JBL launches new retro Wi

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JBL has been around since all the way back in 1946. Over all those years, the design of its speakers has gone through a number of changes. For its latest wireless speaker line, the company is taking inspiration from that history, but is also adding something new.

This week, JBL announced it is launching a new wireless speaker line called the JBL Authentics series. The new speaker line consists of three different devices: the 500, 300, and 200.

Starting with the high-end offering, the JBL Authentics 500 is said to have three 1” tweeters and three 2.75” midrange woofers, along with a 6.5” down-firing subwoofer. It also features 270W of 3.1 channel sound and Dolby Atmos to help it deliver an immersive sound experience. The lower-spec JBL Authentics 300 is described as a “portable, high-performance” speaker that offers eight hours of playback. While the JBL Authentics 200 is a smaller speaker that houses 1” tweeters, full-range 5” woofer, and a down-firing 6” passive radiator said to create deep bass.

According to the audio tech maker, these speakers are specifically inspired by its JBL L100 speaker from the 1970s. JBL says these speakers “draws on JBL’s rich history with a modern twist.” That modern twist also includes the fact that these speakers are reportedly made from 100% recycled fabric, 85% recycled plastic, and 50% recycled aluminum.

Another new twist appears to be voice assistant integration. However, instead of only having one voice assistant platform, these speakers will have both Alexa and Google Assistant. The company claims that this simultaneous integration is an industry-first.

If you’re looking to get your hands on these new speakers, you won’t have to wait long. JBL’s latest hardware is scheduled to launch on September 15, 2023 and will be available for purchase on JBL.com.