Swiss Military Retro 2.0 review: This speaker looks like a classic radio—and almost sounds like one too

piece swiss people war machine is charles herbert best known for its classic wristwatches, few may live that the company also dabbles in electronic products. One such offering is the Swiss Military Retro 2.0 speaker, which presents an intriguing proposition under ₹3,000 with its stylish retro aesthetic and multiple connectivity options. I’ve been using this speaker for over a month and here’s how it holds up in the real world.

Design:

The Retro 2.0 comes with a vintage-inspired design with a wood finish rectangular housing, a retro-style grill on the front with triangular patterns and the Swiss Military branding, and a brown leather strap. There is a black antenna popping out of the back for accessing FM Radio and there are also a number of connectivity options including a USB port, AUX port and even a card reader.

On closer inspection, one will notice the obvious inspiration Swiss Military has taken from some of Marshall’s speakers but given that the speaker itself feels premium, especially at the price it comes at, the design choices are acceptable.

With a weight of around 1.5 kg, it is not meant to be carried on road trips but it does make for a very attractive addition to the living room. I have even used it as a background prop for several photographs recently.

Let me put it this way, no matter what your aesthetic sensibilities are, it is hard to not be impressed with the looks of this device.

Sound:

The Retro 2.0 features a 20W Classic D Amplifier speaker setup that gets decently loud for personal listening but it may not be ideal for loud party sessions. While I am not an audiophile, I enjoyed listening to a lot of retro and indie songs on this speaker thanks to its punchy output and preference for mids. However, bass lovers and EDM fans may find the sound lacking, as the output isn’t tuned with heavy low-end frequencies in mind.

In terms of battery life, Swiss Military claims 10 hours of usage. My experience suggests that one can get around 7 to 8 hours on a single charge. It takes over an hour to charge but there are no issues with playing music while it charges.

It is worth noting that the Retro 2.0 does not support multi-device connectivity. If you have multiple devices, you will need to disconnect from one before pairing another. Another issue I faced was with the charging port. Most chargers I used felt loose in the port and only the OnePlus proprietary charger worked reliably during testing.

Verdict

At a starting price of around ₹3,000, the Swiss Military Retro 2.0 is not the most portable or best sounding speaker available. Where it excels is in its retro design that evokes a classic radio aesthetic with modern functionality. Support for FM radio also makes it suitable for elder members of the family. Its tuning towards vocals and acoustic instruments makes it a good option for users looking for a visually appealing speaker with decent sound quality for casual listening.

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