DEWALT Bluetooth Speaker DCR010 Review
DEWALT has built a legendary (and well-deserved, at that) reputation for producing top-tier tools, not just for carpenters and contractors – as well as other tradesmen – but homeowners, DIY-ers and hobbyists as well.
One of their newer Bluetooth speakers – the DCR010 – isn’t going to tarnish that reputation even a little bit.
Well-designed, well engineered and what many already described in their product reviews as the perfect jobsite entertainment center, the DCR010 tool builds upon everything that the ToughSystem Music + Charger from DEWALT introduced to the market a couple of years back.
Is the DEWALT Bluetooth Speaker DCR010 For You?
DEWALT might have a reputation as being the ‘go to’ tool manufacturer for serious professionals, but almost all of their products are accessible for homeowners and DIY-ers as well.
This jobsite Bluetooth speaker system fits that mold perfectly.
Super easy to use, rugged and durable, you could easily imagine this speaker system being set up in a workshop, on job sites, in garages, backyard decks and even on tailgates all across the country.
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There’s just something almost universal about this speaker that makes it a smart buy for anyone, who needs a durable, tough speaker that can run off a separately purchased lithium-ion battery or a corded power supply that it comes with.
Some of the other jobsite speakers produced by DEWALT are designed specifically with construction and trade professionals in mind.
But not this one.
The DEWALT DCR010 isn’t going to blow holes in anyone’s bank account or upset anyone’s budget. It doesn’t have that overly ‘contractor grade’ look to it, either.
It’s a great pickup for almost anybody!
What We Like About this DEWALT Bluetooth Speaker
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Great all rounder |
| Buy on Amazon |
Where do we begin breaking down all the things we like about this DEWALT Bluetooth speaker?
For starters, the audio quality on this ‘boombox’ is about as good as it can get.
Music sound is crisp, loud and even. You’re not going to get a lot of scratching, a lot of popping or a lot of distortion – especially when you crank the volume to the roof.
In fact, this amazing little speaker system almost sounds better when you dial it all the way up to 11 (and then some). A lot of that is thanks to the dual full range 76-mm sound drivers built right in, sound drivers that come complete with active sound amplification that piggybacks off the internal amplifier.
Just don’t be surprised if you don’t find yourself taking this thing beyond 75% maximum volume unless you are outside. It’s loud!
The Bluetooth connectivity set up for this speaker system is simple and straightforward as well.
The speaker takes advantage of the latest Bluetooth connection protocols, giving you extended range of up to 100 feet before the signal starts to degrade – and even then, the degradation is very minor.
Connectivity happens almost instantly. All you have to do is fire up the speaker itself, press down and hold the Bluetooth button and wait until the Bluetooth indicator starts to flash. Then automatically pair your device (Android and iPhones connect straightaway) and you are off to the races.
From a power perspective, DEWALT has hit a home run too.
The fact that this ‘little boombox’ runs off dual power options – either a 12V MAX, 20V MAX or FLEXVOLT® battery from DEWALT (the same batteries running your cordless DEWALT power tools) or a standard power cord into any 110V outlet. This is super convenient.
A single 100% 20V MAX battery will run this speaker all day long and then some, with a 10-hour playback test leaving about 60% battery life left.
We would have loved for this jobsite Bluetooth speaker to be able to recharge those same DEWALT cordless tool batteries (that’s one of our biggest drawbacks we mentioned below, in fact). But, we do appreciate the fact that this thing is a powerbank and can charge your phone and other mobile devices with lightning like speed.
Just connect your mobile phone, tablet or other USB powered device to the USB outlet and enjoy clean, consistent, and safe quick charging capabilities almost instantly.
You can even plug your phone into the USB charger, snap it into the phone holder built into the handle, and then stream your music via Bluetooth without worrying about your battery dying on you.
Not bad, right? The only thing here is that no other accessories are included except for the AC power cable. So, you will need to purchase a USB cable and/or AUX cable if you want to charge your mobile devices from the speaker and/or play from MP3 or other vintage devices that aren’t Bluetooth enabled.
Its rugged design, drop proof concept and compact size will make this speaker your permanent music companion.
And not only at a job site, but also during leisure activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, biking or even just while relaxing on the back porch.
You will enjoy listening to any kind of music genre, be it heavy metal, rock-n-roll or just jazz and blues.
What We Don’t Like About the DEWALT Bluetooth Speaker DCR010
There’s not a lot to dislike, when it comes to this Bluetooth speaker setup.
Some folks aren’t wild about the built-in carrying handle, but that’s not something that we were really all that disappointed in.
Truth be told, it’s kind of nice to have an oversized, rugged handle to be able to grab on a speaker system designed to be sort of tossed around outside.
We would have liked for this speaker system to double as a battery charger – but that’s not on the cards (not for this speaker model, anyway).
There were plenty of times we would have liked to be able to plug this speaker directly into the wall and have it juice up a battery that we snapped into the back. Especially when you think about how much independent DEWALT charging stations cost!
Maybe that’s something that they roll out at this price point later down the line, though. We know a lot of folks would love to see that happen!
But hey, if you are after a DEWALT speaker, more than likely you have been using their other cordless tools and already own one of those battery chargers.
There is one more thing. If you intend on using the battery when it’s charged and the AC cord when the battery runs flat, you will have to take the battery out off the speaker, as the AC port is hidden behind the battery.
Pros and Cons
- Incredibly loud and consistent volume control + deep and rich bass
- Amazing Bluetooth connectivity features
- Legendary DEWALT build quality
- Powerbank – quickly recharge mobile devices via USB
- A little bulky for some
- Doesn’t double as a DEWALT cordless battery charger
- Not waterproof
- FM/AM radio is not built-in
- No built-in mic
What’s Included?
What you see is what you get with this DEWALT DCR010 Bluetooth speaker.
In the box are:
- The speaker system itself
- Dedicated power cord
- Owner’s manual
Technical Specifications
- Right around 3 pounds
- Measures 4” x 8.5” x 5.8”
- Dual Bluetooth speaker configuration
- Offers up to 100 feet of connectivity
- Dedicated onboard button control scheme
- USB charging and auxiliary input options
- Compatible with 2V MAX, 20V MAX and FLEXVOLT DEWALT cordless batteries (available for purchase separately)
- Integrated phone holder in the rugged carry handle
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Great all rounder |
| Buy on Amazon |
Features
- Ruggedized exterior guarantees legendary DEWALT ‘bulletproof’ properties
- Leverages the latest Bluetooth technology for more consistent and reliable wireless connections
- Has USB charging capabilities built right in as well as 3.5 mm auxiliary input for playback from older non-Bluetooth devices
- Can be run 100% cordless or 100% corded
- Works with almost all DEWALT cordless tool batteries
- Easily connects to Android and iOS devices (including iPhone and iPad devices)
- Nearly 20 hour runtime on a single 20V battery (when fully charged)
Final Breakdown of this Jobsite Speaker
All in all, this is a really special Bluetooth speaker system.
If you’ve been on a jobsite before (or even just tried to jam out in your garage while tackling some projects) on a cheap Bluetooth speaker, you know how poor the experience can be.
This DEWALT is going to blow those experiences right out of the water!
Sound quality is top-notch, not just at the mid-level but in the lows (deep, rich bass) and also at the highs as well. Next-generation Bluetooth connectivity guarantees that all your streaming media sounds as authentic as possible.
You don’t have to worry about your music (or movies and shows you’re streaming through the speaker) sounding thin or tinny. Even at 75% volume, you’re going to risk blowing your eardrums out if this thing isn’t set up outside!
The rugged durability of this DEWALT Bluetooth speaker really can’t be overstated. We are talking about a relatively compact form factor setup here that is built like a brick house.
You might not want to stick this under your truck tires and drive over it to see what happens, but you wouldn’t be alone and thinking it could survive unscathed.
Solid, resilient and built to withstand all different kinds of conditions, this is not a Bluetooth speaker setup that has to be babied. It’s made to get dirty, it’s made to be around debris and dust, and it’s not going to go on the fritz if it gets a little wet, either.
All in all, the DEWALT DCR010 is maybe the best Bluetooth speaker available at this budget price point.
You won’t have to break your bank account into tiny pieces to get your hands on this DEWALT setup. You won’t feel like you are forking over too much money for what you get, either.
That’s not all that often these days that we buy something we feel is a real value. The DEWALT rings all those bells, though.
You’re going to love the way this thing sounds when you fire it up the first time! Still not convinced whether this speaker tool is for you?
Check out reviews of the other two DEWALT speakers or ‘speakers for factory work from other brands’ article to compare them.
Then you can decide on which one of these remarkable speakers for loud environments such as a jobsite to purchase.