Back in March, I reviewed my first Klipsch Bluetooth speaker, the Three Plus. That retro-inspired table-top with a built-in PHONO input and 120W on tap was both a looker and a performer. Just as summer was reaching its peak, the company sent another speaker to go hands-on with, but this time a true portable. The Klipsch Detroit is a chunky, tough, water and dust-resistant Bluetooth speaker packed with drivers and a battery good for up to 20 hours of playback. Can the Detroit compete in a market for rugged portable speakers that tends to be dominated by the likes of Ultimate Ears and JBL?
Read on to find out what my experience with the Klipsch Detroit portable Bluetooth speaker has been like.
Tough, Water Resistant, Long Battery Life
Unlike that stunning Three Plus, the Detroit is a more utilitarian-looking speaker. If you blacked out the Klipsch logo on the front, it could be visually mistaken for any one of the hundreds of no-name portable Bluetooth speakers you’ll find on Amazon. Just over 13-inches wide, it is a little on the heavy side at 5.4 pounds, but it can be easily picked up and carried anywhere using the built-in, elastic strap handle. The only break from the black exterior is the copper-colored Klipsch logo on the front speaker grill and a small white LED light on top of the speaker when it’s powered on. Overall, the speaker’s look is a bit boring, but functional.
While it is perfectly at home indoors, this speaker’s rugged design is clearly aimed at outdoor use. Speaker grills are metal and the case is wrapped in rubberized material. Top-mounted controls are sealed and the USB-C charge port is protected by a sealed flap. Klipsch says it is IP67 waterproof and dustproof and able to survive being submerged in 3.3 feet of water for 30 minutes.
I brought the Detroit to provide music while I worked on an outdoor project involving a whole lot of dirt and stone. The speaker got dirty, but a little water and it wiped off easily, Speaking of water, I left it exposed to rain for an hour or so while I took shelter under our cabana and it continued to play music without interruption.
Klipsch rates battery life at up to 20 hours of playback. I used the speaker off and on for two weeks and did not have to recharge it. When you do need to plug in, it fast-charges by USB-C in two hours, and that port is two-way so you can tap the speaker’s battery to top up your phone in a pinch.
How Does it Sound?
Klipsch says the Detroit speaker offers “…portable audio as big as the 313.” I decided to focus my initial testing with music from some classic Michigan area rock bands; not necessarily the namesake 313, but close. Alice Cooper, MC5, The Stooges, The White Stripes, Greta Van Fleet and Sponge were on the list. Because I am Canadian and the city of Sarnia is just across the St.Clair river from Michigan, I threw in some Max Webster as well–several of that Canadian band’s members hail from Sarnia.
The Klipsch Detroit’s performance lived up to the description. MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” is a live track that’s often described as a sonic assault. The screaming vocals and frantic guitars verging on distortion of this track can sound like a sludgy mess on many portable speakers. The Detroit handled it with aplomb. The speaker’s powerful bass gave the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” the thump it deserves. Max Webster’s “Hangover” rocked.
Of course, the Detroit isn’t just a speaker for hard rock. We set it up by the pool–no worries about it getting splashed–and ran through a mix ranging from ABBA to Depeche Mode and Earth, Wind & Fire. While any track featuring a fat bass line sounded especially good, the speaker’s driver setup also delivered solid vocals and a crisp high end. And with plenty of volume on tap. The spacing of the drivers across the horizontal case also adds a little depth to the sound.
Compared to other portable Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested in this price range, I would say that what really sets the Klipsch Detroit apart in terms of sound is detail and clarity. It’s just a more refined sound than most portable speakers deliver, while still putting out some very muscular bass.
If you want to tweak the sound of the Detroit, the Klipsch Connect mobile app offers a customizable EQ. It also allows you to connect multiple Detroit speakers if you want to expand the sound.
Klipsch Detroit Specs:
- Portable speaker in bass reflex enclosure
- 2 x 3″ full-range drivers, 2 x 1” horn-loaded tweeters and 4 x 3″ force cancelling passive radiators
- Frequency response 55Hz-20kHz
- 2 x 15W amplifiers (max 93dB output)
- Bluetooth 5.3 (up to 8 controlling devices)
- IP67 water and dust resistance rating, can be submerged up to 30 minutes in 3.3 feet of water
- Wireless Broadcast mode to connect multiple Detroit speakers
- Built-in mic
- Battery rated at up to 20 hours of playback
- USB-C fast charging, 10W USB-C accessory charging (USB-C cable included)
- 13.1-inches wide, weighs 5.4 pounds
- EQ and firmware updates via Klipsch Connect mobile app
Note: Specifications for this speaker (especially around the driver configuration) can vary online, but these were confirmed by Klipsch.
Recommendation
Looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that can do it all (and survive it all), while also delivering high performance audio? It may not be as eye-catching as other options in this price range, and it’s not as well known as market leaders in the portable space, but the Klipsch Detroit is a worthy option. It’s built to take the worst the outdoors can dish out while delivering premium sound that puts it in a class above much of the competition.
Disclosure: Klipsch provided a speaker for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review.
