dcisive

I have YET to get an answer from Klipsch support on what gives with the inability of the Fives to retain the settings without the assistance from the app once EQ settings have been loaded. That's how it SHOULD be bur they must have missed the code or programing for some reason. It just makes it such a hassle to simply fire up my Sony Bravia and have the HDMI/ARC open up the program and audio correctly properly equalized. Otherwise it's muffled in the midrange. I guess I'm even more surprised they found it too difficult to make it at least a 5 band EQ instead of a mere 3 bands. It works find however, just a pain to have to start my phone's bluetooth, then open the app and activate all the settings over and over again. Surely that is NOT what was intended.

After applying the new Fives updated Firmware, and loading the Updater, then uninstalling it per the directions, and then having uploaded the new "Klipsch Connect" app, I've noted that when I set the Equalizer and Subwoofer settings, then disconnect the bluetooth and end the Connect program, it is supposed to retain the EQ settings after you close down the programs. It does BUT if you turn the TV off, and then turn it on again the settings are GONE! You have to once again start the Bluetooth, Connect the "Klipsch Connect" program and while the EQ settings have remained they are not active, so I tap one of the 3 settings and it is restored once again. It simply doesn't activate unless you do this opening up of the app once again. I was under the impression that once it was set, inside of the Fives speakers the circuit would be set to your EQ settings and would NOT require you to consistently open up the Bluetooth, then the Connect app and go through these motions each and every time. That's a huge pain in the behind and doesn't make sense. It shold be retained by the circuitry in the speakers......no? Is mine having issues or does everyones work this way? Pretty sad if it is. Not convenient to say the least. At least once the EQ is set it does sound wonderful. In order however to remove the annoying muffled midrange and add air to the high end my Bass is literally all the way OFF. The Mids are set to -7 and the Highs are ALL the way up. It seems extreme but I've confirmed it's superb at this setting. Sadly it needed to be set so extremely to remedy the sound quality, but that's it. I've been an audiophile for over 50 years so I know it's right this way, just seems extreme. The "Flat" setting sounds like mud.

I decided to NOT give up. Of course, I did the factory reset and reloaded everything multiple times to no avail. It turns out the way in was to go and get a new USB Thumb Drive that was a 2.0 standard (slower like was recommended in the instructions) as well as only 16gb instead of the 128gb type 3.0 I tried it with before. it went flawlessly with NO drama. The sound is amazing with the tweaking I did. I have the bass slider all the way down. The mid's are -5 and the highs all the way up. The rest of the tonal adjustment was with my SW100 sub adjustments to taste. Now finally the mids are not cloudy but clear and natural. The highs now have air and are not overdone believe it or not, and the bottom is solid and defined as could be. I'm thrilled.

I'm a computer guy and have thrown in the towel trying to get the wonderful new Fives update for the EQ installed. The firmware upon inserting the USB Thumb drive lights up 2 lights blinking and NOT all of them as the instructions say will happen. But when use the "Updater" app after it did it's install download and installation process states that the speakers are updated. So moving onto the Klipsch Connect app it won't connect with the speakers to allow for the new EQ program to open up. I happen to KNOW that the Bluetooth of the speakers does in fact work because I can easily connect a app for music from my phone to the speakers without drama. I tried to re load the firmware, reset the bluetooth, reload the apps you name it. NO luck. The company is sending me a new pair under warranty but I can't believe it's not something strange and more simple to cure. Any ideas? Believe me I've re installed and uninstalled all I can to keep re trying to no avail.

Any adjustments regarding the bass end of things I make with my remote hitting the reduction for the sub a notch or worst case 2. That seems to tame things very nicely without effecting any other aspect of the sound character. As for the Exciter I did try it. At first I felt it offered a significant improvement. Until I evaluated it with a lot of music I knew to be exquisitely well mixed (I've been a recording engineer so have a clue about the sonic character a speaker should have). I then felt the Exciter added some harshness which I felt really grated on me. An exciter adds odd order harmonics to fool the ear into better definition. But it is at the price of a natural richness. When I hooked up the Belari EQ and made my quick adjustments and evaluated it with those well mixed musical pieces I'd been familiar with for years, it was like "ahhhhhhhhh" the purity and honesty was there but better definition and "air" was obviously apparent without any distortion or annoying artifacts the Exciter produced. So no doubt about it that DAC coupled with that EQ is making it happen. But indeed if the day comes this year (as so called promised by Klipsch) that they put out the software update giving us our EQ (it had better be 5 or more bands to work with) then the Five's will reach their pinnacle. Until then at least I get to hear them as they SHOULD sound, just not through the HDMI port as was originally intended. It makes my wife crazy as she can't seem to figure out that the audio isn't any longer available on the Sony remote and needs to hit the Phono input on the small Klipsch remote to get it happening. Perhaps the day is fast approaching I can get it back to normal for her.

Sure. They are good to around 50hz before a significant rolloff begins. One reason however I prefer to add the SW100 sub to the mix it I have it taking over before the Five's rolloff and it extends as low as ever needed.

If you look at Klipsch's tech explanation of how it works it is a sliding scale of volume that activates it much like a "loudness" control on older receivers and such. It is at decreasing volume levels it was intended to raise the lower end to allow for the decrease in our ears sensitivities to the lower frequencies. I would assume you've also downloaded and executed the latest firmware update for the Fives which is a fix for that control as well. If not do so. Firmware | Klipsch

I'd only hope he'd had a chance to hear the "Fives" as they are indeed the most remarkable small bookshelf speakers I've ever heard. Been an audiophile since the late 60's and worked for a number of high end audio dealers along the way. They continue to amaze me with their definition and imaging. Coupled with a SW100 sub and you're THERE!

I've now had several months with the Fives on my Sony Bravia 75" screen. In the end there is NO question that the mids need to be dropped to clear of the vocal range instead of that mushy muffled character they tend to have. Then at the higher end to recapture the "air" and best imaging the highs above 6k need the ability to boost to overcome the lack of clarity and openness of the higher frequencies. This was accomplished on my part by using the Shitt Modi DAC out of the Optical output of my Sony then RCA's from the Modi into the Bellari 5 band EQ, then RCA's into the Phono inputs with the switch over to LINE. When I turn on my TV it does power up the speakers but not to the Phono input. So I simply hit the Phono button on my remote and away I go. I have my 400hz dropped several DB no doubt. Then upped the 8k dial all the way. NOW I finally have a opened up high end and air without any exaggeration and that annoying muffled midrange is banished. I like so many now await that Software update promised for THIS year for the Fives which we all hope will provide enough bands and DB of adjustment to get the job done without these games we've needed to play. At this time without the DAC and EQ it's simply NOT tolerable to me. With the setup I currently have (which includes a SW-100) it is indeed a superb system both for full on explosive movies as well as Classic and Jazz music. After 50+ years as an audiophile it's either done right or sent packing.

Sure I'd love to. The 7500hz dial I have pretty much ALL the way up, the 2000hz dial is just a literal pinch to the right/positive hardly at all otherwise it can make a cone like character to the voice and you want to avoid that, so like I said just a pinch. Now the 400hz one is VERY critical and may well be THE most influential one to get rid of that annoying muffled chesty sound in the midrange that nearly every speaker on the planet is guilty of, especially in most rooms. I have my 400hz set to negative what would look a bit like say 10 o'clock if you will on the dial. I've found this is just about perfect. I leave the 60hz alone and straight up as I have the SW-100 sub and it's all handled there just fine. I'm confident you WILL see a significant cleaning up of your sound with these settings and the hardware like mine you've gotten. I remind all to make sure to use the Optical out of your TV and make sure your TV is set to PCM output. If you are using a subwoofer there is NO need to adjust the various software settings on the Fives bass it is handled once you plug the sub into the sub output of the speaker. On the RCA outputs of the Bellari go to the RCA Phono inputs and make sure the switch is selected to "LINE" of course. You're then good to go. I leave my DAC and Bellari EQ on all the time as it's so much easier. What do find is that when I switch on my TV while it does trigger the speakers power on, I have to select the Phono input as it still thinks it's the HDMI. Other than that's is so very worth the sound quality improvements I don't even mind the turning on process of the TV. Who knows, maybe we'll all luck out and when/if Klipsch finally released their software/eq update that it is good enough (at least 5 and better yet 7 bands) and we can go back to using the HDMI input once again as it was originally intended. I'm still hoping.

I got a response from a rep on my request for more information on when to expect the coming Equalizer Software Update that is planned for the Fives. He responded that he'd spoken to their engineering department and they said it should be included in the next Software update. While he used the term "Soon" he concluded that it will without question be within THIS year but can't specify the month and date of it's coming release. Guess we'll have to be patient. If it's not at the very lease 5 bands (I sure hope at least 7 or more) I'll be stuck sticking with my current DAC-EQ-RCA input arrangement I'm using now off the Optical output of my Sony Bravia. Also it's pretty important they cover that all too critical 400-500hz region which is the bug bear of the midrange stuffiness you get rid of by backing off a tad on. Also it would be ideal to be able to up the 2k, 6k and 10-12k range to finally open up up the upper ranges for more clarity and air. We shall see. Can't wait and sure hope the engineering department has read my pleas stated before to them.

Let me just say that while what you're saying about the Five's DAC process may well be true, all I can say for certain is the Shitt's DAC fed into the Bellari EQ then onto the Fives RCA input for the Phono with the switch set to Line makes a TON of difference making it true HiFi to me as the midrange is no longer stuffy but clear and distinct and the high end opens up a TONE giving air and imaging galore. I too heard from a rep a few months ago that the EQ Firmware update was expected in year 2021, so THIS year. But no date set such as say September or December who knows. Not only that but there was NO specifics given as to if it would allow for a Custom setting by the user, and also how many bands we would have to work with. It had better be a minimum of 5 but better yet 7 or 10. And it MUST (and I mean MUST) have control over the 400hz or 500hz region to clean up the midrange. Also be able to add that critical air at the 8k to 10k range if not even higher. We shall see. I'm totally prepared to be able to leave my system as it is with the mods mentioned as it's essentially perfect now so I'm not missing anything. Sure, if they do what I'm asking then I'll switch back to the HDMI method of actuation. But I'm not betting the farm they will do it that way.

I hear ya Fidelio. Patience never was my strong suit and I'm thinking they are in no hurry to release that EQ firmware update that was promised. Inexpensive DAC's however have some compromise issues in terms of the chips used for the processes and that's where I chose to not compromise. The Shitt brand is run by two former high end audiophile product engineers so they know their stuff. The cheap product out there will most certainly not deliver the higher levels of audio output of the Shitt and some others. As for the concept of a "bypass" understand that one is feeding the DAC from the Optical output of their flat screen which is quite high end pure. You are not feeding it the HDMI hence dealing with in speaker processing, which is a good thing. So the pure Optical output goes right into the DAC and is cleanly processed into a analog signal, then on to the Bellari EQ's RCA inputs. Then out the Bellari's RCA outputs into the back of the Fives "Phono" input but make sure you switch that flip switch at that input to the "Input" and not leave it on Phono. The only thing that's a bit of a hassle (but I'm over it) is when you fire up the TV, mine for example does sense the input and the power light on top by the volume lights up. But most often I find I need to hit the Phono button on the remote to get it to the right input. From there it's perfection. The SW-100 sub I have attached to the Sub output will sense the power within a minute and I'm off to the races. Not as perfect from the automation angle as when used from the HDMI, but it's not a big deal. Certainly WELL worth the sonic advantages. I could never go back to the HDMI un equalized sound quality that's for sure. Here's still to hopes and prayers Klipsch engineers are still hard at work developing that 5-7 band (or more) firmware update EQ. It will turn an excellent speaker system into a simply uncompromised outstanding sonic wonder! Which with my current add on setup it IS!

Yeah sorry bout that indeed it's the Modi. I almost bought the Loki EQ but opted instead for the Bellari as I'd read too much about the Bellari making a greater impact overall on the higher end and mids. I wouldn't go with a lessor DAC then the Modi for sure. It's only $100 and pays dividends in sonic quality without compromises. The Bellari, as I mentioned opened up the top end wonderfully well adding the clean air that was not present before. The imaging gains hugely from this alone. Backing off on if I recall the 400hz range on the Bellari gets rid of that annoying muddy midrange character and allows it to be nice and clear retaining it's true character. I'm still hoping (and praying) that the so called promised EQ that I was told by a Klipsch rep was in the works for their DSP Firmware update this year will actually happen. My perfect world would be at least 7 bands to be able to adjust (such as 60hz, 250hz, 500hz, 2000hz, 4000hz, 6000hz and 10,000hz. This way I could then just use the dedicated HDMI input (which I originally bought the Fives for) and no longer worry about the tonal adjustments, let alone it would be as pure as possible using the DSP. I can hope and pray I guess. We shall see. A 5 band would be the minimum in my opinion. Say 60hz 250hz, 500hz, 4000hz and 8000hz. Let's keep praying......

I'm using a Shitt Loki model DAC and it's wonderful. You actually do need to have a TV set to the PCM output for proper operation of the DAC. I also highly recommend either their EQ or the Bellari I'm using. It sure makes the vocal range clearer and the high end truly comes alive as well. The so called "Phantom Center Channel" I refer to is a pure result of the enhanced sound and imaging of the Fives I have through this setup mentioned. So much better then the previous 2 center channel systems I used. Netflix movies are freaking outstanding in their sonic qualities. Especially action movies.

The Fives themselves have a characteristic roll off that begins just below 60hz gradually dropping off quite rapidly below 50hz. Sure, they have some response down in the 40hz region (open E on a bass guitar) which imparts some pretty solid bass even without the sub. But WITH a sub like I'm using the SW-100, it has a variable filter which can, when the Fives are plugged into the Sub output, begin a roll off of the Fives as high as 120hz on down. I tend to have it set around 85hz which I find most pleasing as it clears up the mids a tiny bit but allows the sub to take the workload of the lower bass frequencies. There is a 3 way setting for the Fives on their own as you may know. Which allows for a "Flat" then a "Bass Boost" so to speak setting and then the 3rd which is a "Bass Cut" The Bass cut was one many asked for and Klipsch delivered to clean up the muffle in the midrange. Having been an old audiophlle/musician/golden ear for so many years even those settings weren't enough. I ended up getting a Shitt brand DAC and using the Optical output of my Sony Bravia 75" 4K screen feeds the DAC, then into a Bellari brand 4 band EQ and then into the RCA inputs of the Fives. This has literally transformed the sound output of the Fives and SW-100. I've had some very high end systems for audio in the past. I sold high end audio in the 80's and was a loudspeaker factory rep for a while as well, so I understand this transformation. Those Fives came alive beyond belief. I sometimes have to remind me they are little guys but come on like a full sized high end speaker. The tonality, dynamics and sweetness on music I'm very familiar with from the past has blown me away. Without the DAC/EQ combo it frustrated me as it sounded cloudy in the mids and the highs were slightly muted. now there is "Air" and Dimension beyond belief. These suckers image like I never thought I'd hear again. The "Phantom Center Channel" effect is simply astounding. Movies are a unreal experience, let alone the bottom end when there are crashes or explosions and there is NO distortion, just a "You Are There" experience. I highly recommend this DAC/EQ combo to all I'm communicated with on this forum. It turns the Fives into a VERY competitive high end audio experience to be sure. The total cost of that upgrade was only $200 and worth twice or more of that for what it brings to the table. Forget about the HDMI interface it ain't gonna happen with this. But it's NO big deal as when I fire up my TV it turns the speaker system on. Sometimes I have to hit the "Phono" input to get it on but that's NO penalty for the sound quality it delivers. Needless to say you flip the switch on the back of the Fives from Phono to "Input" as I recall to enact this process. I leave the sub on "auto" for sensing when the system is on. Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

Just to be clear however regarding what Klipsch may or may not provide regarding a App for EQ. I simply MUST (I repeat MUST) allow the app to alter the DSP inside the electronics of the speaker in such a manner as to set it to adjust your EQ setting and apply them to ALL (I repeat ALL) input signals. eg. from say the HDMI signal) otherwise it is useless. I currently have an EQ app on my Android phone that allows me to EQ any music that is on my phone. The EQ is NOT usable for anything BUT what is on the phone. I sure hope they know this and are doing as I say, allowing it to adjust the DSP in the speaker for ALL inputs. Otherwise my current DAC to EQ to RCA inputs of the Five's will remain a permanent fixture. I'm ok with it if it MUST be. But it would sure be a sad day if Klipsch doesn't do this RIGHT as I described above.

Most of the reviewers I've read all had their speakers like at least 12-15ft apart first of all. Then they were at least 6ft+ from the back walls on stands. In a hard room this would allow them to have sound more comparable to what the EQ provides. It seems any closer than 5ft or so minimum promotes that muddy bass/midrange issue. The EQ compensates beautifully for that. I personally believe that is the larges drawback to them is the ability to keep them far from the rear walls, which most of us can NOT do.

Yes that is the only drawback. But if one wants uncompromised sound, at this time, the ONLY way around it is to get a DAC unit and from there run a EQ via the RCA's as described in my previous post and then into the "LINE" input of the Fives. There's NO other way at this time. I gave up my HDMI as I simply could NOT put up with that sound quality given. Until Klipsch engineer's get off their duff and create that DSP EQ app that will allow us to adjust the frequency characteristics of it's output for ALL inputs going into it including the HDMI we're hosed. I simply could NOT wait. I was told it was going to happen this year 2021, but what if it doesn't? In the mean time I get to completely enjoy all these speakers can deliver. Sure it's a pain to fire up the TV with it's remote, then hit the Phono input on the Five's remote and go from there. A price to pay for perfection I'm sorry to say. Sure wish Klipsch was reading these posts and move this EQ along for the Fives.............they NEED it that's for sure

Yup Fred that is indeed about dead on for what the Five's need to truly come alive. I sent the Bellari Exciter back for their 4 band EQ. While it most certainly cleared up mid's to highs it wasn't quite the HiFi effect I was looking for. 50 years as a musician and Audiophile made me rather fussy. And my years as recording engineer only furthered my understanding of the placements of instruments in the frequency realm. Indeed that 400-500hz range is one of the MOST critical to have control over, and 98% of the time bumping it downward several db will eliminate that "chesty" or muddy midrange, one of my biggest bug bears. Upping the successive frequencies there on up, as you've done continues to progressively open up the upper mids and onto the clarity and character presented by the speakers with instruments such as piano, sax, woodwinds, strings etc. I need to hear that "air" or I'm never happy. the Bellari EQ centers it's frequency dials at 60hz( which I found leaving at center was perfect) then 400hz, which I dial it down about a notch or around 2db, 2000hz, which interestingly enough for character's sake was best set back about 2db as otherwise it gets a "coney" character that is annoying and doesn't portray the proper tonal character of the midrange. Finally the most important one was the 7.5k. I felt the best results in this one, unfortunately was all the way UP. I'm ok with that as the bottom line was results. That setup now allows me true HiFi results as I ran the test gamut of at least 6 songs that I was very familiar with from the late 60's to around the late 70's(when we actually had music by musicians). I also gave it a go with several songs from my own 2 indi albums I mixed and knew how it was supposed to sound. The Five's getting the TV's output from the Optical output, then put through the Shiit Modi and then into the Bellari EQ then on the to RCA inputs of the Klipsch Fives and run by the Five's remote of course using the Phono input choice from the remote (obviously the switch on the back of the Fives in the "Input" position) the results are consistently superb no need of further adjustments. So My recommendation to anyone that wants a HiFi result with their Fives is indeed the Shiit Modi 3 DAC coupled with the Rolls "Bellari EQ570. You will most certainly be rewarded with top flight audio quality. I also recommend adding the Klipsch SW100 to the mix for the extreme bottom end. The movie I watched off Netflix last night was better than being at a movie theater. The imaging eliminated the need of surround speakers let alone the amazing "Phantom Center Channel". The low end was so incredibly tight, undistorted and distinct. The midrange was clear as a bell and the highs were as if you were IN the movie. There you have it.

I've posted this in 2 other pertinent forums to make sure the word got out there. First let me say that I've been a musician and a audiophile (as well as recording engineer) for over 50 years. That said I recently picked up a pair of the "Fives" to replace an annoying top line soundbar which as we all know they simply are NOT "HiFi" by any means. I wanted to capture top quality sound off my 75" Sony Bravia but was told by many it could not be done. Well......after months of research and looking further into it I think the timing may also have aligned. The release of the Five's of course addressed those of us who wanted to utilize the HDMI from our big screens. However of course that would eliminate any possible additions of say an Equalizer to the equation due to there not being such items for that interface. Well the work around, while perhaps not quite as convenient, is still a very good work around indeed for those of us who want rather uncompromised sound quality. Before I dive in let me also say that for those snooty types who happen to think that equalization in line with the electronics is heresy (pun intended) I'm here to tell you that NO sources are identical let alone well executed mixes which becomes painfully apparent when using a pair of "Fives" let alone ANY loudspeaker in particular one that has superb definition and imaging in the first place. That said I added a Shiit Modi DAC (a very high quality DAC indeed with superb dynamic range, low noise floor and is very transparent) For a whopping $100 which I can't complain about. So the next step which was essential to coaxing the Five's into giving up what I truly believed were their capabilities of revealing wonderful "air" and detail as well as well as unclouded midrange (which they are very guilty of out of the box) was to try adding an equalizer or other device to allow them to come alive. Enter the Bellari Exciter SE560. I used Exciters in my recording studio for some individual and even mixdown applications to bring out detail that would enhance the overall end mix result. The Bellari of course comes in line after the Modi DAC. The out RCA to the Line/Phono inputs of the Five's. Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted you all to hear of this. I found the best settings on the Bellari was 1 O'Clock on the bass enhancement and about 2-3 O'Clock on the one other enhancement dial which is essentiall from mids through the upper range. The Bellari also functions as a preamp so I judiciously set it around 50-60% as you don't want to jam too much signal into the speaker's amps or distortion would result. So I went through a ton of song's I'm real familiar with as great mixes, my own mixes from 2 indi albums I produced, as well as watched a couple of movies with action and great sound tracks. What I heard was a superbly wide open airy high end where you could hear EVERYTHING that was there. From birds, water flowing and more in the movie tracks. Cymbals, the essence of guitar strings and piano sustain and more were astoundingly present......NOT overdone just THERE! The imaging was also greatly enhanced needless to say and space opened wide up. With my SW100 sub hooked up (which when plugged into the Five's nicely rolls off the bass to take over also further cleaning up the midrange by design) the sub had nice tight clean low end that transported you INTO the experience primarily of a sound track in a movie and even a live concert or two I listened to off Youtube. The main reason I did all this was because of the seriously annoying lack of definition in the vocal range of mid to upper mid and even the extreme high end which I refer to as "Air" was missing and just NOT happening. With the combo I described above it is now what I would consider to be a very worthy high end listening experience not missing a thing. If you really think your system is doing the job without this just go onto Youtube and find the recording of James Taylor/J.D. Souther doing "Her Town Too". Without the units I added it sounded like mud and even the cymbals from the drummer were darn subdued. Now it's like you are there in the 3rd row LIVE and their voices are as crisp as if they were 4 feet from you singing. So I wanted to share this end result so if any of you are annoyed with the lack of that "right there" type of experience of your speakers get the Modi and Bellari and use your Optical output to feed the Modi and go out RCA to the Five's and you'll have a very rewarding experience. I simply was NOT going to be waiting around suffering till Klipsch engineers come up with the so called promised EQ for the Five's. We shall see. This is a work around for NOW however I can attest to.

I posted this on the 2 Channel forum as well. First let me say that I've been a musician and a audiophile (as well as recording engineer) for over 50 years. That said I recently picked up a pair of the "Fives" to replace an annoying top line soundbar which as we all know they simply are NOT "HiFi" by any means. I wanted to capture top quality sound off my 75" Sony Bravia but was told by many it could not be done. Well......after months of research and looking further into it I think the timing may also have aligned. The release of the Five's of course addressed those of us who wanted to utilize the HDMI from our big screens. However of course that would eliminate any possible additions of say an Equalizer to the equation due to there not being such items for that interface. Well the work around, while perhaps not quite as convenient, is still a very good work around indeed for those of us who want rather uncompromised sound quality. Before I dive in let me also say that for those snooty types who happen to think that equalization in line with the electronics is heresy (pun intended) I'm here to tell you that NO sources are identical let alone well executed mixes which becomes painfully apparent when using a pair of "Fives" let alone ANY loudspeaker in particular one that has superb definition and imaging in the first place. That said I added a Shiit Modi DAC (a very high quality DAC indeed with superb dynamic range, low noise floor and is very transparent) For a whopping $100 which I can't complain about. So the next step which was essential to coaxing the Five's into giving up what I truly believed were their capabilities of revealing wonderful "air" and detail as well as well as unclouded midrange (which they are very guilty of out of the box) was to try adding an equalizer or other device to allow them to come alive. Enter the Bellari Exciter SE560. I used Exciters in my recording studio for some individual and even mixdown applications to bring out detail that would enhance the overall end mix result. The Bellari of course comes in line after the Modi DAC. The out RCA to the Line/Phono inputs of the Five's. Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted you all to hear of this. I found the best settings on the Bellari was 1 O'Clock on the bass enhancement and about 2-3 O'Clock on the one other enhancement dial which is essentiall from mids through the upper range. The Bellari also functions as a preamp so I judiciously set it around 50-60% as you don't want to jam too much signal into the speaker's amps or distortion would result. So I went through a ton of song's I'm real familiar with as great mixes, my own mixes from 2 indi albums I produced, as well as watched a couple of movies with action and great sound tracks. What I heard was a superbly wide open airy high end where you could hear EVERYTHING that was there. From birds, water flowing and more in the movie tracks. Cymbals, the essence of guitar strings and piano sustain and more were astoundingly present......NOT overdone just THERE! The imaging was also greatly enhanced needless to say and space opened wide up. With my SW100 sub hooked up (which when plugged into the Five's nicely rolls off the bass to take over also further cleaning up the midrange by design) the sub had nice tight clean low end that transported you INTO the experience primarily of a sound track in a movie and even a live concert or two I listened to off Youtube. The main reason I did all this was because of the seriously annoying lack of definition in the vocal range of mid to upper mid and even the extreme high end which I refer to as "Air" was missing and just NOT happening. With the combo I described above it is now what I would consider to be a very worthy high end listening experience not missing a thing. If you really think your system is doing the job without this just go onto Youtube and find the recording of James Taylor/J.D. Souther doing "Her Town Too". Without the units I added it sounded like mud and even the cymbals from the drummer were darn subdued. Now it's like you are there in the 3rd row LIVE and their voices are as crisp as if they were 4 feet from you singing. So I wanted to share this end result so if any of you are annoyed with the lack of that "right there" type of experience of your speakers get the Modi and Bellari and use your Optical output to feed the Modi and go out RCA to the Five's and you'll have a very rewarding experience. I simply was NOT going to be waiting around suffering till Klipsch engineers come up with the so called promised EQ for the Five's. We shall see. This is a work around for NOW however I can attest to.

First let me say that I've been a musician and a audiophile (as well as recording engineer) for over 50 years. That said I recently picked up a pair of the "Fives" to replace an annoying top line soundbar which as we all know they simply are NOT "HiFi" by any means. I wanted to capture top quality sound off my 75" Sony Bravia but was told by many it could not be done. Well......after months of research and looking further into it I think the timing may also have aligned. The release of the Five's of course addressed those of us who wanted to utilize the HDMI from our big screens. However of course that would eliminate any possible additions of say an Equalizer to the equation due to there not being such items for that interface. Well the work around, while perhaps not quite as convenient, is still a very good work around indeed for those of us who want rather uncompromised sound quality. Before I dive in let me also say that for those snooty types who happen to think that equalization in line with the electronics is heresy (pun intended) I'm here to tell you that NO sources are identical let alone well executed mixes which becomes painfully apparent when using a pair of "Fives" let alone ANY loudspeaker in particular one that has superb definition and imaging in the first place. That said I added a Shiit Modi DAC (a very high quality DAC indeed with superb dynamic range, low noise floor and is very transparent) For a whopping $100 which I can't complain about. So the next step which was essential to coaxing the Five's into giving up what I truly believed were their capabilities of revealing wonderful "air" and detail as well as well as unclouded midrange (which they are very guilty of out of the box) was to try adding an equalizer or other device to allow them to come alive. Enter the Bellari Exciter SE560. I used Exciters in my recording studio for some individual and even mixdown applications to bring out detail that would enhance the overall end mix result. The Bellari of course comes in line after the Modi DAC. The out RCA to the Line/Phono inputs of the Five's. Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted you all to hear of this. I found the best settings on the Bellari was 1 O'Clock on the bass enhancement and about 2-3 O'Clock on the one other enhancement dial which is essentiall from mids through the upper range. The Bellari also functions as a preamp so I judiciously set it around 50-60% as you don't want to jam too much signal into the speaker's amps or distortion would result. So I went through a ton of song's I'm real familiar with as great mixes, my own mixes from 2 indi albums I produced, as well as watched a couple of movies with action and great sound tracks. What I heard was a superbly wide open airy high end where you could hear EVERYTHING that was there. From birds, water flowing and more in the movie tracks. Cymbals, the essence of guitar strings and piano sustain and more were astoundingly present......NOT overdone just THERE! The imaging was also greatly enhanced needless to say and space opened wide up. With my SW100 sub hooked up (which when plugged into the Five's nicely rolls off the bass to take over also further cleaning up the midrange by design) the sub had nice tight clean low end that transported you INTO the experience primarily of a sound track in a movie and even a live concert or two I listened to off Youtube. The main reason I did all this was because of the seriously annoying lack of definition in the vocal range of mid to upper mid and even the extreme high end which I refer to as "Air" was missing and just NOT happening. With the combo I described above it is now what I would consider to be a very worthy high end listening experience not missing a thing. If you really think your system is doing the job without this just go onto Youtube and find the recording of James Taylor/J.D. Souther doing "Her Town Too". Without the units I added it sounded like mud and even the cymbals from the drummer were darn subdued. Now it's like you are there in the 3rd row LIVE and their voices are as crisp as if they were 4 feet from you singing. So I wanted to share this end result so if any of you are annoyed with the lack of that "right there" type of experience of your speakers get the Modi and Bellari and use your Optical output to feed the Modi and go out RCA to the Five's and you'll have a very rewarding experience. I simply was NOT going to be waiting around suffering till Klipsch engineers come up with the so called promised EQ for the Five's. We shall see. This is a work around for NOW however I can attest to.

I seriously doubt your tweeters are in any way defective. They simply aren't being given the source that exploits their output. I feel much the same way and KNOW they are not defective. I was able to confirm this and recommend you do the same. Download some music onto your smartphone that has good low's highs and mids. Then also download a music player program AND a EQ program. Get your Bluetooth hooked up to the speaker via your smartphone. Then fire up the song through the Music Player app/EQ program. Drop the 500hz range about 3 or so DB. Up on a gradual curve starting with 2-3DB at about 2k and gradually more each slider up to the 16k if it's offered. You will see the speakers come alive with detail, air and vocal splendor no more veiled mids. I'll be sure to post how my Exciter experience comes out Friday once I get the setup hooked up. I'm sure hoping this does the trick.

You are certainly NOT imagining things. I've had words with tech support over at Klipsch for much the same result. I've been a serious audiophile for over 50 years and am also an accomplished musician and former recording engineer. I KNOW sound, the frequencies associated with instruments and how they are often mixed. Sure, there are huge discrepancies between sources alone let alone musical recording mixes. BUT a competent loudspeaker needs to at least project a reasonable facsimile of the original. The "Fives" are without a doubt adjusted by DSP as a "dark" speaker. They, out of the box at this time, do NOT present an open midrange or upper region of the higher end. The areas that lack the most are in the 500hz region (and needs to be dropped at least 3db) to clear up that stuffed up midrange. The higher end (4k to 12k) needs to be upped at least that much to open up the sparkle and "air" at the high end. So we need to hope that Klipsch engineers are working on that supposed coming app that is going to be an EQ for the Fives. My suggestion would be at LEAST a 7 band to be sure and nothing less. Ideally covering the center frequencies of 60hz, 250hz, 500hz, 2k, 6k, 10k, 12k. Allow for +- at least 8db or more. So here's the rub. I confirmed all I've said by hooking up my smartphone with music on it via bluetooth. It also has a EQ app loaded. I adjusted the 500hz range downward about 3-5db. Slightly elevated 2k, more so 6k and even more so yet 10k. I played a dozen songs I was quite familiar with and holy smokes those speakers came completely alive. I heard detail that is pure high end to be sure. They sang.....literally. The vocals were in your face and tactile real. The highs were super present (not overdone) and had tons of air and dimension. So indeed these speakers NEED to be equalized in order to be proper. Friday I will be taking a bit of a different approach. I have a Shiit Modi DAC coming as well as a Bellari "Exciter". I had a recording studio at one time and used Exciters to add definition to the midrange and higher ends of recordings in a given mix. I am going to try that approach before I dive into the possibility of an equalizer. I am hooking up the DAC from the Optical output of my Sony Bravia flat screen and will be going out of the Exciter into the RCA Line inputs of the "Fives". I'll be sure to report back as to the results of this setup. I'm hoping (and praying) that this will bring these Fives to life. If it does I'll be spreading the word. I'm not a patient person and suspect that the eq being designed for the Klipsch App usage for the Fives is a number of months away if at all, let alone may not be extensive enough to truly get the job done. I wish they discuss it with me. LOL I'd get it done right and it would elevate these speakers to a whole other level.