KLH Model 21 table radio: Warm, mellow sound and a cool vintage look
Written: Oct 02 '09 (Updated Oct 03 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: simple and elegant looking; well-made; sounds musical; real walnut veneer
Cons: doesn't play loud; moderate sensitivity; no AM
The Bottom Line: The KLH Model 21 is a really nice warm sounding little table radio. It has a great deal of vintage charm and makes music sound like music.
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| Horswispr's Full Review: KLH Model 21 |
The KLH Model 21 is a small mono radio that was made back in the 1960s. Audio Hall of Famer Henry Kloss (of KLH, AR, and Advent fame) was involved in its design, and it (and Kloss) was influential in the design of the more recent Tivoli Model 1 mono radio as well. The KLH Model 21 is one of those products that vintage audio buffs like because it is entirely analog, it sounds good (or so I had read), and it's finished in real walnut veneer, rather than the plastic of most modern small radios or boom boxes. The Model 21 hasn't been made in something like 40 years, but you can usually find one on eBay for between $40 and $80. As I write, there are three being auctioned off there.
The Model 21 features a volume control that doubles as an on-off switch, bass and treble controls, and a smooth-feeling analog tuning knob. That's it. Small screws on the back allow attachment of a dipole antenna. The radio does not have an AM tuner.
A couple of months ago I bought a KLH Model 21 on eBay. I needed something for my office at work, and I wanted to refinish the wood veneer cabinet and see how pretty I could make it. I also wanted to see if they sounded as good as folks on the internet claimed. The one I bought had some scratches in the veneer, so it cost only about $40
So how does it perform?
The first thing I noticed when I unpacked my new radio was that it exudes retro class. The real walnut veneer is of high quality, and I was able refinish it to near-perfection. The second thing I noticed was that the controls feel solid and smooth. The KLH Model 21 looks and feels like it was made to high quality standards. It's also heavier than I expected from its small size.
I used about 4 feet of speaker wire as an antenna and hooked it up to see what it sounds like. In my suburban San Francisco Bay Area residence, KDFC, the local classical radio station, generally comes in loud and clear, so that's the first thing I tried. On the Model 21, KDFC came in nice and strong, and the sound was really sweet: mellow and smooth without scratchy highs or boomy bass. Of course, given that all of the sound is coming from a single 3" or 4" speaker, there was no deep bass to speak of, and the highs were rolled off as well. But music sounded like music, and I quickly forgot about the radio and did other stuff around the house as the music played. I was never tempted to turn it off or switch to my regular (fancy) home stereo.
I then tried to get KCSM, the local jazz station. On my Marantz 105 and Kenwood KT-5500 vintage tuners, KCSM comes in only in mono, and there are sometimes ghosts and birdies (especially with the Marantz) as I move about the room (I assume I'm walking into the signal path), so I wanted to see if the little KLH Model 21 could get it at all. To my pleasant surprise, I was able to tune it in pretty well, though I could hear some static if I walked into the wrong part of the room. The bottom line: sensitivity of the 21 is comparable to my Marantz 105 tuner and almost as good as my Kenwood KT-5500. But it's not some kind of giant-killer in that department.
As I continued to listen, I became even more impressed with the sound of the KLH Model 21. In spite of the rolled off frequency extremes, the music always sounded warm and convincing, and I sometimes forgot I was listening to a small mono radio and not my regular stereo. In spite of the lack of deep bass, the radio manages to have some punch, and it somehow presents the illusion of having more bass than it can, given the laws of physics.
If I had to offer a criticism of the sound of the KLH Model 21, it would be that it is not crystal clear. I can't tell if it's a sensitivity issue or if the amplifier is approaching overload, but there is a bit of "crunch" on heavily modulated passages. Still, the overall sound is satisfying.
When I hooked the radio up at work (in downtown Oakland CA), KDFC came in well, but I was no longer able to get KCSM. However, several new stations appeared, including an NPR station that I can't get in my suburban location. On the stations I could get, the sound continued to be relaxing and enjoyable.
Of course, I eventually had to crank it up and see if it could pay loud. Simply stated, it cannot. I assume it has a small amplifier inside, and once I got past what I would call "low/medium" volume, the sound started to distort. But it played loud enough to fill a small room with enjoyable music.
The bass and treble controls worked well, and the tuning kob is really fun. It only moves the tuning dial a little bit as you turn the knob, meaning that you can "fine tune" with relative ease. The bass and treble controls allowed me to adjust their levels to my taste, and they functioned fine.
In conclusion, I really like this little radio! It looks and feels classy and retro, and it sounds great, especially at low (background to just-above-background) levels. As is often the case with vintage ('60s' and early '70s) stereo gear (older Marantz and Kenwood receivers, AR, KLH and Dynaco speakers, etc.), it just sounds "musical" and doesn't call attention to itself.
If you have a friend looking for a small radio for their kitchen, bedroom, art studio, office or wood shop, I'd think one of these would be a great choice. If you have a bit of skill at wood working, you can gently sand down the real walnut veneer (don't use anything coarser than 150 grit) and pretty it up with some furniture polish or orange oil. You'll have a quality small radio that looks good and should provide years of listening pleasure.
I haven't heard the little Tivoli radios, but my hunch is that they probably sound good as well, given their lineage. But they're selling for closer to $100, and don't quite have the vintage charm of the KLH Model 21.
Highly recommended.
Recommended:
Yes
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