Klipsch The Fives
Klipsch The Fives are fairly large bookshelf speakers measuring 304.8mm in height, 165.1mm in width, and 234.9mm in depth. The main speaker weighs five and a half kilograms, while the additional speaker is slightly lighter at 4.8 kilograms. As with most wireless bookshelf systems, the main speaker houses all the electronics, while the second one is simply a passive driver. However, unlike some similar systems, you can choose whether the main speaker is on the left or right with a switch on the back panel, making placement more flexible.
Features:
- Drivers: 1-inch titanium dome tweeter, Tractrix horn, 5½-inch woofer.
- Frequency response: 50 Hz to 25 kHz.
- Sensitivity: 109dB.
- RMS power: 160W (2 x 80W - low: 60W / high: 20W).
- Peak power: 320W.
- Bluetooth 5.0, approx. 10m range.
- Additional input: 3.5mm mini-jack.
- Switchable line/phono preamp input: 2 x RCA.
- USB audio port (type B).
- Optical digital audio input.
- HDMI ARC input.
The 2-way speaker system includes a 4.5-inch woofer with a fiber composite cone and a 1-inch titanium vented LTS tweeter with a 90 x 90-degree Tractrix horn. The enclosure with rear Tractrix port is made of durable MDF with real wood veneer. The speakers also come with a stylish fabric grille with magnetic cover.
The custom-designed built-in amplifiers provide a total of 160W power (320W peak), with each woofer receiving 60W and each tweeter receiving 20W from separate amplifier circuits. The maximum output is 109dB at 1 meter from the stereo pair, and the frequency response ranges from 50 Hz to 25 kHz with extended low frequency down to 46 Hz at 35% volume.
One interesting feature is the low-frequency dynamic equalizer, typically found only in AV receivers. Essentially, the bass level compared to the overall spectrum varies depending on the set overall level - lower overall levels amplify the bass to adapt to how the human ear perceives different frequencies at different levels. This feature can be disabled with the included remote control.
In addition to analog and digital inputs, Klipsch The Fives also feature a built-in USB DAC, allowing you to connect a computer. The DAC supports most audio formats, including WAV, WMA, MP3, and FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz. It operates asynchronously, using its own clock for complete bypass of the computer's sound scheme, providing more accurate decoding and reducing jitter. Mac users can immediately use Klipsch The Fives as a USB DAC when connected to a computer, while Windows PC users need to download specific drivers from the Klipsch website.
The free Klipsch Connect app for iOS and Android offers another way to control some company products, including Klipsch The Fives. However, the current version only provides setup procedures, firmware updates, and product registration. The app offers a brief guide with videos, mostly an extended version of the printed manual.
Klipsch The Fives come with a Bluetooth 5.0 receiver, allowing you to stream music from a smartphone, tablet, DAP, or computer. The transmission range is about 10 meters, providing enough flexibility for users to move freely from room to room with a smartphone in their pocket without interrupting the music. However, the receiver only supports the SBC codec. While SBC ensures compatibility with all Bluetooth devices, its transfer speed is limited to 320 kbps, insufficient for Hi-Res music listening. Despite this, we found the sound through Bluetooth to be clear and detailed enough to enjoy music streaming services like Deezer and Spotify.
Package includes:
- Speakers - 2 units.
- Cable to connect right speaker to left speaker (4 wires, 4 meters long).
- 3.5mm mini-jack cable.
- USB cable (Type A to Type B connector).
- HDMI cable.
- Remote control.
- Power cord.
- Documentation.