There are thousands of words to describe poor sound quality… NONE of them will feature in this review.

The JBL Flip 7 is here! It’s portable, it’s loud and in the coolest way possible… It’s cool!

As someone who predominantly uses a speaker for travel, a random get together or a sing in the shower, I’m not in the market for an absolute TANK of a speaker. The JBL Flip 7 was exactly what I needed.

It’s incredible! I feel like I’ve held V cans bigger than the Flip 7. It really is easy to throw in your bag for a road trip or a trip to the beach. Plus, with up to 16 hours of playtime, a good charge often lasts the getaway.

When you’re on the go, the best kind of speaker is one you don’t have to worry about. The Flip 7 has a fantastic battery life. It’s also waterproof, dustproof and drop proof! (Up to 1m). But honestly, one meter’s all you need. If I’m passing it to a mate, tossing it to my beach towel or it gets bumped off the table during game night, I know the beats will keep on blasting. (Plus, if you’re dropping your speaker from any higher, that’s on you.)

JBL does have an app for their speakers that allows for updates and audio customization, but as someone who understands ‘the sound’ more than the specs, I’m stoked with the out of the box experience. Fantastic balance, a surprising amount of bass and it can play LOUD. You can also pair it with your other speakers using Aura cast, you know, in case you ever need even more UMPH!

At this point, I don’t know if it’s industry standard or JBL standard, but it’s always nice when you can get music playing without a glance at the manual. I charged it, pressed the on button, held the Bluetooth button and paired it. That’s the way it should be.

The only negatives I have with the Flip 7 are very minor. For example, the speaker does not come with its own charger (USB-C). I understand it is a very common cord to own nowadays, but it’s always nice to have one per device. The horizontal foot of the Flip 7 is also more of a kickstand, so when it’s on its side, it does have a tendency to roll when knocked.

But realistically, I’m getting a bit pickier than the average adventurer. The interchangeable carabiner and loop feature put all those concerns to the back of my mind. That feature is innovative, fun and gives the speaker some personality. That’s something modern devices need more of, creativity to keep things from getting stale.

Overall, the speaker gets a 4.6 out of 5 from me. It’s not perfect but it’s certainly earned its spot as my day to day speaker. So how can I give it any less!

The post JBL Flip 7 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

JBL, known for excellent audio products and a legend in the business, spins things up with their Spinner BT Bluetooth turntable.

As vinyl makes a huge comeback for a new generation, JBL have jumped on it with a superior kit.

A mix of modern and retro feels, the JBL Spinner BT relies on the JBL app (Android and iOS) to set up your wireless connection to a Bluetooth speaker.

For this review and to keep the retro vibe real, I paired up with the JBL Authentics 300 portable Bluetooth speaker.

I have reviewed this series previously, here, and honestly, the Authentics range is my absolute fav portable speaker. It has the gold and black finish, appearance of the 1970s with a boom audio loud enough for any environment.

The JBL Authentics Bluetooth Speaker range takes you back to the age of Jive, and is also a smart speaker, able to pair up with Google or Alexa from any Bluetooth device.

Once connected you can mix it up with the Spinner BT which is built with AptX-HD encoding to maximise your personal record collection.

There is provision for long or short play records.

With the tonearm and platter being made of aluminum, it is not like the record player your parent’s had in their day. It’s light weight and if you’re an inspiring vinyl DJ the top cover is removable.

When you first open the box of one of these, do expect some assembly, and if you’re planning on traveling with the JBL Spinner BT, it can come apart as well. But note that this is not a portable turntable it does need AC power to operate.

If you have an existing amp and speaker set up at yours, the JBL Spinner BT has the old school (yet reliable) RCA ports.

Either start your own vinyl collection, or raid your parents audio cabinet to get yourself in to a present day retro sphere and have a more intimately emotional experience with your music, with the very excellent JBL Spinner BT.

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JBL is at the top when it comes to audio production.

From large sound stages, recording booths, to your home and on-the-go, only JBL sound the way they do.

They also bring us busy outdoors (and indoors) people functions that we never knew we needed, such as a Smart Charging Case for their earbuds.

As we saw with last years Tour Pro 2 TWS, JBL have now released the Live Flex 3.

The Smart Case comes with the same functionality as the Tour Pro 2, where you can tweak your audio settings, control music and volume as well as customize the lock screen.

You can also set up your smart phone’s notifications to come up on the case screen. This is a bit hit and miss though.

The buds themselves are super comfy for long wearing periods and put out an astounding tub-thumping mix of highs and lows, with a rumble for that bassline.

However, they are prone to slipping out of your ear due to having no silicone tips.

Side touch functionality is still there, to take a call or control your music or media, and the Live Flex 3 are also a bit prone to the occasional Bluetooth drops as their Tour Pro 2 also suffers from.

But the JBL Live Flex 3 will see you right for that long commute, flight and literally all-day.

A whopping 50 hour battery life from full charge (or around 10 hours on a 15 – 20 minute charge up) means you are not going to have to charge these up every few hours.

I’ve had this review pair for a bit over one week and they are still going strong after one full charge when I first received them.

The JBL Live Flex 3 are the buds to have in your bag or pocket, and take with you, for reliability.

If you’re a fitness fanatic or someone that moves around a lot, they may not be the best due to their ability to fall out.

At home, work or that long haul flight, you can’t go wrong. You can put your phone away and pump up the jam on your fav playlists from the Smart Case.

The post JBL Live Flex 3 Ear Buds Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Xbox (or PC) gamers can chat and game and have the audio advantage over and above their battlefield foes with JBL’s Quantum 360X.

A full sized, over-head headphone, the Quantum 360X is designed for Xbox Series X|S or PC (actually any Bluetooth enabled device), connecting up wirelessly or for a more stable connection, USB. You can also have a more stable wireless connection using the dongle.

Bluetooth connection for me was good, but I did experience a few drops. Pairing to the dongle was tight, and of course via USB, no issues at all.

Built with memory foam ear-cups for comfortable non-sweaty marathons, the 40mm driver speakers produce supreme audio with that JBL signature sound.

It is fair to say that for some the JBL Quantum 360X may be a bit bass centric for some users, during heated action moments, you do literally feel those explosions as your ears vibrate.

For me though, that was fantastic.

This said the JBL Quantum 360X has voice focus. No matter how crazy things are getting in-game, how loud those explosions are or the whoops of exhilaration from team mates as you complete a successful raid, you’ll always be heard and hear others.

The Quantum 360X will game with you for as long as you can. With an up-to 22 hours battery life when using Bluetooth or via the dongle

Using the JBL Quantum as headphones only was a pleasing experience. When I put down my game controller and cranked up the tunes, bending the mic away from my face it was on par with almost all JBL audio headphones.

Given the lower price point, the JBL Quantum 360X surpassed my expectations.

These are headphones built to game, and as it turns out, no matter the platform if you use Bluetooth.

JBL Quantum 360X is a worthy weapon in your video gaming arsenal, whether you’re gaming on the go or at home.

The post JBL Quantum 360X Wireless Gaming Headset Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The party is at yours as you bring the playlist, the lights and the boom with JBL’s Partybox 120 portable speaker.

Pairing up with your smartdecvice via Bluetooth and syncing with the ‘JBL Partybox’ app not only do you transform in to the party master, but also the DJ.

The JBL Partybox 120 is a full sized speaker that you can use at home or out of the house with it’s swappable battery and around 12 hours lifespan.

You can use the Partybox 120 plugged in to the mains outlet, this will also charge the battery too, of course. If you’re caught short a 10 minute charge up will give you about a couple of hours of party time.

Also water resistant, or splash proof – if it rains on your party or that embarrassing Uncle who drinks too much spills his beverage on the speaker, you should be right.

You will need the app if you want to customise not only the EQ for audio, but also the trancy lighting.

From strobing to strip lights to flashing and trailing, optimise, select and change colours as you wish. You’re in full control.

On the top of the JBL Partybox 120 is a series of buttons and knobs. Volume (you can control all of these wirelessly of course), Bluetooth, play controls and three magic buttons that add soundeffects in to your music.

These sound effects can also be modified via the app.

There’s ports too. Wow your friends and family with your musical or vocal talents by plugging in a guitar or mic.

The audio is bassy. Even at a low volume it will rattle the windows of your neighbourhood.

Use the JBL Partybox 120 in a room I doubt you’ll get anywhere near mid volume range. Outside the entire neighbourhood will hear the greatest hits of your playlists.

The JBL Partybox 120 can be parired up to another JBL portable speaker, or you can set it up for Auracast.

Being slated as a portable speaker, which it is, it’s heavy. It’s not going to be your everyday grab-and-go but it is definitely a speaker that you will take to the beach, a mates house or any gathering where there’s to be music. And HQ sounding music too.

JBL most definitely has a signature sound for it’s speakers, and it’s something that only JBL seems to have got right in the portable speaker market.

For your next event there’s no need to hire a DJ, get yourself a JBL Partybox 120 for an instant party zone.

The post JBL Partybox 120 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s small but got boom.

The JBL Go 4 is just slightly larger than a credit card, easily pocketable and ready to rock out when you are.

Waterproof and rugged, the Go 4 has onboard play and volume controls with a single USB-C charging port.

Pair it up via Bluetooth  to your smartphone or tablet to take on the go. To get the most out of your JBL Go 4 you’ll need to download the JBL Portable app.

With this you can tweak the audio settings either via preset EQ options, or customise to your liking.

With around 7 hours of battery life, the JBL Go 4 will keep up with you all night, or all day.

If you’re caught short – on the app is a Boost. This will optimise the audio to extend the remaining battery life by up to 2 hours.

Using the JBL Go 4 in and out of the house I was able to squeeze around 6 hours out of the tiny speaker before it got down to 15%. Trying the battery life boost did exactly what it claims, ad more than once I was able to get another 1 to 2 hours before it finally died.

Price wise, these punchy, bassy super loud portable speakers come well under $100. So, I would recommend having a couple of them, so you can pair them up for stereo sound – or use Aura Cast.

Infact the audio that’s produced from a speaker that can literally fit in your pocket is fully beyond what it should be able to produce. It can fill an entire room with sound and then some.

Small but mighty the JBL Go 4 is definitely the most portable high quality bluetooth speaker I’ve come across. If the quality of sound is important to you while out and about, the JBL Go 4 is going to impress.

The post JBL Go 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Go large on HQ audio with JBL’s new JBL Live 770NC over the head headphones.

Tipped on the bigger side of life, the JBL Live 770NC’s pack a punch and then some with booming bass and detailed highs.

Featuring the dual connectivity you can connect these up to more than one device. This is a feature of JBL’s headsets that I absolutely love.

In my house I have a few devices that can rock a playlist, so for me a headset that I can instantly pick up and play without needing to disconnect just to connect to something else is more than convenience. It’s a necessity.

JBL has added Spatial Sound to their buds and headphones for the past few models and this has not escaped the Live 770NC’s.

Spatial Sound gives you an arena or concert hall like virtual atmosphere. It is of course optional and can be toggled on or off via the JBL Live app for iOS and Android.

It’s also within this app you can preset and customize your audio to your liking, as well as turn off (or on) Noise Canceling – which by the way is top shelf.

Even in the noisiest environment such as the CBD all environmental clutter and chaos is totally filtered out.

This also works with hands free calling. This is done via built-in AI, the JBL Live 770NC will adapt its noise cancelation via the noise pollution it detects.

Each ear cup speaker is powered by 400mm drivers ensuring high performance and crispy audio. You also have basic tactile button controls on the headset.

Battery wise, the JBL Live 770NC is unbeatable.

To preserve your battery, the headset will play and pause when you place on or off. This said, the Live 770NC has around 50 hours of continuous use from a full charge, or 65 hours if you do not use Noise Canceling.

Making it perfect for long trips or even just use for a few hours over the course of a week and a bit.

I’ve connected up the Live 770NC to both an iOS and Android device and well over a week in, almost two, I still do not need to charge with around 67% remaining and being used for 3 – 5 hours per day on either device.

The JBL Live 770NC packs a lot but doesn’t come with a high price tag. Not at all. Just over a couple of hundred dollars this epic headset is going to see you right for extended periods of media streaming, playlist rocking and even gaming.

The post JBL Live 770NC Headset Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

To round up our review of JBL’s retro styled modern classic Bluetooth speaker series, the Authentics Series, we saved the smallest for last.

The Authentics Series 200 is a bookshelf speaker, adorning the gold and black visage of its bigger siblings, dressed and ready to party like it’s the 70s.

Again we see the exact same buttons and dials as we did on the Authentics Series 500 and 300.  A Bluetooth connection and favourites button as well as the dials to tweak your audio.

Around the back is a similar affair too and the 5 inch sub is placed on the bottom, ready to thunder.
Inside the JBL Authentics 200 is two 25mm tweeters, which coupled with the lower placed sub can belt out a whopping 90 watts of awesomeness. Don’t let the size of the JBL Authentics Series 200 fool you. It’s got some grunt.

To really hone in your preferred audio experience the Authentics Series range is best paired with the free JBL app for Android or iOS.

You can also marry up with your favourite AI assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.  Connecting up is super easy you just need to Bluetooth it from your smartphone or tablet. Or sync it to your home’s WiFi.

If you want to be a bit more technical you can plug the Authentics Series 200 in to your modem via a LAN cable for a more stable streaming experience.

While there’s a lot of Bluetooth speakers out there in the stores, some extremely high quality, none compare to the Authentics Series range. A touch of retro chic mixed with present day tech and an audio experience that is top shelf.

While small, the Authentics  Series 200 can easily fill a medium sized house wall to wall with booming HQ audio.

Mains powered, you’re not going to be able to get back to the age of jive in public, but it’s a sure winner in your home this holiday season. Ready to belt out the best of your New Year’s party playlist.

The post JBL Authentics Series 200 Bluetooth Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

And now for the big tamale in JBL’s Authentics retro styled range, the massive on features, 500.

Encased in black and gold and looking as though it’s stepped out of the 1970’s the Authentics 500 brings the looks and feel of class with larger than life sound.

As with the smaller Authentics 300, there’s three large dials on top for audio volume and tweaking, alongside a bluetooth and ‘favourites’ buttons.

The Authentics 500 gives you a couple of connection options, bluetooth to your smartdevice or WiFi.

On the lower side of the speaker is a large sub.

The Authentics 500 has a few tricks up it’s sleeve too.

Firstly, it is a smart speaker. You can integrate the JBL Authentics 500 to your existing Amazon Alexa setup or Google Home Assistant.

While you’ll need the JBL app (Android and iOS) to get the most out of your groovy Authentics 500, controlling via voice is much, much easier.

The JBL Authentics 500 also has Dolby 3D Sound.

Upgrade your music or podcast streaming experience to a few next levels with enhanced spatial audio.

Coming in at 270 watts, the Authentics 500 can easily rattle the china at your neighbours place.

It’s bassy (although you can adjust this) and will easily fill a medium to large sized house with the best from your playlists.

Around the back of the speaker you can connect up via USB-C, or stream via a wired LAN using ethernet.

The JBL Authentics 500 is an at home (or office) speaker and is not one to take on-the-go. It requires mains power to work.

JBL’s Authentics range is a literal blast from the past fusing the classy feels of the 70’s with present day tech.

The larger you go, for instance the Authentics 500, the more bang you’ll get.

The Authentics 500 is a beautiful kit and the largest in the series. So, this festive season, if you really want to rock those jingle bells, the Authentics 500 is definitely where it’s at. But classiness does come at a price.

The post JBL Authentics 500 Bluetooth Speaker appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The most retro-esque, niche and classy bluetooth speakers around, JBL has released the Authentics 300 from their newly styled ‘Authentics’ series.

Fusing a 70’s vibe with present day technology and JBL’s signature HQ audio experience the JBL Authentics 300 is roughly about the size of a shoe box, aesthetically covered in a black leather look casing, removable foam grid, accented in light gold.

Pairing up to the JBL Authentics 300 from your smart device can be done via Bluetooth, LAN or USB-C.

The top of the speaker retains it’s retro-ness via two lit treble and bass dials, the larger volume dial and buttons for power, Bluetooth and a ‘Favourites’ button.

Once connected up you can control the JBL Authentics 300 with voice, via Alexa and / or  Google Assistant.

This is where that Favourites button comes in. Let your chosen AI Assistant know what your fav podcast or playlist is and at one touch and you’ll be rocking out or be entertained.

The JBL Authentics Series 300 has a decent 100W output. To say that this tiny speaker is little but loud is a huge understatement.

It also offers both clarity and pumping bass, by way of the 5 inch sub at the base of the speaker and the dual 25mm tweeters as well as the ability to fine tune your audio with the treble and bass swivels.

Super light and with a reclining carry handle, the JBL Authentics 300 can be moved from room to room real easy.

Battery from a full charge will see you filling a room with your greatest hits for up to 8 hours.

But from testing the speaker for over a week, this can depend on volume.

Yep I cranked up the noise over a Saturday and was able to get around 6 hours. But on a more considerate volume level it surpassed that 8 hour limit.

The JBL Authentics 300 is built to pick up and go. It is designed for home use and will easily fill even a large home with exceptionally high quality audio all the while retaining a super classy, sexy retro feel. But that is at a higher than expected price point.

The post JBL Authentics 300 Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.