Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V5 Loudspeakers

Hi-Fi+ Editor's Choice 2026 (Issue 253, March 2026).

High-end sound doesn't have to mean a large loudspeaker. The ClairAudient 1+1 V5 is Audience's personal reference monitor, bringing precise imaging, natural coherence and taut, articulate bass to a compact design. For a desk, a smaller listening room or a system where space matters, it deserves a serious listen.

At its heart is a different approach to loudspeaker design. Rather than dividing the music between a tweeter and mid-range driver through a crossover, the 1+1 V5 uses Audience's A3S2-16 full-range drivers on the front and rear baffles, wired in phase. This keeps the crucial mid-to-treble range seamless, while the bipole arrangement creates an expansive, three-dimensional soundstage. Two side-firing passive radiators extend bass response down to 55Hz.

What you hear is a sound that reaches beyond the cabinet's modest dimensions: convincing placement of voices and instruments, smooth, open mids and treble, and bass with speed and definition. Black cabinetry with lacquered rosewood side cheeks completes the design.

“The Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V5 brings Big Audio Sensibilities into the smallest spaces. But don’t just dismiss them as micro monitors; they are one of the best loudspeakers money can buy.” — Alan Sircom, Hi-Fi+, July 2024

New pairs are ordered from Audience, with a 2- to 3-week lead time. 

Design features

• A3S2-16 full-range drivers: a patented dual-gap motor, a large 1-inch voice coil, a curvilinear titanium cone with just 2.5g total moving mass, and 11mm of excursion deliver speed, detail and dynamic expression.
• Non-parallel enclosure: angled front and rear baffles help reduce standing waves, supported by proprietary internal damping. The opposed, in-phase drivers cancel cabinet vibration.
• Bipole radiation: identical front- and rear-facing drivers create an expansive, realistic sound field while increasing power handling and sensitivity.
• 40Hz high-pass filter: protects the drivers from infrasonic excursion and distortion.
• Voicing circuit: baffle-step compensation supports a smooth frequency response, using an Audience Auri-Cap XO film capacitor.
• High-quality signal path: ultra-low-mass KLEI 5-way binding posts and Audience mono-crystal internal wiring.

Specifications

• System: dual full-range drivers in bipole configuration with two side-firing passive radiators
• Frequency response: 55Hz to 20kHz ±3dB (F3 55Hz, F6 50Hz, F10 46Hz)
• Impedance: 8 ohms
• Sensitivity (in room): 87dB / 1W / 1m
• Recommended amplifier power: 15 to 60 watts
• Power handling: 80 watts per speaker (40 watts per driver)
• Input terminals: KLEI 5-way binding posts
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 20.3 x 15.2 x 24.8cm (8 x 6 x 9.75in)
• Weight: 3.3kg (7 lb 4 oz) each
• Recommended stand height: 71cm (28 in)
• Finish: black with lacquered rosewood side cheeks
  

Home Demonstration Available