers due to the transmission tunnels dual rear firing ports literally would shame them. You will be blown away, unless you have heard anything other than maybe 3-5 thousand dollar set of of top of the line klipsch’s (which are monsters, not just in sound, but size). So bang for the buck.
Sound amazing with very little amperage due to an astounding 97db efficiency. Good luck finding that in another speaker often. And with power, are crazy. I went from powering them with 200w rms from my Emotiva XPA-7 to a Crown feeding them 400w rms. Rated at 250 watts, these things are beasts and not put in reviews enough. Not trendy enough at the moment, or stupidity and arrogance may be the reason. Do your homework and see if these things aren’t anything but amazing, at any price point. I will say they real wood veneer is so well grained and beautiful, I now only wished that I purchased the red Birch, I think Birch? Whatever. The red ones. I personally am tiring of black everything in the speaker world.
Verdict: You’d be silly not to try these.
MP –
Great Speakers. Overall these speakers are an amazing price for how well they are build and perform. I have listen to much more expensive speakers that sound just as good or even worse. I had heard of KLH from the past. Glad they came back and are making great products.
Anthony from Huntington –
Bass Head Approved!!! Very hard to beat, well rounded floor standing speakers, at this price point, that offers this much value! Did I mention the bass. It’s pretty deep. I don’t think I’ve heard a pair of full range speaker go as deep as these. Don’t have the space for separate subwoofers. These will be just fine. I do question the efficiency though. It may not take much to get a full range sound. But It takes a powerful amplifier/s to get them to really come alive. They have a live front row type of sound. They also need a ton of room space to breathe. Get them at least 3ft from any wall boundaries. Space them at minimum of 6ft apart. From a seating area 9ft away. Results will vary. Do not pair with bright sounding gear! I’m very satisfied with my purchase. I highly recommend them if you can find them in stock. Pros: Bass, Mid bass, Build, comes with a set of rubber screw in feet and a set of screw in metal carpet spikes, plus a 10 year warranty! Cons: Skinny, Tall, Can be easily tipped over, not a smooth finish, dusting cloth fibers get caught in the finish. Treble can be bright or harsh at times.
Amazon Customer –
Fantastic! These speakers are fantastic. Hands down love this and the towers.
MG –
Recommended- Really nice speakers. I have mine coupled with a 12” powered sub and they fill our large game-room with quality sound.
Crutchfield customer from Boca Raton –
I like the speakers and the shipping was really rapid, ordered them Wednesday night and received them Friday morning. The only complaint was that there is a slight ding on the edge of one of them. The grill pretty much covers it up. Pros: Sound great, look great. Cons: Slight ding from shipping.
Brian A. Clagg –
You could pay twice the price of these speakers and not have better sound! I’ve had my Kendalls since April of last year and I love them! The sound stage is deep and wide and imaging is superb. The clarity and accuracy of the sound will make you think the performer is there in the room with you. The lows are very low and well defined and the highs are crisp without being harsh. Nils Lofgren’s Keith Don’t Go is a great tune to let these speakers strut their stuff. It will blow you away. After I bought these I auditioned a pair of Forte III’s that I could buy new at half price and I walked away without them. The Kendalls were better! You won’t be sorry. Not often do speakers marry beauty and sound in the same package…these do!
Terracia P –
I love them.
Daniel from Plantation, FL –
Get ‘em- Had them 2 weeks now. Bought them on spec based on the reviews and nice to know if I didn’t like them I can always return them thanks to Crutchfield’s 60 day “no worry” return. Let me tell you…they are keepers. Smooth, balanced and neutral sounding. They partner really well with a decent subwoofer. I’m using my 12yr old Velodyne DPS-10, one of the best 10″ subs at the time and still very good these days (yes I like EDM!). Set them 9ft apart 16″ back from the wall and they’ll shine. I have them bi-wired which brings out the mid range and improves the upper end “sizzlyness” of CD’s at 44.1khz and made them sound smooth like silk. Impressive. They just sound better with time (be patient and allow some burn-in time). Highly recommended. Pros: Wide sound-staging, detailed, 3D depth (especially when bi-wired), well built with real wood veneer finish. Cons: Heavy, not much else lol
Angelo Somaschini –
I bought these speakers in June 2019 and I couldn’t be happier. I drive them with a McIntosh MA5200. They sound crisp, deep, accurate, and extremely well defined at all power levels. KLH did a very fine job.
Guest from Santa Clarita, California –
Badass- Coming from a guy that doesn’t know a whole lot about speakers. These are perfectly priced and they sound badass playing rock rap or country. Would definitely buy again! Pros: Loud no extortion deep bass annoys the neighbors
Crutchfield customer from Holiday Hills, IL –
There perfect, well constructed, clear on highs and mids, base put a smile on my face!!
Amazon Customer –
Boom boom out go the lights! For this price point this pair is light years ahead of the competition in sound,quality,and craftsmanship! I’m running a sansui preamp and a old onkyo power amp (165 wpc). The sound is rediculous ! High,low,midrange makes no difference there all great with ample room for adjustment. These are the best sounding speakers I’ve ever owned and I’m 62. I purchased the wood grain style and they look very classy. The more hours I get on them the better they sound. I’m using them strictly with a audio set up.
Crutchfield customer from Knoxville, TN –
Can’t go wrong with these speakers. And the walnut finish is beautiful.
Verlin Robbie –
I am a long time Klipsch owner and was somewhat skeptical about the new KLH products amazing reviews by most all that have listened to these fantastic speakers.
Over the years I have owned several Klipsch products. Such as the Heresy’s, Cornwall’s, RF7III’s and various bookshelf and surround sound speakers. I have been very satisfied with the overall build quality and sound reproduction. My only challenge was the purchase price of the Klipsch products.
I decided to purchase the Kendall floor standing speakers based on the many reviews posted by consumers as well as professional reviewers. My experience of unpacking these beauties from there cartons was a very rewarding experience. I was amazed at the quality of the build of these speakers. The cabinets were finely finish in a beautiful walnut veneer finish. Even the backside of the speakers was finished in the same quality as the rest of the cabinet.
The terminal posts were high quality and gold plated. Easy access for bi-amping. Plenty of room for the use of connecting devices such as banana plugs.
The Kendall’s came with a wonderful spike kit that allowed you to isolate the speakers from the floor. Provided was chrome plated spikes for carpeting. If you have hard surface floors, included are discs that allow the spikes to mount to them to avoid any damage to the floor. A great idea and spectacular attention to detail. The fit and finish was second to none and unexpected for a speaker in this price range.
I was delighted as I attached the speaker grills to the hidden magnets behind the veneer. This allowed the speakers to have beautiful clean look when the speaker covers were not used. The Kendall’s are as beautiful with or without the grills attached as in both states the KLH logos are visible.
The Kendall’s are dual base ported. The recommendation is to place the speakers no closer than 12 inches to the wall or surrounding surfaces. In some rooms that is not possible. Here is the sweet part. KLH provided port plugs to allow the owners to place them closer to the wall without experiencing excessive base. Once again tremendous attention to detail.
Now came the important part of owning these beauties. Listening!! I like all genres of music. My favorites are Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock n Roll and some Classical. Well, I must say I was not disappointed with any of the selections I listened to! There was astonishing clarity in the highs and mid ranges. The base was tight and precise. I was advised by my dealer that the Kendall’s might need a break in period to reach full potential. I found the initial experience was on par with my Klipsch speakers if not better. After a few hours of listening I noticed an even larger dynamic range from the output of the Kendall’s. Another fantastic feature of all KLH’s products is a 10 year warranty on parts and labor, no questions asked.
I couldn’t be more pleased with my Kendall’s. They look and sound like a lot more expensive loudspeaker. If you are in the market for new floor standing speakers put these babies high on your priority list.
Jim F –
Excellent SPEAKERS
Crutchfield customer from Aiea, HI on 7/30/2019 –
Very happy with Kendall speakers. Very clean and true sound reproduction. Shipping/delivery by UPS was few days late, but units arrived in good condition.
John C B –
Satisfied customer….. These are beautiful, quality speakers. The fit and finish are first rate and the sound quality is worth every penny. Very happy with my purchase and dealings with Worldwide Stereo.
Kirk W –
These are a great sounding speaker. In this price range there isn’t a speaker that sounds as good (I could have stopped the sentence here) and is as easy drive. The highs are crisp but not over the top, the minds are clear and low end is clean with no mud. Overall they have great musicality
B Stock Bob –
Seriously awesome. Bought an open box unit off eBay. Better then my old wharfedales. Better then my new elacs. Better than then my unknown age def tech 350’s. The WAF is high. Wife loves em. Vocals are great. Detail, imaging, dynamics, are all great. Did you know in the sonf you’re so vain, the dudes scarf was apricot? I just learned that tonight. Thanks to the Kendalls.
I hate social media games –
Fantastic speakers. Audio enthusiast approved. Wife approved. Great speakers. Great finish. Great detail. Very revealing even at lower volume levels. Plays all music well. Excellent cost to performance ratio. Destroys my Elac Debut B6 2.0’s
Guest from Pembina, ND –
Won’t be disappointed Ok, so it’s early. I just got these things hooked up. I picked the wife’s Spotify classic rock playlist. Let the system warmup while I shower and get a drink. First song was Lay your hands on me by Bon Jovi, at the end she goes “that, was awesome”. She was in prime listening position for song one. Third song was Promises by Def Leppard. At this point she was sitting in the dining room. painting. 180 degrees from the left channel. She goes, wow I’ve never heard that before. There was some light harmonizing and singing about 3/4 of the way through the song, that she had never heard before. This is at late night, kids are in bed volume level. Great start. Black oak finish. Superb.
Z$ –
Terrific Speakers I have owned these speakers for approximately six months. I did not buy them on Amazon, but wanted to give my impressions to potential purchasers here. I have spent a lifetime listening to music and watching movies at home, but have only recently attempted to put together a “serious” room for these purposes. I am not an audiophile by any means, but I know what a good system sounds like. These speakers are the linchpin of my system, and they are terrific. Their output is crisp, clear, and prodigious. I wouldn’t describe them as either excessively bright or warm; they just sound accurate. I listen to roughly equal amounts of classical, jazz, and rock, and these speakers don’t seem to favor any type of music, they just belt out what’s asked of them. I use a subwoofer, but these can reach down farther than most subs on the market. I have reconnected with long-past favorite music and movies just to listen to them out of these speakers. Aesthetically, they are a pleasure to look at. I have the walnut finish and they impress. I recommended these speakers without reservation. It’s been a pleasure to put my system together around them.
Justin from Salt Lake City, UT –
So pleased with the KLH Kendall, I spent weeks considering all the comparably priced speakers and finally decided on the Kendall based on specs and what few reviews I could find. These sound fantastic now that they have been played for a couple weeks. They definitely need some break in, regardless of naysayers there is no question. When I first powered them up I was afraid I had made the wrong choice. Sounded very flat, but after a few hours they really opened up and now I believe they get a little better every time I play them. My good friend is a supreme audiophile with $50k speakers and a system to match. He was very impressed and could not believe they were only this price for the pair. This is the common theme I see and hear. Highly recommend. Pros: Sound quality and price. Cons: None
Peter C –
I love bumpin’ my Kendalls! I can’t describe how impressed I am with my KLH Kendall speakers. I’m running them off of a Bluesound Powernode (which is awesome as well). The PowerNode is only 60 watts per channel, but that’s plenty to get an awesome thump from these speakers. A few things that drew me to them was the team working to develop the KLH line, the great price point, and most importantly, the awesome sound they produce. I demoed these in store along with some Focals, B&Ws, and Klipsch, and while each one of those speakers is awesome sounding, and would make for a great pair of speakers to own, the value I saw in he KLH couldn’t be touched. When I got them home, I think the sounded even better. This is my first set of high-quality speakers, and I’m in love. While I am really impressed with the bass they produce, I think I’ll eventually add a sub to really shake the room and allow the Kendall’s to hit the mids and highs even better and let the sub handle all the lows. The look of them is great and they’re finished really nicely. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you’re considering a pair.
Christopher t –
Great sound with retro look I have the speakers in the living room for 2 channel music listening. They have an excellent sound stage and can dig deeper than most speakers this size. My wife even commented on how good they sound.
Brian C –
Great Looks and Sound! I purchased my Kendalls from World Wide Stereo in April of 2019. They arrived in a week and they were well packaged. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the real wood veneer is! Beauty is only skin deep, so they say, so the proof was in the listening. These speakers have a full rich sound that make vocals soar. The mid-range purity is impressive. The sound stage is wide and deep. Imaging is very clear and sharp. The bass is deep and not muddy at all. Bass string plucks are well defined and tight. I highly recommend giving these a try. You’ll be glad you did!
Joseph from Denver, CO on 6/4/2019 @crutchfield.com –
Hooked up to my Denon X3500H for about 4 weeks now in our home theater and I’m very impressed so far. It is hard to demo speakers these days but we still have one audio shop here in Denver that has Focal, B&W, SVS and GoldenEar. Went to a local shop and listened to Definitive Tech’s offerings too. They all sounded great but it seemed like you got more for your money going with KLH or SVS. After seeing that the Kendall made it to AVS Forum’s Recommended list, I narrowed it down to the Kendall and SVS Pinnacle’s…both seemed a better value than other offerings (3-way design, bigger woofers/better bass). At the time the Pinnacle was relatively new and there weren’t many reviews so I pulled the trigger on the Kendall’s knowing I could return them. Build quality is excellent and the speakers look beautiful in black. I’ve primarily used them for movies and they are clear, nice imaging and I’ve turned them up as loud as I’d ever play them and haven’t heard any distortion. I’m currently using these with the KLH Story center channel and without a sub. I have the KLH Beacon surrounds/dipoles but I have not had time to mount those yet. The bass is solid and at this point I don’t know that I’ll want or need a sub. With the 3-way design I’m hearing things I never heard with my old system. Overall, the Kendall’s are a safe choice if you don’t have the ability to demo…couldn’t be happier at this point.
D.T. ONeill –
Excellent speakers, great definition and soundstage. These speakers are very impressive and punch above their weight in terms of price, but really they don’t leave me wanting anything a more expensive set might offer anyway. These are very clear at all frequencies. All of the instruments sound distinct and not in any way blurred together. Ok some recordings I’m not sure I could tell the difference blindfolded if the performer were in the room in front of me. I listen to a wide variety of music genres and it seems to me these recreate the sound exactly as it was produced in each case.
Peter –
Fantastic balance of overall build and sound quality for $1300! I’ve been using the KLH Kendall’s floor-standing speakers every day for about 4 months for both daily television use and more serious movie and music listening. Long story short… I couldn’t be happier; I really like these speakers. I looked around quite a bit and was hard-pressed to find an equal level of quality coming out of any generic box store lineup. The Kendall’s seem to be a fantastic balance of overall build and sound quality for $1300. I currently run an older Onkyo receiver (TX-NR3010) in my setup and usually listen at moderate levels, (much to my wife’s dismay). But I was looking to add greater depth across the full range of sound to beyond what my existing bookshelf mains and center channel and in-wall subs were delivering. In my house we are big into Netflix, Roku, YouTube, Apple and Spotify. So for main speakers, I wanted expanded range for both every day listening and while enjoying higher quality movies and music which usually contain either some kind of multi-channel audio or higher bit rate audio. Basically, I wanted big, room filling, full range sound that, if possible, I could customize as necessary. Visually, the build quality is incredibly solid on these cabinets and I like that they are really wood veneers. I opted for the walnut finish. The brushed aluminum trim around the drivers looks high tech. The speakers look elegant in my living room. For me the first impact and reaction on the Kendall’s sound was the impressive power and response of the lows and mids. These speakers are rated for the lows down at 25Hz with crossovers at 800Hz and 2.5kHz. At first it was almost too powerful for my 15×20 room, but I was able to use the in-speaker tuning ports and my amp eq to tune the low-mid freqs. perfectly to my room specs. The mids and highs are super clear and provided a perfect balance to my overall setup. The balance and tuning for me is important…sometimes I want to listen to daily TV at full range but with lower levels. And then sometimes I want to listen at face melting volume without sacrificing sound quality. All in all, I’m very impressed with the Kendalls – they fit my requirements really well. Great performance and don’t crush the wallet. The icing on the cake is their 10-year warranty. Highly recommended!
Thomas J. Collins posted on Amazon.com –
Wonderful speakers with very good depth of sound stage. Bass response is impressive. Wife likes the look of these speakers as they are like fine furniture.
Michael from Topeka, KS –
Recieved my speakers in timely fashion. Noticed the boxes where different sizes. One was the old packaging the other the new. The old package had the speaker flopping around like a fish. Had me worried, but all was undamaged. Craftmanship is great. Very impressed with the sound. Music was very detailed. Bass is very good. Could do away with my subwoofer that was accompanying my KG 4.5(2way). Midrange is very open. High frequencies are crisp. Overall avery satisfied. Lost a star do to old packing. Pros: Quality construction C.ons: Old packing. New way is better
Kirby Y – posted March 4, 2019 @WorldWideStereo –
I have these speakers and have used them for music as well as for movies [with KLH Story as Center, and Windsor as subwoofer]. It truly shines and have more clarity, punch and power handling compared to the Polk signature series set I have. They truly are a great value at this price point. The speaker is packaged really well and came with spikes if you’re placing them on a carpeted room. It does come with base if you want to use the spikes on wood or flat floor. They also came with foam plug, if you want to plug one of the ports [it has 2!]. The build quality is great, they have nice touches like the magnetic grill cover, the heaviness of the entire cabinet, the great feel when you touch it, makes the experience better.
Overall I highly recommend this speaker. Try them out at World Wide Stereo and you can hear the difference. It does rival some of the more expensive speakers and this one is not as expensive
Crutchfield customer from Baltimore, MD on 3/22/2019 –
Excellent balance and response across the frequency range. I’m particularly impressed by the mids. Despite the small diameter of the woofers these are no slouch on the bottom end. I have these connected to an old JVC 5.1 receiver with Audioquest type 4’s. I did the Pepsi challenge with one of these vs. the JBL 3-ways I replaced with them. They held there own with my go-to bass demo track Dead Prez’s “It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop” despite the JBL’s featuring 12″ woofers. Even Better the KLH’s responded so much better in the mid-bass range with a clarity I’ve rarely heard in a floorstanding speaker. The build quality is excellent. The real wood veneer, kevlar cones, and socket head hardware are all top-notch. These arrived very well packed and super fast. I was looking for something with a smaller footprint and a better build quality, and read an article about the best floorstanding speakers for under $2k, and these were a standout in that review. They do not disappoint. My next step will be to upgrade to a 7.1 receiver so that I can bi-amp them.
Patrick from Albuquerque, NM on 2/1/2019 –
Was looking for some very efficient speakers for my tube amp (Cayin CS-100A). Had some Klipsch speakers hooked up to this amp, sounded HARSH, not very easy on the ear. To be fair, they’re older and smaller speakers, but none the less they had to go. Instead of getting another pair of Klipsch I decided to go with the KLH Kendalls (96db), I’m so glad did !!! They look great, they sound great, and I got them on sale, (Crutchfield Holiday Sale). Added a sub (JL Dominion d110) BOOM!!! Man Cave is DONE……Great service Crutchfield.
Pros: 10 year warranty, Sounds awesome.
Cons: None
Robert from Page, AZ on 1/15/2019 –
I purchased a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers about a month ago (12/18) for my 7.2 setup. I use them for movies, tv and for 2.0 stereo vinyl, cd and streaming music. From the first time I powered them up I was impressed with their full-range response and clarity. I love the smooth detailed sound they produce. I drive them with an Onkyo TX-NR747 AVR and have played cd’s and vinyl using both “direct” mode (2.0) and “stereo” mode (2.2). I am very impressed by the bass response of the Kendalls for classic 2.0 stereo music listening as these new Kendalls replaced my 30-year old DIY kit speakers with 10″ SEAS bass drivers. The Kendalls also sound great in my 7.2 movie watching setup. Of course, for movie watching, my dual SVS SB powered subwoofers are engaged for the LFE. Overall, the sound from the Kendalls is excellent in all listening modes and volumes. I am very happy with their performance. Also, the fit and finish is superb. I got the black oak finish and the look is fantastic. The magnetic grills fit and stick perfectly. These are a great set of skinny tower speakers and I am very pleased with their performance and looks.
Pros: Great sound at all volumes for music and movies. Excellent sound for classic 2.0 stereo listening. Excellent appearance and superb fit & finish.
Cons: None at this time.
Nathan –
I’d like to start off by stating that I just recently found world wide stereo, and I’m glad that I did! My product specialist was Andrew and his knowledge and expertise was greatly appreciated, as I was thinking of purchasing from the renewed KLH brand, I had heard of them years ago, but was unaware the brand was being relaunched under new leadership, Andrew put to rest any reservations I may of been having about making a possible purchase, as his intellect about audio gear was second to none. I had zeroed in on the KLH audio Kendall model, tower speaker, as it has some pretty remarkable specifications, that seemed rather optimistic due to its size. Andrew assured me they had complete accuracy within their specifications, as he had prior listening experience with the KLH Kendall’s at World Wide Stereo. I was coming from 10 plus years of Klipsch ownership and was looking for a different sound signature, as Klipsch has a sound of its own with their horn loaded tweeter design. Klipsch is a great brand, but I longed to have a different listening experience. I had a few follow up phone calls with Andrew and he had eased my reservations and I decided to make the KLH Kendall purchase.
Timely delivery of my speakers, they arrived un-damaged from any shipping errors that could have occurred, and arrived within a week.
As I began carefully unpacking my speakers I was impressed by the packing that KLH had provided, it was sturdy, solid, and speakers was firmly in place within the carton.
Upon first inspection, I was impressed with the appearance of the cabinetry, real wood veneer finish, I selected Black Oak, the grain looks stunning! I really like the plinth, with the available spike or rubber feet application, to reduce sound reflections and for decoupling purposes. KLH offers, on the Kendall, port tuning, to your preference due to room acoustics or speaker placement, via a foam plug that you may elect to use in place of one of the two rear firing ports. I have chosen not to use the port plug, my
room acoustics don’t warrant the need to do so.
From the minute I hooked up the Kendall’s I immediately noticed a depth to my sound stage, not previously noticed with the Klipsch. The Kendall’s are one foot from rear wall, seven and a half feet spaced from one another, and my listening chair is eleven and a half feet from the Kendall’s. Kendall’s are toed in approximately 20 degrees towards my listening position. My first impression was like I stated, more depth to sound stage, but also of other notable factors as well. The center image was notably wider than with my previous speakers, ie: both on and off axis I noticed immediate wider center image. Further listening also revealed that right out of box, these will need a few hours on them before they really open up, some say speaker break in to be a myth, pseudo science (placebo), but I know what I heard and I conclude it wasn’t in my head, I’d say after about 3 hours of listening to various media, CD, vinyl primarily, various genres, I noticed the Kendall’s to be producing sound a little less effortlessly, not as restrained (muffled), but more transparent and spacious, wide open sound stage was producing nuances in songs that I’d heard several times, now revealing bits of material never once heard before. Kendall’s seem to be quite revealing. The three way design is a feature not found in my previous speaker, so to have that bit of extra depth is nice, rich full sound. Kendall’s produce a nice dynamic sound, from the subtle high hat, chimes, bells and other instruments of various nature, to the low bottom end, scratching the surface of sub 30 Hz cycles, these can really dig, and sing on the high end of the spectrum. Kendall’s have a nice neutral, natural sound signature.
Other key notable feature include: magnetic grilles, bi-wire, bi-amp capable from the dual binding posts, 96 dB efficiency for a wide array of amplification choices, Kevlar drivers with Butyl rubber surrounds, frequency response of 25 Hz-23kHz,
and a TEN YEAR WARRANTY, that’s unheard of in the audio industry!
In closing I’d like to add, I’ve owned the Kendall’s nearly 2 weeks now, I’ve concluded the Kendall’s articulate all of my music spanning over a vast array of genres in a way that surpasses my expectations! You’re not limited by what gear you use either, with their 96 dB efficiently most anyone can appreciate what the Kendall’s have to offer, rather it be from an AVR, 2 channel stereo receiver, or high powered amplifier, you’re sure to find them quite pleasing. I’d also like to thank Patrick from KLH audio, who was also instrumental with this purchase, his knowledge was greatly appreciated and he was supportive by both phone and email, KLH stands behind their products! I highly recommend the Kendall loudspeakers!
B. Kunz –
I personally talked with Patrick at KLH about a few things and became very encouraged by what he had to say. First and foremost, the advertised 250 watts is actually RMS and not peak. I’m currently pumping 140 watts @ 8 ohms via the Denon AVR-X6500H and they sound amazing. According to my SPL meter readings the lower frequency’s are in the lower 30Hz and I’m confident they would get lower with higher wattage feeding these. For those who have or want to, they will handle more power. Another thing is Patrick confirmed with me they are correcting their packaging issues and will be shipping them in more ‘ample’ containers to better assure of a safe & sound delivery.
I had my last pair of floorstanding speakers for 15 years and they were the entry level JBL Venue Stadium speakers. A great start in my opinion, and hold their own to this day. But I had long wanted to take the ‘next step’ up when budget allowed and after a lot of tossing & turning I went with these KLH Kendalls. Not a lot of third party info out there on them so I took a gamble with these. I am by definition an audiophile, though I wouldn’t consider myself a super geek about it. I just like quality when listening to music, and watching movies. I’m quite discerning to good sound. Through much online perusing these were the only speakers that I didn’t ready anything ‘negative’ about, and I especially didn’t read anything that ‘turned’ me off.
The first thing I noticed when I got them plugged into my system, aimed in at the listening position, is the extraordinary soundstage they presented. The stereophonic sound was a huge upgrade over my old speakers, and right then I knew I made an upgrade, but still yet to be determined if the price is justified. When it comes to audio equipment, there is always the debate of how much do you need to spend to get the sound you want, along with the law of diminishing returns that is based on a lot of variables around you. Some things I noticed though that didn’t appeal to me was a lack of lower end and a bit of harshness on the upper end. This made me a little uneasy. However after a couple days of long stretches of upper volume play, I can now say that I am a believer in ‘breaking-in’ speakers. The harshness has gone away, and the lower end has expanded to the degree I expected. Almost as if a bit of ‘stretching’ was needed to wake the beast.
When buying audio equipment online it’s so difficult to make a decision when you can’t ‘play’ first somewhere local and see what you’re getting. You rely on the numbers. One thing I couldn’t find was the RMS for these speakers. (updated; the RMS is the 250 watts advertised and not the peak) The RMS is one way to help if you’re going to provide enough power. Never-the-less, I’m powering these without an external amp and my receiver provides 140w per channel at 8ohms. The specs say these speakers handle 250 watts, which is peak (correction, 250 is the RMS), so I was thinking I might need a little more oomph to get the full potential, and without the RMS I was just hoping I had enough. Well, I’m here to say I’m satisfied with what I’m hearing. Without a sub these sound extraordinary. The high’s are crisp, clear, without being overwhelming. The mid’s are exquisite, and the lows are satisfying. The low end started out quite shy of my expectations given the frequency response the manufacturer states. My previous JBL’s definitely had more presence down under. But, the longer I play these the better they get. They’re now at the point I feel they hit the same, if even slightly lower.
As to what is appealing to the listener is always subjective, and varies a lot. Buying expensive equipment online is difficult, and one has to roll the dice at some point. Getting the ideal setup when you’re discerning is nerve racking, but I feel quite good about these now after a rough start. The sound has warmed up, cleaned up, and I can confidently say they’re a serious upgrade over my JBL towers. I will add to my review as time goes on to help.
In summary these are fantastic speakers, and the soundstage they present is so divine it’s my favorite thing about them. I have been made a believer of the ‘break-in’ and look forward to listening to these all the time now. (update to the following; I was told the packaging issues have been corrected) I would like to add that the materials used by KLH to pack these was rather ‘flimsy’. The styrofoam was cheap and the cardbox box should have been thicker. Shipping is rough, and the packing didn’t do well.
I want to give an unsolicited shout-out to IQ Home Entertainment & KLH. They have given me extraordinary service and went to great lengths to make me a happy customer. Delivery from them is always fast, and I can call them and get a friendly voice on the other end. I’ve now ordered several pieces of equipment for my home theater through them. Two thumbs up!
Robert –
I purchased a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers about a month ago (12/18) for my 7.2 setup. I use them for movies, tv and for 2.0 stereo vinyl, cd and streaming music. From the first time I powered them up I was impressed with their full-range response and clarity. I love the smooth detailed sound they produce. I drive them with an Onkyo TX-NR747 AVR and have played cd’s and vinyl using both “direct” mode (2.0) and “stereo” mode (2.2). I am very impressed by the bass response of the Kendalls for classic 2.0 stereo music listening as these new Kendalls replaced my 30-year old DIY kit speakers with 10″ SEAS bass drivers. The Kendalls also sound great in my 7.2 movie watching setup. Of course, for movie watching, my dual SVS SB powered subwoofers are engaged for the LFE. Overall, the sound from the Kendalls is excellent in all listening modes and volumes. I am very happy with their performance. Also, the fit and finish is superb. I got the black oak finish and the look is fantastic. The magnetic grills fit and stick perfectly. These are a great set of skinny tower speakers and I am very pleased with their performance and looks.
Pros: Great sound at all volumes for music and movies. Excellent sound for classic 2.0 stereo listening. Excellent appearance and superb fit & finish.
Cons: None at this time.
Teresa S. –
Best speakers in 40 years. Purchased these because of the recommendation of Ira, World Wide Stereo advisor. Well, Ira was right these are the best speakers I have heard in 40 plus years of purchasing speakers. I have owned Advents, Altecs, Boston Acoustics, ADS and Definitive Tech none can compare to sound quality of the KLH Kendall. Kendall has rich bass, clear clean highs and mids. I have them hooked up to 1977 Pioneer SX 1050 totally restored and these things sing. Build quality is excellent, can’t say enough about these speakers at this price but buy them you will not be sorry. Special thanks to Ira for his musical knowledge.
David from Orlando –
After doing extensive research on potential floor standing speakers for my future man cave 5.1.2 set up, I learned about KLH audio and researched the KLH Kendall further. The specs looked appealing and really drew me in from the impressive frequency range, high quality kevlar woofers, dedicated 3 way speaker design to the overall small footprint and much more. These speakers are relatively new and outside of professional reviews very little is written about them in consumer reviews and AV forums. When I saw these on sale during Black Friday week, I jumped at the the chance knowing I was safe with Crutchfield’s exceptional service and 60 day return policy if things didn’t go well. Needless to say I have not regretted this purchase. I have been using these for the past week and a half and I am blown away by the clarity and detail at every level from low, medium & high freqs. Out of the box, I was impressed but as another reviewer pointed out they are getting better with time. Currently using them as a 2.1 set up until I move them into my Man Cave in the new house and will eventually get the KLH Story Center channel to compliment them along with in ceiling atmos and rear speakers. However, even in 2.1 set up I am having a blast with them and have never enjoyed playing Apple Music as much as I am now. In fact, I will use them in stereo mode in the future even after I set up them up in surround home theater set up. Too Good!
Pros: impressive detail & clarity at low, medium and high frequencies without any distortion. High quality build and cabinetry. High end speaker material qualities
Cons: none so far
michael grace –
Excellent product I did have one issue but seller was very quick to resolve problem
Crutchfield customer from Stamford, CT –
These replaced my 40 year old floor standing Interface Electrovoice speakers (which treated me quite well over the years). It was time for a change to updated technology. The Kendalls met this need. My purchase has not been regretted. Excellent sound quality at all frequencies. I was anticipating getting a subwoofer. Since I only use them for use with my stereo receiver, cd and cassette deck, no need. The base response with rear vented ports qualify for my requirements.
Pros: Exceptional well rounded sound and staging.
Cons: None
Evan Anhalt –
From Facebook:
The Kendalls are amazing! Have about 30 hours on them and they sound better every time I fire them up.
Evan –
I remember the KLH 5’s I had years ago and how much I loved them. So I figured I’d take a chance on the new line of KLH speakers. Well I’m glad I did. I picked up a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers. Holy crap! These are fantastic right out of the box. Deep bass. Well defined Mid’s and clear non-fizzy treble. I auditioned speakers in this price range and nothing in my opinion touches the Kendalls. I can’t wait until they break in. Plus the 10 year warranty is a bonus.
Pros: Extremely well balanced. Deep bass and clear non fizzy highs. Very efficient. They look great as well.
Cons: None.
Crutchfield Customer –
These do double duty as speakers for Turntable and front speakers of surround system. I am very pleased with the speakers and Crutchfield.
Kendalls, I love you.
Rob from Shelby Township, MI –
As I conducted my research into building a two channel, turntable based system, my focus was to capture that retro aesthetic while incorporating current speaker technologies. That balance is hard to find, especially at this price point. Then I came across KLH Audio, a new company formed by a team of seasoned audio executives that set out to build on the heritage of the original KLH. Having now spent several hours with the Kendalls, I continue to be amazed by the detail and imaging of the sound stage – they seem to get better with each listening session. The range and responsiveness easily outperform any other speaker I’ve seen at this price point. Listening through Sufjan Stevens “Come on Feel the Illinoise”, the details in the voices, horns, and strings are so revealing, as well as the low end kick coming through on the track “Jacksonville”. Close your eyes and the band is in the room. The Kendall’s real wood veneers are perfectly textured and aligned to create not just a great speaker, but a great set piece for any room. Take off the magnetic screens and the Kendall technology becomes immediately evident. The Kevlar drivers look amazing in person and sound even better! I highly suggest you take the time to evaluate these speakers, as the price to performance ratio is exceptional. Finally, I also want to especially thank Jon at KLH Audio for being available to answer questions and provide guidance during the process.
Pros: Wide frequency range (25Hz – 23kHz), very efficient with a frequency response of 96 db, real wood veneers, Kevlar drivers, exceptional price to performance ratio, sound great!
Cons: None…
Marcelo from Indianapolis, IN –
As an electrical engineer with some knowledge of circuits and waves I prefer excess power in the amplifier and mass/size in the speakers to get the best distortion-free sound. These KLH Kendalls have a midrange driver and a pair of large woofers, and cross-overs to separate low, medium and high frequencies, which give them excellent range with response down to 25 Hz. I do not buy speakers frequently so I’d rather pay a little more to get great speakers that I will enjoy a long time. After listening to the KLH Kendalls for a few weeks now, I am very pleased with them. Distortion free and clear sounding low-volume jazz and high-volume metal (Livid, Nothing More, Deep Purple, Black Veiled Brides).”
Pros: Great sound for a wide range of music and power.
Roger –
The KLH Kendall’s exceeded my expectations. They sound wonderful and are very beautiful in walnut. Music that I have listened to for years sounds new all over again especially while listening in 2-channel setting. Awesome speaker.
Jeff –
Right out of the box these speakers appeared to exhibit a proud builders attention to detail. Superb build quality (for a speaker in this price range), and I have to add that the packaging was excellent. The double boxing and inside protection offered much to withstand the sometimes harsh rigors of transportation. To me these are beautiful speakers, attractive wood veneer and they appear to be built with tight tolerances. Presently I have approximately 20 hours on the speakers and I have to admit this in probably my most satisfying purchase in the last 10 years. In addition to the good looks ( I purchased the black or ebony model ) I fell in love with the very dynamic but still graceful tonal quality they exhibit. I really like the music (I only use these for two channel music listening) these Kendall’s present. The bass is tight and mature, solid mid-range, with accurate highs, and extremely smooth tonal balance. I purchased these to replace 3 month old Klipsch RP-6000F speakers that I found to be musically inferior with questionable build quality, and terrible colorization in their musical presentation. I still own the Klipsch speakers and have them sitting next to the Kendall’s so that i can side by side A/B test the two. No comparison to my ears the KLH Kendall wins hands down my a significant margin.
Jonathan –
I have been so delighted with this speaker. I bought a pair to go with my NAD C388 integrated amplifier, and I find the sound airy but substantial, with lifelike detail and robust bass. I listen mostly to classical music, along with some jazz, and couldn’t be happier with the results! I had been using a pair of Focal Clear MG headphones over the last few months, and had been a little in awe of their quality. Because of this I was reticent about finding a good speaker which would approach their quality, without spending too large an amount of money. For me, the KLH Kendall offers the best of all worlds without breaking the bank. I recommend you give it a try!
David –
My first impression, on opening the box, is that these speakers are big, boxy and heavy. Aesthetically, I would have preferred a more sculptured tapered speaker enclosure. The exterior finish was as fine as any other similarly priced speaker; however, the magnetically attached grills are great. I bought the Kendall primarily based on reviews and reported specs of the measured sensitivity level, so as to match with my lower watt tube amp and price range for which I was willing to spend. The sensitivity was comparable to Klipsch speakers, which I was also considering, but of whom I am not a particular fan of the horn tweeter. After getting over the size of each speaker, I was pleasantly satisfied with my listening initiation. I immediately went to my classic rock album favorites and noted that bass was not boomy and more than satisfactory for my senior aged ears. I was also impressed with the clarity of the overall sound and crossover separation. Treble did not seem overly bright as has been reported in some reviews. Overall, the speakers seem to be very musical and I am satisfied with my purchase.
William –
I have two pairs of KLH Kendall’s. One pair on two different amplifiers, the first pair is powered by a Denon x4500H, preamplifier is a Emotiva 5.0 XPA GEN 3 250 watt amplifier. Second system, is powered by a YAMAHA A-S801 integrated. The KLH Kendall’s are a great sounding speaker at the price range. The problem I have is with the tweeters on these models. I’ve blown two tweeters on each system. Yes the power cords were unplugged , yes I had the correct polarity, red to positive and black to negative. Binding post jumpers were tight. Everything was tip top and hooked up correctly. Conclusion: the tweeters blow much too easily for my liking, but that’s not the worst part. These speakers have a 10 year warranty, but it’s not that easy to get KLH to replace the defective tweeters after you’ve had previous problems. I won’t buy KLH again. Just for a comparison, I also have a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 500’s hooked up to my first system with no problem.
Dan –
What a dynamo! This speaker checked all the boxes for me. After listening to speakers from Polk, Wharfedale, Emotiva, and Infinity, these are the keepers. Punchy, extended bass, smooth seductive midrange, and highs with just the right amount of sparkle. Oh, and did I mention these will flat-out bring it when you start spinning the volume knob! The perfect combination of articulate, subtle reproduction of music with the ability to play loudly and cleanly. Can I say “Loud Butter”.
Ruben –
If you want crisp sound from your tweeters, mellow from your mids and deep bass from your woofers then don’t compromise. Not only do the KLH Kendall perform, they look good doing so. I run a Pioneer SX-1280 from 1979 and the Kendall’s can handle the power. Don’t forget to break them in slowly. Did I mention a 10 year warranty ? You won’t be sorry. Peace my friend.
Robert –
Love these speakers ! Don’t worry. Just buy these and be happy. Great speakers. Great deal. Crutchfield is the BEST place to buy audio. You won’t be disappointed. Bought these a while ago and am still happy with them. Great sound. Great looks.
Andrew –
I purchased these from Parker Gwen over a year ago. I just found out Parker Gwen is out of business.
Anyway, I have been enjoying these speakers for more than one year. I like them better than my Klipsch RP280F’s. They have more clarity and better mid bass. Smoother treble, not fatiguing. Bass is very good, subwoofer not essential, in my opinion. Overall, a solid set of floor standers for the price. I run them with a Vincent SV-500 and Vincent PHO-701 phono pre-amp for vinyl and CD’s and a Marantz NR-1602 for streaming. Both sound excellent. Yes, they can go very loud and are neutral to my ears. The Klipsch are a bit bright in the treble, to me.
Craig S –
So this past month or so I spent a while both reading and auditioning Speakers and Amps, as I wanted to build a 2 Channel System for the primary use of listening to music…like I did “BACK IN THE DAY”!!! In doing so, I discovered just how far streaming music capabilities have come and was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality available over the air. With so many of the Tower Type Speakers I was liking, costing 3 grand or more, I was not optimistic wanting a 4 Driver, 3 way system. Initially, the Blue PowerNode, made for a no-brainer of a choice for an amp and streamer, with an included HDMI input for my Roku Device. So after reading and hearing simply raving reviews about the sound of the KLH Kendall Towers at $1299 a pair, I purchased the PowerNode at my Local Dealer, and ordered a pair of the KLF Kendalls. Ordered via Amazon, shipped from World Wide. Setting up the Black Oak finished Towers was pretty easy, screwing the rubber feet on and using Banana Plug connectors to12 gauge speaker wire, connected to the PowerNode. Even at first use, before any break in period, it was apparent that these speakers were a bargain at $1299 a pair!! The PowerNode offers a very clean and un-“colored” feed and for an entry level pairing, the duo sounded quite good….very good in fact. I had all tone controls off on the PowerNode, and the music just dripped through the KLH Kendalls. But there was something missing in the “presence” of the music using the PowerNode. Rated at 60watts, I just felt like more was needed as I had auditioned many amps driving speakers before my purchase. So I had seen the reviews about Yamaha’s newest line of Amplifiers and the one that stood out was the A-S801. At $900, it was going to fit well in to my budget, with room for a Media Streaming device to replace the PowerNode as it had no “Pre-out” to connect to another Amplifier. So…..in cutting to the chase, all I can say is Holy Freaking Shat!!! I decided to purchase the Blue Node2i, since I had become familiar with its operation and was very happy with its uncolored sound quality, and in combination, for under three grand, I challenge you to spend double that and find a system that sounds as good as this!! Really….as a life long lover of great music and the equipment its re-created on, this system is as good as anything you can listen to, when it comes to the simplicity of being satisfied….thoroughly!!! The Kendall’s are made like a brick as the internal MDF internal driver chambers make for a speaker that weighs every bit of 50 pounds, and giving way to zero cabinet resonance. The Cabinets “knuckle test” passes with a 100!! Rated as getting as low as 25htz, lower than most towers…you can believe me when I say, adding a Subwoofer would be completely unnecessary!! The bass is so tight and controlled…and the midrange….ohhh the midrange!!! Simply “liquid”!! Playing anything from Adelle to Bob James to Earth Wind and Fire, the music just takes on a life of its own as the speakers disappear with a soundstage that reaches far beyond their placement. And let’s talk movies for a minute….ok! I wasn’t sure if this system would be the most enjoyable for watching movies, but damn!!! I played the film “1912” through my OPPO BDP-83, with the connection scheme involving the Opposing HDMI to the Sony 55 TV, and the Optical Output from the Sony to the Yamaha A-S801. Again, no Sub needed!! It was an amazing experience as sound moved across the screen and behind me at times, engulfing me into every moment of the film! One last thing…DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME BI-AMPING these speakers. Seriously…it creates an overpowered and much more annoying BASS field. It muddied up the Mid Range significantly, and proved to be…well… as I said, a waste of time…but good for you to know right?? The Yamaha A-S801 is not a Bells and Whistle, Light Flashing Amplifier. Its remote is very useful, but with small buttons the you have to learn to braille over! There is no indicator light on the Volume knob either, so its always best to turn it down first if you aren’t sure when powering up. But guess what, these few short comings I could give a shat about, you know why…because this amp is truly in a class by itself musically!! I keep the Music Direct button on 99% of the time and its just a fantastic pairing with a set of Speakers that are as uncolored and as musical as it is! You’d have to spend a lot more to equal the sound the KLH Kendalls and the Yamaha A-S801 create. But if you are on a budget, or a true Audiophile who just wants to enjoy the music…this duo may end up being a “cult” pair, even for those owing multiple systems!! “Yeah I’ve got a Kendall/801 set up!!” It is simply that freaking good.
Ryan –
Absolutely incredible. Abso-damn-lutley incredible. The sound stage is next level. Anyone looking to get into actual hifi and don’t want to spend a fortune should put this on their short list. They sound outstanding. The bass is very, very good. The only downside is they are quite bright in the highs, you’ll have to adjust sound accordingly because atleast in my room I do get some hiss, but my room is definitely not an audiophiles dream I’ll tell you that. These are definitely a good purchase. KLH is really pulling all the stops to rebrand the image and I’m impressed.
Crutchfield customer from LINCOLN, NE –
Great job KLH! I’m reviewing the KLH Kendall speakers I purchased from Crutchfield. What attracted me originally to the Kendall’s was the richness of the cabinets and the overall appearance. I know this sounds like I don’t have 45 years of experience when it comes to playing music but I really didn’t want my speaker cabinets to be overstated. In fact, I have a dedicated listening room with some really good equipment (Krell, Sansui, Luxman, B&O, Linn) to name a few, and I didn’t want my speakers to stand out, I really prefer the quietness of the look. The specs are good so I ordered my new Kendall’s. I’m always amazed at how efficient and knowledgeable the great people at Crutchfield are because once again my Kendall’s arrived in a few short days. (Thank You!) I’m a person who prefers to listen to the music rather than the gear which brings me back to the Kendall’s. Honestly let’s forget for a moment about how much, or how little these speakers cost and just focus on the outcome I wanted which is a great tonal listening experience across different genres. The fullness of the sound reminds me of my big Klipsch speakers but a smaller presence (physically) which is a good thing. And the detail of the music is on parr with speakers that are much larger and more costly. I described the sound as a very honest sound. If you have vintage gear to the latest greatest money can buy, I don’t believe the Kendall’s will be robbing you of great sound and the performance is well above its price point.
Crutchfield customer –
I’m reviewing the KLH Kendall speakers I purchased from Crutchfield. What attracted me originally to the Kendall’s was the richness of the cabinets and the overall appearance. I know this sounds like I don’t have 45 years of experience when it comes to playing music but I really didn’t want my speaker cabinets to be overstated. In fact, I have a dedicated listening room with some really good equipment (Krell, Sansui, Luxman, B&O, Linn) to name a few, and I didn’t want my speakers to stand out, I really prefer the quietness of the look. The specs are good so I ordered my new Kendall’s. I’m always amazed at how efficient and knowledgeable the great people at Crutchfield are because once again my Kendall’s arrived in a few short days. (Thank You!) I’m a person who prefers to listen to the music rather than the gear which brings me back to the Kendall’s. Honestly let’s forget for a moment about how much, or how little these speakers cost and just focus on the outcome I wanted which is a great tonal listening experience across different genres. The fullness of the sound reminds me of my big Klipsch speakers but a smaller presence (physically) which is a good thing. And the detail of the music is on parr with speakers that are much larger and more costly. I described the sound as a very honest sound. If you have vintage gear to the latest greatest money can buy, I don’t believe the Kendall’s will be robbing you of great sound and the performance is well above its price point.
James from San Francisco, CA –
great sound; easy to install
Crutchfield customer from Ponce, PR –
Proof that outstanding speakers don’t have to cost a fortune. These speakers are the best kept secret at Crutchfield! They sound amazing, excellent highs and lows, the music comes out clear with no distortion whatsoever(at high volume). I can listen to them for long hours and they don’t cause speaker fatigue. Their construction is solid and the walnut finished is so elegant, very well done. For all the things that these speakers offer their price is ridiculously low, they are a real bargain. Pros: Excellent value, beautiful sound…very detailed. Well constructed, beautiful finish…get them!
Crutchfield customer from Hollywood, FL –
Overall this is an excellent speaker choice. Build quality is top notch appearance is pleasing. I had them paired with a Yamaha AS801 amplifier and an audio technica turntable. Playing the Rush 2112 LP Geddy’s voice was most prominent and I would say slightly annoying. The mids and lows we’re flat in comparison. The Robert plant raising sand LP Had a nice balance again mids and highs really stand out. Godsmack when legends fall LP sounded good but lackedthat low and punch that they are known for. Grateful dead skull and roses LP sounded good but again lacked a solid punch. Led Zeppelin ll LP The speaker started to come to life. The low end punch woke up. Bonhams power and presence shown through. When I put on Dre chronic LP the speakers really perked up. I had them placed 7 feet apart perpendicular to the wall the sweet spot was about 9 feet Dead center. Bass was awesome. Mids and highs were well-balanced and pleasing to my ear. I did adjust the EQ on the amplifier 60% base 20 to 30% treble was where I enjoyed listening the most. The speakers are versatile they are powerful and with the right tuning and tweaking I highly recommend them. I did have them bi wired Through the amplifier originally but changed over the single wiring Early on. 100 watt per channel on the Yamaha wasn’t enough to drive them properly 50 watts go to the tweeer And 50 watts drive the other three speakers. Overall I highly recommend the speakers and with a proper break in I feel they’ll only improve. Pros: Loud, Versatile, well Built, Good Bass Response Cons: Can be bright in the upper register. Lowered volume often.
Matthew W. from Toledo, OH –
Amazing speakers that punch way above the price. I did my due diligence and auditioned a ton of floor standing speakers. I could have bought these at a box store, but I know that Crutchfield give points towards a future purchase and they have 2 day shipping. I unboxed my speakers, and just played Music through them for 100 hours while messing with positioning, room correction and EQ. These speakers sound amazing for the price. The clarity, detail and sound stage are amazing and bass amount is excellent. I have the Speakers mated to a Cambridge Audio CXA-81 with an HP Laptop plugged in to play my digital files. I also have an old Kenwood turntable with a Grado red needle playing through an IFI Zen phono preamp. 80 watts/channel of clean power is more than enough to drive these speakers to concert level volumes. I have never pushed the amp past 50%. The efficiency of these speakers is very noticeable. I went from a pair of JBL L1 bookshelf speakers (1991 model) at 87db efficiency to 96db with the Kendalls. The Kendalls sound better and play louder with less watts being pushed. I highly recommend these speakers for all types of music. Pros: Solid Build, Classy Looks, Great Bass!, Clarity detail and sound stage are excellent. Highly recommend! Cons: None.
Crutchfield customer from Kearney, NE –
Terrific sound and great service from Crutchfield.
Craig S. –
I am an actual owner of one of the best valued passive floor standing speakers EVER made! These three-way four driver towers deliver one of the widest frequency ranges combined with an astonishing 96db sensitivity!! That means these speakers can be driven with minimal wattage from your amplifier, but it also means you can play your music or watch your movies at higher levels with less distortion. The frequency range is 25hz to 23,000khz. With a maximum of 250 watts, these speakers sound best with at least a clean 100 Watts of power. At 1299.00 a pair, this system is impossible to match in how it?s sounds! Rich beautiful mids, point accurate highs, and that Bass!! A subwoofer is simply not required. The included spikes and spike plates are almost impossible to set up on a hard floor, so I fashioned my own ?plates? from a carpet like material that had a foam rubber backing, cut into one inch squares. The Grills are made very nicely, and attach magnetically. But for music listening, leave the grills off. My KLH Kendall?s are driven by the Yamaha AS-801(100w per channel @ 8ohms). This combination is an almost perfect pairing both in keeping the cost down and most importantly, sonically! The smaller footprint of the Kendall?s (Less than 8 inches wide), helps to produce the wonderful soundstage as the speakers themselves become transparent, disappearing in all of the luscious sound they deliver. In closing, the KLH Kendall Floor Standing Speaker system, may very well be the last speakers you?ll ever buy…..they are simply……that good!
Crutchfield customer from Birmingham, AL –
Wife Approved! Just Perfect- beautiful speaker.
Brent Mark Otterlei –
These speakers are amazing. I was more than a little worried dropping this much on a pair of speakers sight unseen and never heard but boy I am not disappointed. They showed up in pristine shape and on time and the customer service was great. I received a message with two separate tracking numbers so I can track both boxes vs just the one Amazon provided.I paired them with a Cambridge audio AXR100 and have been running them in. The first couple listens I was not too impressed but as they run in every day they seem to sound exponentially better. They now sound better than my friends setup that cost 3x as much as mine and they still need many more hours of run in time.
Craig from Athens, AL –
At any price… Nothing is “Better”!!! Ive auditioned hundreds of pieces of Sound Reproduction Equipment over the Sixty years of my life. From Vandersrteen to Magnepan to Dalquihst to Dynaudio. Its a long and extensive list. I actual downed a pair of the original KLH Model 5’s many years ago and loves them. Who knew Id be here raving about another pair of KLH Speakers so many years later. If KLH would have placed a $3500 per pair sticker on this exceptional speaker system, I believe you would have seen many more reviews…but most of the comprehensive reviews are found here, on sites like these that sell them. The KLH Kendall’s in my very humble opinion, are easily the finest speakers you can purchase at any price. WHAT??? And sincerely, no amount of money will buy you a “BETTER” more enjoyable music listening experience. Sure they may look much more impressive than these towers, but for sound…no. Look at all the specs for the available towers…none approach the Kendalls low end of 25hz. And the mids and highs produced, along with a wonderful soundstage, are simply sublime!! My system is powered by a Yamaha AS-801 who’s clean 100wpc drive these speakers effortlessly, playing any and all types of material with detail, scale and depth. I played Spyro Gyra’s CD “Got the Magic” last night (OPPO BDP83) and just sat in the dark in awe…once again, at how shockingly good these speakers are! I used the included rubber feet with the washers for the spikes on the front to tilt the speakers up. Base port included! Pros: An absolute Joy to listen to! There beauty is understated, until you take off the grill. Bass response is second to none! Cons: You may end up being late for your next appointment because you cant stop listening to them! LOL!!
William from Denver, CO –
KLH, Shades of My Youth Have had these speakers for a few weeks now and love them. It was also nice to get KLH speakers as it reminded me of speakers from my youth. The wood finish is a bonus–they look beautiful– and they sound great. I had a 25 year old amp and turntable that both died within a few weeks of each other and I went in search of new equipment. Then I splurged and went for these speakers as well. I am happy I did. My old PSB speakers still sound good, but this is a definite upgrade. I made the mistake of only ordering one set of speaker cables, so the first day I only had one speaker attached. I thought there was not enough bass and so I changed the level and it sounded awesome. But once I got the second speaker hooked up it almost seemed like too much bass and I set the dial back down again. Still playing with it but honestly these things are awesome. And did I mention, they look great too!
Crutchfield customer from Camp Hill, PA –
better than expected bass and midrange. I would buy again. This speaker is very inexpensive for what you get from it!!
Dennis from Independence –
INCREDIBLE My son in law purchased a set of these speakers and I ran some old Mountain, old Sabbath, Hot Tuna and the first two Roy Buchannan albums through his set and what was my opinion? I think that when we die and have been good enough to get into heaven that the only speakers allowed there will be KLH Kendalls being run by a 150WPC amplifier of great quality. You can pay three times as much for Zappereli Quantum Prince Henry Stage King Zipidees or whatever and still not find what you can hear from these fairly modestly priced speakers. I am now waiting to call Crutchfield to see if they might happen to have a couple “scratch and dent” versions as I could give a rats backside how they look as long as they can recreate what I heard at my son in laws house. Pros: Their existance in my presence Cons: I am a cheapskate looking to buy them at as low a price as possible.
Unwokeandproudofit –
Incredible speakers,,,, surreal sound My best friend got a pair of the Walnut finished Kendalls and I got to hear them at low, intermediate and at EXTREMELY high levels listening to everything from old Traffic and Led Zep to Motorhead to Mother Love Bone and Nirvana. My opinion? If I died and got into heaven there would be a listening room just for me set up with a pair of these speakers and perhaps a Denon receiver of significant power and I would spend eternity having my hair (one has a full head of hair again in Heaven), blown back. Clear, incredibly sensitive and these speakers re-create the actual experience better than any speakers at even 3 times their price that I have EVER heard. My goodness these are incredible speakers and worth every penny and minute of your bank account and allotted time.
Greg From Philadelphia area –
For what it’s worth!!! I have been looking for a set of tower speakers to replace the ADS L1090 towers, that I have owned for the past 40yrs. I didn’t have a set purchase price in mind when shopping, do to the fact I will probably never buy another pair of towers again in my life time. I am not a professional reviewer, however I have read quite a few reviews, trying to get my bearings on the huge selection speakers available on the market to day. You can stop reading now, if you like, because my recommendation is simple go buy a pair of KLH Kendall’s… you may ask why, ok, let’s forget about the price for minute. The Kendall’s boste all of the features you would expect from a modern speaker build. The highlights for me are cast aluminum baskets, over sized magnets, kevlar woven wolfers and a cross over that keeps sound right at all sound pressures. I have owned these guys for about two months and honestly the more I listened to them the better they sound. I say, don’t overthink this, just order them now and you will want to bring your friends over right away for a listen. My background in music is as follows: I love to listening to a lot of different types of music, and do so quite often. I am a bass player since 1980 and still play in a band today. If you have ever been in a band, then you know that getting the right sound isn’t always easy. One way or another you could spend a lot of money on your equipment, but before you make possibly make a big mistake buy the Kendall’s. One final note, the sound is fantastic as part on my home theater. Well, I hope this helps all of you out there especially, if your on the fence.
Crutchfield customer from Cortland, NY –
It’s tough making a decision on speakers without a live audition, and it took me forever, but Crutchfield’s Speaker Compare feature was invaluable and after endless listening and comparing, I landed on the KLH Kendall. WOW! I can’t speak highly enough about them. First, the shipping was immediate (like Crutchfield always does) and the packaging was bullet-proof. Their handsome physical appearance is really very classy and they fit in our room space beautifully. Extremely well-made, heavy, and solid. They look terrific both with and without the grill cover. But the sound is the thing. At this price, they’re not the priciest speakers by any means, but the sound is just stunning, and you’d think they cost much much more. It’s the clarity that stands out to me – just clean, clear, crisp, transparent music reproduction without being the least bit harsh. We have pretty eclectic tastes – classical, jazz, blues, maybe a little R&B, soul. Chris Botti, Nina Simone, Diana Krall, Bruckner’s 4th, Walter Trout, Mark Knopfler, Joey Bonnamassa, and of course Ray Charles – everything sounds just fantastic! We’ve gone well past the standard 60-hour break-in period and they’ve definitely gotten better and better as time goes by. Zero listening fatigue – we frequently have them on for hours and actually hate shutting things down at days end. Matter of fact, I think I’ll wrap this up and go fire them back up now! Henry Kloss would be proud!
Steven M –
Great sound. Good looking.
Yamaha2021 –
I was very skeptical on purchasing the Klh Kendall’s in years past Klh has been middle of the Road type of speaker I own 4 advents from 1978 a pair of Klh model six which sounds awesome. Also own Klipsch RF 7 and 3 the Klh Kendall’s are Amazing deep bridge base the mid range does not stand out has a great mix with a Twitter great sound stage I am very impressed with this product I will buy others.
RJ –
Just got these speakers and so far they sound amazing one came with a damaged tweeter the seller Listenup made the exchange nice and easy
David –
They are beautiful- Product is totally awesome
ProPhotog –
The KLH Kendall Speaker system is so good that it begs to be paired with an Amp that compliments its ability to reproduce simply great sound from top to bottom! I’ll come back to that in a minute… First thing that was apparent when the first speaker arrived was just how solid/rigid the cabinet is. And it’s deeper than you might think as well by a few inches. Its conventional box design with its beautiful real wood finish and magnetically detachable grill, tells you that no money was wasted on trying to make this system a visual standout. Yet with the grille off, it is impressive!! I won’t get into the packaging as it is top notch. Rubber feet and Spikes with plates are included but I used the rubber feet and here is a trick….I screwed two of the Nuts from the Spikes on each of the front rubber feet to get a good tilt up!! Really helps create a higher soundstage. Soooo… lets talk about that soundstage!! These speakers are as good as any towers I have ever heard under 5 Thousand Dollars….seriously. I’ve listen to Martin Logan’s, Monitor Audio, Def Tech’, B&W and many other speaker systems, and this system is on par with all of them. No matter what you play through the KLH Kendalls, I cant find anything to criticize!! And do these speakers get as low as the advertised 25Hz….YES… in the most controlled and tightest way I’ve ever heard!! There is simply no need for a subwoofer at all! And I do watch movies on these as well, although I built this system for listening to Music. So, lets take a step back to what must be considered for understanding how good these speakers are. I originally had the BlueSound PowerNode2i, rated at 60 Watts via Class D amplification. The all-in-one streaming device more than did its job and very well! But there was still, from experience listening to many sound systems, something missing in the deep mid and low end. SOooo…. I researched for an integrated Amp as I wanted to stay within my budget, and what stood out was the YAMAHA A-S801. Rated at a clean high amperage of 100wats per channel @ 8ohms, via Class A-B Amplification, I can tell you that there is no better Speaker/Amp combination for the money!! This Integrated Amplifier simply allows the KLH Kendalls to compete with $10,000 systems…seriously…I am not exaggerating. I have an OPPO Blu-Ray player I purchased used for 2-Channel Playback of my CD collection, and when the Amp is operating in its CD Direct mode as well as its “Pure Direct” mode for streaming music from the non-powered BlueSound Node2i, which replaced the PowerNode, the music is as uncolored and pristine as anything you can hear for anywhere near this price!! My Reference CD is the Thom Rotella Band on the DMP label, where years ago they recorded the Band live to disc in a all digital environment. The music reproduced is simply sublime as cymbals and bass kicks and guitar plucks grace a soundstage that exceeds far beyond the cabinets of the KLH Kendalls. And here is a piece of advice that will save you the effort….DO NOT BI-AMP THESE SPEAKERS using the Yamaha A-S801!! BASS becomes…well, uncontrolled and overwhelming. While the Amp has no HDMI, I run an optical link from the Sony 55in TV, fed from the OPPO Blu-ray Player and my ROKU Streaming Device via HDMI, and the sound is very, very good for watching Live TV and Movies. I purchased the Black finish as I like my equipment to disappear when I listen to music at night or watch a movie, and the Black Walnut finish is all but non reflective. I simply can’t express how the Yamaha A-S801, with its build quality and just like KLH, its decision to focus on what’s inside and not on the outside with a minimalistic design, is an AMP that sonically punches more than “well” above its price range. There is a reason why this Speaker System is the “Amazon Choice”…it is that good!! But paired with the Yamaha A-S801…..you will be simply “open mouthed” at what you will be listening to!!! Added April 13,2021: One more thing that needs to stressed when “tweeking” these speakers in achieving the optimal sound is its “Dual Port” design and the included Port Plug. Most often times when heavier gauge cables, Silver instead of Gold connectors are used, a bump in conductivity will result in a boost in the Bass and lower Midrange frequencies….And it’s sonically noticeable!! When I switched out my gold plated banana plugs for some AudioQuest Silver Banana plugs the bass was immediately “punchier”….in fact it was a bit too much, but the Midrange was much richer and fuller! Solution….use the included port plug on the bottom Port!! Not only was the Bass tighter and more controlled, the soundstage became much more focused and cleaner sounding. These included plugs are priceless….keep them close and when the come out of the box they are a bit compressed and mis-shaped, but in about a week or two they will be a perfect circle. The KLH Kendall Loudspeker system will one day be one of those cult Audiophile Items as it represents a true “BARGAIN” in Audio Equipment. But at any price, the sound quality is one of the most pleasing you could experience!! Added August 24, 2021: After a good bit of A-B testing, these Speakers most definitely sound just a bit cleaner without the grills on for listening to music. I leave them on while watching TV or Movies so the beauty of the drivers don’t distract while watching!
Craig S –
KLH + YAMAHA = Match made in Audio Heaven!! So this past month or so I spent a while both reading and auditioning Speakers and Amps, as I wanted to build a 2 Channel System for the primary use of listening to music…like I did “BACK IN THE DAY”!!! In doing so, I discovered just how far streaming music capabilities have come and was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality available over the air. With so many of the Tower Type Speakers I was liking, costing 3 grand or more, I was not optimistic wanting a 4 Driver, 3 way system. Initially, the Blue PowerNode, made for a no-brainer of a choice for an amp and streamer, with an included HDMI input for my Roku Device. So after reading and hearing simply raving reviews about the sound of the KLH Kendall Towers at $1299 a pair, I purchased the PowerNode at my Local Dealer, and ordered a pair of the KLF Kendalls. Ordered via Amazon, shipped from World Wide. Setting up the Black Oak finished Towers was pretty easy, screwing the rubber feet on and using Banana Plug connectors to12 gauge speaker wire, connected to the PowerNode. Even at first use, before any break in period, it was apparent that these speakers were a bargain at $1299 a pair!! The PowerNode offers a very clean and un-“colored” feed and for an entry level pairing, the duo sounded quite good….very good in fact. I had all tone controls off on the PowerNode, and the music just dripped through the KLH Kendalls. But there was something missing in the “presence” of the music using the PowerNode. Rated at 60watts, I just felt like more was needed as I had auditioned many amps driving speakers before my purchase. So I had seen the reviews about Yamaha’s newest line of Amplifiers and the one that stood out was the A-S801. At $900, it was going to fit well in to my budget, with room for a Media Streaming device to replace the PowerNode as it had no “Pre-out” to connect to another Amplifier. So…..in cutting to the chase, all I can say is Holy Freaking Shat!!! I decided to purchase the Blue Node2i, since I had become familiar with its operation and was very happy with its uncolored sound quality, and in combination, for under three grand, I challenge you to spend double that and find a system that sounds as good as this!! Really….as a life long lover of great music and the equipment its re-created on, this system is as good as anything you can listen to, when it comes to the simplicity of being satisfied….thoroughly!!! The Kendall’s are made like a brick as the internal MDF internal driver chambers make for a speaker that weighs every bit of 50 pounds, and giving way to zero cabinet resonance. The Cabinets “knuckle test” passes with a 100!! Rated as getting as low as 25htz, lower than most towers…you can believe me when I say, adding a Subwoofer would be completely unnecessary!! The bass is so tight and controlled…and the midrange….ohhh the midrange!!! Simply “liquid”!! Playing anything from Adelle to Bob James to Earth Wind and Fire, the music just takes on a life of its own as the speakers disappear with a soundstage that reaches far beyond their placement. And let’s talk movies for a minute….ok! I wasn’t sure if this system would be the most enjoyable for watching movies, but damn!!! I played the film “1912” through my OPPO BDP-83, with the connection scheme involving the Opposing HDMI to the Sony 55 TV, and the Optical Output from the Sony to the Yamaha A-S801. Again, no Sub needed!! It was an amazing experience as sound moved across the screen and behind me at times, engulfing me into every moment of the film! One last thing…DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME BI-AMPING these speakers. Seriously…it creates an overpowered and much more annoying BASS field. It muddied up the Mid Range significantly, and proved to be…well… as I said, a waste of time…but good for you to know right?? The Yamaha A-S801 is not a Bells and Whistle, Light Flashing Amplifier. Its remote is very useful, but with small buttons the you have to learn to braille over! There is no indicator light on the Volume knob either, so its always best to turn it down first if you aren’t sure when powering up. But guess what, these few short comings I could give a shat about, you know why…because this amp is truly in a class by itself musically!! I keep the Music Direct button on 99% of the time and its just a fantastic pairing with a set of Speakers that are as uncolored and as musical as it is! You’d have to spend a lot more to equal the sound the KLH Kendalls and the Yamaha A-S801 create. But if you are on a budget, or a true Audiophile who just wants to enjoy the music…this duo may end up being a “cult” pair, even for those owing multiple systems!! “Yeah I’ve got a Kendall/801 set up!!” It is simply that freaking good.
BW –
Sound is clean without speaker coloration Sound reproduction is clear, clean and without superfluous coloration especially for acoustic and vocal content. It is a a real pleasure to hear each instrumental voice in a symphony with superb separation.
Michael from Howell, MI –
Great sounding speaker. Owned them for over a year. Beautiful! I can’t say enough about the build quality and look. I love to look at them with the grills off. Definitely need a break-in period. Powering with a Denon AVR4700 (125w/channel). Work well well with a 12″ Klipsch powered sub. Clarity is great, not “tinny”, but sharp. At their best with jazz, country or light rock. Hard rock or heavy metal stress them a bit. If you’re a loud & hard music listener, you’ll definitely want a good sub. Great with surround sound. I would give 5 stars, however I had a tweeter failure. 10 year warranty is awesome and KLH customer service is top notch. I had a replacement in 4 days. Driver was difficult to remove from cabinet. I wouldn’t want to exchange more than once or cabinet will become damaged. All in all awesome sound but nervous about the tweeter failure at this price point.
Crutchfield customer from Hampton, VA –
Great sounding speakers. If you want to hear your music, these speakers produce every sound in the music.
Crutchfield customer from Clarinda, IA –
Enjoying the Kendall speakers a great deal. Was hesitant at first with so many fine speakers in this price range. Being old enough to remember the quality of KLH and AR speakers from the 60-70s i decided to take a chance on the Kendalls. Glad I did! I was considering purchasing a sub to go with the Kendalls but at this point i don’t see a reason to do so. I know my ears don’t pick up what they did 40 years ago but the Kendall speakers deliver and i have not turned on the TV in the evening for a week. My evenings have been filled with Martini’s and listening to old vinyl and cds. Also a shout out to all the staff at Crutchfield. They have been an example of how employees of any company should approach customer service!
L. Esposito –
It has only been a month but sounds good! thanks!
Daniel K –
Attractive speakers and excellent sound These speakers sound as good as some costing twice as much. And they fit into our decor nicely.
Tman –
Great speakers and value for your money. Betters other speakers costing twice as much.
Mark Reeves and the Tech Truth. June 16, 2020. –
Ok. I’ll come back and edit this later, due to time constraints. But here’s what I got. My ears are very sensitive to highs. The reason for me taking out gold Bi-Wire plates and putting in 12gauge wire is what turned out to be an attempt, to pull some highs out of the tweeters, that worked. If you understood how cross-over’s work, then you understand that this could of gone either way, dependinding on the capacitance and resistance leading to the tweet. Usually the capacitor slows the flow, therefore also acting as the resistance or resistor making the tweeters nail the higher octave the manufacturer was looking for. Too high for me. Probably not you.
The real meat and potatoes is the mid and lows. So much so, one can understand why the top end production was made as high. Because people talk about bass and not needing a sub due to such awesomeness off their towers. Well they’ve never had a sub. But these dig so deep, all the way down to 26-ish Hz, that I’ve heard some subs that would not compliment these speakers due to the transmission tunnels dual rear firing ports literally would shame them. You will be blown away, unless you have heard anything other than maybe 3-5 thousand dollar set of of top of the line klipsch’s (which are monsters, not just in sound, but size). So bang for the buck.
Sound amazing with very little amperage due to an astounding 97db efficiency. Good luck finding that in another speaker often. And with power, are crazy. I went from powering them with 200w rms from my Emotiva XPA-7 to a Crown feeding them 400w rms. Rated at 250 watts, these things are beasts and not put in reviews enough. Not trendy enough at the moment, or stupidity and arrogance may be the reason. Do your homework and see if these things aren’t anything but amazing, at any price point. I will say they real wood veneer is so well grained and beautiful, I now only wished that I purchased the red Birch, I think Birch? Whatever. The red ones. I personally am tiring of black everything in the speaker world.
Verdict: You’d be silly not to try these.
MP –
Great Speakers. Overall these speakers are an amazing price for how well they are build and perform. I have listen to much more expensive speakers that sound just as good or even worse. I had heard of KLH from the past. Glad they came back and are making great products.
Anthony from Huntington –
Bass Head Approved!!! Very hard to beat, well rounded floor standing speakers, at this price point, that offers this much value! Did I mention the bass. It’s pretty deep. I don’t think I’ve heard a pair of full range speaker go as deep as these. Don’t have the space for separate subwoofers. These will be just fine. I do question the efficiency though. It may not take much to get a full range sound. But It takes a powerful amplifier/s to get them to really come alive. They have a live front row type of sound. They also need a ton of room space to breathe. Get them at least 3ft from any wall boundaries. Space them at minimum of 6ft apart. From a seating area 9ft away. Results will vary. Do not pair with bright sounding gear! I’m very satisfied with my purchase. I highly recommend them if you can find them in stock. Pros: Bass, Mid bass, Build, comes with a set of rubber screw in feet and a set of screw in metal carpet spikes, plus a 10 year warranty! Cons: Skinny, Tall, Can be easily tipped over, not a smooth finish, dusting cloth fibers get caught in the finish. Treble can be bright or harsh at times.
Amazon Customer –
Fantastic! These speakers are fantastic. Hands down love this and the towers.
MG –
Recommended- Really nice speakers. I have mine coupled with a 12” powered sub and they fill our large game-room with quality sound.
Crutchfield customer from Boca Raton –
I like the speakers and the shipping was really rapid, ordered them Wednesday night and received them Friday morning. The only complaint was that there is a slight ding on the edge of one of them. The grill pretty much covers it up. Pros: Sound great, look great. Cons: Slight ding from shipping.
Brian A. Clagg –
You could pay twice the price of these speakers and not have better sound! I’ve had my Kendalls since April of last year and I love them! The sound stage is deep and wide and imaging is superb. The clarity and accuracy of the sound will make you think the performer is there in the room with you. The lows are very low and well defined and the highs are crisp without being harsh. Nils Lofgren’s Keith Don’t Go is a great tune to let these speakers strut their stuff. It will blow you away. After I bought these I auditioned a pair of Forte III’s that I could buy new at half price and I walked away without them. The Kendalls were better! You won’t be sorry. Not often do speakers marry beauty and sound in the same package…these do!
Terracia P –
I love them.
Daniel from Plantation, FL –
Get ‘em- Had them 2 weeks now. Bought them on spec based on the reviews and nice to know if I didn’t like them I can always return them thanks to Crutchfield’s 60 day “no worry” return. Let me tell you…they are keepers. Smooth, balanced and neutral sounding. They partner really well with a decent subwoofer. I’m using my 12yr old Velodyne DPS-10, one of the best 10″ subs at the time and still very good these days (yes I like EDM!). Set them 9ft apart 16″ back from the wall and they’ll shine. I have them bi-wired which brings out the mid range and improves the upper end “sizzlyness” of CD’s at 44.1khz and made them sound smooth like silk. Impressive. They just sound better with time (be patient and allow some burn-in time). Highly recommended. Pros: Wide sound-staging, detailed, 3D depth (especially when bi-wired), well built with real wood veneer finish. Cons: Heavy, not much else lol
Angelo Somaschini –
I bought these speakers in June 2019 and I couldn’t be happier. I drive them with a McIntosh MA5200. They sound crisp, deep, accurate, and extremely well defined at all power levels. KLH did a very fine job.
Guest from Santa Clarita, California –
Badass- Coming from a guy that doesn’t know a whole lot about speakers. These are perfectly priced and they sound badass playing rock rap or country. Would definitely buy again! Pros: Loud no extortion deep bass annoys the neighbors
Crutchfield customer from Holiday Hills, IL –
There perfect, well constructed, clear on highs and mids, base put a smile on my face!!
Amazon Customer –
Boom boom out go the lights! For this price point this pair is light years ahead of the competition in sound,quality,and craftsmanship! I’m running a sansui preamp and a old onkyo power amp (165 wpc). The sound is rediculous ! High,low,midrange makes no difference there all great with ample room for adjustment. These are the best sounding speakers I’ve ever owned and I’m 62. I purchased the wood grain style and they look very classy. The more hours I get on them the better they sound. I’m using them strictly with a audio set up.
Crutchfield customer from Knoxville, TN –
Can’t go wrong with these speakers. And the walnut finish is beautiful.
Verlin Robbie –
I am a long time Klipsch owner and was somewhat skeptical about the new KLH products amazing reviews by most all that have listened to these fantastic speakers.
Over the years I have owned several Klipsch products. Such as the Heresy’s, Cornwall’s, RF7III’s and various bookshelf and surround sound speakers. I have been very satisfied with the overall build quality and sound reproduction. My only challenge was the purchase price of the Klipsch products.
I decided to purchase the Kendall floor standing speakers based on the many reviews posted by consumers as well as professional reviewers. My experience of unpacking these beauties from there cartons was a very rewarding experience. I was amazed at the quality of the build of these speakers. The cabinets were finely finish in a beautiful walnut veneer finish. Even the backside of the speakers was finished in the same quality as the rest of the cabinet.
The terminal posts were high quality and gold plated. Easy access for bi-amping. Plenty of room for the use of connecting devices such as banana plugs.
The Kendall’s came with a wonderful spike kit that allowed you to isolate the speakers from the floor. Provided was chrome plated spikes for carpeting. If you have hard surface floors, included are discs that allow the spikes to mount to them to avoid any damage to the floor. A great idea and spectacular attention to detail. The fit and finish was second to none and unexpected for a speaker in this price range.
I was delighted as I attached the speaker grills to the hidden magnets behind the veneer. This allowed the speakers to have beautiful clean look when the speaker covers were not used. The Kendall’s are as beautiful with or without the grills attached as in both states the KLH logos are visible.
The Kendall’s are dual base ported. The recommendation is to place the speakers no closer than 12 inches to the wall or surrounding surfaces. In some rooms that is not possible. Here is the sweet part. KLH provided port plugs to allow the owners to place them closer to the wall without experiencing excessive base. Once again tremendous attention to detail.
Now came the important part of owning these beauties. Listening!! I like all genres of music. My favorites are Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock n Roll and some Classical. Well, I must say I was not disappointed with any of the selections I listened to! There was astonishing clarity in the highs and mid ranges. The base was tight and precise. I was advised by my dealer that the Kendall’s might need a break in period to reach full potential. I found the initial experience was on par with my Klipsch speakers if not better. After a few hours of listening I noticed an even larger dynamic range from the output of the Kendall’s. Another fantastic feature of all KLH’s products is a 10 year warranty on parts and labor, no questions asked.
I couldn’t be more pleased with my Kendall’s. They look and sound like a lot more expensive loudspeaker. If you are in the market for new floor standing speakers put these babies high on your priority list.
Jim F –
Excellent SPEAKERS
Crutchfield customer from Aiea, HI on 7/30/2019 –
Very happy with Kendall speakers. Very clean and true sound reproduction. Shipping/delivery by UPS was few days late, but units arrived in good condition.
John C B –
Satisfied customer….. These are beautiful, quality speakers. The fit and finish are first rate and the sound quality is worth every penny. Very happy with my purchase and dealings with Worldwide Stereo.
Kirk W –
These are a great sounding speaker. In this price range there isn’t a speaker that sounds as good (I could have stopped the sentence here) and is as easy drive. The highs are crisp but not over the top, the minds are clear and low end is clean with no mud. Overall they have great musicality
B Stock Bob –
Seriously awesome. Bought an open box unit off eBay. Better then my old wharfedales. Better then my new elacs. Better than then my unknown age def tech 350’s. The WAF is high. Wife loves em. Vocals are great. Detail, imaging, dynamics, are all great. Did you know in the sonf you’re so vain, the dudes scarf was apricot? I just learned that tonight. Thanks to the Kendalls.
I hate social media games –
Fantastic speakers. Audio enthusiast approved. Wife approved. Great speakers. Great finish. Great detail. Very revealing even at lower volume levels. Plays all music well. Excellent cost to performance ratio. Destroys my Elac Debut B6 2.0’s
Guest from Pembina, ND –
Won’t be disappointed Ok, so it’s early. I just got these things hooked up. I picked the wife’s Spotify classic rock playlist. Let the system warmup while I shower and get a drink. First song was Lay your hands on me by Bon Jovi, at the end she goes “that, was awesome”. She was in prime listening position for song one. Third song was Promises by Def Leppard. At this point she was sitting in the dining room. painting. 180 degrees from the left channel. She goes, wow I’ve never heard that before. There was some light harmonizing and singing about 3/4 of the way through the song, that she had never heard before. This is at late night, kids are in bed volume level. Great start. Black oak finish. Superb.
Z$ –
Terrific Speakers I have owned these speakers for approximately six months. I did not buy them on Amazon, but wanted to give my impressions to potential purchasers here. I have spent a lifetime listening to music and watching movies at home, but have only recently attempted to put together a “serious” room for these purposes. I am not an audiophile by any means, but I know what a good system sounds like. These speakers are the linchpin of my system, and they are terrific. Their output is crisp, clear, and prodigious. I wouldn’t describe them as either excessively bright or warm; they just sound accurate. I listen to roughly equal amounts of classical, jazz, and rock, and these speakers don’t seem to favor any type of music, they just belt out what’s asked of them. I use a subwoofer, but these can reach down farther than most subs on the market. I have reconnected with long-past favorite music and movies just to listen to them out of these speakers. Aesthetically, they are a pleasure to look at. I have the walnut finish and they impress. I recommended these speakers without reservation. It’s been a pleasure to put my system together around them.
Justin from Salt Lake City, UT –
So pleased with the KLH Kendall, I spent weeks considering all the comparably priced speakers and finally decided on the Kendall based on specs and what few reviews I could find. These sound fantastic now that they have been played for a couple weeks. They definitely need some break in, regardless of naysayers there is no question. When I first powered them up I was afraid I had made the wrong choice. Sounded very flat, but after a few hours they really opened up and now I believe they get a little better every time I play them. My good friend is a supreme audiophile with $50k speakers and a system to match. He was very impressed and could not believe they were only this price for the pair. This is the common theme I see and hear. Highly recommend. Pros: Sound quality and price. Cons: None
Peter C –
I love bumpin’ my Kendalls! I can’t describe how impressed I am with my KLH Kendall speakers. I’m running them off of a Bluesound Powernode (which is awesome as well). The PowerNode is only 60 watts per channel, but that’s plenty to get an awesome thump from these speakers. A few things that drew me to them was the team working to develop the KLH line, the great price point, and most importantly, the awesome sound they produce. I demoed these in store along with some Focals, B&Ws, and Klipsch, and while each one of those speakers is awesome sounding, and would make for a great pair of speakers to own, the value I saw in he KLH couldn’t be touched. When I got them home, I think the sounded even better. This is my first set of high-quality speakers, and I’m in love. While I am really impressed with the bass they produce, I think I’ll eventually add a sub to really shake the room and allow the Kendall’s to hit the mids and highs even better and let the sub handle all the lows. The look of them is great and they’re finished really nicely. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you’re considering a pair.
Christopher t –
Great sound with retro look I have the speakers in the living room for 2 channel music listening. They have an excellent sound stage and can dig deeper than most speakers this size. My wife even commented on how good they sound.
Brian C –
Great Looks and Sound! I purchased my Kendalls from World Wide Stereo in April of 2019. They arrived in a week and they were well packaged. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the real wood veneer is! Beauty is only skin deep, so they say, so the proof was in the listening. These speakers have a full rich sound that make vocals soar. The mid-range purity is impressive. The sound stage is wide and deep. Imaging is very clear and sharp. The bass is deep and not muddy at all. Bass string plucks are well defined and tight. I highly recommend giving these a try. You’ll be glad you did!
Joseph from Denver, CO on 6/4/2019 @crutchfield.com –
Hooked up to my Denon X3500H for about 4 weeks now in our home theater and I’m very impressed so far. It is hard to demo speakers these days but we still have one audio shop here in Denver that has Focal, B&W, SVS and GoldenEar. Went to a local shop and listened to Definitive Tech’s offerings too. They all sounded great but it seemed like you got more for your money going with KLH or SVS. After seeing that the Kendall made it to AVS Forum’s Recommended list, I narrowed it down to the Kendall and SVS Pinnacle’s…both seemed a better value than other offerings (3-way design, bigger woofers/better bass). At the time the Pinnacle was relatively new and there weren’t many reviews so I pulled the trigger on the Kendall’s knowing I could return them. Build quality is excellent and the speakers look beautiful in black. I’ve primarily used them for movies and they are clear, nice imaging and I’ve turned them up as loud as I’d ever play them and haven’t heard any distortion. I’m currently using these with the KLH Story center channel and without a sub. I have the KLH Beacon surrounds/dipoles but I have not had time to mount those yet. The bass is solid and at this point I don’t know that I’ll want or need a sub. With the 3-way design I’m hearing things I never heard with my old system. Overall, the Kendall’s are a safe choice if you don’t have the ability to demo…couldn’t be happier at this point.
D.T. ONeill –
Excellent speakers, great definition and soundstage. These speakers are very impressive and punch above their weight in terms of price, but really they don’t leave me wanting anything a more expensive set might offer anyway. These are very clear at all frequencies. All of the instruments sound distinct and not in any way blurred together. Ok some recordings I’m not sure I could tell the difference blindfolded if the performer were in the room in front of me. I listen to a wide variety of music genres and it seems to me these recreate the sound exactly as it was produced in each case.
Peter –
Fantastic balance of overall build and sound quality for $1300! I’ve been using the KLH Kendall’s floor-standing speakers every day for about 4 months for both daily television use and more serious movie and music listening. Long story short… I couldn’t be happier; I really like these speakers. I looked around quite a bit and was hard-pressed to find an equal level of quality coming out of any generic box store lineup. The Kendall’s seem to be a fantastic balance of overall build and sound quality for $1300. I currently run an older Onkyo receiver (TX-NR3010) in my setup and usually listen at moderate levels, (much to my wife’s dismay). But I was looking to add greater depth across the full range of sound to beyond what my existing bookshelf mains and center channel and in-wall subs were delivering. In my house we are big into Netflix, Roku, YouTube, Apple and Spotify. So for main speakers, I wanted expanded range for both every day listening and while enjoying higher quality movies and music which usually contain either some kind of multi-channel audio or higher bit rate audio. Basically, I wanted big, room filling, full range sound that, if possible, I could customize as necessary. Visually, the build quality is incredibly solid on these cabinets and I like that they are really wood veneers. I opted for the walnut finish. The brushed aluminum trim around the drivers looks high tech. The speakers look elegant in my living room. For me the first impact and reaction on the Kendall’s sound was the impressive power and response of the lows and mids. These speakers are rated for the lows down at 25Hz with crossovers at 800Hz and 2.5kHz. At first it was almost too powerful for my 15×20 room, but I was able to use the in-speaker tuning ports and my amp eq to tune the low-mid freqs. perfectly to my room specs. The mids and highs are super clear and provided a perfect balance to my overall setup. The balance and tuning for me is important…sometimes I want to listen to daily TV at full range but with lower levels. And then sometimes I want to listen at face melting volume without sacrificing sound quality. All in all, I’m very impressed with the Kendalls – they fit my requirements really well. Great performance and don’t crush the wallet. The icing on the cake is their 10-year warranty. Highly recommended!
Thomas J. Collins posted on Amazon.com –
Wonderful speakers with very good depth of sound stage. Bass response is impressive. Wife likes the look of these speakers as they are like fine furniture.
Michael from Topeka, KS –
Recieved my speakers in timely fashion. Noticed the boxes where different sizes. One was the old packaging the other the new. The old package had the speaker flopping around like a fish. Had me worried, but all was undamaged. Craftmanship is great. Very impressed with the sound. Music was very detailed. Bass is very good. Could do away with my subwoofer that was accompanying my KG 4.5(2way). Midrange is very open. High frequencies are crisp. Overall avery satisfied. Lost a star do to old packing. Pros: Quality construction C.ons: Old packing. New way is better
Kirby Y – posted March 4, 2019 @WorldWideStereo –
I have these speakers and have used them for music as well as for movies [with KLH Story as Center, and Windsor as subwoofer]. It truly shines and have more clarity, punch and power handling compared to the Polk signature series set I have. They truly are a great value at this price point. The speaker is packaged really well and came with spikes if you’re placing them on a carpeted room. It does come with base if you want to use the spikes on wood or flat floor. They also came with foam plug, if you want to plug one of the ports [it has 2!]. The build quality is great, they have nice touches like the magnetic grill cover, the heaviness of the entire cabinet, the great feel when you touch it, makes the experience better.
Overall I highly recommend this speaker. Try them out at World Wide Stereo and you can hear the difference. It does rival some of the more expensive speakers and this one is not as expensive
Crutchfield customer from Baltimore, MD on 3/22/2019 –
Excellent balance and response across the frequency range. I’m particularly impressed by the mids. Despite the small diameter of the woofers these are no slouch on the bottom end. I have these connected to an old JVC 5.1 receiver with Audioquest type 4’s. I did the Pepsi challenge with one of these vs. the JBL 3-ways I replaced with them. They held there own with my go-to bass demo track Dead Prez’s “It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop” despite the JBL’s featuring 12″ woofers. Even Better the KLH’s responded so much better in the mid-bass range with a clarity I’ve rarely heard in a floorstanding speaker. The build quality is excellent. The real wood veneer, kevlar cones, and socket head hardware are all top-notch. These arrived very well packed and super fast. I was looking for something with a smaller footprint and a better build quality, and read an article about the best floorstanding speakers for under $2k, and these were a standout in that review. They do not disappoint. My next step will be to upgrade to a 7.1 receiver so that I can bi-amp them.
Patrick from Albuquerque, NM on 2/1/2019 –
Was looking for some very efficient speakers for my tube amp (Cayin CS-100A). Had some Klipsch speakers hooked up to this amp, sounded HARSH, not very easy on the ear. To be fair, they’re older and smaller speakers, but none the less they had to go. Instead of getting another pair of Klipsch I decided to go with the KLH Kendalls (96db), I’m so glad did !!! They look great, they sound great, and I got them on sale, (Crutchfield Holiday Sale). Added a sub (JL Dominion d110) BOOM!!! Man Cave is DONE……Great service Crutchfield.
Pros: 10 year warranty, Sounds awesome.
Cons: None
Robert from Page, AZ on 1/15/2019 –
I purchased a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers about a month ago (12/18) for my 7.2 setup. I use them for movies, tv and for 2.0 stereo vinyl, cd and streaming music. From the first time I powered them up I was impressed with their full-range response and clarity. I love the smooth detailed sound they produce. I drive them with an Onkyo TX-NR747 AVR and have played cd’s and vinyl using both “direct” mode (2.0) and “stereo” mode (2.2). I am very impressed by the bass response of the Kendalls for classic 2.0 stereo music listening as these new Kendalls replaced my 30-year old DIY kit speakers with 10″ SEAS bass drivers. The Kendalls also sound great in my 7.2 movie watching setup. Of course, for movie watching, my dual SVS SB powered subwoofers are engaged for the LFE. Overall, the sound from the Kendalls is excellent in all listening modes and volumes. I am very happy with their performance. Also, the fit and finish is superb. I got the black oak finish and the look is fantastic. The magnetic grills fit and stick perfectly. These are a great set of skinny tower speakers and I am very pleased with their performance and looks.
Pros: Great sound at all volumes for music and movies. Excellent sound for classic 2.0 stereo listening. Excellent appearance and superb fit & finish.
Cons: None at this time.
Nathan –
I’d like to start off by stating that I just recently found world wide stereo, and I’m glad that I did! My product specialist was Andrew and his knowledge and expertise was greatly appreciated, as I was thinking of purchasing from the renewed KLH brand, I had heard of them years ago, but was unaware the brand was being relaunched under new leadership, Andrew put to rest any reservations I may of been having about making a possible purchase, as his intellect about audio gear was second to none. I had zeroed in on the KLH audio Kendall model, tower speaker, as it has some pretty remarkable specifications, that seemed rather optimistic due to its size. Andrew assured me they had complete accuracy within their specifications, as he had prior listening experience with the KLH Kendall’s at World Wide Stereo. I was coming from 10 plus years of Klipsch ownership and was looking for a different sound signature, as Klipsch has a sound of its own with their horn loaded tweeter design. Klipsch is a great brand, but I longed to have a different listening experience. I had a few follow up phone calls with Andrew and he had eased my reservations and I decided to make the KLH Kendall purchase.
Timely delivery of my speakers, they arrived un-damaged from any shipping errors that could have occurred, and arrived within a week.
As I began carefully unpacking my speakers I was impressed by the packing that KLH had provided, it was sturdy, solid, and speakers was firmly in place within the carton.
Upon first inspection, I was impressed with the appearance of the cabinetry, real wood veneer finish, I selected Black Oak, the grain looks stunning! I really like the plinth, with the available spike or rubber feet application, to reduce sound reflections and for decoupling purposes. KLH offers, on the Kendall, port tuning, to your preference due to room acoustics or speaker placement, via a foam plug that you may elect to use in place of one of the two rear firing ports. I have chosen not to use the port plug, my
room acoustics don’t warrant the need to do so.
From the minute I hooked up the Kendall’s I immediately noticed a depth to my sound stage, not previously noticed with the Klipsch. The Kendall’s are one foot from rear wall, seven and a half feet spaced from one another, and my listening chair is eleven and a half feet from the Kendall’s. Kendall’s are toed in approximately 20 degrees towards my listening position. My first impression was like I stated, more depth to sound stage, but also of other notable factors as well. The center image was notably wider than with my previous speakers, ie: both on and off axis I noticed immediate wider center image. Further listening also revealed that right out of box, these will need a few hours on them before they really open up, some say speaker break in to be a myth, pseudo science (placebo), but I know what I heard and I conclude it wasn’t in my head, I’d say after about 3 hours of listening to various media, CD, vinyl primarily, various genres, I noticed the Kendall’s to be producing sound a little less effortlessly, not as restrained (muffled), but more transparent and spacious, wide open sound stage was producing nuances in songs that I’d heard several times, now revealing bits of material never once heard before. Kendall’s seem to be quite revealing. The three way design is a feature not found in my previous speaker, so to have that bit of extra depth is nice, rich full sound. Kendall’s produce a nice dynamic sound, from the subtle high hat, chimes, bells and other instruments of various nature, to the low bottom end, scratching the surface of sub 30 Hz cycles, these can really dig, and sing on the high end of the spectrum. Kendall’s have a nice neutral, natural sound signature.
Other key notable feature include: magnetic grilles, bi-wire, bi-amp capable from the dual binding posts, 96 dB efficiency for a wide array of amplification choices, Kevlar drivers with Butyl rubber surrounds, frequency response of 25 Hz-23kHz,
and a TEN YEAR WARRANTY, that’s unheard of in the audio industry!
In closing I’d like to add, I’ve owned the Kendall’s nearly 2 weeks now, I’ve concluded the Kendall’s articulate all of my music spanning over a vast array of genres in a way that surpasses my expectations! You’re not limited by what gear you use either, with their 96 dB efficiently most anyone can appreciate what the Kendall’s have to offer, rather it be from an AVR, 2 channel stereo receiver, or high powered amplifier, you’re sure to find them quite pleasing. I’d also like to thank Patrick from KLH audio, who was also instrumental with this purchase, his knowledge was greatly appreciated and he was supportive by both phone and email, KLH stands behind their products! I highly recommend the Kendall loudspeakers!
B. Kunz –
I personally talked with Patrick at KLH about a few things and became very encouraged by what he had to say. First and foremost, the advertised 250 watts is actually RMS and not peak. I’m currently pumping 140 watts @ 8 ohms via the Denon AVR-X6500H and they sound amazing. According to my SPL meter readings the lower frequency’s are in the lower 30Hz and I’m confident they would get lower with higher wattage feeding these. For those who have or want to, they will handle more power. Another thing is Patrick confirmed with me they are correcting their packaging issues and will be shipping them in more ‘ample’ containers to better assure of a safe & sound delivery.
I had my last pair of floorstanding speakers for 15 years and they were the entry level JBL Venue Stadium speakers. A great start in my opinion, and hold their own to this day. But I had long wanted to take the ‘next step’ up when budget allowed and after a lot of tossing & turning I went with these KLH Kendalls. Not a lot of third party info out there on them so I took a gamble with these. I am by definition an audiophile, though I wouldn’t consider myself a super geek about it. I just like quality when listening to music, and watching movies. I’m quite discerning to good sound. Through much online perusing these were the only speakers that I didn’t ready anything ‘negative’ about, and I especially didn’t read anything that ‘turned’ me off.
The first thing I noticed when I got them plugged into my system, aimed in at the listening position, is the extraordinary soundstage they presented. The stereophonic sound was a huge upgrade over my old speakers, and right then I knew I made an upgrade, but still yet to be determined if the price is justified. When it comes to audio equipment, there is always the debate of how much do you need to spend to get the sound you want, along with the law of diminishing returns that is based on a lot of variables around you. Some things I noticed though that didn’t appeal to me was a lack of lower end and a bit of harshness on the upper end. This made me a little uneasy. However after a couple days of long stretches of upper volume play, I can now say that I am a believer in ‘breaking-in’ speakers. The harshness has gone away, and the lower end has expanded to the degree I expected. Almost as if a bit of ‘stretching’ was needed to wake the beast.
When buying audio equipment online it’s so difficult to make a decision when you can’t ‘play’ first somewhere local and see what you’re getting. You rely on the numbers. One thing I couldn’t find was the RMS for these speakers. (updated; the RMS is the 250 watts advertised and not the peak) The RMS is one way to help if you’re going to provide enough power. Never-the-less, I’m powering these without an external amp and my receiver provides 140w per channel at 8ohms. The specs say these speakers handle 250 watts, which is peak (correction, 250 is the RMS), so I was thinking I might need a little more oomph to get the full potential, and without the RMS I was just hoping I had enough. Well, I’m here to say I’m satisfied with what I’m hearing. Without a sub these sound extraordinary. The high’s are crisp, clear, without being overwhelming. The mid’s are exquisite, and the lows are satisfying. The low end started out quite shy of my expectations given the frequency response the manufacturer states. My previous JBL’s definitely had more presence down under. But, the longer I play these the better they get. They’re now at the point I feel they hit the same, if even slightly lower.
As to what is appealing to the listener is always subjective, and varies a lot. Buying expensive equipment online is difficult, and one has to roll the dice at some point. Getting the ideal setup when you’re discerning is nerve racking, but I feel quite good about these now after a rough start. The sound has warmed up, cleaned up, and I can confidently say they’re a serious upgrade over my JBL towers. I will add to my review as time goes on to help.
In summary these are fantastic speakers, and the soundstage they present is so divine it’s my favorite thing about them. I have been made a believer of the ‘break-in’ and look forward to listening to these all the time now. (update to the following; I was told the packaging issues have been corrected) I would like to add that the materials used by KLH to pack these was rather ‘flimsy’. The styrofoam was cheap and the cardbox box should have been thicker. Shipping is rough, and the packing didn’t do well.
I want to give an unsolicited shout-out to IQ Home Entertainment & KLH. They have given me extraordinary service and went to great lengths to make me a happy customer. Delivery from them is always fast, and I can call them and get a friendly voice on the other end. I’ve now ordered several pieces of equipment for my home theater through them. Two thumbs up!
Robert –
I purchased a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers about a month ago (12/18) for my 7.2 setup. I use them for movies, tv and for 2.0 stereo vinyl, cd and streaming music. From the first time I powered them up I was impressed with their full-range response and clarity. I love the smooth detailed sound they produce. I drive them with an Onkyo TX-NR747 AVR and have played cd’s and vinyl using both “direct” mode (2.0) and “stereo” mode (2.2). I am very impressed by the bass response of the Kendalls for classic 2.0 stereo music listening as these new Kendalls replaced my 30-year old DIY kit speakers with 10″ SEAS bass drivers. The Kendalls also sound great in my 7.2 movie watching setup. Of course, for movie watching, my dual SVS SB powered subwoofers are engaged for the LFE. Overall, the sound from the Kendalls is excellent in all listening modes and volumes. I am very happy with their performance. Also, the fit and finish is superb. I got the black oak finish and the look is fantastic. The magnetic grills fit and stick perfectly. These are a great set of skinny tower speakers and I am very pleased with their performance and looks.
Pros: Great sound at all volumes for music and movies. Excellent sound for classic 2.0 stereo listening. Excellent appearance and superb fit & finish.
Cons: None at this time.
Teresa S. –
Best speakers in 40 years. Purchased these because of the recommendation of Ira, World Wide Stereo advisor. Well, Ira was right these are the best speakers I have heard in 40 plus years of purchasing speakers. I have owned Advents, Altecs, Boston Acoustics, ADS and Definitive Tech none can compare to sound quality of the KLH Kendall. Kendall has rich bass, clear clean highs and mids. I have them hooked up to 1977 Pioneer SX 1050 totally restored and these things sing. Build quality is excellent, can’t say enough about these speakers at this price but buy them you will not be sorry. Special thanks to Ira for his musical knowledge.
David from Orlando –
After doing extensive research on potential floor standing speakers for my future man cave 5.1.2 set up, I learned about KLH audio and researched the KLH Kendall further. The specs looked appealing and really drew me in from the impressive frequency range, high quality kevlar woofers, dedicated 3 way speaker design to the overall small footprint and much more. These speakers are relatively new and outside of professional reviews very little is written about them in consumer reviews and AV forums. When I saw these on sale during Black Friday week, I jumped at the the chance knowing I was safe with Crutchfield’s exceptional service and 60 day return policy if things didn’t go well. Needless to say I have not regretted this purchase. I have been using these for the past week and a half and I am blown away by the clarity and detail at every level from low, medium & high freqs. Out of the box, I was impressed but as another reviewer pointed out they are getting better with time. Currently using them as a 2.1 set up until I move them into my Man Cave in the new house and will eventually get the KLH Story Center channel to compliment them along with in ceiling atmos and rear speakers. However, even in 2.1 set up I am having a blast with them and have never enjoyed playing Apple Music as much as I am now. In fact, I will use them in stereo mode in the future even after I set up them up in surround home theater set up. Too Good!
Pros: impressive detail & clarity at low, medium and high frequencies without any distortion. High quality build and cabinetry. High end speaker material qualities
Cons: none so far
michael grace –
Excellent product I did have one issue but seller was very quick to resolve problem
Crutchfield customer from Stamford, CT –
These replaced my 40 year old floor standing Interface Electrovoice speakers (which treated me quite well over the years). It was time for a change to updated technology. The Kendalls met this need. My purchase has not been regretted. Excellent sound quality at all frequencies. I was anticipating getting a subwoofer. Since I only use them for use with my stereo receiver, cd and cassette deck, no need. The base response with rear vented ports qualify for my requirements.
Pros: Exceptional well rounded sound and staging.
Cons: None
Evan Anhalt –
From Facebook:
The Kendalls are amazing! Have about 30 hours on them and they sound better every time I fire them up.
Evan –
I remember the KLH 5’s I had years ago and how much I loved them. So I figured I’d take a chance on the new line of KLH speakers. Well I’m glad I did. I picked up a pair of KLH Kendall tower speakers. Holy crap! These are fantastic right out of the box. Deep bass. Well defined Mid’s and clear non-fizzy treble. I auditioned speakers in this price range and nothing in my opinion touches the Kendalls. I can’t wait until they break in. Plus the 10 year warranty is a bonus.
Pros: Extremely well balanced. Deep bass and clear non fizzy highs. Very efficient. They look great as well.
Cons: None.
Crutchfield Customer –
These do double duty as speakers for Turntable and front speakers of surround system. I am very pleased with the speakers and Crutchfield.
Kendalls, I love you.
Rob from Shelby Township, MI –
As I conducted my research into building a two channel, turntable based system, my focus was to capture that retro aesthetic while incorporating current speaker technologies. That balance is hard to find, especially at this price point. Then I came across KLH Audio, a new company formed by a team of seasoned audio executives that set out to build on the heritage of the original KLH. Having now spent several hours with the Kendalls, I continue to be amazed by the detail and imaging of the sound stage – they seem to get better with each listening session. The range and responsiveness easily outperform any other speaker I’ve seen at this price point. Listening through Sufjan Stevens “Come on Feel the Illinoise”, the details in the voices, horns, and strings are so revealing, as well as the low end kick coming through on the track “Jacksonville”. Close your eyes and the band is in the room. The Kendall’s real wood veneers are perfectly textured and aligned to create not just a great speaker, but a great set piece for any room. Take off the magnetic screens and the Kendall technology becomes immediately evident. The Kevlar drivers look amazing in person and sound even better! I highly suggest you take the time to evaluate these speakers, as the price to performance ratio is exceptional. Finally, I also want to especially thank Jon at KLH Audio for being available to answer questions and provide guidance during the process.
Pros: Wide frequency range (25Hz – 23kHz), very efficient with a frequency response of 96 db, real wood veneers, Kevlar drivers, exceptional price to performance ratio, sound great!
Cons: None…
Marcelo from Indianapolis, IN –
As an electrical engineer with some knowledge of circuits and waves I prefer excess power in the amplifier and mass/size in the speakers to get the best distortion-free sound. These KLH Kendalls have a midrange driver and a pair of large woofers, and cross-overs to separate low, medium and high frequencies, which give them excellent range with response down to 25 Hz. I do not buy speakers frequently so I’d rather pay a little more to get great speakers that I will enjoy a long time. After listening to the KLH Kendalls for a few weeks now, I am very pleased with them. Distortion free and clear sounding low-volume jazz and high-volume metal (Livid, Nothing More, Deep Purple, Black Veiled Brides).”
Pros: Great sound for a wide range of music and power.
Cons: None