Design, workmanship and delivery
Before we deal with the sonic properties of the Klipsch T5 Neckband, let's take a quick look at the exterior of the headphones.
The packaging already shows that we are not dealing with a cheap home-made headphone, but a real branded headphone. The US company Klipsch Audio Technologies has been in business since 1946 and is one of the top players in the audio segment.
The packaging is adorned with the golden Klipsch quality seal, a trademark of the manufacturer. When opened, the T5 neckband and the rest of the scope of delivery are presented in an appealing way. In addition to the headphones, it also includes a microUSB charging cable, silicone earplugs in various sizes and an instruction manual.
The design of the headphones looks well thought out and the quality of workmanship is right. The neck band is pleasantly soft and flexible thanks to the real leather cover. At the ends there are elongated housings in which the hardware is housed. The right end is adorned with the Klipsch lettering. On the left there are 3 control buttons on the inside and the microUSB socket is hidden on the bottom. It's a shame that Klipsch didn't opt for the newer USB-C standard. The particularly compact and lightweight earphones are connected to the bracket via 14 cm long, textile-coated cables.
comfort
With the T5 neckband, Klipsch attaches great importance to being comfortable to wear. With a weight of 26.4g and the soft real leather cover, the neckband is barely noticeable around the neck.
The earphones are also light, each weighing only 2g and with the oval earplugs patented by Klipsch sit extremely comfortably and with a good grip in the ear canal. An IPX4 rating is available. The headphones are then protected from splashing water on all sides, making them sweat-resistant and suitable for sporting activities.
Hardware
On the hardware side, the Klipsch T5 Neckband is properly set up. The current Bluetooth 5.0 standard ensures easy connection establishment, fast transmissions and a long range.
The high-resolution audio codecs aptX and aptX HD are supported for better sound quality. The prerequisite for using these codecs is that the playback device also supports aptX. This is the case nowadays with many Android smartphones with Qualcomm chipset. AptX is not available to users of Apple products.
Each earbud is equipped with a dynamic 5 mm driver. The frequency range specified by Klipsch is between 10 Hz and 19.000 Hz. The two microphones work with cVc 8.0 noise reduction.
sound quality
First of all: the sound perception differs from person to person. In the following I describe how the Klipsch T5 neckband sounds to me.
Sound signature and spatiality
The Klipsch T5 Neckband strives for a predominantly balanced sound signature. Lows, mids and highs come into their own, without one frequency range drowning out the other. The spatial representation is not very pronounced, but is sufficient for a degree of locatability.
Depths, mid and highs
Basses are present, even if not particularly powerful, but pleasantly crisp. The bass reproduction is somewhat limited towards the bottom.
The transition to the middle area is well separated. The middle sounds pleasantly soft and without emphasis from the low frequency range. Unfortunately, there is a lack of precision here. Tonal subtleties are quickly lost and individual instruments are difficult to separate from one another.
If we switch to the heights, they sound extremely calm, with a gently removable level. There are no unpleasant sibilants.
cable noise
A side effect that affects pretty much every wired in-ear headphone is cable noises that arise when moving. Although the T5 Neckband only has short cable connections between the headband and the earphones, the textile sheathing of the cables creates a lot of noise. The sound experience can suffer, especially with quiet music passages, as often occurs in classical music.
Operation and headset
3 keys Operation
Music and calls can be controlled extensively via the multifunctional 3-button control element of the headphones. The middle button is used to switch the headphones on or put them into pairing mode, which means that up to two devices can be paired at the same time.
Microphone and calls
Incoming calls on the smartphone can be made directly through the headphones. The vibration function built into the neckband is practical, as it makes the headphones vibrate noticeably when a call comes in so that you are guaranteed not to miss a call. However, it is just as practical that the function can be switched off.
Calls can be accepted or rejected using the control element so that you don't even have to pick up your smartphone.
The two noise-filtering microphones with cVc 8.0 technology do a good job. In general, the microphone quality is very clear and only becomes minimally tinny with increasing noise filtering.
Battery
The battery life of the Klipsch Neckband T5 is remarkable. Klipsch itself specifies the battery life as 15 hours. In the test at medium volume, even more than 15 hours of music playback were possible. The battery can be fully charged in about an hour.
Klipsch T5 neckband
Noble design
Very comfortable to wear
Balanced sound signature
Vibration function for calls
microphone quality
Long battery life
Lack of sonic precision
No USB-C
Strong cable noise
A particularly pleasant and safe wearing comfort, a neutral soundstage and a long-lasting battery life make the Klipsch T5 neckband an almost perfect everyday, travel and sports companion.
Why only almost? There are reductions in sound quality, which is severely impaired by annoying cable noises. In addition, the mostly neutral sound of the headphones does not suit everyone's taste. If you expect powerful bass and groovy dynamics, you should look for other headphones.
