Harman International’s JBL unwrapped a slew of new speakers at the recently concluded CES 2017. Most of these devices are slated for a Spring 2017 release window, which could fall around the first to second quarter of the year.
JBL Pulse 3
Featuring 360-degree lights, which are synced to the music being played, the JBL Pulse 3 portable Bluetooth speaker looks like a lava lamp emanating audio. The Pulse 3’s speaker – which consists of three drivers and two passive radiators – also outputs sound in 360-degrees.
JBL’s lava lamp looker has an IPX7 water resistance rating. According to the spec sheet, the device’s battery is rated for up to 12 hours of use even with the lighting system turned on.
Other features of the Pulse 3 include the ability to simultaneously pair with two smartphones, call-taking with noise and echo cancellation, and a built-in voice assistant. The Pulse 3 also comes with JBL Connect+, which allows it to be paired with over a hundred speakers supporting the technology. Imagine the dank beats you can produce with that array.
The JBL Pulse 3 is priced at $199 (~Php 10K) and will see a Spring release.
JBL Flip 4
The Flip 4 is another portable Bluetooth speaker, but without the fancy light show of the Pulse 3. The Flip 4 shares similar features with the Pulse 3 like dual smartphone pairing, IPX7 rating, JBL Connect+ functionality, AI assistant, and battery life. Where the Flip 4 shines, apparently, is its ruggedness due to the durable fabric and rubber materials used in its casing.
The JBL Flip 4 is expected for a March launch, with a $99 (~Php 5K) price tag.
JBL Playlist
The Playlist is JBL’s Chromecast compatible home speaker which can play Spotify and Pandora audio over WiFi. The Playlist also has functionality for multi-device pairing, allowing different users to queue their songs for the speaker to output.
The JBL Playlist will go for $149 (~Php 7.5K) when it comes out in late March.
JBL BassPro Go
A portable speaker-subwoofer device, the BassPro Go is suited for vehicle or home use. Featuring the potency of an 8-inch subwoofer, the BassPro Go adds much-needed bass to an existing speaker system. It also has the usual hallmarks of recent JBL audio devices such as Connect+ support, water resistance, and multi-device pairing.
The BassPro Go will be sold for $599 (Php 30K) later in Summer 2017.
