In this review, we will be comparing Sonos Five and The Fives, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Sonos and Klipsch. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonos Five and Klipsch The Fives first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonos Five and Klipsch The Fives compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Sonos Five and The Fives are 2-way speakers. Sonos Five features a 3 x 0.8" Dome Tweeter and 3 x 2.75" Cone Woofer . On the other hand, the The Fives features a 1" Titanium Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Fiber-composite Woofer .
Frequency Response
Sonos Five has a frequency range of whereas The Fives has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Sonos Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the The Fives's min frequency of 50Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Sonos Five has a front firing port whereas The Fives has a rear firing ports. Sonos Five's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Klipsch The Fives with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sonos Five's and Klipsch The Fives's external dimensions. Sonos Five has external dimensions of 201.6 x 363.5 x 174.6mm ( 7.9375 x 14.3125 x 6.875inch) whereas Klipsch The Fives has external dimensions of 314.3 x 165.1 x 282.6mm ( 12.375 x 6.5 x 11.125inch) .
Sonos Five is 112.7mm shorter and 108mm less deeper than Klipsch The Fives but it is also 198.4mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Sonos Five is approximately 634.7cm2 / 98.4inch2 and base area of the Klipsch The Fives is approximately 466.6cm2 / 72.3inch2. The Sonos Five requires 36% more surface area than the The Fives which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Sonos Five weighs 6.40kg / 14.1lbs and the Klipsch The Fives weighs 4.85kg / 10.7lbs. This makes the Sonos Five 32% heavier than the The Fives.
Here is a comparison of how Sonos Five and The Fives's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonos Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonos Five:
Wireless audio speaker 6.5-feet AC power cord Quickstart Guide Important Safety Information
What's in the Box of Klipsch The Fives?
Here are the items that come with the The Fives:
Powered speaker (right) Passive speaker (left) 6-inch AC power cord 13-feet Proprietary speaker cable 58-inch HDMI cable 59-inch USB-A to USB-B cable Remote control 2 AAA batteries Instruction Booklet Need Help? card
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
201mm
vs
314mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Ethernet Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
High quality streaming over Ethernet |
| Woofer Size |
4.5 inches
vs
2.75 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Handheld Remote |
Yes
vs
No
|
Control the speaker by the included RC |
 Base Surface Area |
466cm2 (165x282mm)
vs
634cm2 (363x174mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
969USD
vs
1098USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Phono Input |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connect your turntable directly |
 Digital Input |
Optical, HDMI
vs
No
|
Connect digital inputs directly |
 HDMI Input |
ARC
vs
No
|
Connect HDMI sources directly |
| General |
Sonos Five |
Klipsch The Fives |
| Brand |
Sonos |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
|
50-25k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
n/a |
160-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
320-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
16-bit |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
44.1kHz |
192 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
2.75" |
4.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Fiber-composite |
| Tweeter Size |
3 x 0.8" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
201.6mm (7.9") |
314.3mm (12.4") |
| Width |
363.5mm (14.3") |
165.1mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
174.6mm (6.9") |
282.6mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
6.40kg (14.1lbs) |
4.85kg (10.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF with genuine wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black,Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm |
3.5mm |
| USB Port |
No |
USB-B |
| Phone Input |
No |
Yes |
| Subwoofer Output |
Optional Wireless |
mono-RCA |
| Digital Input |
No |
Optical, HDMI |
| HDMI Input |
No |
ARC |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
1 Year |
1 Year |
| Labor Warranty |
1 Year |
1 Year |