JBL’s Authentics 300 portable wireless speaker (and its entire Authentics lineup) is part of the company’s somewhat late embrace of Wi-Fi-based audio. It’s almost as though 2023 rolled around and the company said, “Hey, those Sonos guys are really onto something. We should do that, too.” But instead of the copycat approach favored by Wiim (another Sonos competitor), JBL has carved its own path by leveraging its long history as one of the most influential audio brands of the 20th century. It’s a legacy that’s on full display — the Authentics 300 oozes old-school 1970s cool thanks to its stitched faux leather, gold-tone accents, and a “Quadrex” grille. It also has one very unusual feature that sets it apart from all other wireless smart speakers, including those from Sonos: it can run Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously. But is there more to the Authentics 300 than killer looks and a split personality? For $450, the answer had better be yes. I spent several weeks with the sp...
Unique, retro design; Easy set up; Excellent build, top-notch materials; Intuitive controls; Powerful sound; Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa;
Limited battery life; Bass suffers at low volumes; Awkward multiroom control; Chromecast requires Google Assistant;