Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Review – Exquisite Craftsmanship meets Excellent Performance

The Klipsch T5 II True Wireless earbuds are the successor of their first generation earbuds released year and this particular model is the most affordable and arguably the best looking of their second generation earbuds which come in three different designs that include the T5 II True Wireless Sport and the limited-issue T5 II True Wireless Sport McLaren Edition. Here’s our review of the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless that is now available in Malaysia.

Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Design  

Compared to the first generation T5 True Wireless Earbuds, the T5 II retains the superior build quality that marks it as the best in its class with an all-metal external chassis that resembles a Zippo lighter. 

This time around, the T5 II is lighter and slimmer than the original while retaining the beautifully tactile hinge mechanism that lets you open and close the case with a satisfying click. Other enhancements include an upgrade to IP67 water resistance for the earbuds which in turn have been refined to be slightly slimmer too.

Bundled with the box are not one or two but a whopping six pairs of additional ear tips that let you get a truly precise fit for your ears,  a USB-C to USB-C charging cable and a USB-C to USB-A adaptor.

Rather than a finicky set of touch controls, they’ve opted for physical buttons on the earbuds and you can control playback with a combination of button presses. Each earbud hosts a 5mm custom driver, a quartet of beam-forming mics for calls and a 50mAh battery rated to offer 8 hours of battery life, all of which are housed in a relatively bulbous external housing that sits neatly outside the ear, held in place by its lightness – it’s only 5g – and its ear tips. 

In keeping with Klipsch’s reputation for comfort, the T5 II retains the same oval-shaped ear tips that fit like a glove in the ear canal to offer a tight passive seal and outstanding comfort. Overall build quality is excellent especially with the use of metal in the charging case and the precise fitting of its components that are built to last.

What’s the difference between the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless and the Sport and Mclaren Edition?

The latest generation Klipsch T5 II True Wireless has three different variants. They all have the same 5mm custom drivers, oval-shaped ear tips, battery life and performance profile that follows Kipsch’s traditional sound signature.

Our test sample, the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless is the most affordable version at RM899 and has a metal casing like a ZIppo lighter. For RM200 more, you get the T5 II True Wireless Sport which has a larger, chunkier charging case made of polycarbonate that’s also rated IP67 for water resistance like the earbuds. The case also has wireless charging support too but lacks a wireless charger. Another additional perk is that it adds in three pairs of ear wings to offer a more secure fit.

The top of the line version is the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport Mclaren Edition that features team Mclaren’s characteristic black and burnt orange livery but is otherwise identical to the T5 II True Wireless Sport including IP67 water resistance for the case. 

Where it differs is that it adds in a free wireless charger to go with it. At RM1,199, the McLaren Edition costs RM300 more than the T5 II True Wireless and RM100 more than the T5 II True Wireless Sport but represents the complete experience.

In essence, the Sport version and the McLaren edition are made for more rugged outdoor use with earbuds that have more staying power but cost a bit more. The entry level version is for more sedate use in urban environments away from potential splash and other water based hazards.

Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Performance and Fit

Getting it up and running wasn’t a problem and it recognised a Galaxy Note10, a Mate30 Pro and a Galaxy S20+ in seconds. Pairing was accomplished within a heartbeat and the earbuds also feature a comprehensive Klipsch Connect app that lets you tweak equaliser levels to taste.

Unfortunately the controls are hardwired so you can’t customise them but you’re able to control volume, make and take calls and summon a voice assistant via a combination of single, double and long press options on both earbuds.

One of the biggest criteria for good audio is ensuring a good passive seal and comfort when selecting and adjusting your ear tips. In that regard Klipsch is one of the best in the business as you have a literal smorgasbord of six pairs of differently sized ear tips to choose from.

Performance is akin to the T5 II True Wireless Sport McLaren Edition that we tested awhile back with great sound staging along with the ability to handle most contemporary tracks while retaining a good level of detail. Bass was good as well without overwhelming the rest of the track. Dialling the volume to maximum showed no distortion from the drivers too. 

Bean counters may likely take umbrage at the lack of active noise cancellation but this is tempered to a significant degree by the superior design of the oval-shaped earbuds that squelch up to -22dB of external noise. If you need to hear outside ambient audio, you can fire up a Transparency mode on demand.

The compact design of the charging case also makes it very pocketable indeed versus the chunkier design of the T5 II Sport and McLaren Edition versions. Battery life is also excellent with practical usage scenarios reaching close to their actual rated limit of 8 hours on a single charge. We managed, with modest use to get a good 7 hours and 30 minutes of use time. In total, you get 32 hours of usage time combined with the charging case which is enough for a trans-Atlantic flight to the States and back. Charging it is via a USB-C port as only the Sport versions have wireless charging support with the case.

Should you buy the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless?

On paper the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless lacks active noise cancellation and seems to have smaller drivers than what the competition ostensibly packs but the proof is in the pudding. These earbuds sonically excel on account of their superior craftsmanship with a metal-hewn casing, supremely comfortable (and effective) earbuds combined with excellent performance. It doesn’t come cheap but the metal chassis and craftsmanship here will ensure that you’ll be enjoying it for many years to come. 

What we liked Exceptionally comfortable oval ear tips, stylishly finished steel charging case, IP67 water resistance for earbuds, superb sound

What we didn’t ANC would be welcome, not cheap, doesn’t come with ear fins like T5 II Sports

We say The Klipsch T5 II True Wireless is a worthy successor to the original with the same excellent acoustic performance in a slimmer, lighter form factor combined with the legendary comfort of Klipsch’s oval-shaped eartips.

Price	RM899
Driver	5mm dynamic moving coil
Mic/Remote	cVc 8.0 quad-mic
Frequency response	10Hz – 19kHz
Noise isolation	-22dB
Input connections	Bluetooth 5.0 w/ A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6, HSP 1.2, HFP 1.7,  SBC, AAC, aptX
Battery	50mAh (earpiece), 360mAh (charging case) / 8 hours + 24 hours with charging case
Weight	5g (earbud), 87.5g (charging case)

Review unit courtesy of TCAcoustic. Available for purchase at https://my.tcacoustic.asia/