Klipsch has added three new Bluetooth speakers to its lineup, and each has been named after an American city with deep roots in music-making. The Klipsch Music City Series includes the Austin, the Nashville, and the Detroit. All three speakers have been ruggedized and carry an IP67 rating, effectively making them dustproof and waterproof. You can wirelessly sync them with other Klipsch speakers, and thanks to built-in mics, they can double as speakerphones. The $99 Austin and $149 Nashville will be available in the coming weeks, while the $299 Detroit will arrive in 2024.
As the smallest of the trio, the 10-watt Austin measures just 4.1 inches per side and is only 1.7 inches thick. It sports a single 1.5-inch full-frequency driver and two passive radiators for bass. On the back, you’ll find a strap that has been designed to let you mount the Austin to a bike’s handlebars, or to any other object that you can find.
It weighs in at a scant 14 ounces and its rechargeable battery lasts a claimed 12 hours when fully charged.
The midsized, 20-watt Nashville has been designed to offer 360-degree sound using two opposing 2.25-inch full-range drivers, and two 3.78-inch x 2.5-inch rectangular passive radiators for bass. It weighs a more substantial 2.4 pounds, and its internal battery will give you a claimed 24-hours of playtime. Unlike the smaller Austin, you can use the Nashville’s battery to charge your other devices using a USB-C cable.
The Detroit grabs the heavyweight status of the group at 5.5 pounds. Klipsch hasn’t released a full set of specs for the Detroit yet, so we don’t know how many watts it has, but we do know the driver configuration: two 3-inch drivers and two 1-inch tweeters, accompanied by four force-canceling passive radiators.
It’s measures 13 inches and its battery is also good for a claimed 24 hours of playtime.
All three speakers can be controlled by the Klipsch Connect app, which gives you control over EQ, as well as the ability to perform firmware updates when available.
If the Klipsch Music City Series looks familiar, it’s because it closely mirrors Marshall’s Willen, Emberton, and Middleton Bluetooth speakers. The dimensions, weight, ruggedness, power, and driver configurations are all very similar, as are the prices: Marshall asks $120 for the Willen, $150 for the Emberton, and $300 for the Middleton.
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