STEREO GUIDE test verdict
The very smallest Klipsch offers amazingly full-bodied sound and solid features in outdoor use with tiny, handbag-compatible dimensions. You shouldn't expect hi-fi miracles or party volumes, but you should expect balanced sound.
Advantage
- size-related rich, deep bass
- balanced, natural voices
- Good app with useful EQ
- Water and dustproof
Disadvantages
- Limited operation without app
- could play lively and louder
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Sound: Tonal balance / transparency7.4
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Sound: Bass / Dynamics5.8
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Ease-of-use / Connectivity8.4
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Price / Performance8.6
We had to smile a little when the Klipsch Austin arrived at the editorial office: Did this mini, weighing less than 400 grams, actually come from the same manufacturer that presented the largest 2-way horn ever at 1.25 x 1.75 m at the HIGH END trade fair in Munich last year? Yes, absolutely, and the Americans obviously have the confidence to perform this balancing act in their portfolio. The Austin is by far the smallest speaker ever released by Klipsch and is advertised as an outdoor companion with full water and dust resistance (IP67) and a rubber fastening strap.
The size and concept seemed somehow familiar. And indeed, the Marshall Willen and Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 (both of which we have already reviewed) seemed to have been a bit of a godfather here. In terms of price, the Klipsch Austin is on a par with the Marshall. It certainly looks less independent than the will, from which it can hardly be distinguished at first glance. On the other hand, its toolig housing with ribbed rubber coating and perforated steel grille is clearly the most stable in the field.
Functions and sound features of the Klipsch Austin
With so much similarity, the focus automatically falls on the functions and secondary virtues such as the battery life. At 12 hours, the Klipsch is only slightly below the Marshall and, like the best-selling Tribit Stormbox Micro 2, is in the top third of its class. It establishes a Bluetooth connection in accordance with the latest 5.3 standard, which can only benefit the stability of the connection. You can link several Klipsch Austin speakers in party mode, but unfortunately you can’t turn them into a real stereo pair.
A 10 watt digital amplifier drives a rather small 50 millimeter full range driver. It sits behind the perforated grille at the front and directs the treble sound noticeably. So it doesn’t matter whether the Klipsch Austin is standing or lying down – it depends on where you want the most balanced sound.
The manufacturer promises a bass response down to 70 Hz, which would be a sensation for such a compact speaker. This is ensured by two small passive diaphragms that replace the reflex tube and utilize the air vibrations inside the enclosure, which measures barely a quarter of a liter. One swings forwards, one swings backwards, which conveniently cancels out strong impulses. Otherwise such a light speaker would simply wander off the table when the bass resonates.
When the Austin is laid down, small bulges ensure that the rear bass cone can still vibrate freely.
Practice and operation
The Klipsch Austin can be charged via a USB-C port on the right side of the housing under a rather fiddly, but waterproof rubber cover. A stylized battery with five LED segments shows how much juice is left – very practical!
The rubber strap on the back is also more than suitable for everyday use if you want to attach the Austin to belts, branches or bicycle handlebars. It holds there surprisingly securely, but you have to tug on the rubber band as soon as the strut is even slightly thicker than a thumb. In the short test phase, we cannot say whether the clip mechanism can withstand this in the long term. In any case, the Klipsch made an extremely stable impression on us.
The four buttons at the top control the standard functions on/off, Bluetooth connection, quieter and louder. However, they are barely recognizable. Unfortunately, there is no joystick playback control like on the Marshall Willen or play/pause buttons. But at least there is a display with five LEDs for the battery charge level.
More functions for the Austin in the Klipsch Connect app
The classic playback control has been completely relocated to the Klipsch Connect app (for iOS and Android). This is necessary anyway when setting up the Bluetooth connection and it all works quite smoothly. Sometimes it took a few seconds to connect or to transmit new EQ settings. We also sometimes had to put the Austin into connection mode manually until it wanted to connect to different players. Not really a problem, but we have experienced this a little more seamlessly.
The 3-band equalizer integrated into the app allows the sound to be adjusted quite well to the respective room conditions. If you hang it up freely, a little (+3) bass is good, on a table or in a corner the bass can also be lowered slightly (-1 or -2).
This is what the smallest Klipsch ever sounds like
Otherwise, the Micro-Klipsch was surprisingly balanced. Compared to the Klipsch Heritage Groove, it sounded much more detailed, playful and transparent. Its in-house rival, which is three times larger in volume, was only just able to slightly outperform it in terms of bass depth and volume.
We particularly liked the way the little Austin reproduced acoustic music from folk to jazz: well-balanced instruments, well-defined voices and a pretty decent foundation make for fun around the campfire. At least if you can place the small cuboid somewhere on the ground or against a stone.
Free-floating voices sounded a little low in volume, and the bass, which wasn’t very deep anyway, quickly ran out of steam. If you turn up the bass and mids on the equalizer, for example +3 and +2, you will actually experience an improvement at room volume, but at higher levels the Austin’s digital electronics will cancel this out again.
With music with a lot of bass, the compact dimensions and the rather hi-fi tuning were noticeable. Although the Klipsch Austin sounded surprisingly complete at low volumes and only really cut off the low bass, really powerful beats could hardly be elicited with micro speakers, and the level was only sufficient for sound reinforcement at close range.
Verdict: Klipsch Austin, Marshall Willen or Tribit?
In terms of size, functions and construction, the Klipsch Austin is quite similar to the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 and the Marshall Willen. In terms of price and appearance, it is closer to the Marshall Willen, which is a little more stylish and convinces with its well thought-out operation, but its sound is lacking in bass and too bright. The Tribit is considerably cheaper and looks the part, but it is the loudest and most assertive of the trio.
In favor of the Klipsch is the most complete bass in its class and its unagitated, natural sound, with which you can also enjoy acoustic music and vocals. On the other hand, it doesn’t have as much bite and subjective volume as the rather cheeky and somewhat more intrusive Tribit.
Technical specifications Klipsch Austin
- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: 100 Euro
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 10.5 x 10.5 x 4.4 cm
- Weight: 397 g
- Battery life up to 12 hours
- Special features: Bluetooth 5.3, app control, IPX67, stack mode, equalizer, hands-free function
- More at: klipsch.com
