Klipsch the Fives ii speakers play clearer and crisper music than more powerful competitors

At a glance:

• Klipsch The Fives ii deliver clear, crisp music despite a modest power output compared with larger soundbars.
• New HDMI 2.1 eARC port and Dolby Atmos support justify a higher price of about $800 for the pair.
• Compact bookshelf design makes them a strong value for music lovers, though they fall short on full‑room cinematic impact.

What the review covers

The review evaluates Klipsch’s The Fives ii bookshelf speakers across three use cases: music playback, movie/TV streaming, and video‑game audio. The author tested the speakers with a range of content, from Rosalía’s “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” to Netflix’s war‑drama War Machine and the sci‑fi game Pragmata. By juxtaposing The Fives ii against higher‑end competitors such as the Focal Mu‑so Hekla soundbar and recent bookshelf models from Sony, KEF, and Edifier, the piece paints a nuanced picture of where the speakers excel and where they lag.

Sound quality for music

When listening to the high‑frequency tail of Rosalía’s track, the reviewer noted that The Fives ii sounded “a bit thin” compared with the Focal Mu‑so Hekla, which “split air molecules.” Nevertheless, the speakers delivered an “organic, pristine, and loud” experience that felt natural for the price point. Their compact form factor allowed them to sit comfortably on a bookshelf without overwhelming the room, a key advantage over larger, more power‑hungry soundbars that can dominate a small space.

Home‑theater and movie performance

The addition of an HDMI 2.1 eARC port and Dolby Atmos decoding marks a significant upgrade from the original The Fives, which lacked Atmos and sold for $800 a pair. In practical terms, the reviewer observed distinct explosion sounds in War Machine (Netflix) and convincing left‑to‑right plane whooshes in Unbroken (Netflix). Dialogue in the original Alien streamed via HBO Max remained clear and centered, even though the film was mixed in two‑channel stereo. However, the speakers did not “shake” the room during intense action sequences, and a minor glitch was reported in We Bury The Dead (Fandango at Home) where background dialogue was harder to hear.

Gaming experience

Connecting The Fives ii to a TCL NXTVISION art TV, the reviewer tested two games. In Pragmata, early robot‑shooting scenes produced convincing laser sounds, while Resident Evil Requiem suffered from less immersive atmospheric effects compared with a full surround‑sound setup. The author concluded that games, which rely on precise placement of audio cues around the listener, expose the limitations of the two‑driver design when stacked against a dedicated soundbar like the Mu‑so Hekla.

Comparison with competitors

The review lists the main rivals evaluated:

• Focal Mu‑so Hekla soundbar (high‑power, immersive sound)
• Sony bookshelf speakers (recent models)
• KEF bookshelf speakers (recent models)
• Edifier bookshelf speakers (recent models) Overall, The Fives ii win on price and size for pure music playback, but they lag behind these competitors in cinematic and gaming immersion. The reviewer recommends them for listeners who prioritize music fidelity in a compact package and are willing to accept modest room‑filling power for movies and games.

Final thoughts

Klipsch’s The Fives ii strike a compelling balance between affordability, design, and audio clarity for music lovers. While they lack the brute force of larger soundbars and cannot fully replicate a surround‑sound theater experience, the inclusion of HDMI 2.1 eARC and Dolby Atmos at a $800 price point makes them a noteworthy upgrade over the original model. For anyone building a bookshelf‑centric audio setup, The Fives ii represent a solid, if not spectacular, choice.