Klipsch The One with Google Voice Assistant Tabletop Wireless Stereo in Walnut | Bluetooth-Enabled, Multi-Room Ready, and fits Almost Anywhere

A couple of clarifications before the actual review:The speaker is actually “The Three”, not “The One” that is in the title of Amazon description.The picture is wrong too. The legs on this unit are wooden and span the depth of the bottom of the speaker. Those aluminum looking pucks in the picture would have ruined the aesthetics of the speaker. Thankfully, they are not on the real speaker.Set Up: Super easy. Uses the Google Home app and is added to your house, just like any other Google-branded speaker. On first connection, you will be alerted to an update that lasts about 4 minutes. After that, the speaker is ready to use. This speaker can be added to groups that include other Google speakers. This is different than the Sonos speaker, which can be added to your home, but CANNOT be added to groups that include non-Sonos speakers. So, this speaker plays well with others.This speaker does NOT use any Klipsch branded apps. You cannot use Klipsch Stream or Klipsch Connect. Because you can’t use those, you cannot adjust speaker settings, like treble, bass, etc. The Google Home app does not provide those settings either. At first, I thought this was a showstopper, but read on.The sound quality is incredibly good for a smart speaker. Way better than Google’s Nest Audio speaker. It has a depth of realism that is obvious when compared to Google’s speaker.There are no physical inputs on this speaker. The only connectivity options are Bluetooth and Google Chromecast.Aesthetics: This is one amazing looking speaker. The Mid-Century modern design is stunning. It uses real wood and the metallic band on the top of the speaker looks rich and durable. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 17. My guests immediately notice it in my rooms. It’s well built, and the grill cloth is a perfect shade of grey. (I’m reviewing the walnut version, not the black version).I bought one speaker, and a day later, I bought another because I was so impressed. If you are looking for a real knockout of a speaker, consider this one.Final note: I kept these speakers plugged in for a week to make sure that they did not emit any unintentional sounds as others have noted in their reviews. My speakers did not have those issues. I’m wondering if the “beeps” that are being described are the sound that Google makes when it first accepts a query. “Hey Google, [BEEP]…what’s the weather forecast”. Sometimes my other speakers do that because they think they heard the “Hey Google” prompt. Annoying for sure, but happens rarely. This speaker has not demonstrated the phantom beep issue in my daily use.I don’t work for Klipsch, and wasn’t compensated in any way for this review.

One important thing to get out of the way: the unit I received is actually the much larger "The Three with Google Voice Assistant," not "The One." I suppose your mileage may vary, but at least one other reviewer also received The Three. I was happy about this - it's a higher-quality speaker - but it's much larger, so make sure The Three will fit wherever you want it.Ok, onto the review.If this was based purely on looks and sound, this would be a five-star review. It's a beautiful speaker with wood paneling, a classy grey cloth grille and nice, metal control knobs. It just exudes mid-century American charm. It also sounds every bit as good as it looks, as rich and full as you'd expect from a Klipsch stereo. If you're planning on using this stereo solely via Bluetooth, then rock on.However, if like me, you want to buy it with the hopes of integrating it with a bunch of other Google Home speakers, then buyer beware.Setup is straightforward enough - just follow the instructions in the Google Home app, which requires using a separate "Device Utility" app to set up the speaker. No problem - just tap OK, swipe right a few times and voila, working speaker. That's where the issues begin.Streaming via Chromecast/Google Home never worked the way I wanted it to. It didn't group nicely with other speakers - it would appear as part of a group, but not actually start playing when that group was ordered to start. Try having it join another speaker already playing, and it wouldn't work, or would somehow jam the other speaker up, which would stop playing. It regularly crackled and popped when streaming via Google/Chromecast/Spotify - something that didn't happen when using Bluetooth.In contrast, my Google Nest Audio speakers work without a problem. They group without issue, play without pops and are easy to use (no, they do not sound anywhere near as good as the Klipsch).A closer look at the Klipsch firmware shows that it is several generations behind what the Google-made speakers are now running. There doesn't appear to be an easy way to update the speaker - or really, anyway at all. The software is simply outdated, the speaker is no longer supported by Klipsch and trying to make it all work wasn't ultimately worth the aggravation. We returned it because the inability to integrate it into our Google Home speaker system was a dealbreaker.In conclusion: stunning looks, beautiful sound. If you want to use it just via Bluetooth, enjoy! If you want to use it as part of a Google Home speaker system, it's not worth the aggravation. Try two Nest Audio speakers paired in stereo instead - doesn't sound as good, but it's not bad and works flawlessly.

This is perfect for the room I have it in - google assistant tends to respond well and the music clarity is top notch.The flaw lies in it's volume adaptation. It is CONSTANTLY trying to adapt the volume to the ambient noise of the room. You can hear it do it's sound check and next thing you know it's either a lot quieter or a lot louder. I've left the house with it set to 30% volume, only to come back 5 hrs later and it would be at 5%. Even when it's not playing, it's still adjusting volume. Typically 30% is what I use as a default, without streaming anything overnight, I'd wake up to the volume level up over 50%. It's frustrating to say the least. The auto adjustments are totally random, up-down, you just never know. Other than that, I love it and I would consider another with google assistant integrated.

Speaker looks and sounds fantastic. The look reminds me of a speaker from an earlier time. Maybe the 40's or 50's, I love it. As soon as you plug it in Google assistant comes on to help walk you through the set up with your device. Super fast and easy. Speaker is compatible with at least five or six music and pod cast platforms, maybe more. I used to have the little Google puck to access my Google assistant and music, this is so much better. Sound is good for a small Speaker. I've in a small condo and it's perfect for my living room. Super satisfied.