Several companies have tried Sonos over the years when it comes to multi-room audio and auto-adjusting speakers with built-in voice assistants. These devices are much more common in 2023 than before, so there are a whole host of options if you’re looking for alternatives to the Move or Era. JBL is the latest to try his hand with new additions to his . While audio may be its primary use, these devices are the first to operate two voice assistants simultaneously without having to switch between them. And on the ($450), you get a portable unit that doesn’t need to stay parked on a shelf.
Design
Most JBL wireless speakers fall into three categories. These are either robust, compact boomboxes with a modern look or internally lit party units. For this new Authentics series, the company has opted for a cleaner design: all black with a gold frame around the front speaker grille. It’s certainly an aesthetic that fits well on a shelf, without the of some of the company’s smaller options. All three Authentics speakers look almost exactly the same, the main difference being size, although the 300 has a boombox-shaped rotating handle, the other two do not. That’s because it’s the only portable option in the lineup with a built-in battery.
JBL describes the look of the Authentics as “retro,” but I’m not sure I agree. Sure, there’s a classic vibe thanks to the ’70s-inspired Quadrex grille the company has used in the past, but the finer details and onboard controls are decidedly modern. Speaking of controls, at the top you’ll find volume, treble, and bass knobs that light up the level as you turn them. Pressing the center of the volume wheel gives you the playback controls. There are also Bluetooth, Power, and Moment buttons as well as a thin light bar that shows the charging status when the speaker is plugged in. On the back is a microphone mute switch, as well as Ethernet, 3.5mm aux, USB-C, and power ports.
Software and Features
Authentics speaker features and settings are managed in the JBL One app. Here, you are greeted with a list of the company’s products you own along with their connection status, battery level, and any media playing on the device. After selecting the Authentics 300, JBL takes you into detail, with the battery level visible again at the top. A media player sits just below, with the ability to sync Amazon Music, Tidal, Napster, Qobuz, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Calm Radio so you can play them directly in this app.
JBL offers limited EQ customization. There’s a manual slider with options for bass, mid, and treble, but that’s it. You won’t find carefully tuned presets or the ability to make more detailed adjustments along the curve. To quickly access your songs, JBL offers a feature called Moment. Accessible via the speaker’s heart button, this allows you to save a favorite album or playlist to the list of streaming services supported by the app. You can also specify the volume and auto-off timing during setup.
Finally, a word on streaming music over Wi-Fi. The Authentics line supports a range of options here, including AirPlay, Chromecast, Alexa, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect, all of which are more convenient than swiping to the Bluetooth menu and pair the speaker every time you use it. With Wi-Fi, listening to music on Authentics devices is just a few clicks away in the app where you browse and select music or podcasts. The speakers also support multi-room audio via AirPlay, Alexa and the Google Home app
Two assistants, twice the fun
JBL claims the Authentics series is the first set of speakers to run two voice assistants simultaneously. Each of the three units can use both Alexa and Google Assistant without you having to choose one or the other first. This opens up availability on compatible smart home devices and means your choice of speakers isn’t as limited by your go-to assistant.
The speaker never had trouble hearing my commands, and he didn’t mistake a request to one assistant for a question to the other. When you ask the Google Assistant for help, a white light appears at the top center of the speaker grill. Summon Alexa and this LED glows blue until your conversation ends. When you mute the microphones with the switch on the back of the 300, this light turns red and stays on until you turn them back on. As is the case with any smart speaker, the limitations of voice commands are the general obstacles of the assistants themselves rather than the shortcomings of the speaker.
Sound quality
The Authentics 300 really shines with softer, relaxing music like jazz, bluegrass, and acoustic country. There is a warm, inviting sound with great clarity in these styles. When you move on to the chaos of the metal and hardcore band, or even the heavy but melodious guitar sounds of Chris Stapleton, the speaker setting puts too much emphasis on the vocals and the lack of bass thud creates a overall muddy sound.
Sure, you can boost the bass with the physical controls or the EQ in the app, but that doesn’t add the kind of deep bass that would open up the soundstage. This improves the overall tuning of albums like Stapleton’s. Upper, but the emphasis is still too much on the singing. You can really hear the impact on The Killer’s Rebel Diamonds while Brandon Flowers almost completely drowns out the backing synth on “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” from A hot agitation.
Sometimes though, the Authentics 300 is a joy to listen to. Put on some Miles Davis and the speaker is at its best. Ditto for the bluegrass of Nickel Creek, the smooth country tunes of Charles Wesley Godwin and the classic Christmas mixes. However, the inconsistency between styles is frustrating. Interestingly, JBL claims that the Authentics speakers offer automatic tuning every time you turn them on, but I didn’t notice much difference when I moved the 300 around.
Battery life
JBL claims the Authentics 300 will last up to eight hours on a charge. Two minutes after unplugging, the JBL One app’s battery level was already down 2% when playing music via AirPlay 2, at around 30% volume. This may seem low, but it’s good for “working music” on this speaker. After 30 minutes, the app showed 88 percent, but things slowed down and I managed to still have 24 percent remaining after the eight hours were up. When testing via Bluetooth, the percentages dropped similarly, but I had no problem reaching eight hours at 50 percent volume (Bluetooth was quieter than AirPlay at 30 percent).
JBL offers a battery saving mode to help you maximize gaming time when you’re away from home. This setting “optimizes” both volume and bass to extend battery life, according to the company. There’s also an optional auto power off feature that kicks in after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour when you’re not connected to power and audio is no longer playing.
The competition
JBL offers two alternatives to the Authentics 300 within the same speaker range. The smaller Authentics 200 ($350) is more compact, but not portable, while the larger 500 ($700) is a high-fidelity unit with Dolby Atmos support. Both still run two voice assistants at the same time and have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus everything else the Authentics line offers. To support this immersive audio, the Authentics 500 has more drivers than the other two, with three 25mm tweeters, three 2.75-inch midranges, and a 6.5-inch subwoofer. I’m looking forward to seeing if the extra components and added 170 watts of output power improve the sound quality, but their frequency response is only slightly lower than the 300’s (40 Hz versus 45 Hz).
If you’re looking for something portable that can also do double duty at home, the is a solid option. It’s too big to carry easily, but it supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as improved sound and better battery life compared to version 1.0. There’s also a surprising amount of sound and a durable design. Plus, it’s the same price as the Authentics 300 at $449. For something more stationary and immersive, you can get the without paying more. My colleague Nathan Ingraham noted this device’s excellent sound quality during his review, but encountered inconsistent performance when it came to spatial audio. There is also no Google Assistant support on this model.
Conclude
When I try to reach a final verdict on the , I find myself going in circles. For everything I like about the speaker, there is immediately something I don’t like. The company certainly deserves some kudos for being the first to manage two assistants at the same time and for figuring out how to do it without confusion or headaches. However, uneven sound quality is a major problem, especially on a $450 speaker. And while the device offers better-than-advertised battery life, its larger size makes portability an issue. So unless you are absolutely need To seamlessly switch between Alexa and Google Assistant, there are better options.
This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jbl-authentics-300-review-alexa-and-google-assistant-coexisting-190036434.html?src=rss
