KLH serial number decode?

[Guest Tinnitus]

I have some KLH speakers that I would like to get approximate build dates on. I looked in the Library section but didn't see anything date and model specific there.

So I have two pairs of KLH 20's with the integrated stereos. (One of the stereos has the wood and plastic covers, the other has the all plastic cover). The serial numbers on the pair of speakers in good condition is 1730XX; the other speakers are cut down and missing the serial numbers. Besides a build date, I'm curious which speakers originally came with which stereo, if that can be determined.

I also have a pair of KLH 23's, serial numbers 020XXX.

Then I have a pair of KLH 331's, (ported not acoustic suspension) that look later but still made in US. Serial numbers A3312204X.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!!

[Andy]

I have some KLH speakers that I would like to get approximate build dates on. I looked in the Library section but didn't see anything date and model specific there.

So I have two pairs of KLH 20's with the integrated stereos. (One of the stereos has the wood and plastic covers, the other has the all plastic cover). The serial numbers on the pair of speakers in good condition is 1730XX; the other speakers are cut down and missing the serial numbers. Besides a build date, I'm curious which speakers originally came with which stereo, if that can be determined.

I also have a pair of KLH 23's, serial numbers 020XXX.

Then I have a pair of KLH 331's, (ported not acoustic suspension) that look later but still made in US. Serial numbers A3312204X.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!!

Well the Model Twenty with a serial number of 173,000 is going to be late in the production - like 1970-71. A Model Twenty Three with a number of 20,000 is about half way through it's production (1968-72) so it would also be about 1970.

Andy

[Guest Tinnitus]

Well the Model Twenty with a serial number of 173,000 is going to be late in the production - like 1970-71. A Model Twenty Three with a number of 20,000 is about half way through it's production (1968-72) so it would also be about 1970.

Andy

Thanks. Do you know when the models that included the model number as part of the serial number were produced (e.g. A331..., but also used for some of the other models - e.g. see the photo of the model 23's in the library page)? I'm guessing its in the early 80's for the A331; would that be true of the photo of the model 23's in the library page also?

[Andy]

Thanks. Do you know when the models that included the model number as part of the serial number were produced (e.g. A331..., but also used for some of the other models - e.g. see the photo of the model 23's in the library page)? I'm guessing its in the early 80's for the A331; would that be true of the photo of the model 23's in the library page also?

It would have been in the late 60s when KLH started adding the Model number as a prefix to the serial number (appearing as part of the number). Almost every speaker I've seen from the 1968-72 era has this prefix. The Model 23 production ended in 1972, making way for models 31,32,33.

I'm a big fan of the Model 23, it was KLH's best two-way loudspeaker having the big woofer seen in the model 5 and the cabinet is the same size as the model 5's. It's the sleeper in the line-up, often selling for a song these days..... going fore $10. - $30. a pair on ebay ! A couple of years ago I found Four models 23's out on the curb two blocks from my house !! I made a swift u-turn and rescued them - all were in great shape and fully funtional. They now are hooked up to a Dynaco four dimensional amp - the sound is great.

I don't know anything about the A331, but early 80's sounds right.

Andy

[Guest Tinnitus]

It would have been in the late 60s when KLH started adding the Model number as a prefix to the serial number (appearing as part of the number). Almost every speaker I've seen from the 1968-72 era has this prefix. The Model 23 production ended in 1972, making way for models 31,32,33.

I'm a big fan of the Model 23, it was KLH's best two-way loudspeaker having the big woofer seen in the model 5 and the cabinet is the same size as the model 5's. It's the sleeper in the line-up, often selling for a song these days..... going fore $10. - $30. a pair on ebay ! A couple of years ago I found Four models 23's out on the curb two blocks from my house !! I made a swift u-turn and rescued them - all were in great shape and fully funtional. They now are hooked up to a Dynaco four dimensional amp - the sound is great.

I don't know anything about the A331, but early 80's sounds right.

Andy

Andy, was the model added to the serial number in 67 when Singer bought them? Or maybe a little later if Singer tried to introduce some order into their manufacturing process? So if the model number was added to the serial number in the late 60's, then does that mean that the Model 20's and Model 23's that I have are from the late 60's (before the serial number switch) - say pre-68? I just checked the Model 20's and Model 23's I have, and neither ones have the model number in the serial number: their labels state "Model 2x spkr", then give the serial numbers on the line below (1730xx for the 20's and 20xxx for the 23's).

Thanks

[Andy]

Andy, was the model added to the serial number in 67 when Singer bought them? Or maybe a little later if Singer tried to introduce some order into their manufacturing process? So if the model number was added to the serial number in the late 60's, then does that mean that the Model 20's and Model 23's that I have are from the late 60's (before the serial number switch) - say pre-68? I just checked the Model 20's and Model 23's I have, and neither ones have the model number in the serial number: their labels state "Model 2x spkr", then give the serial numbers on the line below (1730xx for the 20's and 20xxx for the 23's).

Thanks

It was 1964 when Singer bought KLH, and the quality stayed in the companies products, Kloss stayed in charge of developement until leaving in 1967. Singer did what big companies do, infused plenty of money to expand. Much went into the Modular systems 11,15,19, 20,24 & 26. no one else had phono/radio systems with matched speakers as nice as these. I recently talked with a guy who worked at KLH in 1966 and he says they had about 900 employees at the time, having more than doubled since the early 1960s.

As mentioned above, the model number incuded in the serial number come in sometime in the late 60's ....68, 69 or maybe 1970. All the 23's Ive seen had the number included.

1968 was the first year of the model 23. The story goes that in late 1967 Kloss wanted a speaker between the price point of the model 6 at $134. ea. and the model 5 at $179. ea. So what they ended up with basically is a model 5 without midranges and this was called the model 23 with it's own cabinet style.

This time period, 1968-70 was really the peak of KLH. They had at least 7 or 8 different speaker models in production - the phono's (all models) were up to near 500,000 units sold (half a million) and a great table radio (Model 21) which was somewhere near 150,000 sold by 1970. Those were pretty big numbers back then, something like what RCA or Zenith would have seen in a product. KLH had gone from start-up to a major company in a decade. Unfortunately the down hill slide was to follow....the glory years were over.

NOTE; You can see I wrote the model numbers numerically not in word form like KLH did when describing a model. Some folks frown on this, but i'm tired tonight.

Andy

[Guest dat521gatherer]

andy you are the man!

speaking of dates could you tell me when my klh model twenty-two speakers were made and roughly how many were produced? sreials are 014207 and 014208.

oops and my model seventeen's 72945,74750 although i think dating peoples seventeen's have been talked about already. i'll do a search. thanks.

[Andy]

andy you are the man!

speaking of dates could you tell me when my klh model twenty-two speakers were made and roughly how many were produced? sreials are 014207 and 014208.

oops and my model seventeen's 72945,74750 although i think dating peoples seventeen's have been talked about already. i'll do a search. thanks.

[Andy]

The Model Twenty Two was made from 1968 to maybe '72 and was a pretty popular model with maybe 75,000 tro 100,000 units made ? ? #'s in he 14,000 range are early so yours would likely be a 1968 pair.

Andy

[jseehusen]

I just bought a clean pair of KLH Model Six speakers for $150. Can anyone please assist me in finding their age from the serial number AS0602766 ?

I've owned the Model Five and loved them!

Thank you!

Joe

Arvada, CO 

[dxho]

They are most likely from the 1971-72 time period