Klipsch T5 II Wireless Earbuds

The Klipsch T5 II are a good-looking pair of true wireless earbuds that look like they could be worth the price tag. They’re a bit cheaper than the Apple AirPods Pro and just a little more expensive than our top pick for 2021, Sony’s WF-1000XM3 buds. But despite their lower cost, the T5 II still feel well made – the buds and their eye-catching Zippo lighter-style charging case eschew cheap plastic in favor of hard-wearing metal that feels classy to hold.

The earbuds themselves are also fairly comfortable to wear. They’re smaller and more oval-shaped than the original T5s, which helps them fit snugly in your ears without sticking out too much. They’re also a bit lighter, which makes them more comfortable in long listening sessions. The supplied six pairs of clear oval ear tips with helpful color markings for size should allow most people to find a set that works for them.

Audio quality is a real standout. The T5 II deliver rich, detailed sound with impressive clarity for such a compact pair of buds. Mids especially shine, allowing vocals to really ring out without ever getting shrill or muddy. The Klipsch’s Dirac HD Sound mode further improves the frequency response, giving them a fuller and more lively sound than many other competing headphones.

One thing that sets the T5 II apart from most other true wireless earbuds is their optional onboard noise cancelling. This is a welcome feature for travelers or commuters who want to keep the world out while they listen to music and podcasts on their way to work or school. While it isn’t as effective as the active noise cancellation in our top pick for best wireless earbuds, the T5 II’s built-in noise cancelling does the job well enough to justify the added cost over basic Bluetooth earbuds.

You’ll need to download the Klipsch Connect app to fully customize the T5 II’s controls, as the buttons on the buds themselves are limited in functionality to playback control and enabling Transparency Mode. The buttons themselves have a relatively soft actuation, which isn’t quite as satisfying as the clicky haptics found on the Jabra Elite 75t and others. Lowering the volume via the left bud button in particular tended to just toggle Transparency Mode on and off, rather than actually lowering the output.

Using the app you can enable a host of smart customizations, including a six-band graphic EQ and presets to tailor the buds’ sound to your liking. You can also remap controls, set automations to activate features like transparency mode and ANC when playing music or taking calls, name the earbuds, view battery life and more. The app even supports Bragi Moves, which lets you use head gestures – think nods and head shakes similar to the Mobvoi Earbuds Gesture – to control your buds.

The T5 II are a solid pair of true wireless earbuds with a slick design, good noise canceling and a suite of handy customization options. However, they’re a bit too expensive to be the best pair of earbuds for most users.