I still have hopes for a follow up to his potato peelers video honestly. Btw I can recommend the channel Technology Connections where someone talks about random things like car signals and led light fxtures and make them interesting.
Dispite popular belief, I really like the speaker reviews. I love seeing all the vintage tech you talk about on here but it is nice once in a while to see some current stuff on the market reviewed. Great video as always!
I feel like that bass distortion is unacceptable, nearly to the point of it being a deal-breaker at any price. No powered speaker should exhibit that problem, even if it means just lowering the top volume.
Well, Anker demonstrates that chinese engineering can lead to both, a nice and defined sound AND a reasonable pricing. Mat: I hear your voice a Bit muffled in your videos, compared to other top tier creators. Might wanna check in on that?
it depends on how loud its was ? i mean you can turn up every speaker + amplifier and make it sound shit. noone ever turns the knob to the max, reason is headroom.... if you got a recoding you like and is to low you can adjust the amplification. if it would sound ok whenever you up the volume to max... that means you miss out on max volume when using a recording that is less loud... try to put your stereo up max and see how many speakers (drivers) you might need to replace.
the bass disctortion could be due to any pre EQ from the Bluetooth source. If it reaches it's advertised decibel rating, it doesn't need to do it at maximum knobbage. Turn the BT source volume down, increase knob volume, fixed.
Just bought one of these from a Craigslist seller. We have it connected to a record player and it sounds great. If we turn it up enough to distort, it is way too loud. This is the only video that shows the inside of the speaker. Good job Techmoan.
You're way too hard with yourself, I'm subscribed to this channel not only for what's reviewed (obviously that's a big part of the channel itself) but because I (and I think a lot of people feel this way) enjoy watching YOU doing these reviews. so really, it's fine if there's a "dull subject" from time to time, as long as you still enjoy doing it (and it helps you to catch up with other things in your life, if it saves some time). Proud subscribed of your Patreon too, keep it up Mat ❤
I got one of these for my girl friend. she's never had a speaker nicer than a laptop speaker. It's got a much nicer sound than what you hear in the video for sure. If this is the form factor you want it's a good choice at a discounted rate.
Seems like a pleasant surprise. The lack of modern sound processing is refreshing and it does seem to be well made. As with the 'RCA' 'reel-to-reel', it seems a well-thought-out product in search of a niche market. Still like it, though.
Klipsch really does make very good products for not too much money, I'm not sure about their earbud offerings as those look like they could just be private labeled products but their speaker range is very good.
It does have "modern sound processing" though. Why do you think that it sounds so bassy (to the point of distortion at volume)? Because that's what people expect these days.
@@Shaun.Stephens You're quite right, I should have added a word like options or formats into that for the sake of semantics. Of course, a DSP is doing what was done in the 80s with low-pass filters and transistors to boost the bass, but I was referring to all kinds of pseudo-surround stuff with their licensing logos emblazoned everywhere as is so common these days.
@@thebiggerbyte5991 A DSP is just taking a digital signal and processing it, not all DSPs even handle Analog audio as that can basically just be passed to the amplifier. I know what your saying and i know that devices nowadays will say DSP when they technically mean is Audio SOC, but in this case the DSP wouldnt even be touching the line level inputs because those are already analog, and they also had DSPs in the 1980s they had to for CD players and the like to work.
Ha! "and now I'm on the right, with a metronome and a very pretty girl" was sampled in a Mint Royale track -- I always wondered what it was all about!! Thanks TechMoan ;)
@@mattsword41 Looks like it's actually at the very end of track 2. Good thing I listened on TH-cam so I was able to quickly scrub left instead of wondering why the eff I couldn't find the sample, lol!
@@Selrisitai Just checked again - on my UK CD release it's a short 30sec ish track (track 3). must be different in different countries releases :) is a bit 'blink and you miss it' but it's always puzzled me!
I had the exact same Technics record player when I was much younger, was part of a whole hifi system my brother carried back from Japan. I used to watch it switch tracks just for fun because I thought it was so fascinating. This channel really feels so nostalgic to me.
sl5 is nice.. I have its bigger brother, the sl-ql15, essentially same functionality but for a full size system instead of a midi one. Also have a bunch of sl7 and sl300r players around.. very very nice devices, easy to learn to maintain them, and very reliable when well maintained.
These would be great in a two cabinet version for better stereo separation. Controls up front would also make them more versatile for a bookshelf setup.
I purchased a Klipsch The Threes a couple of years ago. It's the upgraded version of this one. It also has a phono preamp (which is why I bought it) as well as wifi and aux and a few other upgrades. I've been very happy with its sound quality as well.
That sticker peeling was quite sensual 😏 the effect was necessary and unnecessary all in one 👌 another great review Mat 👍 2 short videos in a row... 🤷♂️ Need some more feature length Techmoan!
In the last couple of Patreon posts I’ve mentioned some details about issues that have been thwarting video production recently. I’m trying my best to work around things.
I love your intros! Your preamp preamble preaching to preadolescents (and the rest) with preadjusted, prearranged and preapproved writing is excellent!
"Cue all the complaints about this 54 year old record which features two long-deceased performers" followed by the film-peeling bit was the most 'techmoan' 30 seconds of my life.
I remember Klipsch being purely associated with seriously expensive horn loaded speakers and I'm slightly saddened to see them marketing low cost tat. But companies get purchased and the direction changes. I guess you can say the same about HP - who once were the most disruptive company in the electronics test and measurement field. They started with a solid business that everyone wanted to work with, expanded their activities, got taken over by bean counters and have totally lost their way having sold off their T&M business and the company I work for now own a lot of the timing products that HP were renown for. Turnover with a minimum amount of investment is the current way. I know I'm being a miserable bar steward. One product I'd like to see Matt review is the Bose Companion 50. I have a setup in my home office fed from a Chord Hugo2 / Raspberry Pi with an SP/DIF hat running as a Roon end point and for the cost they are totally amazing.
that is true about HP assuming your talking about Hewlett Packard, granted while HP is nowhere near where they once were they did spin off some other their assets like Keysight which makes some pretty hardcore components for testing and measurement, but lets also be honest, HP wasnt the only one to loose their way, IBM basically invented the PC the way we know it today being microsoft operating system and Intel X86 processors, and they made what was probably the toughest yet quality line of laptops in the ThinkPad and yet they are gone, no more PCs with big blues badge anymore... and even dell has lost it, i have a dell inspiron from 2005 that is heavy made of metal and could probably knock someone out without even breaking a sweat, yet my inspiron that i have for work now has a wonky power port thats all loosey goosey and the USB port on one side malfunctions when you lift the computer off a desk, keep in mind that laptop has never been dropped or kicked and unless its sitting on a desk its in a laptop bag, its quality is just so low that even that kind of treatment was enough to damage it.
@@compzac Yes - you make some good points. I have had a couple of Lenovo Thinkpads and have had problems with compatibility with USB ports on both the dock and the machine itself - these are most likely to be software / firmware issues. I guess everyone is trying to increase profits at the cost of quality. HP was such a disruptive company. The company I work for has by acquisition now got a lot of the timing products that were originally HP developed and it's just wonderful stuff. It just seems a shame that a company that was formed from test equipment completely divorced itself from that market. I have watched so many HP test equipment repair videos and the quality of the stuff was off the scale. I fully get that we live in a different world today of amazing pieces of test equipment based on DSP and cutting edge microwave voodoo - I've used some in the US labs and the sheer power and functionality of these things (we use a lot of LeCroy) is mind-blowing. But to enjoy the seer beauty of the older stuff is just wonderful. I assume you have an interest in T&M? Have you seen Curious Marc's channel?
I own the model Three II and it comes with a remote control. It also adds a USB input. I use mine as a computer speaker. I never realized there was a protective sheet over the emblem so thanks for the heads up.
I have a similar Klipsch speaker for my bedroom. It has a google home assistant in it but I think the speaker layout is the same. I have it placed diagonally in a corner, about two feet in front of where the walls come together and it really does get better separation in that position. The ports on the side are passive membranes. it is as you report - just loud enough to make a listenable sound in a single room, but not overpowered. It used to be the speaker for my television before I got a soundbar but now it's used for google stuff and music. It fits the purpose.
As soon as you cracked that thing open I was sold. So nice to see a well built, no nonsense device. Should go nicely with my cheap ish Audio Technica phono on my shelf and not eat up the whole book case. Thanks so much for this video!!
I have been watching you and LGR for about 10 years now (or longer) and I always love both of your videos. When I'm ill and can't leave me bed I binge both of your channels. Comfort channels. Thank you for making videos
It sounded like mixed mono to me. Even when you popped open the case, I still only heard mixed mono. But that's fine - both speakers were in the same general area and I'm used to stereo speakers being apart enough to be very noticeable.
What I don't understand is a lot of the younger generation doesn't understand what stereo really is and they will go to Walmart or Sam's and spend a lot of money on a Bluetooth speaker for their phone and it will sound like a overpriced am radio because their is no stereo sound.
I work in retail and we had those speakers. People just weren't sure what they'd do with them. They weren't a TV speaker, they weren't a portable speaker. So most passed them by. They ended up clearencing down to fifteen bucks before we finally ran out. So if other stores had the same experience, that might be why you find so many for cheap online.
More than no notification, this doesn’t even show up in my subscription page at all, only showed up when I actually clicked onto your channel randomly when I was gonna search your Channel for a completely different video. I check my subscriptions multiple times a day, and I didn’t know this video even existed until 2 weeks after it came out. Jeez.
Yup, Walmart store near me had an unmoving stock of Klipsch "The One II" speakers for months. They were discounted to $37 and they were all sold within a day.
@@markreno2252 As someone who has acquired way too many old low-cost PC speakers, I think having a decent set or two at $15 each is well worth it. I use my budget ones when I simply need some sort of sound, I give them away to people as needed since most were given to me. But for listening to quality music without needing to fill a large room, those Klipsch speakers should handle it.
Smaller speaker video like this, mid week, would be a dream. Awesome to get extra an Tech Moan. Will admit first thought was hope this doesn't mean my Saturday morning one is cancelled. Bought my current speakers based on the Kanto review years back.
External power supplies also save on products being UL listed in the states. Only the plug has to be listed, which the company who makes the transformer already did it. That’s why pretty much everything these days uses usb power or “wall warts.”
I wonder if the bass distortion was due to the included wall wart not putting out enough power. It may be rated to be enough for the speaker, but it may not be putting out the rated amount of power. Perhaps try a higher rated power supply and see if the bass still gets distorted?
You could connect two car batteries to this and it would still sound like shit. It's chinese junk - that circuit board is a generic one sourced from china, probably used in all sorts of other equipment as well. Just because it has a Klipsch badge on it doesn't mean it's made by them or is any good.
I think having a external power brick also saves on production costs for the speaker unit, if it was internal the unit would have to be earthed and whole thing PAT tested or equivalent. External psu's are double insulated and so all that costly hassle is avoided.
Not all internal supply systems have to be grounded, if they are double insulated and the power board is kept separate from the logic board and only gives isolated low voltage to the login board then its essentially the same as using an external PSU
Great video. I love the looks of these and the phono aspect is useful to me. Personally I find speaker videos interesting especially if you have trust in the reviewer.
Definitely preferred the Roth speakers - maybe a touch harsh but it gave the music a sense of vitality whereas the Klipsch just sounds anaemically flat.
I have a pair of "the Fives" from Klipsch, got them because they are active speakers with a phono preamp and works pretty well instead of a sound plank. Pleased with the sound (after a firmware upgrade and new bass cut setting), and they look quite good as well.
I have a pair of Peachtree Audio M25 powered speakers with phono input when needing a small setup solution. They sound and look great plus have a remote. My Klipsch Cornwall speakers driven by tubes are in my main system and I absolutely love them.
Made for visual appeal and retro-chic, leveraging a name that was built on speakers made for listening. I watched a video where some young dude (with a baseball cap on backwards) talked about how it looked and the "tactile" controls. I wanted to tie him to a chair in front of a pair of La Scalas and let him hear what "Klipsch" used to mean.
Watched as always listening on my VA4s I bought after seeing your review (how did I get serial no. 0003?!). Although I don't use the phono level input as my Akai bluetooth turntable is behind me, it's nice to have if I ever have a move around. Money very well spent. Klipsch is interesting but really not my thing. Thanks for the awesome content Mat.
Wouldn't beleive I scored one of these at my local Walmart in the US. I'm assuming it was a returned online order and never opened but it was marked down all the way to $10.00. Great sounding speaker in person video doesn't do it too much justice. Klipsch makes great products.
"It's definitely stereo". We'll have to take your word for it. This video is coming down as mono on TH-cam. Yes, I did try some TH-cam stereo test videos to be sure it's not my system. But other than that, another video of yours that I enjoyed.
I actually have this speaker. It's a nice little unit, although the one big complaint that I have with it is that the internal pre-amp is absolutely attrocious compared to a proper amplifier. I had to go buy a separate pre-amp to use my turntable with it so that it didn't sound awful.
The distortion sounds like the foam surround on the woofer has deteriorated or the seal under the lip of the subwoofer is "cattywumpus" allowing air leakage. I recently refoamed my Klipsch ProMedia swoofer and noticed the seal under the lip of the woofer was doubled over and bent. I corrected the poor seal. The subwoofer produced more deeper bass than when the speakers were new 10 years ago. Deep bass pipe organ music that used to distort does not now. Check the foam and woofer seal. I was stunned what a difference it made. Presumably it left the factory that way as I purchased the speakers new in box.
I considered buying one of these primarily because it has that late-50's look/vibe that I like. But I already have 2 or 3 speakers similar to this and each has left me disappointed. You confirmed my suspicion that it also would be disappointing. I really appreciate the review though.
I went up one “size” and purchased the equally confusing named Three II. I caught it on sale for $330 and it adds connection options along with a larger speaker arrangement. The sound is great for its size.
At around 3:50 when you're playing with the bass and there's a kind of crackle, that's what I hear whenever the music gets too loud for my right ear . It's hard to describe but that's it. I can still hear the music sort of but it's coming thru the crackle. If I reduce the volume, it goes away but that's not always possible outside. I'm gonna use this video when I next see a doctor.
You're lucky I have that in both ears, bad when at a musical event where you can't turn down the volume, in this instance I will put some tissue in my ears to reduce the level.
I have a 70's am/fm tuner with with component record player and 8 track. It's all running through a RCA to 8mm adapter plugged into the headphone jack. The speaker is a Bose wave radio and it sounds fantastic.
Regarding notifications: For me, anyway, the notification system is pointless except for replies to comments or questions. I very rarely click a video from the notification panel as it doesn't show the run time or the preview loop. (Or as of the update, the preview loop has been replaced by a full playback in a silent window.) I tend to scroll the main feed a few times, occasionally refreshing. 7/10 I watch vids from there. 2/10 I watch from the suggested list in the right sidebar or the post endscreen on the video itself. Then there's that 1/10 oddball time I go directly to a channel, skip right over the featured video to enter the "Videos" tab and hunt for one I want to watch. I found this one in the main feed, no problems. Algorithm is doing its job. Now, after all that yapping, I'll get to the speaker: My setup is my PC with the audio going through a Sony CMT-EX100 Mini-system. Not audiophile stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad either. The speakers are set fairly wide. But in the stereo demo of the Klipsch I could hear no separation. Maybe the most slight perception of a hint of left bias of the "Left" voice during the "Left right left right left right" test. But everything else seemed dead center. Your voice had a wider sound stage than the speaker. Until you said it was actually stereophonic, I was sure it was just a single monaural driver. A nice warm sounding one, but mono. This would be a great portable arrangement, but the fact that it is only mains powered, just defeats that.
Great review! For my record player which I bought at In Your Ear in Boston for $45 dollars in 2002 I have them hooked up and have been this way to my Tivoli Model 2 for the past 12 years.
My main setup is a pair of Klipsch the Sixes which have a phono preamp integrated, optical input, Bluetooth and USB input. I have with it the Project Debut Carbon DC with red cartridge in Klipsch walnut edition to match the speakers. I am extremely pleased with the sound and quality and I also use the optical input with my TV and I don't feel any need for a proper home cinema. Sound is really feeling like 70's Klipsch style. Love this setup.
I might buy this speaker at a discounted price but not more. The stereo separation is not very noticeable. The sound is like that of an old tube desktop radio, warm and fine but still limited in dynamic range. The Bluetooth music you played, all synthetic instruments, sounded almost exactly like the narrow band sound heard in my 1913 Victor Victrola. I think Klipsch did themselves a disservice in branding this with their logo. It clearly leaves me wanting more.
I have the sixes in my room and I use them for TV audio and music every single day and night and I absolutely love them. They are like mini RF-82 towers.
I was LUCKY enough to find one at my local Walmart (Florida) for 😬😲 15.00 in the Clearance shelf. I knew the brand but I think most people don't know who's Klipsch.🤨😆 They sound Amazing ❤️. I'm using it next to my bed so it sounds loud enough to me. Very happy with it.😁😆
Finally I can't afford this and I've been waiting for a good review. Most of the reviews here on TH-cam don't seem to have a detailed walk through thank-you techmoan
I used to have a Goodman's 'Sound Base' on top of a CRT cabinet and it would interfere with the picture so when I decided to get some shielded speakers I needed an amp of some kind. They're quite expensive on their own so I ended up dismantling the sound base and using its board for that purpose. I had to put the power supply in a different box but it's been going strong for over a year now!
My local walmarts clearanced these out a few months back for around $40. I got one and loved it until it quit working. That's right, It worked for about a month. Still working with klipsch to get it repaired/repaired. They might not do it though, since I got it so cheap.
I picked up a couple for $15 each at my local Walmart stores. Sometimes retailers will hit up the manufacturer for money to make up for the discounted price they had to move the inventory with. I wouldn't put it past Walmart to do that, and it may explain why Klipsch is reluctant to honor their warranty. Which would make me weary of purchasing their brand again.
Dearest Mister Techmoan, you could be reviewing the latest installment of kitchen lightswitch covers and I still would gladly watch that video.
I still have hopes for a follow up to his potato peelers video honestly.
Btw I can recommend the channel Technology Connections where someone talks about random things like car signals and led light fxtures and make them interesting.
Love all your videos, I love how thorough you make them ❤️😊
Two of my fave TH-camrs interacting!!!
Dispite popular belief, I really like the speaker reviews. I love seeing all the vintage tech you talk about on here but it is nice once in a while to see some current stuff on the market reviewed. Great video as always!
I feel like that bass distortion is unacceptable, nearly to the point of it being a deal-breaker at any price. No powered speaker should exhibit that problem, even if it means just lowering the top volume.
Looks like typical China products.
Well, Anker demonstrates that chinese engineering can lead to both, a nice and defined sound AND a reasonable pricing.
Mat: I hear your voice a Bit muffled in your videos, compared to other top tier creators.
Might wanna check in on that?
it depends on how loud its was ? i mean you can turn up every speaker + amplifier and make it sound shit. noone ever turns the knob to the max, reason is headroom.... if you got a recoding you like and is to low you can adjust the amplification. if it would sound ok whenever you up the volume to max... that means you miss out on max volume when using a recording that is less loud... try to put your stereo up max and see how many speakers (drivers) you might need to replace.
Yep, it’s like buying a car and being told “now, don’t go above 40 or it skids all over the place.”
the bass disctortion could be due to any pre EQ from the Bluetooth source. If it reaches it's advertised decibel rating, it doesn't need to do it at maximum knobbage.
Turn the BT source volume down, increase knob volume, fixed.
I’ll consider this a Techmoan bonus video, and that’s always a win in my book.
I didn't see this as any less quality than any other videos. Sometimes the results are the results.
Just bought one of these from a Craigslist seller. We have it connected to a record player and it sounds great. If we turn it up enough to distort, it is way too loud. This is the only video that shows the inside of the speaker. Good job Techmoan.
I think Matts hearing is just really bad so decent volume for him is super loud to others, if you go by all the hints from previous videos.
@@GeeCee-pv7ik lol a shill shilling buying secondhand goods
I thought he meant I was shilling for Tech Moan. Lol
You're way too hard with yourself, I'm subscribed to this channel not only for what's reviewed (obviously that's a big part of the channel itself) but because I (and I think a lot of people feel this way) enjoy watching YOU doing these reviews. so really, it's fine if there's a "dull subject" from time to time, as long as you still enjoy doing it (and it helps you to catch up with other things in your life, if it saves some time). Proud subscribed of your Patreon too, keep it up Mat ❤
Oh yaaaaaaaa. Take it off 🤣 Thanks for the laughs Matt! Cheers 🍻
I got one of these for my girl friend. she's never had a speaker nicer than a laptop speaker. It's got a much nicer sound than what you hear in the video for sure. If this is the form factor you want it's a good choice at a discounted rate.
Seems like a pleasant surprise. The lack of modern sound processing is refreshing and it does seem to be well made. As with the 'RCA' 'reel-to-reel', it seems a well-thought-out product in search of a niche market. Still like it, though.
Klipsch really does make very good products for not too much money, I'm not sure about their earbud offerings as those look like they could just be private labeled products but their speaker range is very good.
It does have "modern sound processing" though. Why do you think that it sounds so bassy (to the point of distortion at volume)? Because that's what people expect these days.
@@Shaun.Stephens You're quite right, I should have added a word like options or formats into that for the sake of semantics.
Of course, a DSP is doing what was done in the 80s with low-pass filters and transistors to boost the bass, but I was referring to all kinds of pseudo-surround stuff with their licensing logos emblazoned everywhere as is so common these days.
@@thebiggerbyte5991 A DSP is just taking a digital signal and processing it, not all DSPs even handle Analog audio as that can basically just be passed to the amplifier. I know what your saying and i know that devices nowadays will say DSP when they technically mean is Audio SOC, but in this case the DSP wouldnt even be touching the line level inputs because those are already analog, and they also had DSPs in the 1980s they had to for CD players and the like to work.
Ha! "and now I'm on the right, with a metronome and a very pretty girl" was sampled in a Mint Royale track -- I always wondered what it was all about!! Thanks TechMoan ;)
track?
@@Selrisitai Interlude 1 - track 3 on the album On The Ropes
@@mattsword41 Looks like it's actually at the very end of track 2. Good thing I listened on TH-cam so I was able to quickly scrub left instead of wondering why the eff I couldn't find the sample, lol!
@@Selrisitai Just checked again - on my UK CD release it's a short 30sec ish track (track 3). must be different in different countries releases :)
is a bit 'blink and you miss it' but it's always puzzled me!
The pretty girls are always on the right.
I had the exact same Technics record player when I was much younger, was part of a whole hifi system my brother carried back from Japan. I used to watch it switch tracks just for fun because I thought it was so fascinating. This channel really feels so nostalgic to me.
sl5 is nice.. I have its bigger brother, the sl-ql15, essentially same functionality but for a full size system instead of a midi one. Also have a bunch of sl7 and sl300r players around.. very very nice devices, easy to learn to maintain them, and very reliable when well maintained.
These would be great in a two cabinet version for better stereo separation. Controls up front would also make them more versatile for a bookshelf setup.
but that wont make it a simple bluetooth. why not buy real equipment if thats the goal :)
That would be a good idea. They could offer TWS suppport, then.
Have a look at the Fives
@@StargateAdventures Right idea, wrong price.
Just get a soundbar with bluetooth
The protective film removal sequences in your videos always make me laugh!
I purchased a Klipsch The Threes a couple of years ago. It's the upgraded version of this one. It also has a phono preamp (which is why I bought it) as well as wifi and aux and a few other upgrades. I've been very happy with its sound quality as well.
That sticker peeling was quite sensual 😏 the effect was necessary and unnecessary all in one 👌 another great review Mat 👍
2 short videos in a row... 🤷♂️ Need some more feature length Techmoan!
In the last couple of Patreon posts I’ve mentioned some details about issues that have been thwarting video production recently. I’m trying my best to work around things.
@@Techmoan yeah did see that, I'm sure you'll have it sorted soon mate 👍 just need my TM fix 😜
I love your intros! Your preamp preamble preaching to preadolescents (and the rest) with preadjusted, prearranged and preapproved writing is excellent!
The inside of that is the most 90's design and layout of anything I've seen in years. 👍🏻
"Cue all the complaints about this 54 year old record which features two long-deceased performers" followed by the film-peeling bit was the most 'techmoan' 30 seconds of my life.
This video didn’t come up in my subscription feed. I even restarted the app and went back through and it’s not there... well I’m glad I’m here anyway!
I remember Klipsch being purely associated with seriously expensive horn loaded speakers and I'm slightly saddened to see them marketing low cost tat. But companies get purchased and the direction changes. I guess you can say the same about HP - who once were the most disruptive company in the electronics test and measurement field. They started with a solid business that everyone wanted to work with, expanded their activities, got taken over by bean counters and have totally lost their way having sold off their T&M business and the company I work for now own a lot of the timing products that HP were renown for. Turnover with a minimum amount of investment is the current way. I know I'm being a miserable bar steward.
One product I'd like to see Matt review is the Bose Companion 50. I have a setup in my home office fed from a Chord Hugo2 / Raspberry Pi with an SP/DIF hat running as a Roon end point and for the cost they are totally amazing.
that is true about HP assuming your talking about Hewlett Packard, granted while HP is nowhere near where they once were they did spin off some other their assets like Keysight which makes some pretty hardcore components for testing and measurement, but lets also be honest, HP wasnt the only one to loose their way, IBM basically invented the PC the way we know it today being microsoft operating system and Intel X86 processors, and they made what was probably the toughest yet quality line of laptops in the ThinkPad and yet they are gone, no more PCs with big blues badge anymore... and even dell has lost it, i have a dell inspiron from 2005 that is heavy made of metal and could probably knock someone out without even breaking a sweat, yet my inspiron that i have for work now has a wonky power port thats all loosey goosey and the USB port on one side malfunctions when you lift the computer off a desk, keep in mind that laptop has never been dropped or kicked and unless its sitting on a desk its in a laptop bag, its quality is just so low that even that kind of treatment was enough to damage it.
@@compzac Yes - you make some good points. I have had a couple of Lenovo Thinkpads and have had problems with compatibility with USB ports on both the dock and the machine itself - these are most likely to be software / firmware issues. I guess everyone is trying to increase profits at the cost of quality.
HP was such a disruptive company. The company I work for has by acquisition now got a lot of the timing products that were originally HP developed and it's just wonderful stuff. It just seems a shame that a company that was formed from test equipment completely divorced itself from that market. I have watched so many HP test equipment repair videos and the quality of the stuff was off the scale.
I fully get that we live in a different world today of amazing pieces of test equipment based on DSP and cutting edge microwave voodoo - I've used some in the US labs and the sheer power and functionality of these things (we use a lot of LeCroy) is mind-blowing. But to enjoy the seer beauty of the older stuff is just wonderful.
I assume you have an interest in T&M? Have you seen Curious Marc's channel?
Well, I enjoyed it as much as all the other Techmoan vids!
I own the model Three II and it comes with a remote control. It also adds a USB input. I use mine as a computer speaker. I never realized there was a protective sheet over the emblem so thanks for the heads up.
there are a lot of single box speakers on the market that sound really good, but for REAL stereo, I prefer two speakers, one left and one right
buy two, split the inputs :D
I can run two bluetooth speakers as a stereo pair with my Samsung Galaxy S21, which is what I normally do, tbh.
I prefer mono speakers because so much audio these days is no longer 2-channel and any dialogue/voice is largely lost.
I have a similar Klipsch speaker for my bedroom. It has a google home assistant in it but I think the speaker layout is the same. I have it placed diagonally in a corner, about two feet in front of where the walls come together and it really does get better separation in that position. The ports on the side are passive membranes. it is as you report - just loud enough to make a listenable sound in a single room, but not overpowered. It used to be the speaker for my television before I got a soundbar but now it's used for google stuff and music. It fits the purpose.
Excited to see a mid week video! Great content as always!
As soon as you cracked that thing open I was sold. So nice to see a well built, no nonsense device. Should go nicely with my cheap ish Audio Technica phono on my shelf and not eat up the whole book case. Thanks so much for this video!!
I have been watching you and LGR for about 10 years now (or longer) and I always love both of your videos. When I'm ill and can't leave me bed I binge both of your channels. Comfort channels. Thank you for making videos
It sounded like mixed mono to me. Even when you popped open the case, I still only heard mixed mono. But that's fine - both speakers were in the same general area and I'm used to stereo speakers being apart enough to be very noticeable.
the .1 channel would be mixing it quite a bit.
What I don't understand is a lot of the younger generation doesn't understand what stereo really is and they will go to Walmart or Sam's and spend a lot of money on a Bluetooth speaker for their phone and it will sound like a overpriced am radio because their is no stereo sound.
HI FI mono
Right. Sounded pretty rough honestly
... Its a joke isn't it? He's recording in mono
I work in retail and we had those speakers. People just weren't sure what they'd do with them. They weren't a TV speaker, they weren't a portable speaker. So most passed them by. They ended up clearencing down to fifteen bucks before we finally ran out.
So if other stores had the same experience, that might be why you find so many for cheap online.
I pity the people who pay retail for this.
@@Bob.martens right? I got mine at like 60 bucks. I really like it. Feels solid and that power switch feels satisfying af
FIFTEEN?! I whould totally buy it for that
@@jezusmylord damn! 15!? I’d buy 10 and cover all my friends birthdays for the next year
@@jezusmylord Same. Someone else did though. We had 8 left at that point and I think one dude bought them all up.
Great video even without subscribers notification. Keep on going Techmoan! Thumbs up!
I was so happy when you peeled the protective film. I thought you had forgotten about that joke.
Man, it has been a while since I last heard that "Take It Off" peel soundtrack. Always gives me a chuckle.
I had a dream that you uploaded a new video, I just woke up like 10 minutes ago to see that you actually uploaded a new video
More than no notification, this doesn’t even show up in my subscription page at all, only showed up when I actually clicked onto your channel randomly when I was gonna search your Channel for a completely different video. I check my subscriptions multiple times a day, and I didn’t know this video even existed until 2 weeks after it came out. Jeez.
Yup, Walmart store near me had an unmoving stock of Klipsch "The One II" speakers for months. They were discounted to $37 and they were all sold within a day.
...and then they showed up on Ebay or Craigslist for three or more times that price the very next day!
I picked up a couple for $15 each at my local Walmart stores, and I'm glad I didn't pay more.
@@markreno2252 As someone who has acquired way too many old low-cost PC speakers, I think having a decent set or two at $15 each is well worth it. I use my budget ones when I simply need some sort of sound, I give them away to people as needed since most were given to me. But for listening to quality music without needing to fill a large room, those Klipsch speakers should handle it.
Smaller speaker video like this, mid week, would be a dream. Awesome to get extra an Tech Moan. Will admit first thought was hope this doesn't mean my Saturday morning one is cancelled. Bought my current speakers based on the Kanto review years back.
Techmoan in a Wednesday? Count me in
“Ohhhh yeaaaah, take it off” but was fantastic. You’ve got a great voice for it Matt
External power supplies also save on products being UL listed in the states. Only the plug has to be listed, which the company who makes the transformer already did it. That’s why pretty much everything these days uses usb power or “wall warts.”
I wonder if the bass distortion was due to the included wall wart not putting out enough power. It may be rated to be enough for the speaker, but it may not be putting out the rated amount of power. Perhaps try a higher rated power supply and see if the bass still gets distorted?
You could connect two car batteries to this and it would still sound like shit. It's chinese junk - that circuit board is a generic one sourced from china, probably used in all sorts of other equipment as well. Just because it has a Klipsch badge on it doesn't mean it's made by them or is any good.
Thanks for the explanation about why I didn't see this right away. I thought maybe TH-cam unsubscribed me. Saw it in my recommended videos thankfully.
I think having a external power brick also saves on production costs for the speaker unit, if it was internal the unit would have to be earthed and whole thing PAT tested or equivalent. External psu's are double insulated and so all that costly hassle is avoided.
Not all internal supply systems have to be grounded, if they are double insulated and the power board is kept separate from the logic board and only gives isolated low voltage to the login board then its essentially the same as using an external PSU
Great video. I love the looks of these and the phono aspect is useful to me. Personally I find speaker videos interesting especially if you have trust in the reviewer.
I picked it up for $120 on sale. Worth every penny. Sounds awesome
Definitely preferred the Roth speakers - maybe a touch harsh but it gave the music a sense of vitality whereas the Klipsch just sounds anaemically flat.
I found this vid in the main page instead of the subscription box
Thank you I was just about to get one you . That bass distortion
would have drove me crazy.
Matt haven't you learned by now that we don't care? I would happily watch you review the box the speaker came in.
This reminds me of going to my old dentist office and they had the lobby in this design.
I have a pair of "the Fives" from Klipsch, got them because they are active speakers with a phono preamp and works pretty well instead of a sound plank.
Pleased with the sound (after a firmware upgrade and new bass cut setting), and they look quite good as well.
I am very much considering getting those.
Got the cheaper model the r51pm and I think it is fine.
I have a pair of Peachtree Audio M25 powered speakers with phono input when needing a small setup solution. They sound and look great plus have a remote. My Klipsch Cornwall speakers driven by tubes are in my main system and I absolutely love them.
The sound stage demonstration was surprisingly useful and cleaver, thank you : )
Made for visual appeal and retro-chic, leveraging a name that was built on speakers made for listening.
I watched a video where some young dude (with a baseball cap on backwards) talked about how it looked and the "tactile" controls. I wanted to tie him to a chair in front of a pair of La Scalas and let him hear what "Klipsch" used to mean.
Watched as always listening on my VA4s I bought after seeing your review (how did I get serial no. 0003?!). Although I don't use the phono level input as my Akai bluetooth turntable is behind me, it's nice to have if I ever have a move around. Money very well spent. Klipsch is interesting but really not my thing. Thanks for the awesome content Mat.
Wouldn't beleive I scored one of these at my local Walmart in the US. I'm assuming it was a returned online order and never opened but it was marked down all the way to $10.00. Great sounding speaker in person video doesn't do it too much justice. Klipsch makes great products.
back to the older intro? I like it! ;)
Now this to the casual vinyl player could be a most useful piece of kit.
"It's definitely stereo". We'll have to take your word for it. This video is coming down as mono on TH-cam. Yes, I did try some TH-cam stereo test videos to be sure it's not my system. But other than that, another video of yours that I enjoyed.
Ohhhhh. A mid week video! What a pleasant surprise. :)
OH MY GOODNESS - an early Techmoan video! Christmas came early!
Cute little drawing of downtown Indianapolis on the bottom... didn't expect to see that!
I actually have this speaker. It's a nice little unit, although the one big complaint that I have with it is that the internal pre-amp is absolutely attrocious compared to a proper amplifier. I had to go buy a separate pre-amp to use my turntable with it so that it didn't sound awful.
Nicely done - thank you for posting this informative review of the Klipsch!
Love these occasional midweek surprise videos.
The distortion sounds like the foam surround on the woofer has deteriorated or the seal under the lip of the subwoofer is "cattywumpus" allowing air leakage. I recently refoamed my Klipsch ProMedia swoofer and noticed the seal under the lip of the woofer was doubled over and bent. I corrected the poor seal. The subwoofer produced more deeper bass than when the speakers were new 10 years ago. Deep bass pipe organ music that used to distort does not now. Check the foam and woofer seal. I was stunned what a difference it made. Presumably it left the factory that way as I purchased the speakers new in box.
I considered buying one of these primarily because it has that late-50's look/vibe that I like. But I already have 2 or 3 speakers similar to this and each has left me disappointed. You confirmed my suspicion that it also would be disappointing.
I really appreciate the review though.
Another top video from the main man …many thanks
I've had a think about getting this speaker after seeing rave American reviews so thanks for posting this. Very useful. Cheers
It sounds mono to me. Thanks for wonderful content, as usual!
I went up one “size” and purchased the equally confusing named Three II. I caught it on sale for $330 and it adds connection options along with a larger speaker arrangement. The sound is great for its size.
The power brick also makes it unnecessary to do independent safety testing on the main unit such as UL (Underwriters Laboratory).
This didn't show in my subscription list so was a nice surprise
The Barry nay Harry White music on the protective sticker was so funny I nearly spay my lunch out.
At around 3:50 when you're playing with the bass and there's a kind of crackle, that's what I hear whenever the music gets too loud for my right ear . It's hard to describe but that's it. I can still hear the music sort of but it's coming thru the crackle. If I reduce the volume, it goes away but that's not always possible outside. I'm gonna use this video when I next see a doctor.
You're lucky I have that in both ears, bad when at a musical event where you can't turn down the volume, in this instance I will put some tissue in my ears to reduce the level.
Well this was a nice surprise. Going to get this for my bedroom setup
I have a 70's am/fm tuner with with component record player and 8 track. It's all running through a RCA to 8mm adapter plugged into the headphone jack. The speaker is a Bose wave radio and it sounds fantastic.
Matt this video is fine, no need to apologize, this is good stuff.
I have a Klipsch "Three" LOVE IT! I will say when you played your powered speakers and then the Klipsch, WOW that little Klipsch sounded much better!
Regarding notifications: For me, anyway, the notification system is pointless except for replies to comments or questions. I very rarely click a video from the notification panel as it doesn't show the run time or the preview loop. (Or as of the update, the preview loop has been replaced by a full playback in a silent window.) I tend to scroll the main feed a few times, occasionally refreshing. 7/10 I watch vids from there. 2/10 I watch from the suggested list in the right sidebar or the post endscreen on the video itself. Then there's that 1/10 oddball time I go directly to a channel, skip right over the featured video to enter the "Videos" tab and hunt for one I want to watch.
I found this one in the main feed, no problems. Algorithm is doing its job.
Now, after all that yapping, I'll get to the speaker: My setup is my PC with the audio going through a Sony CMT-EX100 Mini-system. Not audiophile stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad either. The speakers are set fairly wide. But in the stereo demo of the Klipsch I could hear no separation. Maybe the most slight perception of a hint of left bias of the "Left" voice during the "Left right left right left right" test. But everything else seemed dead center. Your voice had a wider sound stage than the speaker. Until you said it was actually stereophonic, I was sure it was just a single monaural driver. A nice warm sounding one, but mono. This would be a great portable arrangement, but the fact that it is only mains powered, just defeats that.
Your TH-cam browsing habits are identical to mine.
Great review! For my record player which I bought at In Your Ear in Boston for $45 dollars in 2002 I have them hooked up and have been this way to my Tivoli Model 2 for the past 12 years.
I am really tempted by the Klipsch Fives for many of these reasons!
I'll wait for the Klipsch the One II rev. 3.
My main setup is a pair of Klipsch the Sixes which have a phono preamp integrated, optical input, Bluetooth and USB input. I have with it the Project Debut Carbon DC with red cartridge in Klipsch walnut edition to match the speakers. I am extremely pleased with the sound and quality and I also use the optical input with my TV and I don't feel any need for a proper home cinema. Sound is really feeling like 70's Klipsch style. Love this setup.
It looks like the speaker number 6 had in his room - from the 1960s UK TV series "The prisoner" (Patrick McGoohan).
I might buy this speaker at a discounted price but not more. The stereo separation is not very noticeable. The sound is like that of an old tube desktop radio, warm and fine but still limited in dynamic range. The Bluetooth music you played, all synthetic instruments, sounded almost exactly like the narrow band sound heard in my 1913 Victor Victrola. I think Klipsch did themselves a disservice in branding this with their logo. It clearly leaves me wanting more.
I have the sixes in my room and I use them for TV audio and music every single day and night and I absolutely love them. They are like mini RF-82 towers.
I was LUCKY enough to find one at my local Walmart (Florida) for 😬😲 15.00 in the Clearance shelf. I knew the brand but I think most people don't know who's Klipsch.🤨😆 They sound Amazing ❤️. I'm using it next to my bed so it sounds loud enough to me. Very happy with it.😁😆
Finally I can't afford this and I've been waiting for a good review. Most of the reviews here on TH-cam don't seem to have a detailed walk through thank-you techmoan
I used to have a Goodman's 'Sound Base' on top of a CRT cabinet and it would interfere with the picture so when I decided to get some shielded speakers I needed an amp of some kind. They're quite expensive on their own so I ended up dismantling the sound base and using its board for that purpose. I had to put the power supply in a different box but it's been going strong for over a year now!
The Kanto TUKs are the BEST. Absolutely love them.
"Nit-Picking on the Klipsch" sounds like a bizzare Scandinavian hip hop collective.
Techmoan on a Wednesday? A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one
Big fan of Klipsch. I've the RF82's for over 10 years. They're what every Techmoan video plays through 😁
"I bought the walnut wood coloured version"
Of course you did!
Nice looks and sounds well and well put together. I’d give it a go if I needed one.
Totally Klipsch of the heart...
My local walmarts clearanced these out a few months back for around $40. I got one and loved it until it quit working. That's right, It worked for about a month. Still working with klipsch to get it repaired/repaired. They might not do it though, since I got it so cheap.
I picked up a couple for $15 each at my local Walmart stores. Sometimes retailers will hit up the manufacturer for money to make up for the discounted price they had to move the inventory with. I wouldn't put it past Walmart to do that, and it may explain why Klipsch is reluctant to honor their warranty. Which would make me weary of purchasing their brand again.