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The company that makes your JBL speaker is now building charging accessories too
InfinityLab is Harman's latest subsidiary
Samsung subsidiary Harman is mostly known for its audio brands like Harman Kardon and JBL, but today, the company has announced that it's broadening its horizon with a new brand focused on sustainable and environment-friendly charging products — InfinityLab.
Smart speakers with Google Assistant support are ubiquitous these days, but only a small handful of OEMs can claim to understand sound as well as those that specialize in audio equipment. That's why it's no surprise the first smart speaker with integrated display from JBL was built with a premium listening experience in mind. Right now, you can snag the JBL Link View at Best Buy, Harman, JBL for only $99.99 ($199.96 off).
If you're in need of premium audio gear without the premium prices, you've landed on the right article. All throughout this Black Friday weekend, Harman is running exclusive deals on a ton of its most popular products, like wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, sound bars, and much more. Here are just some of the highlights you'll want to check out:
Feature parity is a huge point of contention in Android, and now in Google Assistant speakers too. Whenever Google announces a new ability for its Home line-up, you can toss a coin and it's pretty much 50-50 whether this will work on Assistant speakers from other brands. For phone calls, the situation has been more dire. Even though Google Home users could make a voice call starting August 2017 (in the US first), those with third-party speakers didn't have that option. But things are getting better.
In the Samsung-owned Harman audio empire, consisting of JBL, AKG, and others, Harman Kardon is the original brand and it still has a fairly decent reputation for making products with relative audiophile appeal. The group is no stranger to Google Assistant-equipped devices, but the Citation/Enchant range of speakers, subs, towers, and soundbars really caught our attention when it was announced last summer. This could be the versatile Sonos competitor we've been waiting for.The range went on sale last month, and I've been able to test the cheapest speaker in the lineup, the Citation One. At $200, it's competing with the Sonos One (I wonder where it got the name from), as well as other Assistant speakers from Sony, LG, JBL, and many more. It's a good price point for those not willing to pay $400 for the best-in-class Google Home Max, and they all sound far better than the regular Google Home or Mini. As you're about to find out, the Citation One has impressed me in more ways than one.
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As the proliferation of AI-enabled headphones continues, Harman's JBL is adding to its collection with three headsets from the newly-announced Live series, beginning at $100. The Samsung-owned audio subsidiary also revealed several other new mid-range products at CES 2019, including a $30 portable speaker for kids that comes in colors including "Spider Red" and "Froggy Green," and the JBL Flip 5 portable speaker, which features a 4,800mAh rechargeable battery and starts at $100. Finally, Harman is showcasing an app called Personi-Fi that aims to bring personalized audio settings to any streaming device.
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Clockwise from left: Citation One, 100, and 300.
JBL/Harman announce too many speakers and headphones, including some with Alexa or Assistant support
Samsung-owned JBL and Harman Kardon have released a flood of products at this year's CES, collectively covering an extensive range of uses. From the new Google Assistant-equipped JBL Everest Bluetooth headphone line, to a literal pile of individually sport-optimized waterproof earbuds and Bluetooth speakers, all the way up to the $4,000 re-release of the 1970's JBL L100, the company has an almost comically massive lineup for the coming year.The full list of new products by JBL/Harman (with a very quick summary and links to the press release for each) are:
There is no shortage of Alexa-powered smart speakers at this point. Even though the first third-party Google Assistant smart speakers were the stars of IFA in Berlin this past week (at least as far as audio products go), Amazon hasn't been resting on its laurels. A few more Alexa speakers were revealed at the event, including ones from big-name companies like DTS and Harman (parent company of JBL).
You have almost certainly heard the name Harman when it comes to audio products, but the company has spent the last few years getting big into automotive technology as well. That's what piqued Samsung's interest in the company, and now the Korean tech giant is putting a lot of cash on the table to become a player in connected car tech. The $8 billion deal will be Samsung's biggest acquisition to date when it closes.
I've had my eye on JBL for about a year now, ever since Cameron (we miss you Cam!) reviewed the company's Xtreme and Flip 3 speakers and came away more than impressed. Cam knows his music and sound, so his recommendation stuck with me until I spotted the speakers at a local reseller and thought I'd ask the customer rep to test them. The sound quality, clarity, and volume blew me away. But my main holdout for purchasing any JBL speaker was the lack of Google Cast integration. I know the Chromecast Audio exists, but I'd rather have something with the feature built-in, to avoid more unnecessary wires.
I own many different Bluetooth speakers, but there is just one that I carry daily in my backpack. That's the JBL Flip 3. It is rugged and water-resistant, surprisingly loud and crisp, and has great battery life. I paid $100 for mine a few months back, but now you can pick up a refurbished Flip 3 for a whole lot less. HarmanAudio.com has them on sale for just .99 (- new on Amazon) in your choice of black, blue, or red.If you want a little more oomph and rumble, you might also consider a refurbished JBL Xtreme, the Flip 3's muscular older brother, which Harman is selling for 9.99 (9-5 on Amazon). It's also available in black, blue, or red.Even though the speakers are refurbished, they still come with all the original accessories and have the same length of warranty a brand new speaker would. I'm not the only one who thinks highly of these devices, Cam loves both of them as well – you can check out his full review here (I'll miss you bud).Economy shipping is free and no sales tax will be charged; the price you see is what you'll pay. Follow the links below if you want to pick one up for yourself.Source: JBL Flip 3, JBL Xtreme
I've been on a bit of a headphone kick lately, and have tried out a number of sets from various manufacturers. The only on-ear headphones I've tried during this time, though, have been AKG's K 830 BT's, the company's only high fidelity Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones remain a relatively young technology, and have been growing steadily as more and more computers and smartphones adopt the A2DP Bluetooth audio transmission standard.