Love them or hate them, TWS earphones are here to stay. Every major brand now has a version of TWS earphones on the market, and as the technology has improved, more people are buying them. The Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones aren’t the company’s first foray into the market, but they are new in several different ways.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
There’s a lot to love about the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones, but there are also some pain points you may not love so much. Of course, this is perfectly normal because nothing is perfect. But it will be up to each individual to decide if the pros outweigh the cons. Let’s get into our full T5 II review!
Specifications
The Klipsch T5 II has the following features and specifications:
- Driver Design: Dynamic Moving Coil Micro Speaker
- Driver Diameter: 5.8 mm
- Mic/Remote: Six-mic Beamforming
- Frequency Response: 10Hz-19kHz
- Noise Isolation: -22dB
- Input Connections: Bluetooth
- Battery (Earpieces): 50 mAh
- Battery (Charging Case): 360 mAh
- Bluetooth Specifications:
- Version: Bluetooth 5.0
- Profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6, HSP 1.2, HFP 1.7A2DP
- Codecs: SBC, AAC®
- Range: Up to 10m (33ft.)
- Input Rating: 5V DC, 1.0A
- Battery Status: iOS & Android
- Weight:
- Buds: 5.5g (.012 lbs)
- Case: 76.9g (.169 lbs)
- Buds and Case: 82.4g (.181 lbs)
What’s In The Box
- Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones
- Charging case
- Charging cable
- USB-C to USB-A adapter
- Various eartips
- Quick start guide
- Warranty information
Design
It’s not often I start a TWS earphone design section off with the charging case, but I am this time. Why? Because the Klipsch T5 II TWS charging case is spectacular. The case is made of chrome and comes in a gunmetal finish. It is a beautiful piece of artwork, but it also collects fingerprints and is heavy for a TWS case. Both of those cons don’t bother me much because it is a very nice-looking case.
The case has a USB-C power port on the back, and the bottom is made of rubber allowing Klipsch to add wireless charging. Opening the case up, you’ll find the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones nestled inside, and three LED lights indicating how much power is left in the case. I also love that Klipsch added a prominent left and right indicator on the case and the earphones.
Taking the earphones out, you’ll find a familiar yet slightly unique design here. These buds have a different angle to them that gives them a subtly different look. The controls for the Klipsch T5 II earphones are physical, thank God. I’m not too fond of touch controls on earphones; there are too many instances of evoking actions you didn’t mean to.
But sometimes, the problem with touch controls is that you feel like you’re pushing the earphones into your head. The T5 II’s do not suffer this problem; it is effortless to press these physical controls without mashing them down. They are very responsive, and it only takes a gentle push to evoke the action you want. We’ll go over what the buttons do in the Ease of Use section.
The T5 II’s are comfortable once you find the right size ear tips, and Klipsch includes a decent selection. It’s essential to follow the instructions for proper fitment as you may not get a good seal if you wear them incorrectly.
Finally, one last thing on design; the new Klipsch logo is not appealing at all. It reminds me of a 1980s’ department store logo. I understand they wanted something fresh for their 75th anniversary, but this logo is not it.
Overall, the design is well done. The case is the star here, and the materials Klipsch used are outstanding. The earphones themselves are also well made, and I love the physical buttons. I’d say Klipsch made something a little unique compared to the competition.
Ease of Use
Using the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones is relatively straightforward. The app is a bit of a pain to deal with and has too many options, but we’ll get into that in the App/Software section.
As we mentioned, the buttons to control the earphones are physical, and here is what they do:
- Turning On/Off: Short press either earphone. This is unnecessary as the buds will turn on and off when you take them in or out of the case.
- Bluetooth Pairing: Hold right earphone for 3-seconds
- ANC/Transparency: Press left earphone to cycle through
- Voice Assistant: Press right earphone for 1-second
- Volume Up: Press left earphone twice quickly
- Volume Down: Press left earphone three time quickly
- Track Forward: Press right earphone twice quickly
- Track Reverse: Press right earphone three times quickly
- Calls:
- Answer: Press left earphone once
- Hangup: Press and hold left earphone for 1-second
- Answer Incoming Call While On Call: Press left earphone once while in current call
- Mute Microphone: Press left earphone once while in call
- Conference Call: Press left earphone twice while in call
- Factory Reset: Press and hold both left and right earphones for 15-seconds
These earphones also come with head gesture control, which I found to be not useful at all.
The app is not needed to use the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones, but you may want to use features within the app. Overall, using these is easy but can get convoluted once you start poking around in the app. However, you don’t have to use all of the app features if you don’t want to.
Sound
The out-of-the-box sound of the Klipsch T5 II TWS is good, but you do get some added sound enhancements using the app. The out-of-the-box sound is mainly balanced, with some minor nuances given to the bass and mids.
The T5 II’s come with Dirac HD Sound, which helps tune the soundstage, clarity, vocals, and bass fidelity. It’s hard to explain just what the software does but here’s how I would describe it. Dirac HD Sound makes the music sound like you’ve opened up a door and let the music in. Turning it off makes the music sound muffled, with the mids and highs pushed back, and the bass is overpowering everything.
That said, there is an EQ in the app that allows you to choose from different presets, and there is a custom 6-band slider system. But I did find that even with the EQ set at flat, the bass was still pushing harder than the other frequencies.
I have found this is normal with most audio company’s these days. It seems the majority of the population likes bass-heavy music; I am not one of these people, so I wasn’t super impressed with the sound.
As for the ANC on these, it’s not the best I’ve used on a pair of TWS earphones. It works okay, but it isn’t up to par like some of the other TWS earphones with ANC on the market. Transparency mode works fine; it does what you need it to do.
Overall, the sound is just okay. It’s decent. I think people who love heavier bass music will love these. If you’re looking for a flatter soundstage, you might not like these. The EQ does help a bit but is not enough for my taste. Sound is very subjective, so you may love these.
App/Software
I’ve already mentioned the app and how I’m not fond of it. I should clarify some here. I think there will be users out there who will love this app and its features. I don’t particularly like the app because it has too many options, and I prefer simple. I’d rather not have an app at all.
For those who do like apps, here’s a quick rundown of what it offers.
- Equalizer: Six presets and one custom setting with six sliders
- ANC/Transparency: Adjust ANC level, adjust the Transparency level
- Sidekicks: Activates ANC automatically when listening to music and activates Transparency automatically when on calls
- Interactions: This allows you to shake your head to evoke actions. Nod your head three times to accept calls; shake your head three times to decline calls. Shake your head three times while listening to music to skip a track.
- Action Button: Customize the action button for a variety of actions
- Dirac HD: Turn on and off
- Update: Update firmware
Maybe I’m harsh on the app and software, but I feel that throwing this much into a pair of earphones makes them unnecessarily complicated. Part of the reason I love the AirPods Pro is that there isn’t this level of convoluted choice. But as I already mentioned, many of you will disagree with me, and that’s fine; in the end, it’s all subjective.
Overall, I could do without the app and wish the out-of-the-box soundstage was flatter, so I didn’t need to use the EQ in the app.
Reception/Call Quality
Bluetooth reception is solid; in the past, TWS headphones suffered from connectivity issues, but those issues were resolved, and the T5 II’s have no reception issues. Call quality is also excellent—no issues at all in that department.
Battery Life
Battery life is excellent on the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones. You can get up to 7-hours on a single charge without ANC and 5-hours with ANC. The charging case provides an additional 21-hours of battery life, dependant on ANC, of course. I used ANC all of the time, and I averaged near 5-hours, so the advertised time is accurate. Battery life is also very dependant on volume and distance from the source, so your mileage may vary in how you use them.
Price/Value
The Klipsch T5 II TWS are priced at US$299, which is just about the same price and even less expensive than some of the competition. I think these earphones are priced right, especially for those looking for a heavier bass soundstage. The quality of the sound is great; it’s just the tuning that didn’t sit well with me. That doesn’t mean someone who likes more bass won’t like these; I think they’re a great value for those who are into a little more bass than normal.
Wrap Up
I think the Klipsch T5 II TWS earphones are an excellent choice for those seeking a heavier bass soundstage. Those looking for a neutral soundstage or maybe just a little bass may not like these so much. They are worth the asking price. The build quality is top-notch. The app is usable, but I didn’t care for all the options as I prefer things to be simple. I would suggest reading other reviews as well, especially from someone who might enjoy heavier bass.
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