Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC

Feature-rich earbuds with a high price tag

£299 FROM Klipsch, klipsch.com FEATURES Noise cancelling, transparency, custom EQ, gesture support, IPX4

At £299, Klipsch’s noise-cancelling true wireless headphones are a pricey contender, costing £60 more than the AirPods Pro.

The chunky metal case and side hinge is reminiscent of a Zippo lighter. A silicone base gives it solid grip when placed down and, on the inside, a three-bar light shows the case’s charge.

A generous six pairs of tips means it’s easy to get a snug fit, with each earbud sitting flush in the ear canal. Passive noise cancelling is very good, but active noise cancellation reduces ambient sounds even further. It’s effective, but not AirPods Pro effective, and while transparency is good, it’s not stellar.

There are some neat tricks: gesture control (nod to accept calls, for instance), and Sidekicks, which turns on ANC when music starts, and switches to transparency when pausing, or taking a call. But there’s no audio autopausing when removing them.

The audio is well rounded with a slight emphasis on the low end. They can cope with all kinds of music, never distorting even when things get heavy. There’s plenty of detail and good stereo separation.

Battery life with ANC on was 4 hours 20 minutes, so a little less than the claimed 5 hours. That said, recharge time was just 44 minutes, despite no fast charging. Nick Odantzis

Both case and headphones indicate where to place them.