Klipsch Groove XL 40W Portable Bluetooth Speaker, 16.5 Hour Battery, IPX4 Splash-Proof

5 reviews for Klipsch Groove XL 40W Portable Bluetooth Speaker, 16.5 Hour Battery, IPX4 Splash-Proof

1. 

   Cary L. King – July 28, 2025

   I own the original KMC1 and I still use it everyday. Other than replacing the battery it’s been trouble free and still sounds great…a little beat up, but still solid.I wanted another one in my workout room and the Groove XL is, for the most part, the improved version of the KMC1. It sounds well balanced and looks a bit more refined.Now, a little back ground. I have operated a recording studio for almost 30 years, so I have a good idea what good sounds sounds like. I’m sure there are plenty of quality portable Bluetooth systems out there and Klipsch is in that group.So the complaints:The KMC1, without pushing on the power button, would connect to my phone by hitting the connect on my phone, the Groove XL does not do that. You have to push the power button on the unit and then connect your phone. Not a good move Klipsch.Both the KMC1 & Groove XL have an annoying and loud start up sound. The KMC1 was a chime but with the Groove XL it’s now a guitar riff. Super obnoxious and you can’t turn it. Another bad move Klipsch.The Good:The Groove XL sounds better than the KMC1 with an updated Bluetooth chip.Overall Klipsch has another winner but looses 1 star for not being able to simply connect to it and the annoying startup sound.

2. 

   Douglas Reynolds – July 28, 2025

   This speaker is amazing! Klipshes speakers are legendary and this compact speaker delivers.Good bass response and crystal clear highs are amazing.No more overpriced JBLs!

3. 

   CJI2 – July 28, 2025

   This is our second Klipsch player. We had the first one for over 15 years. After almost daily use and some rough moments being stored under the microwave (spills) we decided it was time to replace our workhorse of a music player. After researching what’s new out there we decided to return to Klipsch. The sound quality and durability for the price are beyond compare.I read several reviews that did not like the guitar riff that plays when you turn the unit off and on or hook-up to the Bluetooth. It is loud and I was happily surprised to discover that there is a way to disable this function on the Klipsch website. Since that was my only negative and it has now been disabled, I am 100% thrilled to have a new Klipsch speaker back in the kitchen!

4. 

   Simon Akers – July 28, 2025

   My main problem with this speaker is that its soundstage is incredibly limited and quite frankly one of the worst I’ve heard in a portable Bluetooth speaker. The main issue is that this uses 2 identical drivers for the entire soundstage, and in theory is using them for “stereo” sound. This has a few major problems when it comes to a well-rounded sound profile.First, this thing is so small that any sort of “stereo” effect is non-existent, regardless of it having two drivers. This was actually my main reason for purchasing this item, but I quickly realized the problem once I tried it out.Second, and more importantly, the use of two identical drivers limits the soundstage way too much if you want to hear all of the music. A much better method for this form factor would be to have a woofer + tweeter combo, allowing you to fill out the bass and midrange with the woofer, leaving the tweeter for the highs. Because of this design flaw, this speaker has good bass, good highs, but absolutely ZERO midrange (which is where 90% of the music lives!). It also has trouble in some cases producing lots of highs and lows at the same time. If you’re a bass nut then you might not care, but that’s actually where the third problem comes in.Third, the passive radiators for the bass are both on the back of the device. Initially I didn’t think this would be a problem, but after trying it out, the problem becomes apparent: All the bass frequencies are firing directly away from you. This is fine if you put the speaker in the corner of a room, or near a wall, or have some other surface behind it. But if it’s sitting in the middle of the table, you can hardly tell there’s supposed to be bass. It actually sounded best when I put it on the carpet floor on its back, but even then it was missing so much midrange.Overall I am highly disappointed. Klipsch is a very popular brand in the speaker industry, so I expected the most, but received the least. On top of it all, my unit had a physical defect, as the metal mesh on the back of the speaker had come off out of the box and would not stay attached.I opted to return this device and purchase a JBL Flip 6 instead, which aside from only costing me $99 (about $50 less after tax), it is much smaller, lighter, and uses a woofer + tweeter + side radiators which gives it a massive soundstage. Plus the JBL has an app where you can set basic three-band EQ settings, you can buy a second one and link them to get an actual stereo sound, and it’s fully IP67 waterproof. I’d avoid this Klipsch speaker at all costs, it’s not at all worth the price.

5. 

   Adam – July 28, 2025

   This is a great speaker, sound quality is just as good as the older KMC 1. Volume goes nice and loud, and it has good bass for a speaker of its size, especially when it’s placed in the right spot where the bass can resonate behind the speaker. Battery life is superb, and the ability to charge other USB devices can be a lifesaver. Only complaints I have are the super loud, super annoying guitar noises the speaker makes when powering on/off and when a Bluetooth device is connected. I use the speaker for white noise a lot when sleeping, and that noise can wake up the whole house. Also don’t like that you can’t power the speaker on by selecting it from the Bluetooth menu on your phone like you could with the old KMC 1. I also have one of the rubber feet on the bottom that keeps falling off, which is annoying when traveling and putting the speaker in my bag. All in all a good purchase, but not quite as good as the older model.