Login or Signup

PRODUCT REVIEWS NEWS VIDEOS

Product Review Specifications User Reviews

LATEST REVIEWS

SHOP

Klipsch Music Center KMC 3

Merchant Price

Amazon.com $399.00 Learn More

Amazon.com $399.00 Learn More

More offers from Amazon.com

LATEST BUYING GUIDES

Home Portable Speaker Reviews Klipsch Music Center KMC 3 Review

KLIPSCH MUSIC CENTER KMC 3 REVIEW

Search DT

182K 75K 25K

> >

By Ryan Waniata — September 8, 2013

Highs

Powerful, distortionless sound

Rich, lyrical bass

Gorgeous accuracy in the treble

Cool, convenient design

Lows

Midrange occasionally too dark and lacking in

presence

Bass can be overpowering at times

Requires 8 D-Cells/No rechargeable battery on

board

More from Amazon.com

Our Score

Shop

Amazon.com $399.00 Learn More

Amazon.com $399.00 Learn More

Klipsch Music Center KMC 3 Review

Klipsch has brought the boombox back with the perfectblend of style and sonic punch.

‘Grand Theft Auto 5’ review

Our Score

Samsung Ativ S Neo review

Our Score

Wahoo Fitness RFLKTReview

Our Score

LG G2 review

Our Score

Nexus 4 cases: Protect thatfragile glass back!

ADD A COMMENT 7 45 7

If you like yourbass, you’ll lovethis speaker.

While the glut of wireless speakers available today can make for some difficult choices, it alsomakes for some seriously excellent engineering. After all, if you’re going to put out a speaker inthis market, it had better kick some ass or it’s going home early. One thing that can make thebuying decision a little easier is when big names get involved. And when someone with a namelike, say, Klipsch puts out a wireless speaker, you can bet we’re interested.

Klipsch’s newest device is the KMC 3 Wireless MusicCenter (available at $400.) Named after the KlipschMusic Center Series of concerts, the KMC 3 is designedto create a performance reminiscent of live music. Assuch, it’s served up with some enticing tools like aptXencoding, an internal subwoofer, and 130 watts of peakpower, promising “powerful, full bandwidth sound” in a

sleek little package. And if you’ve got 8 D-cell batteries lying around, you can even take it on theroad. So how does Klipsch’s latest contribution to the field actually sound? Let’s find out.

Out of the box

The KMC 3 comes in its own hard carrying case constructed from heavy-duty cardboard with amagnetically secured flap at the front, and a handle on top for easy travel. We like the idea, but thecase did tend to pop open easily when we brought the speaker home, forcing us to guard the dooragainst our body.

Pulling the speaker from its case reveals an alabaster box, with a smooth matte finish and gentlyrounded edges. A deep black grill covers the front face and a matching black rubber pad runsalong the top panel, just under a slim handle. Fiery gold accents flank the sides and the logo at thefront, giving the speaker a regal bearing. Along with our ghost-white review unit, the KMC 3 alsocomes in all black.

Digging through the box we found a slim packet of instructions, a power adapter and IEC cable,and a miniature, gloss-black remote. We were a tad surprised to find no 3.5mm auxiliary cableincluded, and not at all surprised to find zero D-cell batteries.

Features and design

Maybe it’s simply the KMC 3’s concert series namesake, but the speaker’s wedged design, andthree-sided border at the front looks distinctly like a concert bandshell. The frame seems to jump

MORE BUYING GUIDES

TECH NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

5 best wireless mice to clearthe cord clutter

Don’t panic, there are stillplaces to pre-order the XboxOne and PS4 [UPDATED]

Major in procrastination with adorm room Game Cave

Israeli archaeologist uncoversancient treasure trove

September 9, 2013 — FoxNews

‘Sixth sense’ exists in brain,scientist says

September 9, 2013 — FoxNews

Strange space wind blowsthrough solar system

September 9, 2013 — FoxNews

The evolution of sea monsterson medieval maps

September 9, 2013 — FoxNews

NASA robotic explorerlaunched to moon runs intoequipment troubleSeptember 8, 2013 — FoxNews

…requiring D-cellbatteries asopposed tosupplying anonboardrechargeablebattery is pretty1995.

out at you a bit, enhancing its aura of a powerful sonic device.

The unit is very mobile for its size, thanks to its convenient handle at the top, making it easy tomove around the room at your convenience. A slim set of touch capacitive controls rests along thetop panel, including a power button, a volume control, and a Bluetooth button, which is for somereason designated by an infinity symbol. The buttons light up with brilliant red and blue LEDs uponpower-up, with a Knight Rider-style laser slit to display volume level.

At the back of the speaker are two small sound ports as well as the system’s inputs, including anAC power input, a USB port for charging a smartphone or other device, and a 3.5mm Aux input. Atthe bottom are 4 small rubber pads, and a large plate adorned with flat screw-caps to access thebattery compartment. The KMC 3 is estimated to run an impressive 26 hours at default volumeand 8 hours at full volume once equipped with the 8-pack of batteries necessary to power it.

We’ve been hinting at this, but we have to say outrightthat requiring D-cell batteries as opposed to supplying anonboard rechargeable battery is pretty 1995. Weappreciate the mobile option, but we can’t imagine usingthe batteries more than a few times. That said, the priceof the unit puts it on par with many similar wirelessdevices we’ve tested that are totally homebound, sokudos are still in order, reluctant though they may be.

Getting to more impressive features, checking under thehood reveals a set of 2-inch aluminum diaphragmdrivers, and a 5.25-inch subwoofer, molded into thebass-reflex enclosure. The sub crossover point is rather

high, at 380Hz, with a total system frequency range at an expansive 45Hz-24Khz – that’s a good4KHz above the range of human hearing. As mentioned above, the system reaches a peak powerof a hefty 130 watts. The drivers are digitally bi-amped, and run through Klipsch’s proprietary DSP.Wireless transmission is accomplished via Bluetooth equipped with the aptX codec for CD-qualityaudio.

The tiny remote looks snazzy, and allows for full control including volume, song search, mute, andpower. We noticed some moments of delay on the remote, however, and had better luck using ourphone or Macbook for control.

Audio Performance

The KMC 3 playedall of 4 notesbefore it wasapparent that thislittle beauty packssome seriouspunch in the lowend.

The KMC 3 played all of 4 notes before it was apparent that this little beauty packs some seriouspunch in the low end. Rich, lush, beautiful bass rushed forth from the speaker with musical lyricismto accompany its rumbling force. At times the massive low end overpowered the rest of thefrequency spectrum, but when it did, it did so with style. If you like your bass, you’ll love thisspeaker.

As we began exploring a vast expanse of musical genres, the KMC 3 slowly opened up, revealinga deep palette of colors. The overall tone of the midrange and bass was decidedly dark, displayedwith almost tube-saturated warmth, likely stemming from the extended range of the subwoofer. Onthe other side of the coin, the treble was spun from the small aluminum drivers with crystallineprecision, bleeding into the darkness below to create an engaging, dichotomous blend.

A glowing example of the KMC 3’s diverse mixture camewhen we auditioned a few tracks by Mr. Stevie Wonder.“Love Having You Around” entered with thick fuzz in thebass and rich, reedy clavinets, while the vocal had ahusky, amber color. In contrast, the shimmering cymbalsand snare seemed to dance along the top in cool,effervescent accents. While the low end was a bit out ofbalance with the bright treble on this particular track, westill really dug what the KMC 3 did with it, and needed tohear a bit more.

We next cued up “Big Brother”, and “Blame it on theSun”, the latter of which really showed some impressive

versatility. Sound leapt from the cabinet, revealing a multiplex of instruments in a wide stereo field.The vocals were cleaner and more present here, and the more the music grew in complexity, themore the system seemed to open up and expand, flowing forth in a brilliant wash of acousticguitar, horns, keys, and percussion that made us want to hold on beyond the last chord.

As we turned to other genres, the lighter side of the KMC 3 began to shine a bit more brightly. Thespeaker rendered some of our favorite acoustic tracks with articulate precision, and woodyresonance. Chris Teeley’s mandolin solo on Nickel Creek’s “Ode To A Butterfly” was vibrant andtight, as the speaker followed his supernatural arpeggios with tactile accuracy.

Aside from an occasional sonic imbalance, the only real glitch we encountered was kind ofhilarious. When we put on the ultra-heavy grooves of Too Short’s “Just Another Day”, the speakeroffered no distortion or rattle, but a strange high pitch rang in rhythm with the main groove.Approaching the back of the speaker, we found the source: air velocity through the bass ports wasso high, they were whistling. The issue could likely be fixed by adding some felt around the ports,and only came about under serious bass duress, but we thought it was worth mentioning.

Conclusion

With a swath of rich, musical bass, a crystal clear upper register, and reams of distortionlesspower, the Klipsch KMC 3 provides a pleasant one-two punch of brawny force and pristineaccuracy. At times the girthy lower register and dark midrange were out of balance with theshimmering treble above, but there were plenty of gorgeous sonic moments to be enjoyed with thislittle box.

Klipsch has brought the boombox back with the perfect blend of style and sonic punch.

It may be a little bottom heavy, but there’s no doubt this speaker can really rock a party.

Highs

Powerful, distortionless soundRich, lyrical bassGorgeous accuracy in the trebleCool, convenient design

Lows

Midrange occasionally too dark and lacking in presenceBass can be overpowering at timesRequires 8 D-Cells/No rechargeable battery on board

FOLLOW FOLLOW @RYANWANIATA

Not logged in. You will be prompted to login after writing your comment. Post Comment

User Reviews

by Ryan WaniataRyan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech and audio. Hailing originally fromMontana, Ryan received his bachelor degree from the Universityof Montana in composition and technology. He later studied audioengineering at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciencesin Tempe, AZ, then packed up for Nashville, where he spent acouple of years playing and recording music in various studiosand local venues. Ryan now makes his home in Portland, OR.Feel free to contact him on google + and twitter, or check in withhim at Digital Trends to get the scoop on all the latest gear.

Type your comment here

No comments yet, be the first!

Product Reviews

Mobile News

Computing News

Gaming

Home Theater

Social Media

Playstation 4

Xbox One

Apple

The Manual

Advertise

About

Contact

Corrections

Jobs

Privacy Policy

Terms of Use

Syndication Partners

Yahoo!

Fox News

Sam's Club

Google

WorldNow

Pulse

Flipboard

Product Reviews:

Cell Phone Reviews

Camcorder Reviews

Desktop Computer Reviews

Digital Camera Reviews

TV Reviews

Laptop Reviews

How We Test

Best Cell Phones

Best Headphones

Best Laptops

Best Digital Cameras

RSS

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Pinterest

Straightforward product reviews, reliable technology news, and tools to navigatethe digital world.

ADD A COMMENT7 45 7