Features:
- Two-way design
- 88-dB sensitivity
- 8-inch woofers
- Polycarbonate tweeters
- Stylish grilles
Description:
Music may sound better bigger, but bigger won't always gel with your chosen listening space. The KLH Reference Series Model 18 Loudspeakers walk a nice middle ground between compact size and life-like sound, playing clearly and loudly on minimal amplifier power. The two-way Model 18s use 8-inch woofers, moving more air than many bass-heavy three-way speakers. In a two-way design such as this, an 8-inch woofer can be tough to integrate with the tweeter. The Model 18s aren't completely successful in their integration of the two--the tweeter sounded somewhat pronounced in our listening; however, the speakers don't strive for excessive bass output either. If anything, we found the Model 18s a little on the thin side (despite a low-end rating down to 48 Hz), sounding better on sparsely arranged acoustic music than on material with complex arrangements or textures. The slight high-frequency lift in the Model 18s sets them up for good imaging (visualization of the music) and good low-level music listening, in which the bass frequencies more or less drop out, leaving the floor to the higher-pitched melodic instruments. The Model 18s exhibited good off-axis response (as when heard from the back or the side), a desirable trait if you'll be listening from places other than the central "sweet spot" between the pair. Magnetic shielding will keep the magnets in the voice coils from interfering with a television or computer-monitor picture, as might occur in home-theater or multimedia setups. Too big for most bookshelves and too small to be considered floorstanders, these speakers will probably be best served by using low (10- to 20-inch) speaker stands. In mid-sized rooms with music leaning toward mellow, you'll be well-served by the KLH Model 18s. Pros:
- Sound good with acoustic music
- Solid imaging
- Good off-axis response
Cons:
- Slightly tinny
- Less bass than their size would suggest
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