This TSTAK (R) Portable Bluetooth (R) Radio plus Charger provides premium sound with a bass resonator and Bluetooth (R) connectivity. It’s jobsite tough, featuring IP54 water and dust resistance. A convenient phone storage compartment protects your device. A fast USB charging outlet and Aux audio output provide added convenience. This unit runs on and charges 12-Volt MAX, 20-Volt MAX, and 60-Volt MAX batteries, including FLEXVOLT (R) Stack it with all other TSTAK (R) boxes in your system. This is the perfect upgrade to your jobsite storage.
- Clear sound with 4 full-range speakers plus 1 active sub-woofer plus 1 assisted bass resonator for loud, high-quality sound
- Bluetooth connectivity for cordless streaming of music and audio content from your mobile device
- Color flip screen and touch-sensitive buttons for exceptional user experience
- Cordless operation and charger functionality works with and charges all DEWALT 12-Volt max, 20-Volt max, and 60-Volt max batteries, including FLEXVOLT
- IP54 rating for weather and dust resistance
- Large compartment featuring single-hand operation to safely store your phone
- Fast USB charging outlet and aux port
- Stacks with any TSTAK module using side latches
- Listen to music while working on the jobsite
- Stack the TSTAK radio with your other TStak storage products
- Charge your phone and/or battery while using the radio
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including arsenic, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Hallie Kulas (verified owner) –
Everything works like it should but, if I have my iPhone linked to it then disconnect and try to connect my laptop it won’t connect either one till I reset and only have one device linked to it. Other than that gotta have it set down on a smooth surface cause it booms!!!! All my friends and coworkers want one.!!!
Minerva Turcotte (verified owner) –
The Dewalt TSTAK radio has excellent sound quality. I like the compartment that houses the battery pack and it large enough to keep my phone inside as well. It quickly charges my 20v batteries so that I can take the stereo down to the beach or swap out batteries while working on my deck. It feel durable and is easy to carry around.
Maverick Deckow (verified owner) –
I bought this about a year ago I’m so happy with it I take it to every job site can’t work with out it
Eulalia Flatley (verified owner) –
I was looking for a radio for a wild to take to the job site but I wanted something tough durable and all-around good quality then I saw that the STAK MAKES a radio to connect to my boxes that was a no brainer I was very surprised with the quality and sound of the radio very good radio highly recommend it the only downfall not really liking the charger but that’s why I always carry extra batteries around I think that was the only downfall
Judd Schaefer (verified owner) –
I bought this a week ago and everyone at the job site Everyone at the job site loves it including me obviously! Everyone asked about it and I recommended it because the sound it’s just great and the whole radio just looks heavy duty… now we are all ready to work
Polly Wiegand (verified owner) –
The TStak Connect is the brand new for 2018, more compact counterpart to DeWalt’s ToughSystem Music which was released in 2015. The TStak is compatible with the modular dockable toolbox systems including the VersaStak sold by parent company StanleyBlack&Decker. At the time of this writing, both are current products so I will be making comparisons between the two. In short: If you’re looking for a device to charge high-capacity FlexVolt batteries, and use primarily as a wireless or auxiliary speaker, you’ll enjoy the multiple device capability as well as the 2-way control via Bluetooth on the TStak Connect. If you are looking for an excellent AM/FM radio tuner, and use regular 12 or 20V MAX batteries, I feel the ToughSystem Music is still a better choice.The TStak Connect has a redesigned storage compartment that is now a single release handle instead of the 4 latches on the ToughSystem. This makes it much easier to access – and now the battery, mobile device, and power adapter storage is all located in the same space. Some rugged phones or cases do not fit, and the USB is for charging only, with no media support. This compartment has a seal to provide the IP54 weather resistance rating when closed. The battery compartment is larger, to support the dimensions of the high-capacity FlexVolt battery packs, which do not fit in the ToughSystem Music. There is a revised clip to retain the battery pack rather than using adhesive foam bumpers as on other DeWalt radio models. From a user interface perspective, it has a full colour graphical display which automatically rotates depending on if you have the unit laying flat or standing up. There are 6 context-sensitive soft keys and the jog dial doubles as the power button, along with home, back, and the dedicated seek up/down buttons that were missing from the ToughSystem. Volume settings are remembered per input.Even with all these many more pixels on the screen however, there is no more 8-segment battery state of charge icon as with the ToughSystem, instead it is replaced by a tiny multi-colour LED to indicate 3 states going from green, to yellow, and then red as it discharges, and then flashing red for charging or error. I feel like the high-resolution colour graphical display could be put to much better use by retaining the “status icon tray” that many people are familiar with in consumer electronics these days. Display brightness and auto-dim can be selected in the menu. The mobile app is functional, but needs refinement at this time. I tested both Android and iOS variants of the TStak Connect Radio app, released in May 2018. The app allows for remote control of the TStak’s volume, standby/power, and you can also control a TStak that is receiving streams from another Bluetooth device, which is a big plus for some audio accessories that can’t run apps (such as standalone Bluetooth audio senders). DeWalt no longer claims a wireless range for the TStak (it was 100ft for the ToughSystem) but it is expected to be a Class 1, maximum allowable by the specification – but difficult to guarantee as it really depends on the chipset specifications and implementation of the corresponding paired device. In practice – real-world differences in range between products were negligible. The TStak’s Bluetooth chipset offers 3.0 (audio) and 4.0 BLE (control) capability to paired devices. BT 3.0 reveals A2DP and not HSP, so phone call audio won’t accidentally get blasted across site.There is also a very basic media player built in to the app that attempts to index supported local media files on the device, but you can also use the media player or platform of your choice (including streaming apps) of course. This model was originally released for the European market first, so the app defaults to settings catered for that market’s model – which includes a DAB+ digital radio tuner as well as 50kHz FM tuning step. The North American model we are reviewing here does not have a DAB+ tuner (nor does it have any iBiquity IBOC or “HD Radio” features which is the prevalent digital broadcast format in the USA, Mexico, and Canada) and the front panel offers a 100kHz FM step, but the app often gets confused and shows a DAB option and allows for tuning to 50kHz which is not relevant to this market and could cause confusion. In addition, FM presets can be recalled and modified from the app interface. Meanwhile, AM tuner control capability appears to be completely absent from the app interface, and can only be adjusted from the device front panel.If the absence of AM from the app is any indication that the feature is basically an afterthought, I was disappointed to find that the excellent tuner electronics from the ToughSystem Music did not carry over to the TStak Connect. The internal electrical noise makes the AM tuner deaf to all but signals with the highest field strength, ie. if you are in the broadcaster’s primary 25mV/m contour region. Furthermore, there are several frequencies across the range where the TStak generates internal “birdies” or products of internal mixing, which severely impact receiver performance within its operating band – in fact, while reviewing the two DeWalt radio models side-by-side, merely bringing a TStak switched on in close proximity to the ToughSystem would wipe out both of them. This was noted when the device was operating on battery pack, as well as by its power adapter, with the noise getting even worse when the unit was in charging mode. There is no graphical signal bars meter displayed as with the ToughSystem. Finally… the AM tuner section does not remember the last tuned frequency between power/standby cycles, and always defaults to the bottom of the band at 520kHz when powered on. Using a preset would be a workaround to this.The FM tuner is more immune to the noise issues described earlier, and is otherwise functional. The auto-scan is very fast and there is a search function to populate all preset slots in the order they are discovered. Stereo is fully automatic when 19kHz pilot tone is detected, with no mono override.RBDS, or Radio Broadcast Data System, is partially implemented on the TStak Connect and it decodes the PS (Program Service) field up to 8 characters maximum. Oddly enough, it does not reset the PS when changing frequencies, meaning if you tune from a station that has an RBDS subcarrier, to a station that does not, it will still retain the last decoded message on screen. If you then subsequently save that preset, you’ll end up with the wrong label for the station. In comparison, the ToughSystem decodes both PS and RT (Radio Text) fields and displays them both simultaneously. Moving on from my critical review of the radio functions, the sound on both devices is otherwise very good and there is no audible apparent differences between the TStak and the ToughSystem audio systems, even if the TStak has a slightly smaller pair of active subwoofer driver and passive resonator. This part is very well done, and the TStak continues to offer the 3-band equalizer, although with fixed Q and it is global across all sources (eg. no way of setting different EQ per source type). For the intended market and application, these are designed to be loud but not necessarily a flat response. In that theme, there appears to be a loudness contour that is always enabled, which further boosts low frequencies at low volume levels and then weans it off as the volume is increased, this is also to manage internal amplifier power. The internal DSP processing introduces a very slight delay, in the range of milliseconds to the audio, which is not an issue with Bluetooth but may be noticeable or distracting if you have the radio operating with others tuned to the same program, in the vicinity. Powering the TStak is still accomplished by a 24-volt DC adapter, and the only visible change is the right-angled strain relief connector to allow the new adapter to fit snugly into the TStak’s storage cubby. Although I would have preferred this to be an internal power supply with a male NEMA 5-15P recessed in the chassis to attach any commercially available extension cord (like their area light and outdoor equipment products), I understand the use of an external power adapter allows the product to be easier adaptable to worldwide markets. Time will tell how durable the DC connector is with repeated use. Recharging certain battery models like the DCB203 and DCB120 on the TStak turned out to be hit-or-miss on my particular unit. It would often show the ‘faulty battery’ symbol on the display and fast flash red until the battery was re-seated, and/or the DC power cord detached and re-connected. The same batteries charge without any issue – every time – on the ToughSystem, DCR015, DCB113, and DCB101.In conclusion, evaluating this product as the next evolution of toolbox radio products from DeWalt, I feel there were some important improvements with the TStak while some other features were poorly implemented, or not necessarily thoroughly tested before going to market. This product is brand new for the North American market at this time, and so there may still be running improvements along the way. I noticed the app had implemented a device firmware update capability, which allows software upgrades to be implemented after sale by the user without sending back to depot or an authorized service centre. Most of my commentary revolves around improvements to the product that could be easily implemented in software, so this could very well change in the future, should they devote some resources towards it. StanleyBlack&Decker has just recently submitted an FCC regulatory application for the Craftsman-branded counterpart to this TStak Connect, apparently virtually identical except for the colour scheme, so I feel they are actively working on this model yet.
Bobby Daugherty (verified owner) –
good reception .
Jaqueline Ritchie (verified owner) –
GREAT PRODUCT! EVEN BETTER EXPERIENCE PICKING UP MY PURCHASE FROM THE STORE!
Jacques Kuphal (verified owner) –
Great sound. Great charger. Goes well with my TStak collection. It is the best radio charger you can buy out there.
Mozelle O’Hara (verified owner) –
Very nice sound. Just an issue with the mobile app disconnecting from the radio and i wish the battery compartment was just a little bit bigger
Clarabelle Roob (verified owner) –
Dewalt RadioGreat sound from a ruggedized portable radio. AM/FM and a Bluetooth connection capability so that you can play your music from your BT-enabled phone or tablet. It is the Bluetooth capability that really gives the radio its a appeal. A lot of folks want to be able to play their own music collections from their phone or use an internet based music app like Pandora, Spotify, or iTunes. You just setup the radio BT connection, search for the radio from your phone, connect, and away you go. Music Title info is also passed to the small LCD screen on the unit so that you know what’s currently playing. The USB charging port is also a great feature that allows you to keep your phone (or other USB powered accessory) charged up. It also has an AUX port (3.5mm) so that can connect other devices that have an AUX output (as opposed to a BT interface). The user interface takes a while to get used to. Its not very intuitive and the pictogram instructions are rather difficult to understand. It came WITHOUT a battery, so if you don’t normally use Dewalt tools, and you want to use the radio where there is no AC power, you will need to buy a Dewalt 12VMax or 20VMax battery. The batteries are usually sold in pairs. Price varies depending on voltage and Amp-hour rating (ex: Two – 20V Max 2.0Ah batteries: $79 retail)
Ophelia Larson (verified owner) –
In layman’s terms it is a beautiful piece of equipment. The sound is excellent and can really belt it out – even with the bass cranked!
Sunny Boyer (verified owner) –
I’m an amateur musician who builds guitars in my spare time. And so, I have to be a stickler when it comes to the quality of the sound from my guitars. This has made me even more discerning when selecting a suitable radio for my shop. This Dewalt DWST17510 job site radio delivers on sound quality! There’s enough bass to rattle my saws and you can hear the mid range over my drill press. However, it could use a little improvement in the higher frequencies. Drum cymbals for instance can be heard more clearly on my high-end studio monitors… but remember, this is a job-site radio at one tenth of the cost! Besides, my studio monitors can’t survive a 5-foot drop, charge my DeWalt tool batteries or be played in the rain. This is a must-have if you can’t live without music in your shop. Runs on batteries or A/C and streams Bluetooth too! Highly recommended!
Isaias Anderson (verified owner) –
Excellent sound quality
Myah Bernhard (verified owner) –
The Dewalt TSTAK radio has excellent sound quality. I like the compartment that houses the battery pack and it large enough to keep my phone inside as well. It quickly charges my 20v batteries so that I can take the stereo down to the beach or swap out batteries while working on my deck. It feel durable and is easy to carry around.
Kameron Cummings (verified owner) –
Dewalt does it again. Best tools on the market bar none. Awesome sound in a durable casing. Love it.
Mya Kiehn (verified owner) –
This radio is loud
Hazel Kautzer (verified owner) –
Everything about it is great, but I wanna say that like 2 months in, the subwoofer started to have a rattling noise, like it was busted, not bad but I definitely noticed it. I did reach out and they did send me a shipping label to have it repaired or replaced, but I just never did send it. I still use and it works perfectly fine, sound hasn’t gotten worse. And also, there’s a few batteries of mine that it wouldn’t charge if they were completely drained, so I’d have to use a charger for those batteries
Liza Runolfsson (verified owner) –
I previously had the original ToughSystem radio and was very impressed with the sound quality but I wanted something compatible with the higher capacity FlexVolt batteries for camping. This TStack is a great unit but I am disappointed that the screen doesn’t have a true indication of the battery level. Rather it has an LED color indication to show the state of the battery or you could navigate through the phone app which shows an actual battery level. I noticed that the ToughSystem 2.0 has almost an identical interface that does show an actual battery level, I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t incorporate that into this radio. I do like the bigger compartment for the phone over the original ToughSystem but it becomes fairly cramped when there is a FlexVolt battery with the power cord. I don’t like that this radio still has an external transformer in the power cord, it would be nice being able to just plug an extension cord into this unit similar to the jobsite fan while still maintaining the battery charger feature. Another flaw I’ve come across is while I’m in the bluetooth feature, the screen becomes very pixelated. Overall this radio has exceeded my expectations in terms of ease of connectivity with my phone and audio quality.
Gunnar Padberg (verified owner) –
Awesome