The demise of KLH and Advent?

[Guest]

I'm interested to know the story of these companies after Kloss' departure from each. Someone mentioned that KLH was sold to Eastern Industries; was this in the 60s? The KLH you see today seems to be just the name plate. Didn't the Advent loudspeaker continue through the '80s? I absolutely love history lessons if someone wants to take the floor.

[ToastedAlmond]

Hope you brought your lunch Pete. These can get long AND informative. Great ain't it?

George

[Steve F]

Pete--

There are lots of us on this site who can fill you in with some accurate history. It takes a little while to find the time and ambition to get the words together, but no doubt, we will do it for you.

To start with, you can read a previous post of mine in the Advent section under the heading "The New Advent and ADC 303ax" about Advent's final days and the beginning of BA. After the original Advent floundered about like a fish on a pier in the late ’70-early ‘80’s, they were sold to International Jensen (yes, the purveyors of the $49/pr. automotive “Triax” speakers), I think in the early to mid ‘80’s, where they churned out one forgettable line of speakers after another.

Jensen was then acquired by industry giant Recoton (of wireless headphone and universal remote control fame), along with other brands like Advent, AR, and NHT. Today, AR and Advent are just meaningless marketing names, sharing no lineage and bearing absolutely no resemblance to the original companies.

KLH’s fall from grace into total obscurity was even faster. By the late ‘70’s, they were producing products with embarrassing names like “The Baron,” and soon thereafter, they were under Far Eastern (Korean, I think) ownership. A never-ending succession of vinyl-clad, anonymous boxes stuffed with cheap OEM drivers has followed ever since.

You can audition today’s KLH and Advent speakers at such prestigious, exclusive audio salons as your local Costco. There they are, in that pile over there, next to the family-sized boxes of Ritz crackers.

Here is an excellent link to Edgar Villchur and the beginning of the AR acoustic suspension speaker. There are a few grammatical typos, but the information is good:

http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/villchur.html

Steve F.

[Guest]

Steve-

Many thanks for the great information! I enjoyed every sentence. The present KLH product is a disgrace to its hertitage, but I believe people that are familiar with vintage KLH understand that there is no correlation between old and new. I look forward to more learning. Thanks, pete

[tysontom]

>Pete--

>

>There are lots of us on this site who can fill you in with

>some accurate history. It takes a little while to find the

>time and ambition to get the words together, but no doubt,

>we will do it for you.

>

>To start with, you can read a previous post of mine in the

>Advent section under the heading "The New Advent and ADC

>303ax" about Advent's final days and the beginning of BA.

>After the original Advent floundered about like a fish on a

>pier in the late ’70-early ‘80’s, they were sold to

>International Jensen (yes, the purveyors of the $49/pr.

>automotive “Triax” speakers), I think in the early to mid

>‘80’s, where they churned out one forgettable line of

>speakers after another.

>

>Jensen was then acquired by industry giant Recoton (of

>wireless headphone and universal remote control fame), along

>with other brands like Advent, AR, and NHT. Today, AR and

>Advent are just meaningless marketing names, sharing no

>lineage and bearing absolutely no resemblance to the

>original companies.

>

>KLH’s fall from grace into total obscurity was even faster.

>By the late ‘70’s, they were producing products with

>embarrassing names like “The Baron,” and soon thereafter,

>they were under Far Eastern (Korean, I think) ownership. A

>never-ending succession of vinyl-clad, anonymous boxes

>stuffed with cheap OEM drivers has followed ever since.

>

>You can audition today’s KLH and Advent speakers at such

>prestigious, exclusive audio salons as your local Costco.

>There they are, in that pile over there, next to the

>family-sized boxes of Ritz crackers.

>

>Steve F.

This is a great -- and entertaining -- brief sketch of what happened to those great old New England companies! It is all the more reason for all of us to preserve their heritage. The stuff today bears no resemblance to the greatness of the once-proud KLH and Advent products.

--Tom Tyson

[Guest]

In my opinion, it seems like Cambridge SoundWorks might be the only true successor to the historical link with the classic AR, KLH, and Advent brands due to the presence of the late, great Henry Kloss. I must say that I purchased the earliest CSW Model Six speakers back in the early '90s and I never cease to be amazed or impressed with the perfomance of these classic Kloss designed speakers. I hear CSW Newton lie is even more remarkable. So I guess there is still some tradition somewhere in the blod line at CSW.

[Guest]

I found this board by accident, but it looks like most topics only have 6 or 7 posts then became history. I hope we can get the classic audio topics going.

First off, I am not an classic audio historian by any mean, I learn about classic audio by collecting. For example, I bought the KLH Model 1 tube radio back in 1988 for $30.00 before I heard about Henry Kloss. From what I understand, he was an inventor, he invented Dolby, projection TV, accustic suspension speaker, the first FM table radio, portable stereo and so on.

I am currently restoring a pair of KLH 17 and could use some info. I agree that the massively produced AR, KLH and Advent are nothing comparing to those from the golden days of audio.

[Guest]

In my last message, I said KLH Model 1 tube table top radio, actually, I meant Model 8 tube table top radio, built in 1962.

[Guest]

I bought a set of Ensemble speakers from the Cambridge Soundwork, I can't really say they are the best sounding speakers, the components look kind of low budget. After nine years or so, the foam surround on the midrange rotted out. The sound of those speakers are mediocre, not the best, small speaker, you get small sound.

[ToastedAlmond]

Hi Old,

I don't think he invented Dolby, just the first incorporating it into the cassette medium. Ray Dolby invented it. He didn't really invent the acoustic suspension design, looks like that was Edgar Villchur's baby. I don't think he invented the projection tv, although he did introduce one to the market. I don't know if he invented either of the other two items you mentioned as well. However he is still to be revered and regarded. I own a great many of his classic products, and I feel his main claim to fame, is probably along the lines of bringing good sound into more homes and environments, than perhaps any other human who has ever lived. Even if he's number two, with David Hafler as number one, it's still respectable.

George

[Guest]

You are correct that Henry Kloss didn't invent Dobly circuitry or accoustic suspension speaker (I thought he invented the projection TV), and he didn't originate those thing, but he improved the quality and made them available to the general public.

I can also say that he invented the dual subwoofer speaker system, the Ensemmble, before it, the satellite speaker system only had one subwoofer, I can also say that he invented the suitcase subwoofer system. He might not have been the first that came up with such ideas, but he was the first that made them available.

[Guest]

I think he(Henry Kloss) invented the first table top FM radio, before that, table top radio were AM, but no, he didn't invent FM. I also think that he invented a portable system that using the transporting case as part of the speaker system.

The GE Wildcat record player is similier, but the case was not really part of the speakers, the speakers were built in to the case, but the case is not part of the speakers.