New year, new products to show off. That is probably JBL’s goal, at least for this month, as they unveiled several new products, specifically speakers and audio accessories, at the recently concluded Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Their new product line-up includes the new generation of the Flip Bluetooth speaker series, the 3rd in the Pulse portable Bluetooth speaker line, a speaker to be worn around your neck, a home speaker with built-in Chromecast, and a speaker system that is a hybrid.
The JBL Flip series is one of their more popular portable Bluetooth speaker lines, and this year brings the JBL Flip 4. It is now IPX7 waterproof certified, has improved sound and clarity, has 12 hours of playtime with its 3000mAh rechargeable Li-on battery, and has Voice Assistant integration. It is available in 6 colors (black, white, teal, grey, red, blue) and is priced at $99.95 each. It will be available by spring 2017 at JBL.com.
The 3rd in the JBL Pulse series, of course called JBL Pulse 3, is the lava lamp of this generation, but with 360 degree audio to accompany the 360 degree light show it can bring you. It has separate LED light and sound cabinets through a seamless exterior and you can wirelessly connect up to 2 smartphones or tablets so you and a friend can take turns playing music. It is also IPX7 waterproof, has a 12-hour battery life, and has noise and echo-cancelling tech so you can take calls. It will also be available in spring 2017 and will cost you $199.95.
If what you’re doing at the office or at home won’t let you wear headphones, then you can try out JBL Soundgear, a wearable tech you can put around your neck for an “intimate sound experience”. It has the JBL Signature Sound, 6 hours of playtime, a dual mic conference system so you can also use it to make and take calls, and is lightweight and ergonomically designed. It is priced at $199.95 and will be available in summer 2017.
The JBL Playlist is a home speaker that has built-in Chromecast technology and brings you 96K/24 bit hi-resolution audio. With just one tap of a button (or maybe a couple more if you’re setting it up), you will be able to listen from music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, etc. It will be available this spring 2017 and will cost you $149.95.
Lastly, they unveiled the JBL BassPro Go, which is basically a speaker system with a hybrid automobile subwoofer and portable speaker features. When it’s placed inside the car, it can act as a subwoofer to your already existing car audio system. You can dock and undock it anywhere without needing any tools or apps. It is also IPX7 waterproof and can also serve as a charger for your devices as it has a rechargeable battery that can last 15 hours. It is $599.95 and will be available by summer 2017.
SOURCES: JBL (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
