Klipsch The One II REVIEW - Compact bluetooth speaker with a built-in phono pre-amp
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- The Klipsch The One II is a mains-powered retro-styled (but in a good way) bluetooth speaker with a built in phono pre-amp. There are some limitations and issues but if you get it at the right price it might be just what you're looking for. So here's an EBAY USA AFFILATED LINK that points you in the appropriate direction: ebay.us/ffPs3n
Music played during the bluetooth demo was Sydney's Skyline by Alibis from the CZcams Audio Library and the record was by Richard Houghten bloomypetal.bandcamp.com
NO NOTIFICATION?
Yes it turns out after making this video that it probably wasn’t really worth making after all - speakers are just uninteresting things to demonstrate.
I considered not releasing this video, but instead I’ve dropped it mid-week WITHOUT A SUBSCRIBER NOTIFICATION. Why? Well if someone had received their usual notification and as a result clicked on the ‘latest Techmoan video’ they’d have probably felt a bit cheesed off when this is the video they got. However if I don’t put a notification on it then anyone who watches it has clicked on the video because they chose to, even after seeing the dull subject matter - and that decision is on them.
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Regularly asked question
Q) Why are there comments from days ago when this video has just gone live today?
A) Patrons / techmoan usually have early access to videos. I'll show the first version of a video on Patreon and often the feedback I get results in a video going through further revisions to improve it. e.g. Fix audio issues, clarify points, add extra footage or cut extraneous things out. The video that goes live on youtube is the final version. - Věda a technologie
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.
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.
Love all your videos, I love how thorough you make them ❤️😊
Two of my fave CZcamsrs 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!
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 ❤
Thanks for the honest review. TBH I wouldn't expect this from Klipsch. Bass distortion, limited volume output and wobbly controls... this really isn't good enough for £299 in the UK.
I didn't see this as any less quality than any other videos. Sometimes the results are the results.
I’ll consider this a Techmoan bonus video, and that’s always a win in my book.
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
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.
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 CZcams 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.
The protective film removal sequences in your videos always make me laugh!
Excited to see a mid week video! Great content as always!
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.
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
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. 👍🏻
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.
"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.
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
Well, I enjoyed it as much as all the other Techmoan vids!
Thank you so much for sharing all of your adventures. I've enjoyed so many of your entries and hope you keep going for for quite a long time. It may seem petty but I like that you don't use some exaggerated Madison avenue voices as do so many posters. Your presentations are superb and to the point. Cheers!
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 😜
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.
The sound stage demonstration was surprisingly useful and cleaver, thank you : )
Nicely done - thank you for posting this informative review of the Klipsch!
Great video even without subscribers notification. Keep on going Techmoan! Thumbs up!
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!!
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!
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.
Another top video from the main man …many thanks
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.
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?
Thanks for this . I needed a mid week pick me 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.
Ohhhhh. A mid week video! What a pleasant surprise. :)
OH MY GOODNESS - an early Techmoan video! Christmas came early!
“Ohhhh yeaaaah, take it off” but was fantastic. You’ve got a great voice for it Matt
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 found this vid in the main page instead of the subscription box
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
Loved the video thanks Matt.😎
I've had a think about getting this speaker after seeing rave American reviews so thanks for posting this. Very useful. Cheers
Love these occasional midweek surprise videos.
Love this channel. Although the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 3 is a bluetooth speaker (with ambient light) that was released a little while back I really think it would fit in here. I got it on a whim and it's now one of my most used devices. We have it in our bedroom and have gotten so used to the light that we keep it on all night. And it looks cool. I won''t get into details here but more than anything it sounds great!
Nice looks and sounds well and well put together. I’d give it a go if I needed one.
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
Thank you I was just about to get one you . That bass distortion
would have drove me crazy.
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 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.
Man, it has been a while since I last heard that "Take It Off" peel soundtrack. Always gives me a chuckle.
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.
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.
I was so happy when you peeled the protective film. I thought you had forgotten about that joke.
I had one of those Technics close-and-play turntables in the late 70's, although mine was a simpler model with fewer controls. It's one of those pieces of equipment that would be fun to still own now. The distortion levels on the One did remind me of the old tabletop radios I had in my room after The Beatles broke in the US.
Big fan of Klipsch. I've the RF82's for over 10 years. They're what every Techmoan video plays through 😁
I am really tempted by the Klipsch Fives for many of these reasons!
Thanks! Glad i stumbled across this one
Thanks for the explanation about why I didn't see this right away. I thought maybe CZcams unsubscribed me. Saw it in my recommended videos thankfully.
Finally I can't afford this and I've been waiting for a good review. Most of the reviews here on CZcams don't seem to have a detailed walk through thank-you techmoan
I picked it up for $120 on sale. Worth every penny. Sounds awesome
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.
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.
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.
Very nice and informative video. All though I am not in the market for a single speaker, as I got plenty of sound from my Hi-Fi. But nice to know this one exists.
Your videos are always quite informative for people that love both audio, and vintage equipment. I was wondering if you could compare this speaker with the huawei sound x, or the smaller one, the huawei sound. I do have the normal sound model, and it sounds quite good for the price, but i would love to see a comparison between these them. Take care and keep bringing us more videos, ill watch them all.
Techmoan in a Wednesday? Count me in
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!
This reminds me of going to my old dentist office and they had the lobby in this design.
The protective film removal. My favorite part of a new product :-)
Matt this video is fine, no need to apologize, this is good stuff.
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!
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.
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 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.
Well this was a nice surprise. Going to get this for my bedroom setup
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.”
This didn't show in my subscription list so was a nice surprise
Thank you for sharing!
Still the best content on CZcams
a bonus video! cool!
Perfect timing just sat on the sofa after a long day to find a new techmoan video 😊 thought the speaker looked great from a distance, bit disappointing up close though. Sounds nicer than the red ones to my ears.
You could use a DC cable extension and cover it in some nice retro style braiding I saw on AliExpress recently.
P.s you made me laugh out loud with the plastic film removal, again. And I love that stereo demo record! Have you put a copy of that anywhere up for download?
back to the older intro? I like it! ;)
Amazing.. looks and sounds nice for a nice price and it's not junk. Crazy.
perfect, looking right now for Bluetooth speakers
"It's definitely stereo". We'll have to take your word for it. This video is coming down as mono on CZcams. Yes, I did try some CZcams 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.
It sounds mono to me. Thanks for wonderful content, as usual!
Now this to the casual vinyl player could be a most useful piece of kit.
Matt haven't you learned by now that we don't care? I would happily watch you review the box the speaker came in.
The Kanto TUKs are the BEST. Absolutely love them.
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.
That's a beautiful speaker.
Cute little drawing of downtown Indianapolis on the bottom... didn't expect to see that!
Two techmoan vids in one week? Sweet!!!
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
I really need one of these. Bidding on one now. It'll help get my classic vinyl out and defo help with this depression. Thank you!
edit: It's amazing! It's is warm and full. I wish there were some adjustments. It is loud at a very low volume. What was striking is that the bluetooth sounds very clean. Impressive!