What do you associate with good ol' fashioned Americana? Cowboy boots and muscle cars? Bruce Springsteen? Bacon on a cheeseburger? Or, maybe, campsite cookouts with your favourite Bluetooth portable speaker.
That's the vibe we're getting from Klipsch's latest line of all-American Bluetooth speakers designed to celebrate the heritage of some of the US's most famous locations. The new Klipsch Music Series - comprising the Austin, the Nashville and the Detroit - pays tribute to three American towns with a reputation for a proud musical heritage.
The Austin is up first, the smallest of the trio which looks somewhat akin to the palm-sized Marshall Willen or even the excellent JBL Go 3. Boasting 12 hours of battery life and a weight of just 397g, it's a dinky little portable that can pretty much fit into your backpack, even your pocket, without too much fuss.
Next is the slightly larger, rectangular Klipsch Nashville, still a small model that would probably be best compared to the JBL Flip 6 in terms of its form, function and price. With dual 5.7cm drivers and 24 hours of playtime, the Nashville is the next step up from its dinky Austin sibling.
If you want to go all out with something more substantial, Detroit is the place to be. With dual 7.6cm drivers and 2.5cm tweeters, as well as 24 hours of playback, the heftier Detroit is probably best compared to the Award-winning JBL Charge 5 as a portable yet weighty model that packs plenty of punch.
While there are certainly differences between the models, there are also some common threads. All are IP67 rated for dust and waterproofing no matter which city you visit, and all three can connect to the official Klipsch Connect App from which things such as EQ and setting personalisation can be controlled. Plus, long-ranging wireless connectivity means that each model will be playable up to 40 feet (12 meters) away from its source player.
The new Music City Series certainly look the part, feeling somewhat akin to the dashing, even iconic looks of the fetching Marshall range of speakers. According to Paul Jacobs, Klipsch's CEO, “Our Music City Series is a celebration of music and culture. We wanted to pay homage to some of the most influential cities that have shaped the world of music, and we did so by crafting speakers that not only sound incredible but also embody the essence of Austin, Nashville and Detroit".
The Klipsch Austin and Nashville and available to pre-order now in the US (it will launch in the UK and other territories later), while the Detroit is due to arrive in the new year. Prices for the units are as follows (further prices pending):
- Klipsch Austin: $99
- Klipsch Nashville: $149
- Klipsch Detroit: $299 (arriving early 2024)
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