Only last month, we reviewed the Powerbeats Pro as the new AirPods killer, but even before Apple releases the Pro in this part of the world, the earphones are already facing another serious contender for the crown: the Klipsch T5 True Wireless earbuds. Klipsch, an all-American brand despite its German-sounding name, has a history that is almost as interesting as Apple’s. While Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched the Apple computer in a garage in Silicon Valley, Klipsch was founded by Paul W. Klipsch in a tin shed in Hope, Arkansas, in 1946 because he was trying to bring live music to his own living room. Are the Powerbeats Pro better than the Apple AirPods? Since then the Klipsch brand has been synonymous with respectable audio whether with speakers or headphones. I’ve owned several pairs of the latter and they’ve always given me a great experience. I can list Klipsch as one of my favourite audio brands for both sound and comfort. Needless to say, I was eager to try out the T5 True Wireless (meaning no wire connections) earbuds when I heard of their release. I loved the Powerbeats Pro headphones (read our review) and was excited to find out if Klipsch could unseat them. So which is the true AirPods-killer? Read on to find out. We review Canon’s heavyweight lens Packaging The Powerbeats Pro’s charging case was always going to be its Achilles' heel. Huge and unwieldy, it did not offer good portability at all. On a recent flight, the case flew out of my hand and dropped on the floor of the plane, catapulting the two earphones out, one out of sight. I spent an anxious three hours hoping that someone would find it (luckily someone did!). The Powerbeats Pro’s charging case was always going to be its Achilles' heel. Huge and unwieldy, it did not make for good portability at all I highly doubt I would have the same problem with the T5. The words that most people have used to describe it are “Zippo lighter” and it’s easy to see why. It is shaped almost like one, from the matt metallic finish to its shape and how it flips open on the side instead of front to back. But the side flip can be a bit fiddly when you’re trying to remove the right earbud. The thickness, however, is almost that of two Zippo lighters. It’s still small enough to fit comfortably into pockets, although it carries some heft due to the metal case. The size and the matt finish allows for a firmer grip than the Powerbeats Pro. Winner: Klipsch T5 Connectivity This is where it falls apart for the T5, especially for iPhone users. Where the Powerbeats Pro headphones could connect seamlessly with the phone the second you take them out of the case – and even show you battery levels on the phone – connecting the T5 earbuds was an extremely frustrating exercise. Two pages of simplistic diagrams on the manual without explanations are of little help. The first day I took the earphones out, they connected correctly immediately. Two days later, however, I was suddenly only getting sound on one earbud at any one time. Did Denim Unspun get us some great custom-fit jeans? No help was forthcoming from the manual and very little else could be found online except for a troubleshooting tip on Klipsch’s own website that was so incomplete it was laughable. After spending my whole Sunday afternoon trying to reset and reconnect both earbuds, who were obviously having a lovers’ tiff, I was tempted to take a real Zippo to them. Feeling like an idiot, I had to admit defeat and contact the distributors who finally provided me with a complete list of written instructions. Even then it took another 10 attempts or so before the connection miraculously worked. I spent my whole Sunday afternoon trying to reset and reconnect both Klipsch earbuds, who were obviously having a lovers’ tiff … Note to Klipsch: setting up a Bluetooth connection should not be this hard It turns out that you have to take only one earbud out first to make it the master because even though your Bluetooth detects both earbuds, you can’t connect both or you will only get sound out of one ear. Complicated? Yes. Note to Klipsch: setting up a Bluetooth connection should not be this hard. Even after making both sides talk to each other, connectivity was not as stable as the Powerbeats Pro. Connection drops intermittently outside Times Square, which I assume happens in areas where large electrical grids are. But even sitting at my desk, with no disturbance, the left earbud stopped connecting a couple of times in the hour I was using them. The T5s are not as intuitive as Apple’s headphones which can detect when you remove the earphones and stop playing music automatically; you basically have to lose the connection if you want music to stop on its own on the T5s. Winner: Powerbeats Pro Form and comfort I loved the over-ear hook of the Powerbeats Pro headphones because it made me feel less worried about dropping them while on a flight if I fell asleep, although now I guess I have to worry about dropping the whole case and having them fly to hidden corners of the plane! But the hook was also great for wearers who are into rigorous sports as they are ultimately quite difficult to dislodge once you have them on. The T5, however, comprises only two small buds stuck into the ear canal. I got used to the over-ear hook of the Powerbeats Pro quite quickly and barely noticed them at all, but the T5 is so comfortable all round that I failed to notice I was wearing any earphones at all In the past, this has not been my preferred form because they often end up falling out if I move my head too hard no matter what sized tips I use. But one of the things that have distinguished Klipsch’s in-ear headphones from other brands is that their patented tips are actually oval (instead of round), which actually fits better with our ear canals because, guess what, the latter are also oval-shaped. We review the new 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 My T5 earbuds fit so well, in fact, that even with really vigorous headshaking, they remain firmly in place. I got used to the over-ear hook of the Powerbeats Pro quite quickly and barely noticed them at all, but the T5 earbuds are so comfortable all round that I failed to notice I was wearing any earphones at all. Confession: I still fear dropping and losing an earbud because of its size though. Both sets have excellent button controls although with the T5, it’s sometimes annoying that pressing the buttons actually drives the earbud further into your ear canal. Ouch. Like the Powerbeats Pro headphones, the T5 earbuds also categorised IPX4 which means they are sweat and water resistant (not waterproof). Winner: Draw Sound quality The Powerbeats Pro headphones already offer a good audio upgrade to the original AirPods and I was quite happy with mine – until I put on the T5 earbuds. The wider range is immediate and mid-range sounds are where they truly shine. Both vocals and acoustics are lush and offer richer, warmer tones. There’s also a better balance between bass and treble even when you push the volume to eardrum-splitting levels. The Powerbeats Pro headphones immediately sound just a tiny bit more tinny and shrill when it comes to female vocals. It’s nothing off-putting and still a really decent sound, just not as good as the T5 earbuds. The Powerbeats Pro immediately sounds just a tiny bit more tinny and shrill when it comes to female vocals. It’s nothing off-putting and still a really decent sound, just not as good as the T5 My only complaint with the T5 in the sound department is that the volume on the phone calls are discernibly softer although still clear once you push the volume up. Neither pair are noise cancelling but the T5’s oval fit does a better job of shutting out outside noise making the music experience more immersive. Klipsch says it will be releasing an app for the earphones that will include an equaliser. It waits to be seen if that will kick the sound up another notch. Of course, there are other brands with better sound such as the more expensive Sennheiser, but for its price point, the T5 True Wireless is a clear winner for audio experience. Winner: Klipsch T5 Is BMW’s X7 – its new US$100,000-plus SUV – worth buying? Battery life and charging The Powerbeats Pro was mighty impressive with its 24-hour combined battery life on full charge, with nine hours of play out of the case and quick in-case charge options in case of emergencies. The T5 goes eight hours better with a combined 32 hours: 24 in the case and another eight for the earbuds. It’s not possible to check on quick charge options as the battery levels don’t show on the mobile phone; maybe the coming app might shine some light on this. But with a USB C cable, charging should be pretty fast. I don’t know if the extra hour of play the Powerbeats Pro offers is enough to eclipse the extra eight hours offered by the T5 as it is highly unlikely many people will be using the headphones that long without rest. Interesting note: if you can’t get your left and right earbud to connect on the T5 and can bear to use them one at a time, you can even get an extra eight hours of play time! Winner: Klipsch T5 Conclusion At US$50 less than the Powerbeats Pro headphones, the US$199 Klipsch T5 True Wireless earbuds offer a lot more pros than cons. With the aesthetics of the packing and battery life, comfortable fit and great sound, the T5 is the clear winner in this competition. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter