Today, we are writing our Klipsch The Fives Review to discuss these outstanding speakers.
The product is ideal for anyone searching for top-notch speakers providing a non-stop, immersive, and crystal-clear listening experience. The Fives is also a powered speaker system that you can use as an alternative to other products. These include a HiFi unit, desktop speaker, and soundbars.
In our Klipsch The Fives Review, we will look at a speaker system that offers top-notch audio quality and convenient features. It packs a punch with its notable features and fascinating design, but how well does it perform?
Continue reading and find out.
Klipsch The Fives Packaging
The Fives shipped in a cardboard box featuring an image of the product, its name, and the company logo. The sides display several other details, such as its features.
Inside the box, The Fives ship with other accessories, including the following:
- Region-Specific 2m Power Cord
- 4-conductor 4m Speaker Cable
- Remote Control + 2x AAA batteries
- USB Type-B to USB Type-A Cable (1.5m)
- HDMI 1.5m Cable
- Documentation
Klipsch The Fives Review – Design and Functionality
The design and functions of the speakers are essential. So, we will discuss these details in our Klipsch The Fives Review.
The Fives are spacious bookshelf speakers measuring 304.8×165.1×234.95mm (HxWxD). Its primary unit weighs 5.35kg, while the second is lighter at 4.85.
Like other wireless bookshelf systems, the primary speaker contains all the electronic components. On the other hand, the second one functions as a passive unit.
However, a notable aspect of the unit is its switch. You can find it at the back of the speakers. With it, you can choose whether the primary speaker should be on the left or right side.
This feature enhances the flexibility of speaker placement.
Featuring a modern design, The Fives adds a touch of sophistication to any room decor. With its traditional Klipsch logo on the front grille, this speaker system is available in two exquisite finishes.
What we have for our Klipsch The Fives Review is the matte black colour. You can also opt for the walnut shade for a different aesthetic.
Construction and Build
Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, The Fives use premium materials for its body. The speakers are adorned with a genuine wood veneer, providing an elegant appearance and a luxurious tactile experience. The front detachable grilles are efficient and fashioned from a durable, visually appealing textured woven cloth.
The durability of its construction is commendable. But what adds to its charm is the exterior made of high-quality veneer wood exhibiting impeccable craftsmanship.
Moreover, the speakers strike a perfect balance in weight. They are neither too heavy nor too light, making them easy to handle without compromising their well-built nature.
We also have to highlight the addition of a cork on its underside. It is an ingenious addition to the product to avoid scratches and damage to your shelf or stand. Moreover, this element isolates unnecessary vibrations to optimise your overall listening experience.
At the peak of the primary speaker, you will find two knotted and embedded knobs with only a fraction protruding above the surface. One selects the audio source, while the other allows you to adjust the volume. These knobs exude a robust and substantial feel, mirroring the overall build quality of the speaker.
Adjacent to the source-select knob, you will notice six white LED indicators that serve a dual purpose. They indicate the chosen audio source and display the volume level while you make adjustments.
Moreover, when the Dynamic Bass EQ is disabled, the selected source LED blinks twice. But when it is enabled, it blinks once.
You can find the volume, mute controls, and other inputs/outputs on the rear portion of the speakers.
We also noticed The Fives woofers and tweeters. So, we will discuss them in our Klipsch The Fives Review.
Each 2-way speaker has an 11.43cm, high-excursion fibre-composite cone woofer. Closely, you will see that each is nearly 12.7cm or five inches, lending the speakers their distinctive name.
Derived from the Reference Premiere series, the speakers feature a 2.54cm titanium LTS (Linear Travel Suspension) vented tweeter. Plus, it comes with a 90 x 90-degree Tractrix horn.
Its bass-reflex enclosure incorporates a rear-firing Tractrix port. Plus, the construction employs MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard) with an authentic wood veneer finish. Moreover, an attractive magnetic grille cover cloth also complements the speakers.
For ease of use, the speakers offer multiple input and output options. It includes a USB Type-B, an analogue 3.5mm, an HDMI-ARC, and an optical digital input.
You can link The Fives to several electronic devices, such as desktops, laptops, game consoles, televisions, and media players. To optimise your bass, connect an extra subwoofer using its respective output.
The Fives come with built-in phono preamps to eliminate your need for getting a separate one. Plus, these allow you to link a turntable directly to a pair of speakers.
If you love records but avoid purchasing on a separate player, you can benefit from this function on The Fives.
The speakers let you play high-resolution music. On the other hand, the Dynamic Bass EQ from Klipsch enriches the lower frequencies even at decreased volume levels.
You can deactivate this feature to provide a more conventional bass response. Or, reduce the bass if it becomes excessively resonant near a rear wall. This potential situation arises from the rear-firing reflex port integrated into the design.
The speakers showcase the unique Tractrix horn shape exclusive to the company. You can see this on the front surrounding the 25mm titanium dome tweeter.
Klipsch The Fives Remote Control
You can adjust various settings on The Fives thanks to its remote control. These include input selection, volume level, plus treble and bass controls. This convenient feature allows users to modify the volume without moving from their seated position.
Its remote control is matte plastic and is resistant to dirt – something we appreciate. You can power it up using the supplied AAA batteries inside the package.
We love its buttons because they are easy to press, and all these have a pleasant clicking sound. For the volume controls of its acoustics and the subwoofer, you can find them on a separate wheel. In addition, you can adjust the subwoofer volume via the remote and control the bass emphasis.
Moreover, The Fives has built-in Bluetooth connectivity for wireless streaming via your mobile device. That means you can listen to all your favourite tunes without plugging cables to connect to enjoy your audio.
Key Features of the Klipsch The Fives
Highly Enjoyable Entertainment
The Fives will immensely improve your TV audio. These high-def user-friendly speakers directly connect to your TV and every other device.
HiFi Audio
Klipsch incorporated the proprietary Klipsch Reference acoustic horn-loaded technology with The Fives. Its dedicated left and right speakers offer a bold and massive soundstage, while the built-in custom-engineered amplifier maximises audio quality. Also, its built-in dynamic bass equalisation delivers powerful bass at all volume levels.
With 192kHz/24-bit decoding, The Fives can reproduce high-resolution audio tracks flawlessly from any audio source.
Versatile Connectivity of Klipsch The Fives
The Fives are the first powered monitors to feature an HDMI-ARC that connects directly to a TV. It also has Bluetooth 5, a phono preamp, and a subwoofer output. Plus, it features analogue RCA, USB, and digital optical inputs.
The Fives is your highly versatile solution for connecting any audio source. It works with a TV, computer, smartphone, and turntable.
Quick and Convenient Setup
This plug-and-play product does not require a receiver. With these speakers, you can enjoy room-filling sound with a single cable.
Magnificent Design and Technology
Klipsch incorporated luxury materials in The Fives, including authentic wood veneer and tactile knobs & switches. The company combines acoustics and classic design by Paul W. Klipsch with the latest and advanced technologies.
Highly Efficient Amplification
The Fives have customised ultra-low noise amplifiers to eliminate the need for external amplification and achieve maximum system performance. World-class Klipsch engineers selected and tuned the components for the perfect match to achieve optimal sound.
These bi-amped speakers offer enhanced output and clarity, which we noticed while testing the product. Of course, we will discuss the audio quality and performance later in our Klipsch The Fives Review.
Proprietary Klipsch Sound – Precise and Efficient
Klipsch equipped these speakers with 2.5cm titanium tweeters on the Tractrix horns, the technology that precisely drives Klipsch acoustics. Each speaker has an 11.43cm long-throw woofer to deliver enhanced bass.
Dynamic Bass EQ
Our ears perceive frequencies differently in output. Fortunately, The Fives works to dynamically match the ability of the ears to hear low frequencies. Often, dynamic volume is only available in audio or video receivers, but Klipsch made a first for its powered monitors.
With these speakers, you can enjoy more powerful bass.
Add a Subwoofer
The subwoofer output of The Fives allows you to connect a subwoofer for bass boost.
Specifications
- System: Powered Monitors (Pair)
- Frequency Response: 50Hz – 25kHz
- Total System Power: 160W (320W Peak), 20W HF and 60W LF
- Low-Frequency Driver: 11.43cm fibre-composite high-excursion cone woofer
- High-Frequency Driver: 2.5cm Titanium LTS vented tweeter featuring Tractrix horn
- Maximum Output: 109 dB
- Dynamic Bass Extension: 46Hz (volume level @ 35%)
- Enclosure Type: Bass-reflex via rear-firing port
- Inputs: HDMI-ARC with CEC, Phono/Line analogue (with switch and ground screw terminal), USB digital, 3.5mm analog mini jack, Optical digital, Bluetooth wireless
- Outputs: Single RCA line level output for subwoofer connection
- Voltage: 100-240V (50/60Hz internal power supply)
- Dimensions: 304.8 x 165.1 x 234.95mm (H x W x D)
- Weight: 5.35kg (primary speaker), 4.85kg (secondary speaker)
- Warranty: One year
Hands-on with the Klipsch The Fives
In this Klipsch The Fives Review, we will discuss our user experience in detail. Before we proceed to its audio quality, we will focus on the setup process and its software.
Setting up the Klipsch The Fives
The Fives is a pair of speakers with high-quality sound, resembling soundbars. As Klipsch claimed, setting it up is also quick and convenient and will take only a few minutes to finish.
All you need to do is unbox, position the speakers, and connect to the wall plug with the AC cord. Next, link the speakers with the plug-in speaker cord. After this, plug in your sound source using the cable or Bluetooth and start jamming.
Of course, each device has its designated cables, inputs, and outputs. Here, we will get into detail and begin with connecting via Bluetooth.
If you want to listen to music from your smartphone, you can pair it with the speakers via Bluetooth. Remember to rotate the rotary control for the source on The Fives to Bluetooth before linking a smartphone.
Another way to do this is to push the Bluetooth button on the remote control. Aside from smartphones, you can connect any other mobile audio source gadgets with Bluetooth. The compatible codecs with The Fives include AAC, SBC, aptX, and aptX HD.
In addition to music, you can also play audiobooks and podcasts.
If you have a TV and want to connect this to The Fives, you can use the supplied HDMI cable. Plug the cord into your speakers’ HDMI port and the TV’s ARC input.
You can also use other options if your TV does not have an ARC input. Connect the cable to the line-level analogue or optical digital audio output.
Once connected, you can watch and enjoy your favourite TV shows with high-quality Klipsch audio.
Klipsch Connect App
The Klipsch Connect app is available for free download and works with Android and iOS. It offers control options for several Klipsch products, including the Fives. This app requires product registration before you can access the control options.
Once registered, Klipsch Connect offers a quick-start guide with videos.
On the primary screen of Klipsch Connect, you will immediately find the EQ button. When you press this, you will see it has several presets, but you can also create a personal profile. It has only three bands but allows slight tweaking to adjust the audio to your preferences.
Aside from the EQ, the primary screen has switches for the dynamic bass function and night mode. You can also select the active input and more.
Klipsch Connect allows adjusting the volume of the subwoofer if connected. Plus, you can change the bass level depending on where you placed your speakers.
Klipsch The Fives Audio Quality
When evaluating a speaker system, the utmost importance lies in its sound quality. Klipsch guarantees that The Fives deliver a stunning audio experience that fully captivates the listener. And Klipsch lives up to its promise.
The Fives performs admirably and offers outstanding audio. The product excels in providing an incredible level of detail, effortlessly unveiling the intricacies of texture and timbre.
No matter the type of audio you a listening to, whether it be your favourite prog rock album or the latest blockbuster music, the Fives reproduces audio perfectly.
The Fives also provides punchy audio, easily filling the room and enveloping you in sound.
When it comes to the soundstage that we were presented with, we were greeted by a nice open, and spacious soundstage. This wide soundstage allowed us to easily place the location of instruments whilst listening to the music.
It created a nice clear open space for instruments, allowing them to easily be heard and to truly shine.
Generally, a pair of quality hi-fi speakers can do the trick, but the product can do and deliver more. It is just as good with stereo imaging, especially when The Fives are positioned and set on solid support.
These speakers excel in delivering high-definition sound with clarity throughout the board. Its peaks are distinct, with plenty of shimmers and open space.
The Fives offer an incredible audio experience, delivering crisp audio with solid bass considering their size. Listening to music through these speakers feels like having front-row seats at a live performance.
The Fives capture all the details. They also draw your attention to specific aspects of the mix that vary from track to track.
There was fantastic bass at low volume levels, making the audio all the more impressive. The base was never muddy and even though the bass was low and punchy, it never overtook from the highs and mids.
The bass easily added to the music listening experience instead of overpowering it and taking away detail. This is often an area where other speaker brands struggle, but Klipsch managed to nail it.
Highs when listening to music is remarkably clear and precise. We were able to hear every detail in the higher vocal ranges of the tracks and we were able to hear every little nuance of the vocalist.
The same can be said for instruments such as lead guitar and brass and woodwind. The clarity presented by the highs allowed us to easily pick apart the music.
At no point did the highs become too harsh and we never felt fatigued when listening to treble heavy tracks.
The Fives can easily handle complex and dynamic music, which is one of the things that impressed us. It can also make all nuances and subtleties audible regardless of the genre played. These speakers reproduce each detail in modern pop songs and symphonies without reducing the thrill or intensity.
The Fives is an excellent pair of bookshelf speakers that deliver a detailed, dramatic, and immersive listening experience. It renders excellent studio sound without compromise, making it ideal for audiophiles.
These speakers are perfect for home theatres since they can make films more engaging and realistic. They are also excellent for immersive gaming since they make sounds appear from all directions. The Fives can meet the demands of a multimedia hub for your home entertainment centre.
Klipsch The Fives Review Summary
The Fives is a superior pair of bookshelf speakers excelling in audio quality, versatility, and ease of use. Its sound signature, stylish aesthetics, durable build, and premium audio can impress even the pickiest audiophiles.
We were pleased with the product performance when we tested it for our Klipsch The Fives Review. These speakers deliver unparalleled sound quality whether you use a TV, desktop, smartphone, or turntable. The Fives offer excellent audio at low volume levels, which appeals to many buyers.
These speakers may not be the cheapest on the market, but they offer the versatility and audience everyone needs. The Fives has many connectivity modules, making it compatible with most audio sources. Also, this product is one of the best options for improving your home theatre and listening to high-definition music.
The Fives can beat other bookshelf markets available today. It delivers massive performance, comprehensive controls, and many other handy extras that make listening experiences more fun. Overall, we highly recommend this product to anyone who wants to enhance their home theatre.
Learn more about The Fives by visiting the official product page of Klipsch.
