Customer Ratings & Reviews

The JBL Authentics 500 is everything I personally want in a home bluetooth speaker. From the design aesthetic, to the crystal clear sound quality, to the full rich bass, this high end top of the line bluetooth speaker ticks all the boxes for my personal audio preferences. Starting with sound quality, I have never had an all-in-one speaker system that has touched my ears and senses the way this one does. The down firing bass woofer sets this one apart from the rest. You can literally feel the bass notes. The mids and highs are all present and crystal clear. The stereo spread is wide and full. I own several bluetooth speakers ranging in size from tiny, to large, but this one is the largest I currently own. Could that be why it sounds the best? I do believe that is one of the reasons. Larger enclosures house larger speakers and by that rule alone, the sound should generate increased fullness. Yet, size alone doesn't account for the sonic marvel that is the JBL Authentics 500. It is the result of JBL's decades-long commitment to innovation in the speaker industry. The culmination of their pioneering efforts manifests in this masterpiece, positioning them at the zenith of the Bluetooth speaker market. It's only natural for a brand with such an illustrious history to reign supreme, continually pushing the boundaries of what's achievable in audio perfection. I have used JBL speakers for decades, ranging from studio monitors, to bookshelf speakers, to headphones, and now bluetooth speakers. Needless to say, I am a fan. A huge fan. The build quality is top notch, boasting an aluminum frame and leather exterior wrap, making this a rugged and expertly designed speaker that should last a lifetime. The design is simply beautiful to look at. It captures the essence of an old retro speaker cabinet design flawlessly, while also being modern with its materials and up-to-date features. You can put this anywhere in your home and it will look awesome wherever it is placed. Just be sure to put it on a hard level surface so the down facing subwoofer can work its magic. I currently have it in my office and it fills the room with pure hifi sound quality no matter where I am sitting or standing. The full stereo rich sound this produces has me scratching my head as to how a single box can produce such a wide room filling listening experience. Then I think to myself, of course, it’s JBL, they understand these things! There is an app available and I have included some screenshots from my Android phone. An app is nice to have for basic setup and minor EQ adjustments, but (after setup) I don’t think I will use it much because all of the default settings sound awesome and work perfectly for me. This is also fully compatible with Google and Alexa voice commands (even simultaneously), so if you use either of those services, once activated, you can simply tell it what to play without even touching your phone. Awesome! One last thing to try, is to use this with a laptop for gaming. If you set it in front of you above your monitor, you can really have some fun. Talk about a massive sound immersion factor. All in all, I would highly recommend this speaker to anyone that appreciates high quality sound from numerous sources. Thank you, JBL!

JBL - Authentics 500 Smart Home Speaker This JBL speaker is a very well thought out and effective speaker with various capabilities that makes this product more than just a speaker. Now I say this Authentics 500 has some size to it. It is bigger that I anticipated, but not overly so. I will say setup was really quick and easy. I plugged the speaker, it powered on and I set the Bluetooth connected with my iPad and I was listening to White Room by Cream. Then I opened the Quick Start Guide and found out there was an app for this speaker in the Appstore. I download the app on my iPad and the app made it easier to get even more working. the app is available for Apple or Android devices and you can control the device from the app or manually through the controls on the speaker. Besides Bluetooth connectivity, the speaker also has Alexa and Google voice apps built in. I use Alexa and I found in the Quick Start Guide a button that enable Alexa voice control to use with the speaker. For me, that is handy to check the weather or set up an alarm as well as listen to music. I was very impressed with the build, the ease of use, the connectivity. I would recommend this to anyone who would want to acquire a speaker with connectivity.

Pros: Has a live feeling to audio (you do need to increase the mid in the eq a tad bit), Good, clean and clear audio. Bass is heavy. Supports wifi connectivity, fast and easy to connect. Gets really loud, Assistant usage ability is pretty good. Cons: Lacks High fidelity local ports, lacks a MID adjustment dial, lacks surround audio (best audio is when hear forward facing and same plane as your ears) , the heart/like playlist button supports only selective services. Overall: No regrets buying it. Speaker can handle most genres with ease.

Unless you absolutely have to save the money to get one of the smaller ones, buy this, the subwoofer rounds out the music in a way the others simply can not. It’s and amazing 3.1 channel system in a small size with clarity and power that will shock most people. Given the bluetooth and airplay features and lack of a battery, this thing should last years without any major issues even beyond it being updated. This thing looks fantastic and sounds great. Play with the EQ a bit if you need to, I prefer a more V shaped eq for most music but just be aware.

I just had to try out the new JBL Authentics 500 Smart Home Speaker, especially when I found that it supported Dolby Atmos. All my previous JBL products have been excellent and I knew that this new 270W 3.1 channel speaker for your home would not let me down. And, it sure hasn't disappointed me. With its 3 2.5mm tweeters, 3 2.75" midrange woofers, and its 6.5" down-firing sub-woofer creating distinctive bass, this versatile speaker took my Dolby Atmos coded musical inputs and output a thrilling multi-dimensional soundscape. It doesn't matter what genre of music that you play, if it is coded for Dolby Atmos, you will find aspects of the music that you didn't realize were there, or that they could make such impactful audio. It also doesn't matter at what volume you play the piece, the sound is clear and rich. Speaking of audio volume, I live in a townhouse surrounded by 2 neighbors (who I like), so I never even got close to raising the volume even to half of what this speaker can put out. I really didn't need to raise it any higher, because the sound was full and awesome. The only downside that I encountered was the initial setup through the JBL application, then setting up to my Wi-Fi router, then setting up to get high end audio files from the TIDAL website, and then setting up to use Alexa and Google for voice commands, then linking my phone via Blue Tooth, and then finally linking my audio files to play on voice command. The setup was not difficult, just time consuming and I still am not sure whether it is best to play the files directly from TIDAL, or downloaded to my phone and played from there, or to play through the JBL site with TIDAL linked, or to play from the Amazon or Google sites with TIDAL linked. It will take some more trying out. But in the end, the JBL Authentics 500 Smart Home Speaker allows me to totally immerse into my favorite music and get blissfully lost in its soundscapes on command. I would totally recommend this fine speaker to a friend!

The speaker plays very loud and has a nice full and rich sound. The built in subwoofer provides more low end than one would expect from a 6.5" driver and it easily fills a room with deep bass. The multidirectional tweeters provide clear sound off axis as well as straight on and do their job admirably. Don't expect true stereo separation unless you sit close and directly in front of the speaker but it has a nice open sound. The bass and treble knobs are very handy and work well (although feel a little cheap for a $700 smart speaker), same with the volume knob, which had a very slight wiggle to it after only a day. My main disappointments are the price, the lack of any type of display, and the knobs. I actually ended up getting the JBL Boombox 3 and it has a very similar sound profile and just as much bass for $349. To me that's a much better deal if you don't need Wifi or smart speaker functions and you don't mind the different styling.

Incredible sound. This speaker is so loud and the base is so heavy. The whole ground shakes and it is very well balanced when you use the knobs

The power from this speaker is unbelievable. It gets loud…probably louder than what you’d expect if you’re still on the fence about purchasing it. The bass is, by far, the most impressive out of any (powered) Bluetooth speaker I’ve owned. You can truly see the flex range in motion on the bottom-mounted 6” sub. I can actually feel the bass in the floor around the table I have this unit sitting on. The most impressive point I want to mention about this speaker is its sound quality at lower volumes. I actually ended up returning a Klipsch “The Three” powered Bluetooth speaker before purchasing the JBL Authentics 500 because I thought it failed in this category. At lower volumes, the Klipsch sounded no different than a $50 cheap, off-brand Bluetooth speaker. The Klipsch didn’t truly shine until it reached louder volumes. Well I have neighbors that I need to be somewhat cognizant of (LoL), so I will most-often be using my speaker at lower to mid volume levels. On the other hand, the quality and even the bass still shine through very well at lower volumes on the JBL Authentics 500. This is a major selling point for me and wanted to highlight it. Personally, I’d recommend the Authentics 500 especially for large spaces, parties, or if you have the freedom to blast music as loud as you truly want. If you live in an apartment, this unit is honestly too much for your needs. You could save yourself some money and go with a smaller, less powerful speaker. The Authentics 500 is a monster.

Speaker works well and adapts to any place you leave it in the room. It also gets loud enough to fill the whole room. The bass on this is the best of any home speaker I've heard.

I am not quite an audiophile but I enjoy crisp clear music. I always research a purchase to the point friends ask me when they buy stuff. I am probably going to buy a second for my home in the bedroom. I only wish they offered it in white and gold. in my office the black matches but in my bedroom I have lighter tones and would liek it to match.

A wonderful speaker with an amazing, rich sound. The speaker was a simple setup, even easier to connect my preferred audio apps for streaming, my only regret was setting up google assistant on the speaker but that is only because google has ruined their smart home app. so I would suggest not using that functionality. Everything else about the speaker has exceeded my expectations

Great sound, very good bass. This thing is big! I do wish it supported higher quality codecs

Set up was easy using the JBL one app. I usually connect using Wi-Fi, but Bluetooth is also available. The Wi-Fi is supposed to give better sound, I can barely tell the difference. The unit sounds very good, the bass response is adequate, and overall very happy with my purchase. Keep in mind, however, that this is a relatively expensive speaker but I think you will be happy with your purchase

Excellent speaker for in home use. Gets extremely loud with fantastic bass and clarity.

The JBL Authentics 500 Smart Home Speaker blends a cool vintage look with today's audio tech. Its 270-watt power and Dolby Atmos support create rich, room-filling sound. People love its top-notch audio and stylish design, though some mention it's a bit big and on the pricier side.

So I got the speaker and ended up returning it. The sound was great loud crisp and clear and the aesthetics of the speaker were beautiful. I just found the speaker to be too pricey and overkill for my small space. My huge annoyance with it is that if you use it as a Google Assistant or Alexa speaker there is no separate volume control for the assistant itself so if you were listening to music at a super high-level, guess what’s gonna happen when you say “Hey, Google”. It’s gonna blow your eardrums out and or scare the crap out of you if you’re trying to turn on the lights in the morning..

This speaker is amazing. It is just the right size and puts out sound that you would not expect. Its definitely worth the hype and I am not disappointed in my purchase.

I bought this one and the 300 for portable use. The finish and build quality is very nice. This 500 speaker sounds like a concert in my living room. JBL app needs some work (no Spotify?), but overall would recommend it, especially when its on sale (usually seen it $100 off). Note that unlike the 300, the 500 is NOT portable, so it has to be plugged in.

Wow! This unit is spectacular. The sound is so rich and real that it’s mesmerizing. I purchased one for home, and bought 2 more for my restaurant. Just fantastic.

Impressive sound from this JBL unit. The price is a bit on the expensive side but it’s worth the cost. Haven’t tested it at full power because it’s plenty loud at mid level. The JBL one app makes tweaking the sound easy to your liking. There are other units under the authentics banner that are worth considering as well.