Klipsch announced the new T5 II True Wireless with 2 different variants – Regular and Sport . And for the Sport variant, Klipsch collaborated with McLaren to create a McLaren version of the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport. The T5 II True Wireless Sport McLaren Edition retails for S$399. But if you do not fancy it, the regular sport edition retails for S$349.
As the both are almost identical except for their unboxing and design, I will go through the McLaren version in this review.
Unboxing
The box has lots of stuff, and inside you will be greeted by the following items:
- Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport (McLaren Edition)
- Watertight wireless charging case
- Klipsch x McLaren Wireless charger
- Ear tips (6 sizes)
- Comply foam tips (1 pair)
- Ear wings (3 sizes)
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- USB-C to USB-A adapter
- User manual
- McLaren brand book
- McLaren engraved metal card
- Klipsch x McLaren stickers
Tech specs
| Driver | 5.0 mm Dynamic driver |
| Frequency Response | 10 – 19,000 Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours per full charge 24 hours in charging case |
| Weight | Earbuds: 5.3g each Charging case: ~82.5 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Supported Codecs | aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Water Resistance | IP67 |
Design, build quality and features
The case you get on the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport isn’t the usual brushed metal case. The best way to describe is that it is like a waterproof housing case for a GoPro, but only for your new T5 II True Wireless Sport. And because of this design intent, the case is chunky and thick, but it is all in good cause. The McLaren edition features the McLaren inspired colorway of its striking orange.
The charging case is even rated IP67. Even if you accidentally drop the case into water (not deeper than 1 metre), the case will not have water damage. Another interesting feature about the charging case is that there is silica gel inside. So when you put the earbuds back into the case, the silica gel will absorb any residual moisture. Opening the case requires unlatching the handle and when you close it, you can feel that satisfying lock and seal. The case also comes with a carrying strap.
As for the earbuds, they are completely redesigned. They are now much smaller (Klipsch says 25%) than its predecessor which is meant to improve the fit (I will get into that later). The ‘Klipsch’ branding no longer covers the full surface of the earbuds anymore. On the McLaren edition, the left earbud will show the regular ‘Klipsch’ font, while the right earbud will show the McLaren logo.
The earbuds rocks a very unique McLaren inspired colorway like its case. The earbuds is mainly made from plastic but the build quality is well done. The T5 II True Wireless Sport now comes with an IP67 water resistance rating so if you ever get caught in the rain it shouldn’t be a problem.
Controls
The T5 II True Wireless Sport employs physical buttons for their controls. I like the buttons – they are tactile and responsive. Pressing the buttons does not cause any discomfort in my ears at all, possibly due to the the use of oval-shaped ear tips as well.
App – Klipsch Connect
There is an accompanying app called the Klipsch Connect to better your experience with the T5 II True Wireless Sport. It lets you update the firmware, set transparency mode strength, and adjust the equaliser. The adjustment of the EQ is not as precise and freeform as what you would get with the Jaybird Vista, but adjusting the 5 columns of frequencies can result in audible changes to sound profile.
Transparency mode
Transparency mode on the T5 II True Wireless Sport allows sounds from the outside environment in. The effect is quite natural and the microphone amplifies most of the environmental sounds like traffic and chatter more so than voices.
Battery life
Battery life is unchanged from its predecessor at 8 hours per full charge with an additional 24 hours from the charging case. This amount of battery life is should be sufficient to last a month’s use. There is no mention of fast charging capabilities. As the entire case is designed to be water resistant, the charging port is situated inside of the case.
The charging case is charged via USB-C and there is also support for wireless charging. The McLaren version will bundle an exclusive McLaren wireless charger that supports max output of 10W.
Fit
The fit of the T5 II True Wireless Sport is really much improved over the original T5 back in 2019. Although the T5 II earbuds are now smaller, they do not give you the snug kind of fit like what you will get with Sudio Fem or Harman Kardon FLY TWS. The ear tips still do most of the heavy lifting and fit as the nozzle have an extended design.
This time, Klipsch went the extra mile to make sure that everyone is able to get a perfect fit by supplying 6 different sizes of ear tips. You now have the option of choosing a half size. I found the large ear tip to fit me the best. I am able to achieve a very good seal with the T5 II True Wireless. The oval tip ear tips does a great job at keeping the earbuds secure in my ears, and is comfortable for long hours of listening. The T5 II also feels lightweight while wearing them.
As this is the Sport variant, Klipsch also threw in a pair of Comply foam ear tips for better comfort and seal. Also, they provided 3 sizes of ear wings to increase the security of the fit. The ear wings does a good job in keeping the earbuds in my ears and the rubber is soft so it does cause much discomfort. However, the ear wings does not fit onto the earbuds securely like the JBL Reflect Flow for example. You put the ear wings over the earbuds surface, but as the surface of the T5 II True Wireless Sport is not anti-slip, the ear wings can come off quite easily.
Sound quality
Midrange continues to be the focus, and the Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport earbuds sounds better than its predecessor. The mids on the T5 II True Wireless seems to be slightly more forward vs its predecessor. Vocals will take the center stage and it sounds clean and full. The level of detail and clarity in the midrange is really good as well.
The first generation T5 had warm subdued treble. In the new T5 II True Wireless, Klipsch seem to have bumped up the treble a little more bringing more sparkle on higher notes. Bass on the T5 II True Wireless Sport is tight, impactful and controlled to not let it creep into the mids. It has enough presence for support but do not expect boomy sub-bass.
Soundstage on the T5 II True Wireless Sport is pretty wide and track separation is also quite good. But I did find the Harman Kardon FLY TWS to be slightly better in track separation. Overall, the T5 II True Wireless Sport has a well-balanced audio signature that is tuned to sound a little warmer for a comfortable audio experience.
Microphone quality
Microphone on the T5 II True Wireless Sport is quite good at picking up my voice. I tested it with a loud TV playing the background, the T5 II picks up both my voice and the TV but my voice was much more prominent and forward in the recording.
Pairing, connectivity, and latency
Klipsch made improvements to the connectivity of the T5 II True Wireless Sport by adding a signal boost antenna. Pairing is super fast and easy to setup. And the connection was strong and I did not experience any dropouts when testing it.
If you want to use just one earbud, you can use either side. The earbud will only be able to play/pause and perform call controls. If you want use both sides again, simply pop the other one in your ear and both sides will connect and sync.
There is no lag or latency when watching videos on YouTube using the app on my iPhone 11.
Conclusion
The T5 II True Wireless Sport brings about many key improvements and versatility compared to its predecessor. It has got better fit, improved connectivity, nicer sound quality. And the charging case is one of a kind – rated at IP67 with silica gels to absorb residual moisture. The Sport variant retails for S$349, but if you want that exclusive McLaren design, you can top up S$50 more and also get a bundled 10W wireless charger.
At S$399 though, it would have been nice to see ANC as a feature as well. But Klipsch has plans to launch a ANC version of the T5 II in the future, and I believe the T5 II True Wireless Sport was really designed for the active enthusiast in mind. If you’re someone who regularly put your earbuds through intense perspiration and wet conditions, the T5 II True Wireless Sport should definitely be something for you to consider. You can purchase them via TC Acoustic.