Verdict
The Authentics 500 is a powerful wireless talker that can double as a impertinent home base controller with potent and big sound , but it miss audio finesse considering its cost .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The JBL Authentics 500 is a gravid wireless speaker that cite the manner of classical JBL hi - fi speakers . Its Quadrex grillwork was used back in the 1970s in contrast like the JBL L100 , anamazing speaker re - issued in 2018 .
It is distinctive , and more home - well-disposed than the styles of JBL ’s wireless speakers , primarily thanks to its appearance .
There ’s an switcheroo give out on there , though . JBL portable speakers often look a act juvenile but have surprisingly tasteful and balanced strait . The JBL Authentics 500 ’s appearance is that bit more posh , but the sound go all out on bass power and bluff scale .
If you want that sort of speaker , great . However , it ’s not the most rude fit for the JBL Authentics 500 ’s price . It costs £ 579.99 , more than theSonos geological era 300and not far off double the current price of the standardJBL Xtreme 3 .
Design
Most of the JBL speakers I ’ve refresh in the last few twelvemonth have been Bluetooth unity . They are almost universally not bad these days . The JBL Authentics 500 is a pure nursing home speaker unit , though . It has no integrated battery , no choice to add together one in modular style .
It makes sense given the JBL Authentics 500 design , though . This is a hefty 11 kilogram brick of a talker with a leather way out and fabric grille , not the ultra - tough nylon sort of JBL ’s Flip and Xtreme serial .
It ’s not urine repellent either , but I ’d much rather give the Authentics 500 a lasting shoes in my home than any of the JBL portable unit , at least from a visual perspective . Its construction may not be as unstinting as you might envision apply its high price , though .
The JBL Authentics 500 leather impression part are formative , its atomic number 79 parts plastic too . However , JBL has successfully blended the look of some of its classical hi - fi speaker system with a more modern fashion of speaker unit .
There ’s no screen on the top , but there is a tierce of controllers . One is a play / pause button , the other two are treble and sea bass controls .
As these can also be tweaked from inside the JBL app , the Authentics 500 uses LED around the dials ’ perimeter to show you the stratum when you make any changes .
Want something pocket-size ? No problem . The Authentics 500 is the largest in thisnew JBL family , and sits alongside smaller Authentics 200 and Authentic 300 models . That last JBL Authentics 300 is by far the most conciliatory of the lot as it has an integrate battery and carry handle .
Features
The JBL Authentics 500 may have 1970s touches to its appearance thanks to that Quadrex - inspired loudspeaker grille , but this is very much a forward-looking unit . It has build - in microphones for digital assistant access , and you’re able to access eitherGoogle AssistantorAmazon Alexa .
detest the whole smart family thing ? There ’s a luger on the back of the speaker system that handicap the mike . I would n’t recommend this if voguish home ascendency is a big destination either . While experience two assistants that can populate side - by - side is great , I happen the Authentics 500 far slower to respond to the “ Hey Google ” or “ Alexa ” wake words than an Echo or Home speaker , which spoils the experience a bit .
On the behind you ’ll also find a 3.5 mm aux remark , an Ethernet socket to fend off Wi - Fi headaches and a USB - ampere-second port . This is n’t to power the speaker ( there ’s a figure - of-8 connector for that ) . The US version ’s USB can be used to play tracks stored on a USB stick , but elsewhere it ’s for “ service only ” fit in to JBL . That likely means JBL family line can re - install firmware if something goes incorrect .
I ’d much rather have USB playback for connection to a personal computer or laptop , but then this is n’t really that kind of verbalizer anyway .
You have a choice ofBluetoothor Wi - Fi when connecting to your phone , but Wi - Fi is the clear preferred path because only the basic SBC and AAC codecs are supported for Bluetooth .
Setup is pretty painless here , relying on a JBL One app on your earpiece . This is also used to setup the “ heart ” button up top , which you link to a play list of your option .
The Authentics 500 bear Dolby Atmos , which this speaker can get from streaming servicing TIDAL . However , its voltage as a one - box system is n’t anywhere nigh as interesting as a proper surround strait setup made for movies rather than euphony . TIDAL Connect is onboard for verbatim cyclosis from that service , alongsideSpotify Connect .
Add in Alexa , Google Assistant , Chromecast and multi - elbow room support through the JBL One app and Google Home , and there ’s no shortage of way to post music to this matter .
Sound Quality
The JBL Authentics 500 is a pipe dream speaker for those who boom on big , powerful bass . As well as a 6.5 - inch dedicated downward - firing subwoofer driver , it has two bass ports on the back . Where smaller units rely on passive radiators to bring the roar , this one has the real deal — a with child ( for its size of it ) active speaker .
This is paired with three clean low 2.75 - inch mid - range driver and three tweeter . These are arranged so that the odd and right units channelize to each side , for a blanket two-channel image .
While you do ideally need a pair of space - apart speakers for right stereo , the JBL Authentics 500 does succeed in sound very big , flash and powerful .
The self-assurance and sheer system of weights of the low - end make the JBL Xtreme 3 strait quite reserve by comparison . Dial the Authentics 500 ’s volume up and you may get some club - style thrills aright in your own apartment , and probably some neighbour complaints to go along with it .
The boastful interrogative : is that really what you want ? The Authentics 500 is a skilful - time party machine , but it does n’t reproduce tracks in quite the path I ’m used to . to get closer to that sorting of fidelity , you have to ramp the sea bass path down . And for a speaker unit with on - body EQ controls , equalisation is n’t all that muscular as even in the JBL One app you still only get three - banding treble , mids and bass horizontal surface tweaking .
Mids do not have all that much comportment with received tuning , which leads to key vocal and guitar lines often sinking into the background . The Xtreme 3 , with its more measured take , is capable to project mid - range elements in the mixture with greater precision , which in bit make music go more dynamic and three - dimensional . But , sure , the JBL Authentics 500 can make the Xtreme 3 speech sound timid and weak by comparing with its sheer heft .
The JBL Authentics 500 has power aplenty , but its overture clashes with its price . At £ 579 do n’t you gestate a certain level of hi - fi sophistication , especially given the reference to classic JBL hifi speakers in the design ? I was a little disappointed at how the enthusiastic mid - deep and upper - mid - bass tend to confuse more complex arrangements in what should otherwise be a fair elaborate sound theme song .
I terminate up wishing the Authentics 500 was a turn more buttoned - up . And while you’re able to tame it with the EQ control , I ’m not a lover of how they are enforce here . The light - up dials only give you an denotation of the level for a couple of seconds after make those change ( by design ) and you ca n’t make presets in the app . For a speaker that seems to put EQ center stage , leveling is kinda half - baked .
This is the opposite opposite of what I ’ve get reexamine several of JBL ’s portable wireless speakers , which are more processed and reticent than they look .
It ’s deliberate , mind you . Most of JBL ’s speakers have tune up labelled “ JBL Original Pro sound , ” but this one does not . However , quite a little of folks will simply love how bold and herculean the Authentics 500 sound .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
require a big - vocalize and bassy speaker that does n’t support back , and can also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant ? You got it .
JBL ’s sound approach here is different to that of its other wireless speakers . It goes all out on power and fustian , and lack the aplomb and moderation you might gestate given the price .
Final Thoughts
The JBL Authentics 500 is out for a ripe meter , and will thrill those who like their medicine loud , fully grown in scale and big on bass .
It ’s extremely classifiable too , thanks to the Quadrex - style wicket used in speakers like the classic JBL L100 .
Do n’t buy one expecting the kind of presentation of euphony you get with such a verbalizer , though . The JBL Authentics 500 is all about bass and power , which might not be what you look when first approaching this unit .
Trusted Score
How we test
We essay every wireless speaker we go over thoroughly over an lengthened period of time . We use industriousness received tryout to compare lineament decent . We ’ll always tell you what we come up . We never , ever , accept money to reexamine a ware .
discover out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
It ’s not portable as there ’s no integrated battery .
There ’s no water ohmic resistance rating here as the speaker is mean for use in the menage .
It suffer Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant , and has integrate mike .
