DeWalt TSTAK Portable Bluetooth Radio + Charger

A jobsite sound system that pulls its weight

I’ve been hauling the TSTAK radio/charger around for a few weeks—onto slabs, through drywall dust, and in and out of a TSTAK stack that lives in the van. It’s a big, purpose-built box that aims to do three things well: play loud and clear, survive the job, and keep DeWalt batteries topped up. In day-to-day use, it mostly hits those marks, with a couple of quirks to know about before you buy.

Build, size, and jobsite fit

This is a substantial unit at roughly 17 pounds and about 21 by 16 inches in footprint. It’s not dainty; it’s a base layer for a TSTAK tower. The side latches integrate cleanly with other TSTAK modules, so it rides securely and doubles as a foundation for cases and organizers. The IP54 rating isn’t a magic shield, but it has shrugged off fine dust, light saw spray, and a windy drizzle without drama.

The controls sit behind a bright color screen, and the front panel has touch-sensitive buttons. The screen is easy to read outdoors, and the touch keys keep the face sealed and wipeable. With clean fingers, they respond immediately; with gloves or muddy hands, the lack of physical feedback can get fiddly. I ended up using the app or the phone’s controls when my gloves were on.

There’s a quick-access phone compartment up front that opens one-handed. It’s deep enough for a modern large phone with a case, and there’s room to snake an AUX or USB cable without pinching. The compartment has been handy for stashing a phone out of harm’s way instead of balancing it on a stud or tossing it into a pocket that’s full of fasteners.

Connectivity and controls

Pairing over Bluetooth was painless, and the unit remembers sources. The TSTAK Radio app adds basic remote control—volume, play/pause, source change, presets—and saved me a few ladders when the unit was up on a scaffold. It’s not a full mixer or EQ tool; think of it as a simple remote that works reliably within typical Bluetooth range.

Speaking of range: around 20–30 feet in open space is fine, but in steel-framed interiors or when my phone was in a back pocket behind a wall, I did get an occasional hiccup or brief dropout. That’s par for the course with Bluetooth in a metal-rich environment, but it’s worth noting. The wired AUX input is your friend if you absolutely need uninterrupted audio in a tough RF environment.

AM/FM reception is solid. On a site with marginal radio reception, it still pulled in our local classic rock and traffic stations without constant retuning, and presets are quick to set. The antenna design is unobtrusive, and the tuner doesn’t seem especially susceptible to interference from nearby chargers or saws.

Sound quality and volume

DeWalt packed four full-range drivers, an active subwoofer, and an assisted bass resonator into this cabinet. That layout isn’t marketing fluff—you can hear the low end fill out at moderate volume, and the box moves air without flab. Vocals and podcasts stay intelligible, and music keeps a decent groove even in the open. It’s not a hi-fi studio monitor, but for a jobsite radio it is confident and composed.

Crank it up and it will get loud enough to compete with a couple of miter saws and a compressor cycling nearby. At top-end volume, the bass tightens up and the midrange gets a bit forward, but it stays listenable without the brittle harshness some compact jobsite speakers fall into. In a high-echo space, I preferred it set slightly off-center rather than wedged into a corner; that reduced boom and improved clarity.

Power, charging, and runtime

One of the big draws here is the integrated charger. It accepts and charges 12V MAX, 20V MAX, and FLEXVOLT 20V/60V MAX packs. Plug the unit into AC and it will run the radio while charging a battery. Unplug it, drop in a pack, and you’re cordless. That duality makes it a practical anchor in a tool trailer or garage between jobs, then a roaming sound source on site.

I used a mix of 2Ah 12V MAX and 5Ah 20V MAX packs. Runtime naturally depends on volume and source, but with a 5Ah 20V MAX pack streaming Bluetooth at mid volume, it easily covered a morning before lunch. FLEXVOLT packs extend that further. Charging performance felt on par with compact DeWalt chargers; it’s not a rapid charger, but I could finish a battery swap cycle during a lunch break without babysitting it.

I did encounter one minor hiccup: on one occasion the charger didn’t recognize a pack until I reseated it. It only happened once, but it’s the sort of thing you notice when you’re relying on the radio to pull double duty as a charger. The included AC cord tucks neatly away, and strain relief is decent, but like any cord that sees jobsite abuse, it’s worth treating it with a little care.

The front USB port charges a phone quickly enough to keep up with GPS and streaming, and it’s been a reliable top-off during long days. It’s a single-port setup and not a desktop USB hub, so plan accordingly if your crew expects to charge multiple devices off the radio.

Everyday usability

As a daily companion, the TSTAK radio/charger earns its spot. The handle is comfortable, the feet don’t mar finished floors, and the cabinet doesn’t rattle even when the sub is doing work. The interface is straightforward: big source and volume controls, obvious preset management, and visual feedback that’s legible in sun and shade.

The touch-sensitive controls are the biggest ergonomic compromise. In exchange for a sealed, wipeable face, you lose some glove-friendly tactility. If you’re used to knurled knobs, these will feel a bit clinical. The app and your phone do help bridge that gap.

Another practical note: at 17 pounds, it’s not the radio you casually hang on a nail or swing from a ladder hook. I keep it on a cart, a bench, or the floor, and let the speakers project. It is happiest as a ground-based unit rather than a shoulder companion.

Durability and service

The IP54 rating, solid plastics, and tight seams have stood up to dust, light moisture, and transport with TSTAK stacks. I dropped a tape measure onto the top once and scuffed it, but there were no functional consequences. Internally, the drivers and cabinet feel well-braced—no sympathetic vibrations have developed after a few weeks of bouncing around.

DeWalt backs it with a 3-year limited warranty, which aligns with many of their jobsite electronics. As with any tool that combines electronics and charging, I’d recommend registering it and giving the cord and battery contacts a quick inspection now and then to avoid avoidable downtime.

Comparisons and context

If you’re already invested in the TSTAK ecosystem, this unit makes the most sense. It integrates physically with your storage, charges the same 12V/20V/FLEXVOLT batteries you’re already using, and provides sound that’s genuinely room-filling. Compared with some other jobsite radios I’ve used, this edges ahead on low-end presence and matching the pack ecosystem, while giving up a bit of glove-friendly control to its touch interface.

If your priority is a lighter, hang-anywhere speaker, there are smaller 20V models that are easier to perch but don’t charge batteries and don’t have the same bass authority. If you need a modular, stackable, all-in-one piece that also handles charging, this is squarely in its lane.

Quirks to consider

• Bluetooth can hiccup in metal-heavy or partitioned environments. Use the AUX input for guaranteed stability.
• Touch controls are not glove-friendly. The app softens this but doesn’t replace physical knobs.
• Single USB output; no multi-device power hub functionality.
• It’s heavy. Great as a base module, less ideal as a carry-all-day speaker.

The bottom line

I like the TSTAK radio/charger because it behaves like a tool, not a toy. It sounds big, it stacks, it charges the batteries I’m already using, and it takes jobsite abuse in stride. I’d prefer physical knobs, but I’ll take the sealed face and app control trade-off on a dusty site. Bluetooth stability is good but not bulletproof; the AUX wire stays in my kit for tricky interiors.

Recommendation: I recommend it to anyone already in the DeWalt 12V/20V/FLEXVOLT world who wants a stackable jobsite radio that doubles as a charger and delivers real low-end without rattles. If your workflow demands glove-friendly knobs or you work in RF-hostile environments where Bluetooth dropouts are unacceptable, you might be happier with a simpler, wired-first setup. For most crews, though, this is a durable, capable sound-and-charge hub that earns its space in the stack.