In the 17 years or so I’ve been evaluating audio gear, I have never gone hands-on with a Klipsch speaker. Which is odd, considering the American audio brand has been producing speakers for going on eight decades: it’s a popular choice. Mind you, my focus is much more on active, wireless and portable speakers than non-amplified speakers. That narrows things down a bit. However, my Klipsch dry spell finally ended this year when I was offered the opportunity to try out the Three Plus, the company’s tabletop Bluetooth stereo system.
Unboxing and Setup
The Three Plus is on the large size for a wireless speaker, measuring nearly 14-inches across and weighing 10.58 pounds. It’s substantial, but still small enough to sit on a bookshelf or end table.
Trust me, you’re going to want to have this speaker in a spot where you can see it. Klipsch designed it with a retro, mid-century modern vibe. That includes real wood veneer, wraparound cloth speaker grill and a chunky top-mounted, metal volume dial. My review unit really rocked the aesthetic with a walnut finish and off-white cloth. This is a looker of a speaker and if you’re tired of black plastic or ultra-modern systems with touch controls and LED light shows, the Three Plus is a retro throwback of a statement speaker.
Setup is a matter of plugging the speaker into power. There is no brick to worry about, just the detachable power cord. Wireless connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.2, there is a USB-C input (which can also be used to charge a device) and an optical input. So this system could be connected to your TV, PC, or game console. You can cycle through inputs manually using the button on top of the speaker, or by using the mobile app. In addition to the digital inputs, Klipsch included analog connectivity for those who would like to plug in a turntable.
Turntable-Friendly
Most portable and wireless speakers are equipped with a 3.5mm AUX input. If you own a turntable with its own pre-amplifier, you can plug into one of these speakers to listen to your vinyl–although there’s a good chance you’ll need to pick up a dual RCA to 3.5mm adapter cable.
Klipsch didn’t just design the Three Plus to look like a piece of mid-century modern audio gear, the company also went the extra mile to make this speaker as turntable-friendly as possible.
This went far beyond a simple 3.5mm AUX input. Look around back and beside the high tech connectivity options (optical and USB-C), you’ll find dual RCA inputs, a grounding terminal, and a switchable pre-amplifier. Having its own, onboard pre-amp means you can plug in virtually any turntable to the Three Plus to spin your records. Depending on the turntable, even if it does have its own pre-amp, you may find the Klipsch version delivers superior sound–all it takes to compare them is to flip the PHONO/Line switches on the turntable and the Three Plus.
With the warm, expansive sound this speaker puts out, it’s perfectly suited to the task of making a record collection sound its best. Despite the wide cabin and multiple drivers, this is still not the true stereo sound you’d get from a pair of speakers, but it’s a nice option as a compact system.
Klipsch the Three Plus Key Specs:
- 2 x 2.25-inch opposing full range drivers, 5.25-inch high excursion woofer
- 2.1 stereo system, bi-amplified with 120W total power output
- Frequency response 45Hz – 20kHz
- Bass reflex enclosure
- Bluetooth 5.3 with 8 device memory
- USB-C (powered), optical inputs
- RCA inputs with ground and switchable pre-amp for turntable connection
- Broadcast mode to wirelessly connect up to 10 speakers
- Klipsch Connect app includes three-band EQ
- Real wood veneer (walnut or matte black finish), cloth grill, top-mounted metal volume dial
- 13.98 x 8.38 x 7-inches, weighs 10.58 pounds
- MSRP is $399
Performance
Klipsch had its start as a speaker company and although its lineup has expanded somewhat over the decades, speakers are what it is really known for. So I was expecting some pretty sweet sound from the Three Plus. And I wasn’t disappointed. This system is powerful, drivers have enough space between them for more depth than a single speaker system can typically deliver and it has an absolute monster (for an all-in-one) 5.25-inch high excursion woofer that adds muscle to the low end.
The slightly warm overall tone made listening to the Doobie Brothers or Fleetwood Mac feel natural–especially when you look at the 70s retro vibe of the speaker. But the full-range drivers ensure there is high-frequency energy as well, and the Three Plus was just as at home pumping out Depeche Mode.
Everyone feels differently about prominent bass. Some crave it, some find it can be a bit much. The nice thing is that the Three Plus can certainly dish it out better than most, but if you’d like it dialled back a bit you can do just that using the Klipsch Connect mobile app’s EQ. Much as I appreciated the low end capabilities, I tended to run this speaker with the mid and treble boosted slightly for a crisper sound. There are also presets such as Rock and Vocal, and the app gives you control over volume, track control and inputs. It also connects to the speaker for firmware updates.
My only issue with the speaker is its volume. Not the ability to fill a room with sound–with 120W on tap, it has absolutely no problem doing that.
I listen to music while I work during the day and I found that at its lowest possible volume setting (on music source, app and volume dial), the Three Plus was still just a little too loud for playing background music while trying to focus on spreadsheets and editing technical documents. In a larger room than my office, that might not be an issue. Most people probably won’t care about minimum volume anyway, but if you do, this speaker is louder than most when it’s dialled down.
Recommendation
It’s not portable (although it’s small enough to pick up and carry to a new location to plug in), but if you’re in the market for a premium Bluetooth speaker, the Three Plus from Klipsch deserves to be on your radar.
This is a speaker that makes a big visual impression–especially if you have a taste for mid-century modern design, with wood, cloth and metal favored over plastic. However, it doesn’t just offer visual and tactile appeal; as befitting a Klipsch product it also sounds fantastic with a powerful amp driving a multi-driver array including a woofer whose size rivals those found in bookshelf speakers. If that bass is a little more than you want, an app-based EQ makes it easy to tweak the sound.
And if you have a turntable you’re jonesing to plug into a speaker, the Klipsch Three Plus is going to be tough to beat with it’s all-in support, including an integrated pre-amp plus all the modern digital inputs you might want.
Disclosure: Klipsch provided a Three Plus speaker for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review.
