Milwaukee’s M18 Bluetooth jobsite radio is a fully-featured radio that outputs great sound. But it’s also large and somewhat pricey.
This new Milwaukee M12 wireless speaker, model 2592-20, on the other hand, is a lot smaller, and much more affordable with a $69 price tag.
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The M12 speaker features Bluetooth connectivity, so you can still stream music from your smartphone and other wireless devices from up to 30 feet away. It’s also built for durability, portability, and to deliver big sound.
Milwaukee says they designed their new Bluetooth speaker with a premium 2″ speaker with integrated bass port for loud and clear sound.
The speaker weighs in at 1.6 pounds and measures 5.9″ tall x 4.5″ deep x 4.1″ wide. It’s not pocketable, but it does look to be quite compact and portable. There’s a loop on the back for convenient hanging or transport, but it can also sit on any flat surface.
As shown in usage photo, the M12 speaker is built with a USB charging ports that can provide up to 2.1A of power, which means you could speedily charge even power-hungry devices. Have you ever tried to charge a tablet or smartphone on a low-powered USB port? It can be so frustratingly slow, especially when the discharge rate is greater than the charging rate.
The speaker is also built with a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack. It doesn’t come with the appropriate cable, but you can always buy one from Amazon for cheap. I’m currently using a ~$9 cloth-jacketed cable for something else, and think that it might be more durable for jobsite conditions than the plain jacketed cables that sell for less than $5.
The radio can stream music for up to 25 hours on one M12 battery charge. It doesn’t come with a battery – you’ll have to supply your own.
ETA: Jan 2015
Pricing: $69
Buy Now (via Home Depot)
If you recall, Dewalt is also coming out with a Bluetooth speaker. Wireless speakers have become quite popular in the consumer market, and so it makes sense that professional power tool brands would want to get in on the action with jobsite-tough speakers that work with their cordless battery packs.
Will these be popular? Probably. The lack of a radio tuner, LCD display, and enhanced functionality is a potential downside, but some a lot of that functionality could be handled by a smart device that’s connected via Bluetooth or aux cable. Those who want more features or bigger sound can step up to Milwaukee’s and other brands’ full-sized jobsite radios.
Pete says
Sweet! I like that it has a place on top to hang it from something like a carabiner or hook.
KL says
So there’s no AC cord whatsoever, is that right? No tuner either? I can understand the power cord, but how much would it have cost to put in a radio tuner? I generally hate radio but its a nice fallback, or for news, games, etc
Stuart says
It wouldn’t have been just a tuner. A tuner requires extra controls, an antenna, and an LCD display at the least. Designing these features into the product would have increased R&D expenses as well, driving up the retail cost of the product.
Milwaukee has another M12 radio and an M18 radio. This is for users who just want a powered speaker.
KL says
Oh and if this is truly just a speaker, I hope it’s sub $50 (sorry for duplicate posts, don’t know how to edit previous comments?)
Pete says
I think it was suggested at $75 on their facebook page.
Mike says
I’ll be buying this as soon as possible!
Pete says
But another question how will a XC battery(3.0/4.0) fit and sit? If it didn’t fit it wouldn’t be a deal breaker but it sure would grind my gears.
Chris says
They actually have a pic of this setup on their product page:
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/~/media/Images/Power%20Tools/Cordless/2592-20/2592-20_C.png
It kinda makes it look like those walking garbage-can looking things from Star Wars! Too cool.
Stuart says
That’s what I imagined it would look like. Not as elegant-looking as with the compact battery, but doesn’t seem that XC batteries would be a problem.
Michael Quinlan says
Just an FYI for readers – most chargers (probably including the charging port on this speaker) cater to Apple’s non-standard USB charging specifications, causing many non-Apple devices to charge at a slower rate, usually drawing no more than 500mA. My 2012 Nexus 7 is one such device, but my 2013 Moto X doesn’t care, and charges at full rate anyway. The issue can be corrected by using a charge-only cable.
Dennis says
What is this “radio tuner” you all speak of? I can’t remember the last time I listened to the radio, so lack of a tuner doesn’t bother me. But then again when I’m working on something in the shop I’m generally on my own, so I just listen to headphones. So technically I don’t need a speaker. But this one has Milwaukee written on it, and works on the m12 batteries that I have, and would look nice sitting next to my Milwaukee bottle opener…
Will the USB charger work if the speaker portion is off? Because then it would be very close in price to the m12 USB converter, so why not throw in another $20 and get a speaker in case the need for one should arise.
Jason says
I really like this. I have the big M18 radio while it is nice this little radio is great for grab and go situations. I mostly listen to podcasts anyways, so I don’t need a really crazy speaker system.
Nathan says
I just wish they’d pack as much innovation and utility into their audio accessories as they do their tools: if it had a removable cord for optional AC use and could at least slow charge batteries when plugged in, it would be the perfect M12 accessory! As it is, it’s still much more likely to get my buying dollar than the jobsite radio. I’d pick it up at around a $30-35 sale, I think.
Tyler says
Did anyone see the new m12 vacuum?
Pete says
Looks awesome !!!! http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless
Still waiting for my tire inflator!
robert says
The unofficial price is $59 (via dynamitetoolco). This is the only m12 product that I am hoping would suck big time.
KenZ says
At that price, it better darn well be waterproof and shockproof, because you can get some sweet stuff with a built in battery for like 1/3rd the price on Amazon. Instead of getting this an using an existing or needing a new M12 battery and take up one of your charger slots, you could get TWO of the other ones, always have one on charge, and still save money.
Just because it fits into the ‘ecosystem’ doesn’t mean it’s a smart move…. Now if it’s shock and waterproof, I’ll revise that statement!
jason. W says
Ryobi has a little speaker with and aux port and radio for $30. I know that Bluetooth will raise the price but comeon. Your paying just for the name on this thing!
Hang Fire says
If this had come out 6 months ago, it would have been a case of “shut up and take my money”. Instead we cobbled together something out of old A/C powered PC speakers, cables and adapters. No BlueTooth of course.
KenZ says
I recommend http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F5NE2KG/
There are less expensive options too, but this one is pretty kick ass.
Robert says
There has been a trend in recent years with instrument amps and public address systems in the direction of compact equipment that still puts out formidable sound. Although they’re not necessarily intended for jobsites, some would be excellent for larger areas and further reaching audio.
Link: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TransActW
While this item isn’t cheap, it’s not over the top for what you’re getting. It’s relatively lightweight with rollers and a built in handle. It runs on AC, but also on rechargeable batteries when AC isn’t available. These are popular with dance instructors, and are typical equipment for addressing groups at the YMCA’s near my home.
It’s blue tooth compatible and has a built in holder for an iPhone, iPad etc. I’ve heard this item in a gymnasium with approximately 150 people present, and it was surprisingly capable. It works great with wireless headsets for addressing groups as well. This may seem like overkill, and it would be for many jobsites. For those who need a tradeoff however between portability and enough output for larger needs, this is a great unit. The sound quality is top notch and it’s a great deal for the price.
ajw1978 says
Considering the reputation of Milwaukee to be high-end and cutting edge in terms of technology and new technology, I find it a little odd that they chose to use an iPhone 4 for their stock photo.
Aaron says
I have had one of these for about 3 Or 4 months. I use it on the weekends when I am working around the garage. It worked great, excellent battery life, could charge my phone with it, decent sound for size. Recently the sound quality has gone to crap and I assume that the speaker is blown out. Very poor life span if you ask me. I would complain to Milwaukee except that it was a freebie to me. Maybe the larger units will hold up better? I have a $20 best buy sale special blue tooth speaker that is almost a year old that now sounds better than the milwaukee unit. I own a ton of m12 and m18 tools. This is definitely my first letdown though.
anonymous says
used it today for the first time.. on a 100′ tower w/ 20-30 mph winds w/ 15-20 degree wind chill.. got a solid 8-9 hours of play time w/ a single m12 2.0 battery.. when my work was done for the day I had 1 bar of battery remaining on the fuel display led bar..
great product.. could be a bit louder, but for the most part this is a great radio for taking up the tower.. i have a tool lanyard w/ fixed carabiner attached that I tether the radio off to various objects.. it hangs suspended most of the time..