Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is a superb offering from JBL. I haven't had a pair of JBL speakers for about 4 years. Now, not only do I have a speaker that looks like my 1970's JBL's, but I have one speaker that easily does the work of 2. The 275w power and the deep resonant bass response is impressive. This speaker blew me away and it's only one of 17 active speakers, all being run by 2 Marantz 6013's and a 5013 for the Bowers + Wilkins 603's and Sonos satellites with soundbar and subwoofer. The remaining speaker sets are 4 KEF LS50's, 4 Definitive Tech 9800's plus matching center speaker. Subs are 2 Martin Logan 1300's, one giant Klipsch to accompany the KEF's and a B+W subwoofer for the studio that contains 4 B+W Anniversary Edition 606's. Out of all of these speakers, the KEF's beat up on all of them. The exception is this JBL Authentics 500. This one speaker fills the living room with amazing multi-dimensional sonics, accompanied by a very impressive low end bass response. I'm impressed.

Sound quality is pretty good. Good for this price and easy to use.

the UI app could use a little work and the volume a little better control but the sound quality is the best thing smoking at this price point, and even better when paired in stereo

Wow, this sucker stays clear even when pushed hard. So many speakers compress when pushed loud but JBL tuned it just right. Lots of tight bass.

I really really wanted to like this thing. As a matter I think its one of the better looking smart speakers out there. This thing can get very loud and has little to no distortion. I'm not an audio head I just like good music with a little thump. Whether its Hip Hop, Country, R&B, Soul, EDM, whatever you flavor, I listen to a little bit of everything. The HD sound definitely makes a difference when if you have a subscription that offers it. I typically play music from my phone via bluetooth. I was not impressed with the JBL app. The interface just seems boring. My speaker didnt always allow me to cast though it was connected to my home WIFI so it forced me to use BT most of the time. But the deciding factor for me was the lack off bass. It's just now there. It does have a EQ in the app which helps, but IMO it still doesnt deliver the thump I want in a speaker that origianlly cost me over $700. The price dropped 3 times after i bought it so credit to BB for refunding the difference each time, but even after all that, I couldnt force myself to keep it so ended up retruning it.

Chromecast and Bass. Thank you!! I've been waiting for this combination for some time. Now my Google Home speaker group is optimized. My bluetooth JBL Boombox 3 is great, but receiving phone calls was always a hassle as the conversation would broadcast from the Boombox when I answered the call. Not an issue with Chromecast. The phone call stays on the phone, and the music keeps going for the rest of 'em listening to music. Yay!

Unmatched sound. Looks extremely classic. App integration is “so so” as to only Tidal and Amazon music are the only Dolby Atmos sources “allowed”. The JBL app is not fully thought out and limited as you can only control three EQ bands. For this much money I expect more configurable control. NO REMOTE of any kind (?), but responsive voice control. Spotify and Apple Music both can do highest bit rates and sound great, but no surround support for either. Shame two most popular apps don’t get full support. I expected a lot more for this price. Got it on sale which made it more appealing. Overall very satisfied with look and sound. If the app integration was better I’d give it 5 stars.

One of my best purchases. Speakers out perform anything out there for the quality. Sound is amazing

Is a excellent speaker nice looking speaker excellent sound speaker it was an excellent choice on top of that is built in in goggle assistant,,

Love it. Bass that makes your body thud. Only complaint is you lose the bass if youre not right in front of it. Its also a great statement piece

Excellent sound and pairs really nicely with my Bluetooth record player. I love the warm sound the built in subwoofer really fills in the sound.

Outstanding in every way. Brilliant, room filling sound with fantastic bass thanks to the down firing sub. Oozes quality and MCM vibes.

sound Great. I Used For Party on A pool it’s Was Amazing Sound.

Best home speaker in the range and would absolutely recommend to anyone buying a home speaker for 500 There is no competition

Sound is fantastic . Super loud and crisp. I 100 say this is fantastic for your gym

Absolutely blown away with the quality and it just works. No connection issues, no waiting. It's just so rare to get a connected device that just works flawlessly like it's supposed to. Every song is like hearing it for the first time because we're hearing these little details we've never heard before and with no distortion. I highly recommend this speaker.

The audio quality is great. I was looking for something stylish that provided good sound and this was it. The WiFi streaming feature allows for better sound quality than regular Bluetooth. Although there are some latency issues, they are minor. Overall the best speaker if you can find it for a discount.

great sound speaker. Rich and deep, i also like the volume knob and bass/treble adjustment

wanted something I could put in place sight in the living room and this fit the bill. it also sounds amazing!

Speaker has GREAT sound quality!! I love how loud it sounds. And the look is amazing!! I would definitely recommend it!!