The Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII is a visually stunning speaker. It’s perfect for anyone looking to upgrade the aesthetics of their home interior with a good-looking sound system. Wi-Fi audio streaming and stereo capabilities also make this speaker a great choice for multi-room audio in a home audio setup.

The controls are easy to use, offering everything you could need at the touch of a button, but be mindful that this speaker needs to be plugged in to have power, so it can’t be moved around with you.

EQ control is limited, while sound quality also suffers at higher volumes. So could this be the best Bluetooth speaker to upgrade your home listening? Keep reading this full Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review to find out.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Specs

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Price & availability

The Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII is available at Amazon U.S. for $219, and at Amazon U.K. for £260. The speaker comes in a variety of colors, including White, Black and Grey. I tested the white colorway, and it fit in perfectly with my at-home audio setup.

This price point puts the speaker in the middle of the road for plug-in home speakers. The C5 MKII even comes with Wi-Fi streaming options, which gives it a leg up over the Klipsch The One Plus that costs $274. But if you’re not looking for a plug-in speaker but still want something to fill your home with sound and look good while doing it, the Bose SoundLink Home ($219) offers deep bass performance.

If you want stereo sound, though, remember you’ll need to buy two C5 MKIIs (I was sent two to test the stereo linking). For stereo sound out of the box, bookshelf speakers like the Edifier M60 have the same retro look and offer stereo audio for $199. Or for a more compact offering, you could take a look at the Kanto Ora4 speakers ($399), which deliver studio sound for a more professional setup but don’t offer multi-room connectivity or Wi-Fi streaming.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Design & controls

• Good-looking
• Angled for better sound
• Easy to use controls

You shouldn’t trust anyone who tells you the C5 MK II is ugly. They’re lying. How do I know this? Because retro is in, baby, and anyone who knows anything about the zeitgeist will tell you the same. The Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII’s retro look and exposed central driver are incredibly sleek. I’ve got the White version here, which looks totally polished.

The handle on top might suggest this is a “luggable” speaker, but the power port in the back and the need for it to be permanently plugged in would wake you from your hopeful stupor. So once you find its home, it won’t be moving; not that you’d want to, given that it looks so good.

The Addon C5 MKII measures 9.8 x 5.9 x 5.1 inches and is just a bit smaller than the Klipsch The One Plus speaker, which measures 12.5 x 6.1 x 6.0 inches. I set it up on my cabinet next to my turn table, and it fit in perfectly. It only weighs 5.5 pounds and is very light to lift if needed, but since it’s a wired speaker, you won’t be doing much walking around with it.

For a larger speaker on the portable side, you should look to the Tribit Stormbox Lava ($129), which weighs about the same as the C5 MKII at 5.1 pounds. But since it has 24 hours of battery life, it’s a viable option for camping trips and picnics.

The speaker has two larger feet at the front to angle it upward. This is to create the optimal conditions for playback. Having the tweeters pointed upwards can reduce muffled audio and reduce any sound reflections that may be caused by whatever surface you have the speaker on. When I angled the speaker to be more level with the table it was on, the sound became more muffled, so the feet are a great addition here.

The controls (which I’ll talk about below) sit on the top of the speaker at the front and have a brushed silver finish. There are lights here to let you know what input mode the speaker is using. This is easy to switch between using the buttons on top.

The controls of the Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII are very easy to use. The buttons sit at the top of the speaker, and there are 13 in total, which may appear daunting at first glance, but they’re actually very straightforward to use.

The controls for power, connectivity, and playback can be found on the left-hand side. There’s a larger button in the middle for controlling volume, which offers alterations in small increments to get the perfect level for your listening.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Connectivity

• Wi-Fi streaming
• Bluetooth streaming
• Built-in charger

The C5 MKII can be used in a multi-room speaker setup or in stereo using the app, which I will go into later. The speaker has both Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and 5GHz, making it compatible with AirPlay2 and Google Cast. Wi-Fi- streaming can also provide superior sound when compared with Bluetooth, as there is less compression, and I noticed that the connection to my device was stronger when streaming. The Wi-Fi connection took a lot of trial and error to get going, but it eventually worked. The Bluetooth was a lot more straightforward to connect to, just like any other Bluetooth speaker.

The speaker can also be used with Bluetooth for quick and easy streaming. You also have the option to use RCA cables if you want to use the speaker as an output for a turntable. There’s also a USB output at the back of the speaker for charging devices. I simply plugged in my phone charger, and it juiced up my phone.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: App

• Not enough EQ customization
• Can configure controls in-app
• Multi-room connectivity

The speaker has six preset buttons that are configurable via the app. In conjunction with the app, you can set commands for the numbered presets on top of the speaker. This gives you instant access to radio stations and playlists from compatible streaming services. The speakers can be used with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.

In the Audio Pro app, I was able to assign one speaker as the left and one speaker as the right. This made my music sound great. The app also allows for customization of EQ settings, although this is limited to bass and treble alterations only.

I also tried out the multi-room function, which was easy to control when using Wi-Fi streaming. The sound was pretty good as I walked through the house, and I could even control the volume of each individual speaker from the app, depending on where I was.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Sound quality

• Wi-Fi streaming sounds better
• Stereo set-up
• Struggles at louder volumes

I streamed my music over Wi-Fi via Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles, to get the best possible sound. The Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII has great sound quality, but there are a few little quirks that stop me from being a real lover.

That said, the speaker isn’t inherently bad; it just depends on what you like listening to. I have a pretty eclectic taste, so I was challenging the speaker with everything from metal to country to drum and bass — maybe I just gave it whiplash.

First up, I listened to Half Mast by Empire Of The Sun. This track admittedly has a lot going on, from driving drum beats to higher-pitched synth; there’s a lot to take in. At loud volumes, I immediately noticed that the track sounded plasticky and a little warped — it sounded like a basketball was bouncing on the kick drum hits and the bass points. Despite this, the vocals remained strong and prominent while the percussion also shone. Some of the higher synths were completely lost unless the treble was turned all the way up, which is a symptom of a low-quality tweeter.

Next, I played You Get What You Give by the New Radicals, which is driven by a drum beat and a roaring electric guitar. The falsetto vocals remained strong throughout the song, much like the higher piano on the track, but as I turned the volume up a little, only to around 50%, I started to run into some issues. The drums became muddy, and there was a lot of confusion happening between the frequencies. There was also some very slight static creeping in.

Finally, I listened to Potion by Djo, which is my favorite song at the moment, so I’ve had it on repeat. And boy was I happy that this speaker could cope with the melodic acoustic guitar and gentle vocals. This made it totally clear that this track thrives in conditions with softer music, so maybe stay away from the hard stuff with it. That said, it sounded better with the bass lowered (which is something I never think) and the treble brought a little higher. The speaker certainly suits more purposeful sounds like acoustic fingerpicking without too much going on in the background.

While I didn’t always love the sound when using one speaker, when using two of the speakers in stereo, it’s hard to complain too much. The sound is a lot fuller, and since elements of the song are spaced out between the two speakers, it sounds less muddled. Multi-room also sounds great and means I can fill my house with music.

Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII review: Verdict

The Audio Pro Addon C5 MKII is a stylish speaker that’s perfect for anyone looking to step into the world of plug-in home speakers. It’s totally versatile, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and plug-in streaming options, and even has multi-room capabilities. Stereo set-up is also a win here, as being able to split two speakers between right and left made the music sound so much better.

There are some letdowns, though, including the sound quality suffering at higher volumes, and very limited EQ customization options. But the speaker performs well with softer acoustic music. It really depends on what type of music you listen to. If you’re into metal and rock, this might be one to avoid, but acoustic pop and indie will complement the speaker well.

All in all, it’s a decent speaker, and when paired with another, they can create pretty decent sound.