The KLH Model Four speaker is a floorstanding hi-fi loudspeaker designed by KLH Audio with a vintage-inspired aesthetic and an exceptionally narrow cabinet profile built for close-wall placement. Launching in September 2026 across the US and select international markets, the Model Four addresses a real constraint that limits most tower speaker buyers: the need for wall clearance. At just 8.25 inches deep (11 inches with the included slanted riser), it is the shallowest speaker in KLH’s Model Collection.
Key Takeaways
- KLH Model Four floorstander designed for placement just inches from a wall with shallow 8.25-inch cabinet depth
- Three-way design with 8-inch woofer, 4-inch midrange, and 1-inch tweeter delivers tight, accurate bass
- Features 1960s-era three-position Acoustic Balance Control switch for mid/high frequency adjustment
- US pricing $999 per speaker or $1,999 per pair; UK pricing £899 each or £1,798 per pair
- 13-inch-wide baffle and shallow cabinet profile make it the narrowest option in KLH’s lineup
Why Wall Placement Matters for the KLH Model Four Speaker
Most floorstanding speakers demand breathing room behind them. Bass drivers need distance from rear walls to avoid muddy, boomy low-end response. The KLH Model Four speaker breaks that rule by engineering its cabinet around close-wall placement. The design uses a wide baffle paired with shallow cabinet depth, creating what KLH calls a profile that is purpose-built for placement closer to walls. The promise is tight, accurate bass with as little as a few inches of rear clearance. For apartment dwellers, rooms with awkward layouts, or listeners who refuse to sacrifice aesthetics for speaker placement, this is the core appeal. You are not compromising on a compact bookshelf model—you are getting a full-range floorstander that fits where conventional towers cannot.
Cabinet Design and Driver Configuration
The KLH Model Four speaker sits on a six-degree slanted riser that brings the total depth to just under 11 inches. The front baffle measures 13 inches wide, creating a distinctly tall, narrow silhouette that evokes 1970s hi-fi aesthetics without looking cramped or undersized. Inside, the three-way architecture pairs an 8-inch pulp-paper cone woofer with reverse-roll rubber suspension, a 4-inch pulp-paper cone midrange driver, and a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. This driver lineup mirrors the midrange, tweeter, and crossover architecture found in KLH’s Model Five, so the sonic architecture is proven within the company’s own range. The 8-inch woofer itself is the same unit introduced in the Model Three, grounding the design in KLH’s heritage rather than new experimentation.
Vintage Control: The Acoustic Balance Switch
The KLH Model Four speaker includes a three-position Acoustic Balance Control switch—a feature KLH describes as an original innovation from the 1960s. This switch lets users adjust the mid and high-frequency character of the speaker to suit their room and listening preference, rather than forcing a single tuning on all listeners. It is a practical nod to vintage design philosophy: speakers were meant to adapt to rooms, not rooms to speakers. For buyers setting up the Model Four speaker in a small space, this control becomes especially valuable. A room with hard, reflective surfaces will behave differently than one with soft furnishings, and the Acoustic Balance switch offers a simple way to dial in the sound without moving the speaker or adding acoustic treatment.
Positioning Against KLH’s Broader Lineup
KLH positions the Model Four speaker as a speaker for homes where space is precious, design is paramount, and fidelity is demanded. It sits below the Model Five and Model Seven in the company’s hierarchy, but it is not a downgrade—it is a different solution for a different constraint. Where the Model Five and Seven offer more driver surface area and deeper cabinets for rooms with more space, the Model Four speaker sacrifices depth for the ability to live close to a wall. For listeners already committed to KLH’s vintage-inspired aesthetic, the Model Four speaker extends that design language into smaller footprints.
US and UK Pricing
The KLH Model Four speaker carries a US retail price of $999 per speaker or $1,999 per pair. UK pricing is £899 each or £1,798 per pair. These prices position the Model Four speaker as a mid-range floorstander, not an entry-level option but not a flagship either. Availability begins in September 2026 across the US and select international markets.
Should I buy the KLH Model Four speaker if I have limited wall space?
If your listening room cannot accommodate a conventional floorstander because of wall proximity, the KLH Model Four speaker is built specifically for your situation. The shallow cabinet and wide baffle design mean you are not settling for a bookshelf compromise—you are getting a three-way floorstander engineered for close placement.
How does the KLH Model Four speaker compare to bookshelf alternatives?
The Model Four is a floorstander with a full woofer, midrange, and tweeter array, while bookshelves typically use smaller drivers and less cabinet volume. The KLH Model Four speaker trades some of the footprint depth that larger floorstanders demand, but retains the driver complement and three-way design that separates true tower speakers from compact alternatives.
What is the Acoustic Balance Control on the KLH Model Four speaker?
The three-position Acoustic Balance Control is a switch that adjusts the mid and high-frequency response, letting you tailor the KLH Model Four speaker to your room and listening taste without moving the speaker or adding acoustic panels.
The KLH Model Four speaker arrives at a moment when vintage hi-fi aesthetics dominate design-conscious audio, yet most listeners still lack the sprawling rooms that 1970s floorstanders were built for. By shrinking the cabinet depth while preserving the driver array and crossover architecture, KLH has solved a real problem: how to own a proper floorstander when your walls are close. Whether that design philosophy translates to your specific room will depend on your listening priorities and space constraints, but the engineering is clear. This is not a compromise speaker—it is a purpose-built solution for a common real-world limitation.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: What Hi-Fi?
