Customer Ratings & Reviews

For a more stylish speaker this smart speaker really does sound great. Tons of features and is super easy to tote around. Surprisingly good bass response for this size. The price is high though and I would wait for a sale or discount.

Very retro looking speaker with high tech attributes. All wrapped in black leather looking material with gold metal accents and metal/ wrapped handle. This is a real solid (11lb), speaker. Besides the good looks of the JBL Authentics 300 it comes with both Alexa AND Google Assistants, Chromecast and Apple Airplay. I have not seen a portable speaker with all of these options yet. Having the ability to use the assistant you desire on the same device is a nice touch. The speaker also has a physical switch to turn off the mic for all assistants. I love the portability of this JBL speaker. The battery will last up to 8 hrs. depending on your use of course. I have played it much of my work day and did not have to charge until the end of the day. Here are some of the features with comments added when applicable. Connections: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth allow you to stream from your favorite App. Wi-Fi or Ethernet offers you the highest quality sound without the interruptions from those pesky phone notifications. USB C – Charge your Phone. According to the Manual you can play MP3 from USB storage device. It did not work from my phone (Samsung S22 Ultra) AUX – Play music using Aux Cable App: The JBL One app allows you to connect your speaker and manage the EQ and assistant settings. The app can be used as the player device as well. You can connect many streaming services to use in the app. Set-up was easy. It walks you through the Alexa and Google Assistant set ups. No problems. Buttons: Volume Dial – Spin for +/- & Push to Play or Pause, or 2x to forward or 3x for back a song. Treble Dial – Spin for +/- Bass Dial – Spin for +/- ** All of the above dials have an LED light that follows the dial as you turn it, then goes out a couple seconds later. The battery LED Strip also shows a progressive light matching the battery power. Real nice features. Favorite button - allows you to assign your favorite app and play list and even timer. They call these Moments. Once you set this up in the app, all you have to do is press the button to start listening with the push of the button. What I found a little odd was that Spotify was not included on the list. Bluetooth Button – Self explanatory Sound Quality: Powered by 100 watts, 2 x 25 MM Tweeters and a 5.25 Woofer. Nice crisp highs and nice bass as well. Clear JBL sound. The only thing I noticed was the farther away I got from the speaker on my outside test, the less bass I heard. I think that is because the 6.5” Passive radiator is on the bottom. It does Sounds fantastic when played inside a room and set on a hard surface. Another thing that could be affecting the sound quality I just learned is the speaker has a Self-tuning action that starts automatically each time you connect the speaker to power and start music playback. It can take up to 3 minutes. And did not have it plugged in when I took it on the outside deck and did not know you could turn this feature off, so my bad there. You can turn this feature off by turning the Mic switch to the off position. So pretty cool technology I am sure will get even better over time. I personally love real deep, punchy bass and would like it to project a little more. (Compared to my other competitor speaker, of similar looks) Pro’s Portable with good Battery Life Stylish Quality Build and feel Multiple Voice Assistants Works with Alexa Multi Room Con’s Delay when turning the volume button Little pricey Bass Overall, nice sound and packed full of features.

For starters, the JBL Authentics 300 is a beautiful speaker. The retro look really works, and the speaker has a very solid feel to it. The materials JBL chose have a good, quality feel to them, and the fit & finish is impressive. The JBL One app made it fairly easy to get the speaker connected to wifi. It did take a couple of tries, but I may have just been impatient the first time. It also walks you through setting up Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Not only can you use either assistant, but this speaker will actually let you use both at the same time, if you so choose. This could be handy if you have some services that work better with Alexa, and some that work better with Google. There’s also a convenient switch on the back that will disable the microphone. I find this particularly useful when you have that one annoying guest that's constantly telling/asking Alexa/Google something. The controls on top are fine. I’d prefer a bit more tactile feedback when turning the controls, especially the volume control. There’s a light ring around the controls that indicate the level, but I think it would be better if the controls also had a little ‘click’ feel to them. Not a big deal, more of a personal preference. Speaking of controls, there are also dials for bass & treble, but nothing for the mids. However, you are able to adjust the mids using the JBL One app. There’s also a ‘Moment’ feature button on the unit that I thought was promising, but it was a big let down. It’s supposed to be a one press button that will automatically start your favorite music playlist, with additional options of presetting the volume & automatic stop time, if you’d like. However, it only works with a handful of services, which don’t include SiriusXM or Spotify, which are my primary music services. So, this ended up being a useless feature for me. Hopefully JBL rectifies this with a future update… Sound quality is good. Not necessarily mind blowing, but definitely better than your average $100-$200 bluetooth speaker. Bass is fairly impressive, and treble is really good, but mids are so-so. You can definitely fill a room with decent sound, and the sound quality holds fairly well as the volume increases. Soundstage isn’t too bad either, with minimal directionalness. Battery life is very impressive, and shouldn’t have any trouble living up to the advertised 8 hour life. I’m into hour 7 of wifi streaming, at about 30% volume, and the battery level is at 25%. Nice! Obviously, this won’t hold true at higher volumes, but still impressive. Overall, I’m quite happy with the JBL Authentics 300. Once summer rolls back into town, I can easily see this speaking being a fixture whenever we’re out in the backyard.

The first thing I noticed with the JBL Authentics 300 speaker is how heavy it is. This may be an indication of how good the speaker is. The next thing I noticed is how many ways you can connect to the speakers, and what I love is how it has an ethernet port. As much as Wi-Fi is convenient, I still prefer to use ethernet. As mentioned, it has Wi-Fi. It also has Bluetooth. There is an auxiliary port as well as a USB-C port. This speaker is very versatile with many connections. In addition, it has Alexa and Google built in. I am having difficulties connecting it to my Alexa app. But my iPhone can see it as a device I can stream to. The speaker sounds great. I had to adjust the bass a little bit. It is on an Ikea shelf, and it vibrates it. But it is loud enough and sounds clear. I have it in my home office shed and it is perfect. My shed space is 8’x12’. I have been using Youtube Music on my iPhone streaming to it. I love the set up. There were some issues during installation but once I got it working, it is performing well. One thing to note that is a bit frustrating is the bluetooth and wifi connection. With wifi, it is part of the network. However my computers have difficulty connecting to it. It lists it on the devices but the indicator just spins and times out. For bluetooth, you will need to use the JBL app and connec to the bluetooth. It will then show as speakers on your music app. You cannot use the “native way” to connect to bluetooth to use it as speakers on iOS. I have tried reinstalling the app, restarting the phone, repairing the speakers. This part of the integration needs improvement. But as speakers, I like the sounds I hear from it.

[Employee of bestbuy] Speaker looks and sounds great. This one having the battery is nice too. I don't think it's going to be something you very around often, but when you want/need to is very nice. I assume the battery is adding a bit to the cost, so make sure you buy it on sale and that will help. One concern I have is the support from JBL down the road. 2-3 I expect it to be well supported and updated occasionally, but it's the 5+ years down the road that I assume support will start to fall away. Yes, the speaker will still work I'm sure, but the smarts of it could very well be degraded. Just sometime to think about with smart speakers in general.

I love the product. It has excellent sound quality. Connected to Google home perfectly. I enjoyed it so much about a second one. My two concern. Amazon echo doesn't seem to know its name. It is missing some of the Amazon software. There's nowhere to change its name. The option doesn't exist in their software. My second concern. The microphone needs to be upgraded. Even without any background noise. It just doesn't hear us. At least not at the level of the Google nest speakers. As I said before I liked it so much I bought a second one. I work around is using the microphone on my watch.

Very cool speaker that is clearly built with quality materials. Sound is equivalent or maybe even better than that of a Sonos Five. Handle is sturdy and doesn't flex at all which is comforting. I highly recommend this for any audiophiles who are looking for a quality and portable speaker for any event!

[Employee of bestbuy] Very good sound.Easy to adjust on the fly.Looks really nice.

Works great sounds wonderful. The throwback look is very cool. Easy to use.

Really good speaker. Didn't work out for me cause treble is too early piercing. Strong bass. Just need the treble to roll off earlier.

This is a well built speaker and I really liked it because there’s so much going on with it. It got loud and was really clear highs!

[Employee of bestbuy] Pretty good for its size, it has a distinct v shape sound but it's still a great speaker for most people.

Sounds good. Expecting a little more for the price but I’ll keep it.

Great product, I recommend this speaker if you like great sound

Convenient and good sound. Quality speaker by JBL.

Bought but returned could not afford i think but the sound is there bass raditor lil too thumpy not musical for my taste

GOOD Direct streaming for most music services Both Android Assistant and Amazon Alexa AirPlay compatible with iOS Excellent sound quality Has battery and handle for limited portable use BAD Expensive Lacks true subwoofer Only 3-band EQ adjustment No built-in DLNA/UPnP support for home media servers TL/DR This is a nice, albeit expensive, speaker for someone who primarily uses streaming services for their music enjoyment. Streaming directly to the speaker overcomes the limitations of Bluetooth bandwidth, and the speaker's solid construction and mix of drivers does a great job in replicating the audio. But it has limited compatibility with audio formats and home media servers, making it somewhat disappointing for home audio enthusiasts. IN DETAIL The JBL Authentics 300, apart from having a ridiculous product name ( really, JBL, why not call it the Authentic and leave off the S? ), seems to be in some kind of limbo between premium Bluetooth speaker and mid-range home audio speaker. Its size and hardware features ( multiple drivers, 5.25" woofer, 100W output, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi ) give the impression of a networked home audio speaker that's meant to connect to your home server and play lossless music. But the software side and connectivity is strictly focused on Spotify, Tidal, and music streaming services, not the home server audiophile. Audio on the A300 is quite good with its twin tweeters and large woofer. Very crisp, very clean. It can also get quite loud without distorting. If you need something for the neighborhood BBQ or family reunion at the park, the JBL 300 has more than enough power to cover the open spaces, even running on battery. However, the radiator on the bottom is no replacement for a dedicated sub. With most rock, pop, and other current music, it's not a big deal. But in orchestral music or symphonic movie scores, the lack of impact on the low-end is very noticeable. A passive radiator simply can't give that physical punch an active sub can for things like timpani drums. Audio profile tuning is limited at best. The speaker has treble and bass dials on the top and the companion phone/tablet app has a 3-band EQ and nothing else. Perhaps JBL thought a more customizable EQ was redundant since there's already an auto-tuning feature ( every time the speaker powers on, it's supposed to auto calibrate the audio for the room its in ). I think leaving the EQ at its default curve already sounds great, but I know others will be frustrated they can't tweak it to their liking. The mobile app is also where you configure the speaker to directly link to services like Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, and others and you can set up Google Assistant for Chromecast and Amazon Alexa. You can also control speaker playback from multiple devices, not just the the one that started it. So if you used your phone to start playing music ( even if it's playing music from the phone over Bluetooth ), you can launch the JBL app on another device and go to the next track, change speaker volume, etc. Unfortunately the speaker isn't designed to connect directly to home media servers or similar. There's nothing in the JBL app to connect to Plex, no support for DLNA, UPnP, iTunes servers, or anything like that. You can workaround this with Chromecast to a degree, but it leaves a lot to be desired. When playing music from my home Plex server through Chromecast on my desktop PC, the Opus files have occasional stuttering and the FLAC files won't play at all ( the manual doesn't specify which audio codecs or formats the speaker supports directly ). The A300 has limited AirPlay support in that you can AirPlay from iOS devices but not from desktop iTunes ( at least not the current Windows version ). I also had no playback problems at all when using AirPlay from an iPad Pro regardless of audio codec, whether FLAC and Opus from my Plex server or 24/96 ALAC music stored locally on the iPad. The iPad got quite warm during those tests, so it was probably transcoding the audio before sending it to the speaker. Perhaps the oddest feature on the A300 is the integrated battery. While the smaller and easier to carry Authentics 200 doesn't have a battery, JBL put one in this larger model. Weird. JBL claims the battery lasts "up to 8 hours," though you shouldn't expect much more than 6 hours at normal listening volume. At best you could describe the A300 as semi-portable due to its size, weight, and the fact it isn't water or weatherproof. It's fine to bring in your back yard for some music on the patio, but it's certainly not something you want to take camping. All told, at the current $450 MSRP, I'd call it a little too pricey for what you get. The problem isn't in the sound quality, as that's fantastic. But it's not markedly better than smart speakers from Bose and Sonos with very similar features around the $300 mark.

Definitely worth the $! Great speaker, would recomment!

This portable speaker is relatively compact, sounds great when playing music, is self contained as it contains a rechargeable battery, and will also work as both a Google Home smart speaker and as an Amazon Alexa smart speaker. Upon opening the box, the dimension of the unit being about 8 inches high, 13.5 inches wide and 7 inches front to back are evident. Because it has substantial electronics, a battery, and a large magnet bass speaker, the weight is quickly felt as being substantial at almost 11 pounds. The Authentic 300 has a built in carry handle in a semi-metallic vaguely gold finish. The cabinet has a faux leather finish on the sides, top and back and a retro syled square pattern speaker side in black. It functions as a Bluetooth speaker from any source, as a streaming speaker from any streaming source, and has both Wifi and wired Ethernet capabilities. The top panel has power, Bluetooth control, a volume knob that also enables track changes when connected to a source of Bluetooth song tracks, a Bass and Treble control and a unique Favorites button. The rear panel has a double-barrel power connection port that aligns with the supplied 120volt AC power cord for charging or powering the speaker. There is also an analog 3.5 mm stereo input jack, a USB-C output charging port to power devices such as a smart phone, and an Ethernet port for those seeking a wired internet connection. The sound this relatively compact speaker produces is amazing clear, loud, and bass heavy for its small size. The treble and bass is superb be it from streaming, Bluetooth, or from the analog input jack. All three were tested. JBL has an app that is easily downloaded by scanning the QR code in the owner booklet. It allows connecting to several streaming services, activating Google Home and Amazon Alexa functionality, and streaming content from your connected device to the Authentic 300. The ability to adjust the amount of bass and treble from the app using a app-based equalizer is also possible. The app also enables updates to the speaker firmware if needed. The app also allows programming a streaming service with a playlist that will start playing once the “favorites” Heart logo button on the top panel is depressed. It also allows programming a volume setting and a shut off time up to a full hour. The internal battery lasts 8 hours on a charge per the specs and the device shuts off after 1 hours of not being used; this is selectable to 30 or 15 minutes per user’s preferences. A rear on/off switch turns on or off the ability to speak to the device to summon Google Home or Amazon Alexa. Anyone who purchases this speaker will instantly feel proud and justified in spending the funds to acquire it. It is a superb product in reproducing music in a clean, tight, strong manner that will both impress and bestow joy on anyone who hears it.

The JBL Authentics 300 is a beautifully designed speaker, that both looks and feels premium. The JBL 300 has an elegant looking gold metal handle that’s wrapped in black pleather. The leather-like material is also wrapped around all sides of the speaker. The front of the speaker has the same gold colored metal around the grill. On top of the speaker there are 3 different knobs for manually controlling the volume, bass and treble. There is also a favorites button and a play button that can act as a multi function button depending the number pushes. The back of the speaker has an ethernet port, an AUX port and a USB-C port. There is also a switch that lets you turn off the voice activated features. The JBL 300 is a smart speaker that connects to the internet either wirelessly, or with an ethernet cable. There is also built in bluetooth in case you’re at a place with no internet. The speaker does have Chromecast built-in, Alexa and is Airplay compatible. It comes with a standard power cord which is used to charge the speaker. it takes about 2.5hrs to fully charge the speaker, and the battery will last about 8hrs on a full charge, that is depending on how you’re using the speaker. The speaker is set up by using the free JBL One app. The app is where you connect it to the internet, set certain options, enable google, alexa and connect other music streaming services. You can also set up custom equalizers for your own listening experience. The app is very easy to use and has just enough features that it doesn’t overload you with information. The first time I turned it on and listened to the JBL 300, it sounded great. The speaker offered exceptional bass quality and there was a good difference between highs and lows. I brought the speaker into another room and noticed that is sounded a little muddy. After a few minutes the sound quality started to improve, this was due to the speakers’ self tuning feature that automatically activates every time you turn it on. It’s designed to optimize and calibrate the sound depending on your listening environment. This is great concept, but I don’t like that it does this every time you turn it on. It would be much better if they gave you the option to push a button to active the calibration. I tried testing this out in many different rooms and open areas to see how well it works, but I was never able to get consistent results. Overall, I really like the JBL 300. The design is very elegant and the build quality is superb. The ability to connect the speaker to both WiFi and bluetooth is incredible. The sound quality is decent, it offers rich deep bass and very clear vocals…That is if the calibration software works properly. The self tuning feature is both very innovative and irritating, especially when you don’t get the optimal sound you’re expecting. Unfortunately, there is no way to turn this feature off at the moment. I don’t want to have to worry about achieving the sound level that I want every time I turn it on, I just want to turn on the speaker and enjoy the music. Aside from that, this is a quality speaker and I would recommend it.