Klipsch The Fives review: These Bluetooth bookshelf speakers deliver smooth, refined sound

Smooth, refined, sophisticated sound; Extensive connection options; Extremely well built;

Bass is slightly overemphasized, sometimes a bit bloated; Mids and highs are often a tad recessed or even slightly veiled; LED indicators are hard to see if you're directly in front of the speakers;

Klipsch The Fives review: Soundbar killers

The soundbar was born as an easy plug-and-play solution to offer good audio quality in a simple device that didn’t ask you to pick up a degree in audio design from the local community college. Soundbars have since come to dominate home theater audio, displacing speakers in most homes. But Klipsch disagrees that the soundbar is the best and only option here. It believes a soundbar can’t provide quality stereo sound because it’s limited by being a single center-positioned speaker. So rather than make what was popular, Klipsch decided to create The Fives, a $799 answer to the soundbar craze. Do they successfully clap back? Let’s dig into it. Soundbars have a consistent issue. They’re not the most attractive devices. With rare exceptions like the Bose Soundbar 700, they are generally hulking blocks of black plastic. Even in the case of the Bose which manages to look pretty good, soundbars rarely work alongside living room décor. Black is not the dominant color of my particular home setup, ...

Powerful, balanced, true stereo sound; Excellent multimedia audio experience; Stellar phantom center channel; Beautiful design; Multiple connection options;

May not fit in every home theater setup;