Klipsch The Three Plus Bluetooth Speaker Review

Unboxing The Three Plus really surprised me, it looks better in person than in photos. The volume control knob is nice and smooth to use, but I don’t like the volume stepping, what you hear matches how you feel about turning the volume wheel, but there is a lot of lag. It’s odd. Anyway, moving to the back of the cabinet, we have USB-C, optical, RCA, phono, and of course wireless Bluetooth. Klipsch clearly designed The Three Plus for turntable use or just simply wireless listening.

I was reading through user reviews of The Three Plus on Klipsch’s website and one of them was titled “An accountant’s attempt at a tabletop speaker.” In it, they said, “The user experience leaves so much to be desired. Unfortunately, the app is mediocre at best. It’s slow and buggy and doesn’t work well.” I had very much the same experience, the app control is mediocre at best, I much preferred using it with Bluetooth and controlling everything directly from my phone. It felt delayed and slow most of the time. In this day and age, the app can make or break even the best sounding of audio gear. Klipsch is no exception.

While control wasn’t the best, the audio quality of The Three Plus was a relief with a space-filling sound that wasn’t overly bright or cold. Bass was there but for its size, it sounded as expected. The speaker is designed to fill a room with sound rather than just project it in one direction so you can really put it in a place where looks matter and the sound will fill in the gaps.

The Three Plus is gorgeous. I love the classic look; the volume wheel and the modern walnut finish are honestly one of the best-looking standalone speakers I’ve reviewed recently. You can tell it’s a speaker, but it looks like art, and no way it’s only $400. It’s got a very clean vintage feel while still being clean and modern on the eyes.

Listening Setup
BT Source – iPhone 13 Mini
Turntable – Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo

Sample Music
Blake Shelton – God’s Country
Valiant Hearts – Alaska
PVRIS – White Noise
Young Medicine – Living Fiction

The treble is focused forward while the mids and lows are pretty good from any direction. At louder volumes, the treble becomes sharper and more piercing, while the mids and bass get tighter and more pronounced. It has a rather unique but very Klipsch sound and it loves to play at louder volumes. That reminds me, a sub out would be a nice option to have, and even a matching wireless sub would be awesome, get on that Klipsch!

To sum up, app control is meh, while Bluetooth is really solid. If you’re looking for a good setup for a $300-700 turntable, this is a great choice if you’re a fan of Klipsch. The top power button and volume wheel are ok, but not the best as they have a fair amount of lag in feedback. Overall, I did enjoy the sound of The Three Plus and just controlling it from my phone was pleasant. I would wait for it to go on sale and then jump on it. It’s a pretty good standalone speaker, but not without its faults.