Austin, Nashville, Detroit: Klipsch enters the portable Bluetooth speaker market

The Klipsch brand, a subsidiary of Voxx International like Onkyo or Jamo, presents its new range of portable Bluetooth speakers: Music City. For its first step into this highly competitive market, Klipsch is launching three models named in honor of American cities with a strong musical heritage: Austin, Nashville and Detroit.

It will not have escaped you that the design of these three speakers is greatly inspired (even a little too much) by Marshall’s portable Bluetooth speakers, the Willen, the Emberton and the Middleton, which also have a certain rock heritage. . The objective is therefore clear for the American: to chase the English on his own land.

For these three speakers, the emphasis is placed on the adventurer aspect with the integration of a strap on the Austin and the Detroit, and a shock and weather resistant design (IP67 certification) for the three models. All three have a microphone that can be used as a hands-free kit and benefit from Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Broadcast mode is also included, so it is possible to pair up to 10 speakers together, including the new The One Plus and The Three Plus.

Austin: the scale model to take everywhere with you

The Austin is the smallest model in the range with its size of 105 x 105 x 44 mm and its weight of 397 g. It features a single 3.6 cm speaker supported by a double passive radiator. It also promises a battery life of 12 hours.

The Nashville is the speaker in the range that comes closest to the portable speaker we imagine. Its size of 78 x 178 x 88 mm and its weight of 970 g are sufficiently contained to take it out and about without making too many sacrifices in terms of sound reproduction. Moreover, the speaker has two passive radiators and a dual 5.7 cm speaker system placed on either side of the speaker to offer a 360° rendering (like Marshall’s Emberton, here then). The manufacturer promises 24 hours of battery life.

Detroit: the largest and most powerful of the three

Larger than its counterparts (105 x 333 x 122 mm for 2.5 kg), the Detroit is more difficult to transport than the Austin and the Nashville. It is therefore much better equipped with two 7.6 cm speakers, a 2.5 cm tweeter and a system of four passive radiators. The Detroit should therefore play louder, but also further into the bass. Here too, the announced autonomy is 24 hours.

The Nashville, intermediate model, is already available at a price of €179. The Austin and Detroit will be released at the beginning of 2024 at prices of €99 and €349 respectively.