JBL equips Bluetooth speakers with useful functions
The speakers in the Boombox and Charge series are growing: the new versions of the popular Bluetooth boxes are becoming more powerful, which should please Apple users and 3D audio fans in particular.
JBL Boombox 3 and JBL Charge 5: Now also with WLAN
The massive JBL Boombox 3 and the more compact JBL Charge 5 are coming in revised versions. The two models are called JBL Boombox 3 WiFi and JBL Charge 5 WiFi. The key innovation in the two Bluetooth speakers is the additional support of WLAN, which makes it more versatile. When used outdoors, Bluetooth is the best solution for transferring music to a box. In indoors WLAN, on the other hand, is often a better alternative: Longer ranges are possible here (even across rooms and floors), and the sound quality is potentially better due to the larger bandwidth for data. Apple AirPlay 2, Alexa MRM and Chromecast built-in are supported.
The look is mature: the two new models appear in black, with a few gold-colored accents. According to the manufacturer, the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi costs 599.99 euros, and the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi costs 249.99 euros. The start date for the sale is “from mid-May”.
JBL turns the Boombox 3 into a “stereo with a handle”
Just recently, I did a listening session with a colleague in the reaction rooms using the previously available JBL Boombox 3 (view at Amazon). A brute-looking box, the first thing that came to mind was the term “ghetto blaster”. We were both quite amazed at how neutral and cultivated this box can sound – even classical and jazz fans will be happy. Voices and instruments are finely worked out, the bass is abysmal, but not dominant.
One can only welcome the fact that the manufacturer is now also offering a model with WLAN: Bluetooth continues to be used on the go, but at home (for example) in a stable and sonically superior multi-room setup with Apple AirPlay 2. This is how the Boombox 3 finally becomes one serious alternative to the stereo system for small to medium-sized rooms.
In our video we introduce you to various Bluetooth speakers from JBL, Teufel and Marshall:
JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi also with Dolby Atmos
Only the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi has an interesting innovation to offer: it will have HD audio and also the object-based one 3D audio format Dolby Atmos can play. According to the current status of the information, however, only via Tidal via the JBL One app. We have already gained experience with the Sonos Era 300 (view it at MediaMarkt) when it comes to Dolby Atmos from just one speaker. Depending on the song, the result can actually be convincing and offer better immersion than conventional stereo recordings.
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