This 2-way acoustic-suspension model with an 8" woofer was sold starting in the late 80s to 2005 then it disappeared. Now it's back and just $150 a pair, originally going for around $250 per pair.
Model Six
Nope, they ain't exactly sexy - handsome and honest would be better adjectives
- but their designer was more interested in function than form.
Henry Kloss designed these himself, the same guy who designed the original & extremely popular Model 6 sold by KLH in the 1960s (he's the "K" in that acronym); he also helped design the original Acoustic Research speaker that revolutionised the speaker industry and who designed the Large Advent one of the most popular speakers ever sold. FYI: he used the money from the Advent corporation to help another of his companies design one of the first video front projectors for home use.
Anyway, I think of these as expensive Chevrolets i.e. tried & true technology that performs well for not not much $$$ so these aren't going to scare anyone with B&Ws or other similar speakers, but no need to feel embarrassed about them either. When I last heard them the only thing I thought they lacked was low bass, say below 50Hz. So in a small bedroom or dorm room they should sound full but otherwise, you'll need a subwoofer with them to fill out the rest of the low end.
But one advantage to these when used with a sub is that with that "big" woofer (I grew up with 10 and 12 inch woofers being the norm, so.....) they can easily reach way below 80Hz so when used with a sub, the bass in that region around 80Hz and above will be properly reproduced & you won't have to put up with the wimpy/thin sound so many sat/sub systems exhibit that use sats with 4 or 5 inch woofers that are barely able to squeak out frequencies under 100Hz and so are rapidly running out of steam at 80Hz.
As far as the Model 6's use of a cone tweeter (useful in a 2-way because they can be crossed over lower than most domes), not a big deal since the only really audible difference vs. a dome tweeter is that the cone's dispersion angle will be narrower. Paper is still a good material for tweeter (and woofer) use because of its lightness, stiffness and inherent self-damping qualities, though admittedly a 1.75" cone is heavier than a 1" dome and that extra mass will reduce its ability to move as fast reducing reproduction of very fine details. But to many people the resulting warmth that effect provides is a pleasant compromise. The last speaker I owned with a cone tweeter was a Baby Advent and it actually was slightly on the bright side but even that brightness was easy to take for hours because of the paper's damping effect.
The only negative about these speakers is probably their styling, which is a bit on the homely side though the black finish helps to add some class to their looks.
Here's a very thorough review of them done by the SMR Home Theater site.
Model Six
Nope, they ain't exactly sexy - handsome and honest would be better adjectives
- but their designer was more interested in function than form.Henry Kloss designed these himself, the same guy who designed the original & extremely popular Model 6 sold by KLH in the 1960s (he's the "K" in that acronym); he also helped design the original Acoustic Research speaker that revolutionised the speaker industry and who designed the Large Advent one of the most popular speakers ever sold. FYI: he used the money from the Advent corporation to help another of his companies design one of the first video front projectors for home use.
Anyway, I think of these as expensive Chevrolets i.e. tried & true technology that performs well for not not much $$$ so these aren't going to scare anyone with B&Ws or other similar speakers, but no need to feel embarrassed about them either. When I last heard them the only thing I thought they lacked was low bass, say below 50Hz. So in a small bedroom or dorm room they should sound full but otherwise, you'll need a subwoofer with them to fill out the rest of the low end.
But one advantage to these when used with a sub is that with that "big" woofer (I grew up with 10 and 12 inch woofers being the norm, so.....) they can easily reach way below 80Hz so when used with a sub, the bass in that region around 80Hz and above will be properly reproduced & you won't have to put up with the wimpy/thin sound so many sat/sub systems exhibit that use sats with 4 or 5 inch woofers that are barely able to squeak out frequencies under 100Hz and so are rapidly running out of steam at 80Hz.
As far as the Model 6's use of a cone tweeter (useful in a 2-way because they can be crossed over lower than most domes), not a big deal since the only really audible difference vs. a dome tweeter is that the cone's dispersion angle will be narrower. Paper is still a good material for tweeter (and woofer) use because of its lightness, stiffness and inherent self-damping qualities, though admittedly a 1.75" cone is heavier than a 1" dome and that extra mass will reduce its ability to move as fast reducing reproduction of very fine details. But to many people the resulting warmth that effect provides is a pleasant compromise. The last speaker I owned with a cone tweeter was a Baby Advent and it actually was slightly on the bright side but even that brightness was easy to take for hours because of the paper's damping effect.
The only negative about these speakers is probably their styling, which is a bit on the homely side though the black finish helps to add some class to their looks.
Here's a very thorough review of them done by the SMR Home Theater site.
