Audio Pro C5 MKII Speaker Review – A multiroom Sonos alternative with an attractive design

Speakers are not normally the best-looking pieces of technology in your home. This is fine by me, I value functionality over form, but every time I get a new speaker, I have to deal with my partners’ disapproval. She is not happy about my recent subwoofer purchase.

For people who like things to look nice and sound good, your choices become limited, and you often have to pay a premium for such a luxury. A good example of this is the excellent Airpulse P100X, which will set you back around £500.

However, Audio Pro have a range of speakers that look good, sound good and are a bit more wallet-friendly.

The Audio Pro C5 MKII is the latest speaker, it upgrades the critically acclaimed C5 with improved streaming services and multiroom support.

Buy from Audio Pro

Specification

• Amplifier: Digital Class D – 2 x 8 W + 25 W
• Tweeter: 2 x 0.75″ textile dome
• Woofer: 1 x 4″
• Frequency range: 50-20000 Hz
• Frequency crossover: 3800 Hz
• Connectivity:
  • WiFi 2.4GHz & 5GHz
  • RCA in
  • Bluetooth
• Works with:
  • Spotify
  • Tidal
• Supports: MP3, Apple Lossless, WMA, AAC, FLAC
• Multiroom: Audio Pro, Airplay2, Google Cast
• Dimensions: 250x130x150mm
• Weight: 2.5 kg

C5 vs C5 MKII

The new C5 MKII is basically the same speaker as the original C5, but it now has extended smart features all relating to streaming and multi-room support.

For multiroom, you now have the addition of Airplay2 and Google Cast.

You also have Spotify Connect and Bluetooth wireless streaming. This gives the Audio Pro some of the best streaming options I have seen. You have Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music, TuneIn Radio and more.

Set Up & Connectivity

Set up is relatively straightforward, like most smart home devices nowadays. You connect to the open WiFi network, pass over the details, and it should connect.

Unlike a lot of smart devices, this actually works with 5GHz, so you should have fewer issues connecting to the speaker, and bandwidth shouldn’t be a problem.

In Use

Unlike my Sonos, this uses Spotify connect rather than controlling Spotify directly. I think I prefer this as I am used to where everything is within Spotify, it always seems to take me ages to find things with the Sonos app.

Other streaming services, such as Amazon Music, can be controlled directly from the app. The app itself is easy to use, but much like Sonos, I prefer to control my music from the original app, such as Spotify.

This will also work with Google Home. However, unlike the C5A, there is no voice control on the speaker, so no Alexa or Google Assistant.

On the speaker itself, you can map a playlist to one of the six preset buttons. This is a handy feature as it allows my partner and I to easily switch between our preferred styles of music when one of us is in the Kitchen. She isn’t terribly fond of having screamy hardcore punk blast out when she presses play on the Sonos Beam.

The sound quality is good. Unfortunately, I don’t have a like-for-like product to compare it against in the house at the moment, but it sounds better than the cheaper Edifier MS50A and the MP230 retro Bluetooth portable speaker. From recollection, I’d say the Airpulse P100X was a better speaker, but not enough to justify the price difference, and that’s Bluetooth/Aux only.

It doesn’t quite have the power of my Sonos Beam, but that’s a product that costs 50% more.

The Sonos One is the closest in performance, which is quite a bit cheaper but much much uglier. I’d give the edge to the Audio Pro C5 MKII, but I’d say you are getting more bang for your buck with the Sonos One.

Ignoring the other speakers, the audio quality is good, and you have a clear and balanced sound. I found it good at producing detail in a lot of tracks.

It is not a huge speaker, so don’t expect exceptional bass, but it is good for its size. You can tune the speaker to your tastes within the app, dialling up or down both the treble and bass. My kitchen is quite large, and I think this is a bit better suited in smaller rooms allowing the bass to come out without you having to crank up the volume too much. This would be a perfect addition to a stylish home office (I have less stylish and gigantic Edifier S3000 Pro speakers).

Price and Alternative Options

Audio Pro have an impressively large range of options to choose from, and this could arguably be a selling point. If you want a whole home audio set up with multiroom audio capabilities, there is a good chance they have something to suit your needs. The one exception is a lack of a soundbar, but they do have floor-standing speakers and subwoofers.

The Audio Pro C5 MKII has an RRP of £300, and the larger C10 MKII has an RRP of £450.

Buy from Audio Pro

The older C5 is £250, but that lacks the additional streaming and multi-room features.

I think the biggest issue is that the C10 MKII appears to be available from retailers for as low as £330, just 10% more than this. It is not quite as attractive, bordering on the stereotypical speaker design, but it should be a much more competent speaker if you can accommodate its larger size.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII Wireless Music System, with AirPlay...	No ratings yet	£329.00	Buy on Amazon
	Audio Pro Addon C5 Multiroom Speaker - Black	No ratings yet		Buy on Amazon

On the flip side of this, you have the T3+ at £200, the A15 at £350 or the C3 at £300. All of which feature a battery for improved portability. Out of those, I’d pick the A15 as it is IPX2 (splashproof) for outdoor use and also has all the streaming features, including Spotify.

For competing brands, the range of multi-room streaming speakers is ever-expanding. Sonos is the elephant in the room, with the Move, One, Five, Beam and Ray all being viable alternatives depending on your requirements and budget. I love Sonos, but they are all ugly and, therefore, not really a like-for-like product, in my opinion.

Overall

Overall, I think the Audio Pro C5 MKII is an excellent speaker. It looks great and sounds good. I think the pricing is OK, but based on current retail availability, I think the C10 MKII overshadows it, costing 10% more and a much more powerful speaker.

For me, the main selling point would be the Audio Pro ecosystem as a whole. The app works well with a huge range of streaming services support. They have a huge range of speakers that dwarves the product range from the likes of Sonos. It is just a soundbar they are missing, but I’d take a floor-standing speaker over a soundbar any day of the week.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API