Klipsch is in the mood for battle, and has added three new Bluetooth speakers to its lineup, each named after an American city known for music, and becoming a major competitor for Marshall.
The Klipsch Music City series includes the Austin, the Nashville, and the Detroit, all of which are rugged and carry an IP67 rating against dust and water.
They can be wirelessly synced with other Klipsch speakers, and due to built-in mics, they double as speakerphones.
The smallest of the three, the 10W Austin, measures in at 4.1-inches per side, and is 1.7-inches thick. It has a single 1.5-inch full-frequency driver, and two passive radiators for bass. On the back is a strap which was designed for mounting the device onto a bike’s handlebars, or any other object.
It weighs 14 ounces (approx. 0.39KG), and has a rechargeable battery that lasts a claimed 12 hours when fully charged.
The middle speaker, the 20W Nashville was designed to provide 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.
Weighing 2.4 pounds (approx. 1.08KG), the internal battery is claimed to provide 24 hours playtime. The battery can also be used to charge other devices with a USB-C cable.
Finally, there’s the Detroit, which weighs in at 5.5 pounds (approx. 2.49KG). A full set of specs has yet to be released for this version, therefore the number of watts is unknown, however it was confirmed the driver configuration consists of two 3-inch drivers, and two 1-inch tweeters.
There’s also four force cancelling passive radiators, the device measures 13-inches, and the battery is claimed to last for 24 hours of playtime.
All three of these speakers can be controlled via the Klipsch Connect app, which gives users control over EQ, and the ability to perform firmware updates upon availability.
The Klipsch Music City series looks eerily similar to Marshall’s Willen, Emberton, and Middleton Bluetooth speakers, making it a huge competitor. Dimensions, weight, ruggedness, driver configurations, and power are all similar as well.
The biggest difference is expected to be the price. Marshall charges $165.00 AUD (Willen), $218.20 AUD (Emberton), and $499.00 AUD (Middleton).
Although Australian pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed, The Klipsch Austin is said to cost $99.00 USD (approx. $155.49 AUD), the Nashville $149.00 USD (approx. $233.98 AUD), and the Detroit $299.00 USD (approx. $469.53 AUD).
The Austin and Nashville Bluetooth speakers are tipped to become available within the coming weeks, while the Detroit is tipped to arrive in 2024.
