JBL has decided to go all-in to the voice activated speaker market with a new series of speakers appropriate titled the JBL Link series. The four versions announced (two waterproof portables and two home units) feature the Google Assistant, Chromecast with high-res audio streaming, and Bluetooth. We got to test the them all this week.
The Sound
If you are familiar with the current JBL lineup of speakers, the new Link 10 and Link 20 are a cross between a Flip 4 and a Charge 3 in terms of design. From a sound performance perspective they have the same quality that the other JBL models do. They have very good dynamic range with tonal balance leaning towards lean, since they do not possess the passive bass radiators some other JBL portables have, but the greater functionality of the Link series makes up for that in other ways.
The Link 10 is a 2 x 8W system and the Link 20 2 x 10W. Both play plenty loud. Distortion is minimal even at high volumes. Bass response is present although not overpowering. They outperform nearly all other portable speakers in the market sound-quality wise which is a typical JBL feature.
JBL has also announced a home unit called the Link 30 which is a 2 x 25W which it delivers with one woofer and one tweeter along with a passive radiator for bass. It’s not a portable so has much more power to play with, and it shows in its performance, which is substantially better than the portables. We got to listen to one briefly, and it was wow.
The biggest of the bunch is the Link 500. It boasts an impressive 4 x 15 watts of power in a stereo configuration with two tweeters and two woofers, along with JBL signature bass radiator. It was designed to be the living room model, while the portables would travel around with you and sit poolside.
The Google Assistant
Let’s look at the Google Assistant integration. You can talk to the Link series as you would your Google Home or Android device by saying “OK Google” and command whatever task you require of it.
Although we use the term Assistant we should clarify that the Link series works in the same ways as the Google Home products do, meaning language support and features. The Google Assistant on phones and tablets works differently for now.
Right now most people are using the assistant to set timers and calendar appointments, but music requests are quickly gaining ground. With more Internet Of Things devices appearing in our homes, adjusting the lighting, starting a movie, making coffee; all of these become possible within the Google Assistant ecosystem. Google Voice integration is also here.
To facilitate and improve the units understanding of someone talking (as opposed to the music playing) JBL has included dual microphones along the top of the unit which work reliably up to about 25 feet away or so, at least in my testing of it.
Apparently it takes some brains in the speaker to differentiate between whats playing on the speaker and incoming voice commands, especially with larger, louder units, so I’m not expecting the market to be flooded with high-end voice speakers too quickly.
The Chromecast
Google Chromecast is baked into these units as well, and this is a game changer. Chromecast gives you high-def (24BIT / 96K) multi-room audio via your existing home wifi network. It is super easy to make groups of speakers for different areas of your phone via the Google Home app on your phone. New speakers can connect to the network in seconds.
Want to put your friends in charge of the music? Connect them to your wifi network and all the Link speakers will appear in their Google Home app. Bye-bye expensive multi-room audio systems…the end is nigh for thee!
If you have Chromecast integrated into your TV (either with a dongle or in a newer TV) then you can also control functions on it with a JBL Link. Bluetooth into one of the speakers and cast that music to any other speaker in the house.
Whats great about Chromecast is that it doesn’t require constant connection between your phone and the speaker the way bluetooth does: the phone acts as the remote control, and the music is streamed by the speaker itself.
The Google Assistant requires a wifi connection to work since it connects back to the Google Mothership to work. If you are out of the house and still want to use it, use your phone as a wifi dongle (if you have that feature) and your set. Otherwise just use it as you would a normal Bluetooth speaker.
The Feel
The Link series are covered in a tight mesh which has a nice texture to it. The Lin 10 and 20 feel solid and have heft to them so they are definitely packed with electronics and batteries and stuff. There is a slight rubbery feel to the exterior which likely has something to do with the IPX7 waterproofing.
I didn’t get to test their “waterproofyness” but past experience with other IPX7 JBL products have told me that these will do just fine around the pool and the kids.
The JBL Link will come in Black and White finishes. The white looks very nice and I have been told that JBL has been working for years on making a white finish that doesn’t yellow or degrade with age.
All the main function buttons are on the top of the unit, with the power and microphone mute buttons on the upper back. Above the power button are charging/duration lights for the battery. The four lights in the front show feedback when talking to the Google Assistant.
The Battery
All the brains and antennas inside the Link 10 & 20 comes with a slight performance hit with regards to their battery playback times. The Link 10 claims 5 hours and the Link 20 claims 10. Real world results will depend entirely on usage but those sound like reasonable numbers although other speakers in the market have much longer run times.
Like nearly all JBL portables charging the Link 10 and 20 will be done via mini-USB.
The Pricing
The Link 10 will be $149, Link 20 $189, Link 300 $249, and the Link 500 $399. That makes them extremely competitive even against Bluetooth-only speakers from other manufacturers. When you factor in all the extra features you’re getting from Chromecast and the Google Home Assistant, these are very competitive.
Where to get them
Direct from JBL.com: Free shipping & returns
BestBuy.com: Free shipping or pick-up in store
WorldWideStereo.com: Authorized JBL dealer
Conclusions
All told JBL has done a very solid job with the new Link series. Having the Google Assistant poolside could be very helpful by keeping wet hands off of phones or tablets. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to get multi-room audio via Chromecast this is a very good option.
Which one do you get? For the portables the Link 20 is the way to go. It’s got 2x the battery life and the type of sound output you’d expect from a JBL portable poolside.
Deciding on the which home unit depends on what room you are talking about, and the size. Most apartments will be fine with the Link 300. A larger living room / kitchen area would benefit from the extra output and stereo sound.
The JBL Link series is expected to be available mid-fall 2017.
Will these work with third party apps like Skype?
At this point not directly. Although Google has recently announced that you can use Google Voice now to make calls, and the Link series will take advantage of that. You could still use the Link as a traditional Bluetooth speaker while using Skype for better audio.
When are these going to be available?
Looks like they are now, ours just arrived.