Review / We review the Klipsch T5 True Wireless earbuds: are they better than Powerbeats Pro or AirPods?
We loved the Powerbeats Pro headphones, but could the Klipsch T5 earbuds unseat them and become the true AirPods-killer?
Only last month, we reviewed the Powerbeats Pro as the new AirPods killer, but even before Apple releases the Pro in this part of the world, the earphones are already facing another serious contender for the crown: the Klipsch T5 True Wireless earbuds.
Klipsch, an all-American brand despite its German-sounding name, has a history that is almost as interesting as Apple’s. While Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched the Apple computer in a garage in Silicon Valley, Klipsch was founded by Paul W. Klipsch in a tin shed in Hope, Arkansas, in 1946 because he was trying to bring live music to his own living room.
Since then the Klipsch brand has been synonymous with respectable audio whether with speakers or headphones. I’ve owned several pairs of the latter and they’ve always given me a great experience. I can list Klipsch as one of my favourite audio brands for both sound and comfort.
Packaging
The Powerbeats Pro’s charging case was always going to be its Achilles' heel. Huge and unwieldy, it did not offer good portability at all. On a recent flight, the case flew out of my hand and dropped on the floor of the plane, catapulting the two earphones out, one out of sight. I spent an anxious three hours hoping that someone would find it (luckily someone did!).
The Powerbeats Pro’s charging case was always going to be its Achilles' heel. Huge and unwieldy, it did not make for good portability at all
I highly doubt I would have the same problem with the T5. The words that most people have used to describe it are “Zippo lighter” and it’s easy to see why. It is shaped almost like one, from the matt metallic finish to its shape and how it flips open on the side instead of front to back. But the side flip can be a bit fiddly when you’re trying to remove the right earbud.
The thickness, however, is almost that of two Zippo lighters. It’s still small enough to fit comfortably into pockets, although it carries some heft due to the metal case. The size and the matt finish allows for a firmer grip than the Powerbeats Pro.
