Klipsch the Fives II Speakers Play Clearer and Crisper Music Than More Powerful Competitors

"These bookshelf speakers are excellent for music playback, but you'll want to stick with a soundbar for theater-shaking surround sound. Pristine music playback for relatively small bookshelf speakers. Size won't overwhelm the room. Now has an HDMI eARC 2.1 port for Dolby Atmos surround sound."

"A small bookshelf speaker saves space, but it generally forces you to compromise in overall sound quality. Standing at just 12.9 inches tall with 5.25-inch woofers, the Fives II speakers from Klipsch pack a ton of new features into the updated version. (The original version came out in 2020.) Key upgrades include Dolby Atmos support over the new HDMI eARC 2.1 port, Wi-Fi capability, and new electronics."

"Sonically, this is one of my favorite Klipsch speakers you can get for less than $1,500. When I played a new album by Cut Worms, the acoustic guitars sounded fuller and warmer than they did on the original the Fives speakers I tested just a few months ago. On the song "Fire 2" by Grace Ives-complete with crushing synths that fill the room-the Fives II were in the same premium league as the Cambridge Audio Evo One."

"Can't compete with a soundbar for upfiring surround sound audio. Some test tracks for music lacked oomph. Game audio was not always convincing for surround sound. I also tested movies and TV shows, video games, and a boatload of other new music on these speakers. The results were so impressive I ended up preferring the Fives II to several other bookshelf speakers I've recently tested (and enjoyed-just not as much)."

The Fives II bookshelf speakers deliver strong music playback in a compact footprint, with fuller, warmer acoustic guitar sound and room-filling synths. The speakers are designed to fit smaller spaces, standing 12.9 inches tall with 5.25-inch woofers. Upgrades include Dolby Atmos support via an HDMI eARC 2.1 port, Wi‑Fi capability, and updated electronics compared with the 2020 original. The speakers perform well across music, movies, TV, and video games, and can be preferred over other bookshelf options. Surround performance is limited versus a soundbar, with some music tracks lacking impact and game audio not always sounding fully convincing for surround.

Read at WIRED