KLH 980B 100-Watt 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers (Black)

by KLH

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 5.6 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000J3FU
• Item model number: 980B
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,119 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

KLH's small, modestly priced 980B speakers have been weatherized for use both indoors and out. But simply calling them indoor/outdoor speakers doesn't quite do the 980Bs justice. These tiny satellites can be mounted nearly anyplace: boat or camper, garage or truck, patio or bathroom. You can even buy two pairs and use them as the front and surround channels in a small home-theater system.

The 980Bs may be diminutive, but their all-black finish, relatively hefty weight, and high-quality driver complement make them pretty serious little speakers. Another strong point: the 980Bs come with gold-plated, five-way binding-post terminals, not the cheap clip terminals we find on most models at this price.

Though the 980Bs do have high-quality parts and construction, they provide mixed results sonically. You'll want to place them up against the wall in order to reinforce the bass, which otherwise sounds too lean, robbing music of its foundation and vocals of their fullness. (We did try the 980Bs with a small subwoofer, which fleshed them out nicely.)

A lean bass shifts the 980Bs' tonal balance toward the middle and high frequencies, where the speakers sound spacious and much larger than they appear. The top end is not terribly extended, but it is crisp, well defined, and free of the brightness that can induce listener fatigue.

The KLH 980Bs make a fine choice for less-critical listening (such as under the eaves of your patio, on a boat, or in a camper). When using the speakers indoors, we recommend adding a subwoofer to help boost the thin bottom end. Either way, the 980Bs remain well-made and useful speakers. --Wayne Garcia

Pros:

• Weatherproof
• Compact, easy to place
• Brackets, hardware, and wire included

Cons:

• Bass is too thin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great outdoor sound at a great price!, August 22, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: KLH 980B 100-Watt 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers (Black) (Electronics)

My husband bought these speakers for me for my birthday because we like to sit out on our deck and listen to our music. Our only affordable alternative was to leave the slider open.(not great when it's 105).When we first started searching most of the speakers were VERY expensive!... We almost gave up. I'm glad we didn't. My husband did a great job installing the speakers under the eve of the house. We have a surround sound home theatre so we are not stupid about sound quality, but we are not audiofiles either. These speakers sound great! We can even hear the music from the lower patio, without having to crank it too high. The way my dear husband has them installed, we can listen to music late at night without bothering the kids inside. For the [money] we paid for the speakers & the [money] for the wire & switch box I feel we have received thousands in musical joy in return. I can't wait to have friends over in the evening!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice speakers, January 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: KLH 980B 100-Watt 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers (Black) (Electronics)

These speakers are great! They can be used indoors as surround sound for a home theater, stereo, ect., and are aslo great for outdoor use too! The setup easy so you can be Jammin in no time! They are the perfect size for a bookshelf or you can mount them on the wall like I did! They come w/ every thing you need (except,a screw driver for mounting) even 2 12 foot speaker wires! I had mine setup in about 10 min! The 1 3/4 in. Mosture-resistant poly cone tweeter and the 4 in. polypropylene dynamic woofer give it great sound! They also have 5-way gold binding posts for great sound!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great speakers., December 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: KLH 980B 100-Watt 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers (Black) (Electronics)

I mounted four of these speakers in an old truck--two on the floor and two behind the bench seat all hooked up to a cheap, 100 watt amp boosting that old, original factory radio. They sounded great with volume output to spare. I wanted a heavy-duty setup that sounded good and didn't cost very much. They fit the bill nicely. I was going to add a small subwoofer, but that old truck took a dive on me. I have a much newer truck now with a nice-sounding factory stereo system, but I wish I had a place for these speakers still. Maybe I'll get another old truck...