The Rebirth of KLH Audio

15 Minutes with David P. Kelley, CEO of KLH Audio

The return of the KLH was big news at 2018 CES. Industry pundits and audio enthusiasts looked on with great interest and a little skepticism. Could the iconic brand cofounded by hi-fi pioneer Henry Kloss in 1957 be resurrected in a way that would pay homage to its founder? Or would it be just another example of an entity acquiring the rights to a once-famous brand with little or no interest in honoring the identity and values that made it famous in the first place? Ironically, Acoustic Research, the speaker brand Kloss helped launch in 1954 before moving on to co-found KLH, is a good example of a once-revered brand that still exists but bears no resemblance to the original AR with its modern-day focus on cheap speakers and earbuds. In the case of KLH, though, the answer to the first question is a resounding “yes.” Under the guiding hand of former Klipsch executive David P. Kelley, who acquired the brand in 2017, KLH has successfully reestablished itself as a quality speaker brand that not only honors but builds on the ideals of its founder. We recently caught up with Kelley to learn more about what the new KLH has accomplished in its four-plus years and to get a preview of what’s on the horizon. Indeed, the future is bright as he reveals plans for a new speaker built around the acoustic-suspension principles Henry Kloss made famous.

KLH Audio
Sound & Vision