So CES 2023 is going on and here are the things that I found most interesting that JBL just
announced.
For starters there is an update about the much anticipated JBL Pulse 5.
Initially slated for a summer 2022 release…
it looks like we’re now going to get it in Spring 2023 and its going to be retailing
for $250.
Now at first glance, the Pulse 5 looks very similar to the Pulse 4… but I am very excited
for it because it going to have a new speaker set up.
Specifically, its going to have a larger passive radiator, which means more bass, its going
to have a woofer for the mids… and its now going to have a tweeter for the highs.
Which means better instrument separation.
So my hope is that with the Pulse 5… is that its going to sound almost as good as
the Charge 5… but also have an amazing looking light feature.
Cause with the Pulse 4… it sounds more like the Flip 6… so really you’re paying mostly
for the light feature.
So if you’ve been holding out for the Pulse 5…
I do think that it is worth waiting for…
But if you want something that sounds great and you want it right now…
I say go with the Charge 5, and im willing to bet that the Charge 5 is still going to
sound better than the Pulse 5.
Next up, as a quick mention, JBL also announced ECO friendly versions of the Clip 4 and Go
3 which are using recycled materials.
But besides that, they don’t have any new features.
But regardless, I have always been a really big fan of the Clip 4 if you need a small
speaker to clip on your backpack or for your shower.
Now staying on the topic of speakers…
JBL also announced a whole new lineup of soundbars which are all due out on February 19th.
Now the most important thing about all of these soundbars is that JBL finally has a
proper companion app for their soundbars.
So this means that you’re going to be able to more easily adjust the EQ of your soundbar.
These soundbars are also going to have voice assistant support…
but personally I don’t like using voice assistants on my soundbars… but they are
all also going to have Airplay and chromcast cast support.
And they all have support for DOLBY ATMOS
Now this lineup consists of the 1300X which has 11.1.4 channels with an external subwoofer
and retails for $1700.
The 1000 has 7.1.4 channels with an external subwoofer and retails for $1200.
The 700 retails has 5.1.2 channels with an external subwoofer and retails for $900.
The 500 has 5.2 channels with an external subwoofer retails for $600.
And finally there’s the 300 which has 5.0 channels with a built in subwoofer and its
going to retail for $400.
And personally I am most interested in the 300 cause I want to see how it stacks up to
the Bose Smart Soundbar 600, Sonos Beam Gen 2 and perhaps even the sony HTA3000.
But im also interested in the 500 cause its like the 300… except it has an external
subwoofer.
The only down side is that these 2 cheaper soundbars don’t have upwards firing speakers
like with the rest of JBL’s soundbars and like a lot of new soundbars that are coming
out.
And I also want to quickly point out that JBL is going to be launching a new lineup
of speakers that you can attach to your car or boat which they are calling the JBL Rallybar.
It come in multiple sizes ranging from $650 to $1000 and they have a built in light feature.
But honestly, I think this thing would be pretty dope to add to your bike.
But now lets turn our attention to JBL’s headphones.
Now JBL just announced their Tour ONE M2 headphones…
looks like we’re going with a Sony naming scheme here.
I’ve never really been a big fan of JBL’s headphones… but we can give these a shot.
These could be a good upper mid range option.
They are going to be retailing for $300 and due out in the spring.
But also, JBL just announced the Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds.
And the really unique thing about these earbuds is that their case has a built in screen.
And from this screen you can switch between ANC settings, you can see your battery, the
time and you can get notifications from your phone.
Honestly, I don’t think that this is going to catch on… but we will see.
These are due out in the spring and their going to be retailing for $250.
But finally, JBL also announced a new gaming headset called the JBL Quantum 910.
Now there’s going to be a version for Xbox and a version for PlayStation…
But as usual, I recommend that you pick up the XBOX version cause this was you can use
it with an XBOX, Playstation, PC, PC and your phone.
Now the cool thing about this headset is that it has head tracking built in and it works
with your console.
And it also has active noise cancellation.
The 910 is going to be retailing for $300 and its due out in March.
But JBL also announced the 360 model which doesn’t have head tracking or active noise
cancelation, and its going to be retailing for $130.
And these are the main things that I found interesting that JBL has announced at CES
2023, and these are my initial thoughts.
As companies continue to announce new products, I’ll let you know and ill give you my quick
thoughts about them.