Klipsch The Sevens Review: Bigger Is Bolder

is bigger better? That question can lead you down an existential rabbit hole with almost any product, but when it comes to speakers, the answer has traditionally been a resounding “yes.” In general, larger speakers offer larger (or more) drivers and roomier enclosures to deliver more power, deeper bass, and a more expansive soundstage. Other things being equal, the bigger the speaker, the better the sound.

That seems to be the driving force behind Klipsch’s newest self-powered pair, The Sevens (as well as the even larger Nines). They follow Klipsch’s more compact all-in-one pair The Fives, using the same retro-modern design and strong fleet of connections, but on a larger physical scale. Like the Fives, the Sevens allow you to easily connect everything from your TV to your turntable without the need for an external amplifier or even a phono preamp. They’re just, well, big.

There’s more to the story than just size, of course. Not only do the Sevens fit more snugly than the Fives for small and medium sized rooms, they also add hundreds of dollars to the prices. And unlike competitors like KEF’s LSX II (9/10, WIRED Recommends) and SVS’s Prime Wireless Pro, The Sevens stick with The Fives’ Bluetooth-only streaming and ditch Wi-Fi and Ethernet. That was a notable caveat at $800, but at $1,300 it’s downright a headache.

The Sevens are still great speakers, though, and what they lack in streaming versatility they make up for in sheer bombast. While I’m not going to say that The Sevens prove that going bigger is inherently better, they offer more cinematic spectacle than almost any smaller powered speaker I’ve tried. While they’re good for music, they’re even better for movies and games as they offer a mega splash of sound that’s a blast.

retro style

From an aesthetic point of view, the only thing more remarkable than the size of the Sevens is their beautiful design. Pulling them out of the box feels like stepping into the groovy ’70s in all the right ways. The walnut veneer version (there is also a matte black) with cream acoustic screens doesn’t match the warmer color scheme of my living room, and yet I never want to leave it. You are simply beautiful.

In smaller rooms, there’s no escaping the sheer size of The Sevens. It’s not that they’re overly large for speakers in general – even small floorstanding speakers easily put them to shame – they’re just big for this type of speaker. Without the screens, their 6.5-inch woofers and… tweeters emit some serious muscle-car vibes. My wife’s first reaction was blunt, “These things are ridiculous.” Even a WIRED speaker friend was surprised to discover that it was the smaller of Klipsch’s new power models, and exclaimed, “These are.” The Sevens?!”

But snapping the covers on adds just the right layer of elegance, and they’re undeniably beautiful, from their tactile silver controls to their matte paneling. They’ll also look less intimidating in larger rooms, especially if you have a large TV and console (preferably with a ’70s veneer to match).

Modern decor

In a foam panel inside the box you will find 4 meters of cable with metal wheels that lock the two speakers in stereo tandem. There is also an additional 2 meter extendable speaker cable, an HDMI cable for the TV connection, a small remote control with batteries and instructions. As with virtually all powered speakers, a single active speaker contains the electrical guts and inputs, while a passive one receives audio from its neighbor.