A soundbar, an Android TV box, and a Google Assistant speaker. A soundbar, an Android TV box... are you getting it? These are not three separate devices; this is one device, and JBL is calling it 'Link Bar.' We first heard about the Link Bar right before I/O kicked off earlier this year, and we got an in-person demo at the event. This fancy sound bar is now available for pre-order at B&H for $399.95, which isn't a bad price at all for what you get.

The Link Bar is something that nobody asked for, but we're glad it exists. It combines a 100W soundbar, an Android TV set-top box, and a Google Assistant smart speaker into a device that costs the same as a Home Max on its own. I/O includes three HDMI inputs, one HDMI output with ARC, an optical port, and an aux input.

Bluetooth can be used to stream to the speaker as well. There's also a 'PrivacySwitch' for the microphones, allowing you to disable them when you're not using Google Assistant. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a subwoofer, but an optional wireless one is mentioned in B&H's listing.

B&H has the Link Bar listed at $399.95, and it's expected to become available on October 16th. We look forward to checking it out, as this is a seriously interesting product.

Source: B&H

Thanks: John