JBL – Authentics 200 Smart Home Speaker – Black

Customer Reviews (35)

1. 

   PJPJ – September 17, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   The JBL Authentics 200 Smart Home Speaker is a full featured smart speaker, with quality sound. While this smaller speaker in the Authentics line (about 10“x6“x7“) does not support Dolby Atmos, like the bigger Authentics 500 does, it still provides a powerful audio experience.

   What’s in the Box:
   • JBL Authentics 200 speaker
   • Power Cord
   • Quick Start Guide and Warranty Information

   The smart speaker is very versatile. It connects through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or an Ethernet cable. The Authentics 200 is compatible with Apple AirPlay. It is compatible with Alexa and Google home. And you don’t have to choose. Both can be used concurrently.

   Ports on the back include:
   1. RJ-45 (Ethernet)
   2. Aux
   3. USB-C (the manual says this is for MP3 file playback in U.S. version only)
   4. Power
   There is also a physical microphone switch on the back, should you wish to ensure the voice assistant microphone is off.

   The JBL One app lets you set up a Wi-Fi connection, voice assistants, add services and tweak the sound via the app. The JBL Authentics 200 also has bass and treble control wheels on the top. You can tweak the sound to your liking. There are also volume and play controls on the top. But my favorite is the “favorite” button. Using the app set up “Moment”. Then all you need to do to play your favorite playlist or station is to press the “heart button” on the top of the speaker, or you can set up an auto on / auto off time.

   Connecting to my Wi-Fi was easy, as was connecting to my phone via Bluetooth. Setting up the voice assistants was a bit more effort, but not bad. The smart speaker is compatible with AirPlay, Alexa Cast and has Chromecast built in. There are also several streaming services built in.

   In summary, the JBL Authentics 200 Home Speaker sounds great and has a lot of options for audio sources. If you are in the market for a smart speaker, check this one out.

2. 

   JayS – September 18, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   The JBL Authentics 200 is a great retro looking smart speaker which is wrapped in a black leather-like enclosure and a goldish outline. The looks maybe retro but the JBL Authentics has both Alexa and Google smart enabled so you can listen to anything with a simple “hey Alexa/Google”. Now even though this is a smart speaker you can turn off the smarts by muting Alexa/google with the flick of a simple switch and just use this speaker through Bluetooth ,AUX or USB-C.

   The amount of sound that comes from this compact speaker is amazing, I was surprised how great the low/bass sounded from the JBL, my expectations for the highs/mids were as expected (great) but I did not expect the lows to sound this nice. Not only did the lows/mids/highs sound great the sound was great no matter how loud I was playing my music.

   One of the main reasons the sound is so good is its self-tuning feature which adapts to the JBL’s surroundings now this happens whenever you power on the JLB Authentics 200 automatically, now this does cause a little delay in the startup but its well worth it. I tried placing the JBL in a enclosed cabinet, next to a wall on tiles and even in the middle of my living room on carpet and every time the self-tuning made sure the sound was consistently great. Now since this isn’t a portable speaker the chances of you moving it around aren’t that high but its nice to know that it will sound great no matter where you place the JBL or on what surface you place it.

   As stated above this speaker connects to both Google and Alexa to make your life a little bit easier and they both work at the same time (you can ask Alexa to start a song and Google to stop it). Having both Google and Alexa is a great thing because you can do multi-room playback if you have other devices connected.

   The JBL one app helps you connect to wifi and add the streaming services you have. Now the app makes it simple to change/adjust the sound settings and even lets you set up a favorites play list which JBL calls moments. These moments can be saved to play in a certain order, EQ setting and volume. Once these moments are set all you have to do is push the little button on the JBL to get your playlist going or just ask Google/Alexa.

   Besides the sound quality JBL has done a great job with the design there are multiple things with the JBL Authentics 200 that make this one of the best looking and feeling speakers. The way the light eliminate on the rotating buttons as you increase the volume/bass or the small rubber feet at the bottom of the speaker which are there to prevent damage to your shelf when you turn this all the way up. Over the JBL Authentics 200 is a great speaker with room filling sound.

3. 

   JohnR – September 19, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   With the Authentics 200, JBL has created a modern successor to the home stereo systems and boomboxes that were once found in nearly every household. Featuring numerous ways to play your favorite audio content, the Authentics 200 is a great option for the music lover who wants to hear everything with pristine sound quality.

   Right out of the box, it is evident that this JBL speaker is built extremely well. The enclosure is wrapped in a leather-like material that instantly reminds me of guitar amplifiers, with a cloth material on the front, covering the speakers underneath. Circling this speaker grille is a golden metallic trim piece, stating: “Authentic sound by JBL, Since 1946.” On top are the controls, with buttons for play/pause (and skip forward and back), Bluetooth pairing, and a “Heart” shaped moment button that is used to access features in the JBL One app. To control volume, bass, and treble, there are rotating wheels, with LED illumination to show you where the levels are for each setting.

   On the back of the speaker are the connection options, which include ethernet, auxiliary (standard 3.5 mm size headphone jack), and USB-C. There is also the power cable port, as this speaker does not run on batteries and must be plugged with the included cable to function.

   The booklet states that the JBL has 2 x 25 mm tweeters, and a 5” woofer all running at a max power of 90 watts. On the bottom side of the enclosure appears to be a large passive radiator (to help with bass response), as I believe that the actual 5” woofer is found on the front face of the unit. The listed frequency response is an impressive 50Hz to 20kHz, meaning that the JBL does get pretty close to playing the ultra-low sub-bass frequencies found in many pieces of music.

   For Bluetooth, it uses version 5.3, and I had no issues pairing it and running it with my iPhone and LG television. The JBL One app was also easy to use, yet I really did not like it prompting me to enter my Wi-Fi password inside of the app. I was still able to use the app without the Wi-Fi feature, I just think it’s a bit invasive to require a user’s Wi-Fi password, and I was not comfortable doing that.

   There is also a switch on the backside of the unit to turn the microphone “on” or “off,” which is used to control Alexa or “Hey Google” functionality. I did try speaking to Alexa with the Authentics 200, and it worked fine, but for the most part, I left the microphone in the “off” position. While I personally don’t use voice assistants very often, this is a great feature for someone who does, and wants an easy way to access these services around the house.

   When it came to testing the sound quality, I primarily used my iPhone 13 and played music that was in Apple Lossless format, or MP3s in 320kbps quality. Additionally, I paired the JBL with my LG smart TV and watched a movie, using the speaker as the sound source.

   I get the impression that JBL was going for a sound that could easily pump out the bass, yet remain balanced when needed. With the easy to use Bass and Treble wheels, I was able to adjust the sound quality on the fly, and the results were pretty amazing. For a system with such a small footprint, this thing puts out a phenomenal amount of clean, low-reaching bass, all while maintaining crystal clear and well-defined mid-range and treble. More than once, I tried playing some extremely bass-heavy hip-hop and turned the bass knob all the way to max, and then turned the volume to 100 percent. The Authentics 200 performed flawlessly, with no distortion, and pumped out bass you could feel as well as hear. It was very easy to tell that the 2 x 25mm tweeters did an excellent job of ensuring the highs never got muddy or bogged down by the tones played by the 5” woofer. When watching an adventure movie, the system sounded awesome, with action scenes coming through loud and clear, and softer dialogue scenes being easy to hear and understand due to the exceptional clarity of the JBL’s speakers.

   Over the course of testing, I played music from many genres including rock, metal, hip-hop, electronic, reggae, country, classical, jazz, and funk, and honestly, it all sounded great. While it certainly shines with the heavy bass found in hip-hop and electronic music, it also does a phenomenal job of playing every other genre I tried. If you find that there’s a bit too much bass or treble for your liking, the wheels make it easy to dial in the exact sound you’re looking for.

   Overall, the JBL Authentics 200 is a solidly constructed home audio system with jaw-dropping audio performance that can easily fill a large room. While it’s not the most portable speaker since it must always be plugged in, it is light enough that moving it from room to room is easily accomplished if needed. There aren’t many negative points, except that I didn’t like having to enter my Wi-Fi password on the app to use that feature. Besides that, I found the Authentics 200 to be an amazing speaker that truly takes its place as the modern-day home stereo system. With so many ways to stream or play your music, there truly is a connection mode for everyone, no matter what the situation is. I can truly say that if you’re looking for a speaker to upgrade the sound in your home, look no further than the JBL Authentics 200!

4. 

   apalmo – September 19, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   When I saw that JBL was releasing the Authentics speakers I was really excited. Growing up I remember seeing JBL speakers and they always looked cool with how they did the speaker covers. So I was really happy that this is a retro take on those old speakers.

   Out of the box the speaker looks and feels very high end. The gold accents are very nice and the gold is a nice matte look and is not shiny. The speaker is wrapped in a black leather that also looks and feels very nice. JBL perfected the looks of this speaker and it really shows. Normally I do not want to have my speaker the center of attention because they are usually just black boxes. I currently have this on display in my living room front and center because I love it!

   The speaker has the look but does it sound good? I don’t think it sounds good, it actually sounds wonderful! Right out of the box without making adjustments the speaker was hitting highs and lows nicely. After I got it setup and made some adjustments I was really impressed with this speaker. Usually with smallish speakers something is lacking like highs or more common lows. I was worried that the bass would be tiny and almost no existent. I was wrong, this thing hits hard and strong! It feels (yes you can feel the bass) and sounds like this speaker has a separate sub. I even had to check to make sure it didn’t sync up with my sound bar and that was making the bass. It also gets very loud without any distortion. I had it in my living room and turned up and could clearly hear the music throughout the house. This little speaker packs a big punch!

   The top of the speaker has a button for Bluetooth, favorites, treble, bass, play/pause, and volume. When you adjust the volume/bass/treble, there are lights around the knobs to show where the level is at. I thought this was a nice touch and made the product feel more premium. The back has the plug, AUX, USB, and an Ethernet port. I was surprised this had an Ethernet port as a lot of modern devices are doing away with this connect. The bottom has the down firing passive radiator that also looks nice and provides significant bass.
   Setup was very simple but you will need to download the JBL One app to setup the device and get it online. The app also gives you an equalizer so you can make more adjustments. Once setup I was able to use Apple air drop to play music or Spotify. You can control the music with the built in Google/Alexia or through your phone app. I use both Google and Alexia so it was nice that this device can use both at the same time. You can also add the speaker to your home group so you can play music through all of the speakers at the same time. I love this feature when you have people over, you can have music playing in the background of each room instead of just one location.

   I could honestly see using this speaker for everything from movies, tv, computer, tablet, phone, etc. This is a good all in one especially if you have limited space for multiple speakers in your home. It’s also nice that it looks great so if it is out in the open it looks like a cool retro speaker. I wouldn’t mind having a second one to put in my basement living room. Overall this is a great speaker that is well worth the price.

5. 

   Zaid – September 19, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   JBL has been well-known for making premium and high-quality speakers for years. This JBL Authentics 200 has a merit to hold the name of authentic!! the retro and heritage design makes it stand out and feel like a masterpiece. The design is superb and elegant. The build quality of it is no doubt far and beyond, it feels premium and looks sophisticated. The leather-like wrap with a front foam grille makes an amazing blend of quality and luxurious look. The size is about perfect. it sits well in my guest room and the sound is room-filling and enough to be heard around my home. When turned, the volume, bass, and treble knobs are premium and have a nice haptic feel. Connectivity, this speaker is wifi and BT enabled, but what impressed me much about this speaker is the integration and ability to use two voice assistants simultaneously which are Alexa and Google Voice. Both are all-time active and can be invoked. Besides, streaming via wifi is awesome and seamless. In addition to Alexa and Google, Apple AirPlay is also available which makes this speaker “all-in-one” to provide everything from music streaming and home control through voice commands. I personally, like the way it is powered. being wired is the best option since I don’t plan to take it with me anywhere other than my home. In contrast, I can use the multi-room feature on Alexa and Google Home apps to connect it to other speakers I have already in different rooms and have them all play simultaneously. The microphone seems great as I did not have any voice assistant issues. It picks up the trigger words such as “Alexa or Hey Google” immediately. Also controlling smart home devices was a breeze. The speaker can be connected to the internet via ethernet but I would rather use wifi just to declutter cables it is good to have for sure. USB Type-C is also available to connect a phone or tablet and play music. I loved this speaker, it offers a luxurious design, premium quality, and all the music streaming services to the extent I can choose any service I prefer with no hassle. The sound is amazing and provides super clarity and loud. In addition, the favorite heart-shaped button is the moment feature that allows to create a playlist on the JBL One app to play it with a single press on the speaker. Finally, a privacy-related feature is addressed here as the speaker has a microphone on/off switch on the back which is convenient.

6. 

   HUNTER – September 20, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   First and foremost, the design of the Authentics 200 is a testament to JBL’s commitment to craftsmanship. Its retro-inspired wooden cabinet, metal accents, and fabric grille exude elegance and sophistication, making it a statement piece in any room. The attention to detail is evident in every aspect of its construction.

   Sound quality is where the Authentics 200 truly shines. With dual 2.5-inch tweeters and a 5.25-inch subwoofer, this speaker delivers a rich, room-filling audio experience. The bass is deep and punchy, while the highs are crisp and clear, creating a balanced and immersive soundstage. Audiophiles will appreciate its ability to reproduce music with remarkable fidelity.

   What sets the Authentics 200 apart from the competition is its smart capabilities. It seamlessly integrates with popular voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control your smart home devices, check the weather, or play your favorite music with simple voice commands. The built-in microphone array ensures accurate voice recognition even in noisy environments.

   Connectivity options are abundant, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a variety of wired inputs, including an optical input for your TV or gaming console. The JBL app provides intuitive control over settings, equalization, and streaming services, making it easy to tailor your audio experience to your liking.

   Multi-room audio is another highlight of the Authentics 200. You can link multiple speakers together to enjoy synchronized music throughout your home, creating a seamless and immersive listening experience.

7. 

   Scott S – September 20, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   What a fantastic speaker. The craftsmanship and detailing on it are just top notch – from the metal antique-brass/gold surround at the front and the big tactile knobs on top, to the modern clean back lines and bottom subwoofer’s integration detailing. Each area is cleanly and precisely designed and produced.

   But it’s also got to sound amazing and deliver on its smart home promises too… and I’m glad to say that it does both fantastically!

   Sound:
   Really great sound. This model has dual 25mm tweeters and a really nice downward facing 5” subwoofer. Like other modern speakers, it also self-tunes its sound to the space each time you start it up, guaranteeing you get the best sounding music for the room it’s in. EQ can easily be adjusted, both at the top of the unit and from the app (which I’ll get into next) providing easy adjustments when desired. In my impression, this leads to an ability to get music with greater bass than some of the other competitors in the space. One thing of note, however, is that it directs most of its sound straight out of its front flat-ish grill. I found this to make it a bit more directional by design. – It really wants to be placed on a shelf, against a wall and aimed at the core space of the room for even sound. Otherwise, you’ll notice a drop off in volume when you’re to the sides of the speaker. Regardless, sound quality is top notch.

   Ease of Setup / App Use:
   Setup of the dual assistants and airplay integration comes via the app, and what a nice app it is. For the first time, I’m actually impressed by a product companion app! – no small feat, for sure! It’s well designed and guides you though what was a flawless setup process for me. From connecting to wifi, to adding both Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant one right after each other. What’s more is that they operate flawlessly. I could easily ask Alexa to start my Spotify playlist and then tell Google to stop the playback to do something else. I was even able to continue music in the background via the big play button on the top of the speaker while Alexa continued answering my question in the foreground. It’s a real multitasker and it just works! Very impressive. The app also has a nice rich view into playback controls with a well designed access to EQ adjustments for changes on the fly.

   Aesthetics:
   Talking more on aesthetics, I wasn’t certain how I’d like the retro styling in person, but it pulls it off beautifully. This speaker is an awesome mix of tactile throwbacks to the designs of the 70’s, while also being firmly locked into modern design cues and technology. Most of the modern elements come from using the speaker, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much attention they gave to all sides of the speaker. You can just feel how premium the overall speaker is.

   Summary:

   In short, this is a superb premium speaker from JBL. The retro styling is equally met with modern design and functionality in a perfect combination. Even if retro isn’t what you’re after specifically, this speaker looks fantastic on a shelf or within a modern home setting. Our family was instantly impressed.

   ——

   Good Stuff:
   – Amazing sound and control
   – Fantastic material quality and design execution
   – Stellar app and easy setup
   – Wifi with Airplay integration
   – Flawlessly simultaneous smart assistants (Alexa and Google Assistant)
   – Self-tuning to rooms, multi-room playback with more speakers

   Less Good:
   – Sound can seem more directional than other premium speakers
   – Segmented LED indication around each knob is too widely spaced to interpret clearly.

8. 

   Prat – September 20, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   JBL Authentics 200 is a Smart Home Speaker that integrates both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously in one device. The unit has a classic retro design that blends in any room. On top of the speaker, you have physical buttons to control the volume, play or pause, adjust Treble and Bass. You also have the Bluetooth button to connect to a device and a favorite button. The JBL One app lets you connect the speaker to Wi-Fi as well as customize settings.

   The speaker has aux input as well as USB C port for wired connections. I do like the microphone button on the back which can be used to turn off the mic for Alexa or Google assistant. The speaker also supports multi room play via Alexa or Google Home. This definitely comes in handy if you want to play the same music across all rooms. Although there is no Siri support, I like the Airplay option to support all Apple devices. The favorite button lets you play your playlist or other customized moments that you set up in the app.

   Another neat feature is the automatic self-tuning. Anytime you power up your speaker, it will calibrate the audio settings for any location. The sound quality from the speakers is clear and surprisingly good. This is a great smart home speaker if you are in the market for a portable speaker with added functionality.

9. 

   CTmom – September 20, 2023

   Rated 5 out of 5

   I have several bluetooth speakers but this is currently the favorite in the household! We are constantly fighting over who get to use it!
   The base will literally shake the floor! There is a base speaker on the bottom of the unit (picture attached) that really vibrates when the base is boosted and the volume is up! If you have neighbors or live in an apartment, you might need to be careful to avoid complaints!
   Setting it up is super easy- It makes a nice tone when you first plug it in. You pair your phone or device by holding the blue tooth button on top of the speaker until it flashes and makes a tone. You will then see it on your device to pair.
   It also is compatible with Google so it replaces my “mini” in my bedroom. When I ask google for the weather or other information, I now get my response through the JBL speaker instead.
   The sound is clear and amazing for the size! It is heavier than it looks.
   My only suggestion to improve it- A handle would be nice. I wonder if the makers assumed it would be plugged in and left in one location. They didn’t expect a family like mine that wants to keep moving it from room to room (it’s great to use when taking a shower! Just don’t get it wet!).
   It would also be nice if it there was a chargeable battery so it could be used without the plug. As it is you need to be tied to a plug to use it. This may limit outdoor use.
   Despite those suggestions, this is still my favorite speaker. I am still awestruck by the quality of the sound

10. 

    LindaCT – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    This is a great looking speaker that is not too small and not too large. It measures in at 10½ inches across, 6½ inches high and 6 inches deep and looks great on my TV stand. On the top of the speaker you will find the volume button which also acts as the pause, forward and rewind. There is also a bass knob and treble knob to adjust to your liking. There are two buttons on the top also: the Bluetooth button (to pair to a device) and a heart button (access to your playlist and settings in the JBL One app).

    On the back of the speaker you will find a slide button with a microphone picture on it. This button is for muting the Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants, if you don’t intend to use them. Below this slide are an Ethernet port, Aux port, USB-C port and a spot to plug in the power supply.

    You can connect to this speaker either with an audio cable or through Bluetooth. I have mine connected to my television via Bluetooth and have no problems with the connection. It was very simple to pair these together. You simply press the Bluetooth button to have the speaker adjust to the pairing mode.

    My favorite feature of this speaker is that you can use both Alexa AND Google Assistant. I find this a big help because I use both, whichever one is closer to me and what room I am in. When one doesn’t work right away, I just ask the other to turn this to what station I want to watch before entering the room. You have the option of setting this with one or the other or both.

    More important than the retro look is that this speaker has amazing sound. The speaker has a 5-inch woofer and two 1-inch tweeters. For a semi small speaker, you get a clear well balanced sound. Of course I mess with the bass and treble since I like more bass in my music and this speaker does not disappoint.

    There is the JBL One app you will need to download to get the full use of the speaker. From here you can adjust the equalizer, play in app music among other things.

    I found this speaker to be well rounded, a great retro look and the sound amazing.

11. 

    Sanman – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The set up for this was incredibly simple and was easy to add to my WI-FI. The JBL one app is ok but I like the major streaming apps with the Apple Music, Spotify, Chrome cast, Tidal, Quobuz and to my surprise, even Roon which is a total game changer. On the box it only states Chrome cast, AirPlay and Spotify. Through a third party app, I was able to connect the 200 to my server on the network and pay our music library and playlists. Base response is really strong deep and clear. Treble is super crisp set at neutral. The base setting is at two o’clock because I have it close to the wall which I feel deepens the bass. I placed it in our kitchen which is around 200 sq ft. It does a tremendous job at filling the room with low volume needs to be lowered in order to be able to talk without . sometimes When I come home I can hear it in the garage and my wife is in the kitchen jamming not knowing I am standing there watching her dance. We have use it outside on the deck and it has no problem providing entertainment for all of our needs. If you live in a small apt. Or even a large home, this would work as your primary audio system, it sounds amazing. This looks like an expensive system and will be lend in with almost any decor so it is wife approved. Not sure it is or will be available in other colors but we have the black one with gold trim and it back lights with the touch of a button. No remote control but with apps, it can be controlled with your phone or your tablet. This has the ability to move fro room to room if needed, It is just as easy as picking it up and moving it to another location. At this price, you should definitely give one of the JBL Authentic’s a try, it will not disappoint.

12. 

    WyldeBlue – September 20, 2023

    Rated 4 out of 5

    BOTTOM LINE

    JBL enters the upscale retro-chic BT speaker market with a really classy and potent-sounding smart speaker that punches a bit above its weight class provided you don’t push it TOO hard.

    DESIGN/FEATURES

    The black with gold-accented enclosure is wrapped in a handsome leather-looking/leather-feeling material. That, coupled with JBL’s old-school style speaker grille, makes for a refined yet definitively “rock and roll” statement on your tabletop or shelf. Controls and readouts are minimal which adds to the clean, streamlined, and classy look of the Authentics 200. The top-most inset control panel features three large dials, each encircled by a progressive white LED ring that indicates the volume, treble, or bass level—it’s actually kinda cool when you adjust levels via phone/app and watch the LED circular displays change from across the room. A button with a Bluetooth icon sits next to the volume dial and acts as both BT input select and BT pairing; there is also a heart-labeled “Moments” button just below that which lets you instantly activate a favorite playlist and dial in custom speaker volume/EQ settings that you set up in the JBL One companion app.

    Just above the BT button is a small multi-color LED that communicates the status of a number of functions and activities for the speaker itself as well as voice assistant notifications; for example: speaker start-up (pulsing white), successful WiFi network connection (solid white), weak network strength (yellow), Alexa timer and alarm ringing (pulsing cyan & blue), Alexa do-not-disturb (purple). There are also several Google Assistant LED indicators as well, but they all utilize various patterns of white LED activity only. Honestly, the status LED is so small, so subtle, and faces directly towards the ceiling, so I don’t know how helpful it really is unless you are physically standing over the speaker at the time the display lights up. Nevertheless, I give kudos to JBL for making a product that focuses on *the music* and doesn’t become a cluttered and intrusive mess in a darkened room thanks to a glut of illuminated buttons, readouts, or unnecessary RGB effects.

    On the back is a physical mic mute switch with handy green and red indicators to let you know when your voice assistant can actively listen or not. Along with a deeply recessed power port, there is a USB-C port though you cannot use the Authentics 200 as an external DAC and speaker for a PC, the port only provides playback of MP3s (80-320kbps/16-48kHz) or WAV files. There is also a 3.5mm AUX jack and an Ethernet jack (!!!) in case the built-in 2.4G/5G WiFi adapter isn’t enough network connectivity for you.

    Although construction feels rock-solid, be careful of how you handle the speaker because there is a down-firing passive bass radiator that takes up virtually the entire bottom panel. The speaker also has four rubber bumpers at the corners of the risers that give the speaker an almost springy, floaty feeling when set on a flat surface. The sensation took a bit of getting used to because I am so accustomed to hi-fi components sitting resolutely in place so vibrations can’t intrude on drive motors, delicate laser pickups, etc.; the Authentics 200 practically bounces on its rubbery feet!

    In addition to offering vanilla BT streaming, the Authentics 200 can also handle network streaming and Internet radio to include connectivity and playback via AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify connect, and Alexa Multiroom Music. And in a gracious nod to those of us who can’t commit to a single digital assistant and smart home ecosystem, JBL gives you both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, so you get all the benefits of a Google Nest or Amazon Echo speaker along with all the smart-home features they bring along for the ride. Speaking of BT streaming, I used the Authentics 200 with several YouTube and Netflix streams; depending on the stream/source quality, I noticed barely any to no distracting A/V delay at all which bodes well for those of you who might want to use this speaker for video as well as audio content.

    The companion JBL One app (which mercifully does NOT require an account or login credentials) is actually a useful tool that, in addition to establishing network connectivity and basic device settings, gives you the option to further tune and customize the performance of the Authentics 200 with preset EQs that can include midrange boosts and cuts (the on-speaker controls are limited to adjustments of bass and treble only) that are saved to the speaker even after exiting the app. The app also features “In-App Music” capabilities which essentially integrates the sound controls and settings accessible in the JBL One app with the playback and browsing controls and user-interface for Amazon Music, Tidal, iHeartRadio, Qobuz, etc. This is a very handy way to manage your listening options, especially if you subscribe to multiple streaming services, without having to flip between multiple applications; and the responsiveness of the In-App Music user experience in JBL One seemed only a hair slower than using the native apps themselves.

    PERFORMANCE AND OBSERVATIONS

    Finally, getting into the guts of the unit, there is a single 5” full-range driver flanked by two 25mm tweeters behind the speaker grille. The effect this 2.0 setup produces is *somewhat* stereo-like with greater-than-mono sound separation at relatively close listening distances. But as this is a single-enclosure after all, and given that the 5” driver is serving double duty for both bass and mid-range, the stereo effect really only shines when a song has been deliberately mastered with exceedingly wide L/R channel separation. That said, vocals and instruments sound clear, detailed, and energetic…there is definitely no veil or loss of dynamics to the music despite the Authentics 200’s diminutive size—JBL clearly knows its stuff!

    Bass performance is further extended by the passive radiator at the bottom of the enclosure which definitely helps extend the bottom end further than you would imagine possible from a speaker this small. At low and mid-range volumes especially, the additional grunt contributed by the bass radiator adds palpable heft to speaker’s rich and detailed output. Along with auditioning the speaker at home, I brought it to work to share with my officemate who thankfully shares similar musical tastes to my own…he said the speaker was very lively and “fun” to listen to and thought the sound it produced was of a quality that was commensurate with JBL’s asking price.

    That said, the Authentics 200’s premium build quality, appearance, and feature set feels just a little incomplete without some of the newer HD audio codecs like aptX HD or LDAC. It’s not a critical omission, but it would have been the icing on an otherwise very capable and well-appointed sonic cake.

    I also found that as the volume increased, the extra oomph provided by the passive radiator started to translate into a) vibrations of the entire enclosure (remember, the whole thing sits on incredibly bouncy rubber feet) that created just a hint of its own vibration noise, and b) attention-grabbing bass bloat that got muddier and more imprecise as the volume continued to rise. In the case of the latter, some bass-heavy passages would simply have deep bass notes suddenly and distractingly “appear out of nowhere” at levels that drowned out the finer details and clarity of the mids and highs below them.

    When this happened, some quick re-EQ at the low end brought things back under control. I also had to remind myself that I wasn’t trying to fill a giant rave with dance music…yes, the Authentics 200 can go REALLY loud, but it probably shouldn’t if you care about the quality of the music. In all fairness, this tends to be true of pretty much any small enclosure source that leverages a passive radiator…there is only so much precision you can squeeze out of a small rubber surround that is furiously flexing near maximum excursion once bass frequencies start getting longer and longer. Still, it is something to note if you were planning on having a house/apartment/dorm party and DJ’ing it solely from the Authentics 200.

13. 

    AlphaTech – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The JBL Authentics 200 Smart Home speaker really carries a nice boom. Let me explain it, when you first look at it and you think it is a very small speaker what kind of noise can it really make. Well let me tell you the base on this speaker is amazing. The sound quality is very clean and crisp. The subwoofer if that’s what i call it faces down and has a lot of movement, so you have to be careful where you put it to avoid damaging anything below it. The controls are very easy to use, you have the volume the treble and bass knobs on the top, in between the volume and treble you have the Bluetooth button for a quick easy set up. You also have access to the app to be able to program the additional options such as Alexa and Google. The look is very nice simple and old school that goes well with most set ups. The bass is captured amazingly well without distortion. This speaker can be used in as the main sound system for a normal house approx 2k to 3k sqft. If you are not into too much bass just turn the know and you may set it up to your preference. Overall, a great speaker to add to your home for your next get together or your listening pleasure.

14. 

    ILikeVideoGames – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I feel inclined to compare this to portable bluetooth speakers, but it is not a portable bluetooth speaker. It’s more-or-less intended to be setup in one spot and stay there for the most part. But, with that lack of portability, you get a fairly powerful speaker in a reasonably compact smart speaker. Admittedly, it was still bigger than I expected, so not something you’d want to stuff in a suitcase anyway.

    In order to set this up, you will need to install the JBL One app. Setup was nice and easy, didn’t run into any issues, though it did need a firmware update once I got it connected to wifi. You can connect it to BOTH Alexa and Google at the same time. It will answer to “Alexa” and “Ok, Google” if you have them both setup. I wasn’t inclined to setup Google on it, but you need to in order to enable Chromecast.

    You can also connect the speaker to Amazon Music, Calm Radio, iHeartRadio, Napster, Qobuz, TIDAL, and TuneIn, so it can stream from those services directly. I like having those options, because one, you can ask your assistant of choice to play a song from them without the need of your phone, but you can also stream music without needing to worry about your bluetooth connection, or something on your phone, such as a phone call, interrupting the party. You can control the volume, bass, and treble with the knobs at the top, which are satisfying to turn, and are circled with a ring of light to indicate the level.

    The volume knob also is a button, for play/pause. Of course, you could always ask your voice assistant to adjust volume or play/pause too.

    The volume on this can reach serious party levels, but I think sound quality suffers a bit at the extreme volumes. But, otherwise, sound quality is quite great. This also tries very hard at producing good bass, and while it won’t rattle windows, it’s got some of the best bass for a speaker of its size and sound quality. It will also attempt to automatically calibrate sound quality based on room acoustics when you “power it on and begin playing music”. For me, I found it hard to tell if it was helping or not. I moved it around my room a few times to try and notice a difference, and honestly, the location of the speaker itself, relative to my listening position seemed to make the most difference.

    Both outdoors and indoors, the best sound quality, with the best bass seemed to be several feet away and slightly off-center of the speaker. But it was still able to fill a whole medium-large room with satisfying sound.

    As a final note, the retro look of this is quite striking. It is a really nice balance of retro-modern. It makes me want to put it in a conspicuous location so people can really see it.

15. 

    softwareEngineer – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    TL;DR 90W Digital Amp with DSP.  Dual 1″ Silk Dome Tweeters, 5″ Full-Range Mid-Woofer, 6″ Passive Radiator.  Bluetooth and WiFi streaming.  Ethernet, AUX and USBC ports at the rear. No built-in battery, no Dolby Atmos.  Google Assistant and Alexa voice controls, and can do it simultaneously.

    Setting up the 200 was very simple, as it comes supplied with a power cable.  That’s it.  On the top of the unit, you’ll find Play/Pause controls, bass and treble knobs, a Bluetooth button and a “Moment” button.  On the backside are three ports; a single USBC port for MP3 or device charging, AUX output port and Ethernet to add the speaker to your network.  There are a couple of mics up top as well to handle voice control commands as well as auto tuning of sound.  For those that are concerned about privacy, there is a mic slider as well, and the until will emit a red LED stating that the mic is disabled.

    Much of the setup and tuning controls will be done using the JBL One App. In this app is where you’ll be able to tell the 200 what WiFi network to connect to as well as change the EQ.  The EQ itself is very basic (just high, mid and low curves), but I found myself keeping the EQ flat because it just sounded so good out of the box.  Finally, you can set up your “Moment” button, which is a staple in many JBL products. You can summon your favorite playlist or apply any settings that you consider your fave.  What you don’t need the JBL One App for is Bluetooth connectivity.  You can simply do that by pressing the Bluetooth button on top and finding the 200 listed as one of the available devices on your phone, for example.

    I must confess..this speaker sounds amazing.  And it looks good doing it too.  I have it set up on my nightstand, in front of my lamp and various trinkets that I keep on my nightstand.  It just looks so good.  The sound output is very full bodied.  I enjoy the speaker mostly using AirPlay.  I have various streaming services (Tidal, YT Music, Apple Music) and each one was able to easily stream to the 200.  I’ve also one Bluetooth connectivity just fine.

    I do have ONE complaint.  And it does have to do with sound output, yet nothing to do with the sound quality.  There’s a quirk where if you skip tracks, the first 1/2 second of the song is either missed or played in a faint volume, then finally the music comes through.  It’s a bit annoying when some tracks that hit you with that first note….don’t hit at all.  This only happens when skipping tracks as I don’t hear the issue when the music progresses through a playlist naturally.  Now, I would normally dock a star off for something like this, but because of the powers of the internet and OTA updates, I think JBL will possibly try to fix this in a new software/firmware update of some sort.
    I still absolutely love this thing, and I would recommend it as a buy for those that are looking for a home speaker to fill a room.  Remember, it’s not a portable speaker with no internal battery and is designed to play music and look stylish somewhere long-term.

16. 

    PeboQuattro – September 20, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    JBL has refreshed their Authentics line featuring great retro design and modern features, a nice alternative to the predominantly modern speaker design of smart speakers. The Authentics 200 is a welcome change with its bold Quadrex grille, premium feel, and classic vibe.

    At over 10” wide and roughly 6” high and deep, the 200 is not the smallest WiFi smart speaker but it does manage to provide rich stereo sound out of a compact footprint. JBL arranged two 25mm tweeters, a 5” woofer, and a 6” passive radiator into an impressive and stylish package. I love the look of the speaker, though it may not be for everyone. The recycled materials include brushed gold aluminum trim and leather like exterior which compliment the vintage Quadrex grille, while the metal volume and EQ knobs are a nice departure from modern capacitive buttons. A nice array of I/O in the back with an always welcomed physical mic switch, though I didn’t find any documentation on if it physically disconnects the microphones.

    JBL also provides a thoughtful array of inputs including WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Auxiliary (3.5mm), and even USB. Though I predominantly utilize AirPlay in order to accomplish multi-room audio for disparate brand WiFi speakers, the Authentics supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously as well as connecting to popular standalone music services such as Amazon Music and Tidal. Naturally, their is a companion app to assist with setup but it is not required to operate the speaker. JBL also support stereo pairing two of the speakers together, though I have found a single 200 to fill an average size room in rich audio. JBL advertises the speaker as self calibrating for the room on power on, ensuring it is optimized any time the speaker is moved. Though missing a physical mid knob, I found the sound to be rich and it provides a nice range even at lower volumes. Without drawing any direct comparisons, I feel it holds its own against similarly priced speakers while incorporating a great retro design.

    JBL Authentics 200 stands out as a fantastic choice in the crowded WiFi Smart Speaker market; offering premium components, modern features, and rich sound in a tasteful retro design.

17. 

    TechFan – September 21, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I’ve been using this for the past three days or so and I have to say that it has impressed me far more than I thought it would. I ordered this to replace a unit that I have in my office at work, not because I needed to but because of the reputation that JBL has for quality products. I also liked the sort of modern/retro look of this speaker.

    It was very well packaged when I opened it up and had minimal documents inside of it which I prefer. Setup was as simple as plugging it in, downloading the app and pairing your device. I didnt get a chance to test the wifi connection because of the security protocols in my office, but I did pair it with my iPad Pro and iPhone and it works well. I do kind of wish it had a remote control, since that is what my previous device had, but I just turn use the volume buttons on my device to control it. A minor thing, so its not a deal breaker for me. Pairing was quick with the JBL One app and it took less than a minute to do.

    As i said before, the look of it is more than appealing and gives me a retro sort of vibe, but the appearance is where retro stops. The sound quality of this little speaker is amazing. I appreciated having separate bass and treble controls on the top of it because although I have it placed on a credenza across the room of my 14′ x 12′ office, it definitely rocked. I really don’t have to turn the volume up very much at all to get high quality sound. For reference, I typically have sports talk on in the mornings and then a variety of jazz, R&B and pop on in the afternoons to wrap up my day. It can’t be understated how well this thing sounds. I was completely amazed by it and some of my colleagues were impressed by it.

    I turned on one of my streaming video apps to see if there would be any lag between the voice on the screen and the audio playing and I am happy to report that there was none at all. This speaker is replacing a larger speaker that I have and this sounds twice as good as that one. All I can say is I this little speaker is amazing. Well built from quality materials, great sound and easy to setup and use. 10 out of 10 for me.

18. 

    Posted1 – September 23, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    This JBL Authentics 200 Smart Home Speaker is absolutely brilliant!

    I have been a huge JBL fan for a very long time. Having said that, this little speaker performs ABOVE my lofty expectatons!

    From the beginning, the unit came well packaged and had a quality feel to it. Some companies have been switching to a 100% recycled “lite” packaging and to my eye, I don’t like it. This was packaged in a solid box and well protected in an open clamshell within the box. Inside, the speaker, power cable and the ubiquotous instuctions.

    Set was incredibly simple. Download the app, plug it in, power it on and pair. From opening box to listening was just a few minutes.

    Once it was ready, you have multiple music platforms to choose from. Once you have your preferred platform, be prepared musical awesome!

    I chose to go into the app and change the standard flat EQ to the classic high highs and lows and mid-middles. I thought classic configuration was a nice homage to this throwback designed speaker.

    Great sound! Highs are crisp without being overbearing or harsh, mids are clean and present while the bass… The bass is stunning for such a small platform!

    This speaker does have native hositing for Amazon and Google assistants.

    End of the day, this is an excellent choice, especially if you have a “throwback” aesthetic.

    I would whole-heartedly reccomend to a friend!

19. 

    DaveW – September 23, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The Authentics 200 is a new retro inspired smart speaker from JBL. This is the entry-level model of the Authentics series, but it is by no means entry level. I’ve had it setup for a few days now and played plenty of music through it at this point. So far I am liking the sound quality and ease of use as a networked home speaker.

    The design of the Authentics line of speakers really takes things back in time with its retro look. It reminds me a bit of older guitar amps with outer shell and grill combo. The outer shell is a textured rubber that feels very durable. The grill has a sleek grid pattern and is surprisingly sturdy as well. Surround the grill is a classy metal trim in a bronze finish. All of these features place this speaker as something straight out of the 70’s. The top controls blend in well with this look even if they contain a few LEDs. The top controls include, volume, bass, treble, and a multifunction button. There’s also the Bluetooth sync button and “moments” button. The rear of the speaker also has a slider to turn the microphone on/off. The button controls on the top are pretty straightforward and work well, with the exception of the multi-function button that’s part of the volume wheel. A single press plays/pauses, a double press advances the song, and a triple press goes back a song. The timing of the double and triple press is very hard to get right. I think I tried 40 times to go back 1 song (triple press) and only succeeded 3 or 4 times. All other times I skipped ahead and then paused it, or it registered as pause/play/pause. I pressed super fast, slow, even tempo, etc. and couldn’t be guaranteed I was doing it correctly. The double press has the same issues but it seems to register that function with 50% accuracy. Either way the multifunction button, in its current state, is poorly executed. Hopefully a firmware update will address this issue. The bass and treble wheels are both great additions to have, and it allows me to fine tune the sound of song on the fly without having to pull up the app. The wheels have an LED ring around them that fills up to show you how high you have set the bass/treble, which is a great visual indicator.

    I currently have the speaker set in my kitchen to listen to while cooking. My kitchen isn’t very big but its open to the dining area and living room, so it’s a fairly large space. At 30-40% volume I can fill the entire area with music. Its got plenty of power and punch to keep up in larger spaces. It achieves this with a single 5” woofer, dual 1” tweeters, and a 6” passive radiator. The woofer and tweeters are front firing while the passive radiator is on the bottom. There’s no rear porting to worry about so the speaker does just as well up against the wall as it does out in the open. The only thing I could see that would affect the sound quality is to make sure it’s on a hard, solid surface that provides the passive radiator on the underside something to bounce sound off of. The speaker apparently has a self-tuning feature that allows it to correct its balance depending on your room layout. Most of my spaces are large open areas, so I don’t have much variety in room layout to test it. However, I’m not sure how useful this will be on a corded speaker as I don’t see myself moving this around often at all. Also with the way I have my Google Home setup it’s assigned to a room, which gives me faster control to the lights and other devices also assigned to that room. Moving it to another room would mess up this association unless I shifted the room location in the Google Home app each time.

    Sound quality wise the system performs really well. It sounds as good if not better than the older Google Max speaker I have. There is plenty of clarity at all volume levels – at 60% you could hear the speaker outside my home with the doors/windows shut. The bass response is quick and punchy, but doesn’t get super deep or boomy. Vocals are really well represented along with instrumental pieces. Mids and highs are great, but I wish the lows had a little more depth to them. I am a fan of big bass, which probably has something to do with that feeling. Sound quality does vary a bit depending on the source with 3.5mm sources sounding the best for me. We have Spotify Premium, which has a good bitrate but still uses lossy audio formats. I’m sure high bit-rate/lossless audio streaming services like Tidal will sound great as well.

    The speaker comes with a couple of nice features that make it easy to live with. It provides plenty of connection options – Wi-Fi, LAN, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm. I’m not sure if you can play music through the USB-C port, but I have used it as a rapid charger for my Pixel and Samsung Tablet. I haven’t connected it to my LAN yet, but I would assume it would sit on the network just like my other wired network audio and be searchable in the app. 3.5mm audio was straightforward and sounded great. I have an older LG V40 with Hi-Fi quad DACS that I keep around for things like this, and it definitely sounds better than the compressed Bluetooth audio.

    The other nice feature set revolves around the Google/Alexa support. I have a fully Google Home system setup. I have never ventured into the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, so I don’t have a benchmark for that. However, the speaker can handle both voice assistant systems simultaneously which would be great for anyone with a blended device collection. My experience with it as a Google Home speaker was pretty good. The microphone picked up commands really well and it was quick to process whatever request I had. Even with the music up it could still pick up “Hey Google.” Through my Google Home app I could direct the speaker to play music via my linked Spotify account. It as easy as playing music on any of my Google Home speakers or displays.

    Along with Google Home the device pairs up with the JBL One app. Within this app you can name your speaker, adjust the EQ curve, see what’s connected and playing, and connect to one of the In-App Music services. The In-App services are admittedly very limited. My family uses a mix of Pandora, Spotify, and XM. None of these are supported within the JBL One, but instead are outside services supported through Google Home or my phone. The app supports Amazon Music, Calm Radio, iHeartRadio, Napster, Qobuz, Tidal, and TuneIn. Its only within these few services that the “Moments” button is used. It can return you to a point in a playlist, start a playlist, change to a favorite radio station, etc. I am sad that the Moments button is limited to these apps. I just don’t see myself using it, since I don’t have a presence on any of these apps.

    Overall, I am pleased with the performance of this speaker. Sound quality is excellent, and it has no problem being loud enough to hear over a party or for me, vacuuming. It has a very cool retro styling that I enjoy the look of, and it appears to have an excellent build quality. The materials absolutely feel premium enough to fit in with other high end network speakers. My only gripe with the speaker design is the multi-function button is a letdown in its current state. Other than that the speaker performance is great.

20. 

    IndyJ – November 20, 2023

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Nice classic look, feels super solid and high quality. Alexa integration is great. Sound quality and bass are very good for the size. Little expensive for what you get, wish it had Atmos at this price point.

21. 

    bckrupps37 – December 16, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Retro is back. We are a household who loves JBL products. I use JBL speakers and a powered subwoofer in my truck. We also have several other JBL products including various Flip speakers and a home theater setup. Sound quality is excellent. The low end is shockingly strong for this size of a speaker. The extra passive radiator JBL is known for makes such a difference. That is the star of the show here. The app allows you to have a few eq sound settings and also for software updates. There are also manual tone controls and the ability to mute the microphone which is a good thing if you don’t use voice assistants. Build quality seems good and the retro design obviously makes this stand out. There are other brands making retro speakers on the market. The JBL in my opinion is the best primarily due to the additional low end which really rounds out the sound nicely. This isn’t the cheapest speaker but a perfect example of getting what you pay for. It has plenty of power for my 640 square foot apartment. I would recommend this for sure.

22. 

    jsisko76 – December 18, 2023

    Rated 4 out of 5

    I have owned many speakers made by various manufacturers over the years, and this one ranks among the best when it comes to audio quality and aesthetic appeal.

    Pros:
    – First, this speaker has basically everything that you would want in a modern audio product: Great sound, a beautiful design, Smart features, and flexible functionality.
    – Music and podcasts both sound great. The bass really thumps through a downward firing woofer.
    – The knobs to adjust volume, treble, and bass feel very elegant and high-end as you rotate them. The face of the speaker has terrific texture and look, giving it the old-school feel that a person in their late 40’s like me can appreciate.
    – This speaker is compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa, giving you the choice of smart assistant that you prefer. Most speakers are only one or the other.
    – A USB-C port is included in the rear, allowing you to charge phones/tablets. This is a welcome feature that many speakers lack. Additional features include an Ethernet port, an AUX port, and a switch to turn the onboard mic off if you don’t plan to use the assistant (or like the privacy).
    – This speaker is not powered by a lithium-ion battery and needs to be plugged into an outlet. This can be a good thing as it extends the life of the product as batteries can fail over the years. Keep this in mind as it does limit portability. This is designed to be a home speaker.

    Cons:
    – The labels on the treble and bass knobs are barely legible (black on black). Over time I’m sure I’ll remember which is which, but for now, not being able to read the labels unless the room is well lit is kind of annoying.
    – The set-up process in the app didn’t go very smoothly. Connecting to WiFi took several attempts. After finally getting connected there was a firmware update ready. Toward the end of this update process I got an error indicating that the update failed. It gave me an option to try again but the app locked up. After restarting the app, the settings showed the device was up to date so I guess the firmware update did work after all. This was the only reason I did not give this speaker 5 stars.

    This speaker is a good value. You’ll love the audio quality and features.

23. 

    Ponskippa – December 21, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I’ll start by mentioning that initially I was a little let down by the fact that this speaker isn’t “portable”. Meaning it doesn’t have a built in battery, and it has to stay plugged into an outlet to operate. If you’re looking for a portable speaker then this won’t be for you. That is the only negative thing I have to say about this speaker. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker, i set it up and played some music while my girlfriend and I do our morning exercises. We both had the same reaction when the music started. We both grinned and said wow! We were both really surprised at the sound coming out of this speaker. Even though the default EQ settings are “flat” the bass bumps pretty loud. It doesn’t completely drown out the mids and treble though. Our music still sounded great. Even when not facing the speaker from the other side of the living room, I could still kind of feel the bass. The speaker definitely can fill a large living room with sound and will make a great party speaker. I’m kind of a “speaker head” lol, I love listening to music so I own a few speakers and headphones and this speaker has genuinely blown my mind. It is going to be my main speaker for home music and movie watching for the foreseeable future. The sound quality alone justify’s the purchase of this speaker. I love its retro yet modern design. I’m an 80s baby, so it definitely reminds me of the speakers my uncles owned growing up. It has 3 large dials up top that kind of remind me of vinyl discs. They light up when you turn them. One controls volume and acts as a play / pause button and the other two control treble and bass. There is no mid EQ control on the speaker itself but you can fiddle with the EQ further within the JBL app. There is a usb C port in the back along with an Ethernet port and Aux audio port. I plan on connecting my projector to the Aux port to use it as a speaker for my projector. It is that good. I am confident that it will be amazing for watching movies as well. The speaker also has Google assistant and Alexa if you prefer to use that. Google is my Ai of choice, simply because I’m already invested in the eco system, but it is great for asking Google for traffic and weather updates, as well as to control your smart home devices. It’s the typical Google assistant we all know. Think of it as a Google home speaker on steroids. You can mute the microphone whenever you don’t want the speaker to be listening to you (for peace of mind). The speaker has Bluetooth for audio as well as WiFi for Airplay and Google assistant/ chromecas. I suggest you connect it to your WiFi so that you can share the speaker with anyone on your WiFi network and multiple device connections. The included JBL ONE app will update the firmware of the speaker, control music and EQ and you can even program it to play music at a scheduled time. Would I recommend this speaker? I’m going to give it a big thumbs up! I haven’t owned or tried really high end / expensive audio equipment but out of the speakers I’ve owned in my 40 years on this planet, I’m going to say it definitely deserves a spot in my top 5 list. I know, it’s a bold statement. But to my ears, this speaker is very impressive for its size.

24. 

    daytonadan – December 22, 2023

    Rated 4 out of 5

    You have probably heard old saying that good things sometimes come in small packages and the JBL Authhentics 200 is a perfect example of that.

    This is the smallest Bluetooth/WiFi speaker in JBL’s Authentics lineup — just 10 inches across and less than 7 inches high — but still manages to produce some very impressive, room-filling sound at equally impressive volumes. That’s all the more remarkable when one considers there are just two 1-inch tweeters and a 5-inch woofer inside.

    High frequencies are particularly bright and crisp, as you might expect . What you may not expect is the surprisingly strong bass the Authentics 200 can crank out …. and those booming low notes are just as tight and clean as the high ones.

    Midranges are a bit lacking, which is to be expected given the small speakers being used. But separate ring-lit bass and treble controls allow you to fine-tune the music to get a very satisfying overall sound.

    The JBL One app, which is required to set up the Authentics 200, gives you even more control over the sound with infinite equalizer options.

    Speaking of setup, that’s pretty painless. The app recognizes the speaker, does the always-required firmware update and then gives you the option to connect to your home wifi network and add both Alexa and Google voice control. (Yes, you can use both at the same time) This means you can also add the Authentics 200 to any other speaker networks you have with the same capabilties. Alexa and Google voice control also gives you access to the streaming music services attached to your account in those ecosystems.

    Should you already have too many of these voice-activated devices scattered across your home, spreading confusion everytime you utter the magic wakeup words, you can turn off voice control with a switch on the back. A thoughful design feature.

    If you opt to go that route, the Authentics 200 will operate as a standalone Bluetooth speaker so you can wirelessly stream music stored on phones, tablets, etc, as well from any music streaming service you have access to on those devices. Or you can use an auxiliary cable (you must supply that yourself) to connect music devices directly to the speaker.

    This is a very sturdy, well designed bluetooth speaker, clad in traditional black faux leather and JBL’s famous waffle-pattern “Quadrex” front grill. A brushed gold metal bezel surrounds the front edge, which adds to the understated, elegant design. The big, round volume, bass and treble controls are all on top and each has a light ring to to indicate the level chosen.

    On the back, there are inputs for AC power, USB C, aux cable and ethernet. And very soft rubber feet on the bottom keeps rattles away, no matter how much loud bass-shaking music you play.
    JBL says an impressive 90-watt stereo amp powers the Authentics 200. But the speakers inside are so tightly grouped you don’t get any noticeable sound separation.

    The Authentics 200 is a bit pricey for its diminutive size, But if you are short on space or just like the idea of a more compact speaker cab, this thing punches above its weight class and delivers suprisingly good sound quality.

25. 

    TheTruthRealDeal – December 23, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The Authentics 200 Smart Home Speaker is small in size but enormous in produced sound. It makes every song I play sound great. I can hear all ranges of my music, from highs to lows. I installed the JBLONE app to access all the functions of control. The app had trouble connecting to the speaker. After many attempts of pressing the moment button and trying to connect the app with the speaker, I decided to try a manual connection with my phones Bluetooth. As soon as my phones Bluetooth connected with the speaker, I was able to play music from my phone and the app became synchronized with the Authentics 200 Smart Home Speaker. With the app, music can be played from Amazon Music, Calm Radio, iHeartRadio, Napster, Qobuz, TIDAL, and TuneIn. I can also play my own downloaded music by connecting Google Chromecast for Wi-Fi Streaming. Then I could use Google voice assistant to ask questions or give commands to play music. The app also has an equalizer to adjust bass, midrange, and treble. The only problem that I have is not being able to turn it off completely. It goes into sleep mode and there is no on/off button. Other than that minor issue, the sound is dynamic and can full a large room or patio area with plenty of good vibrant sounds.

26. 

    emiliosic – December 25, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Foreword, I regularly use higher end smart speakers from other very recognizable brands.
    I used different types of JBL and Harman speakers in the past and I’ve been very happy with them.
    I dismissed them since they became a division of a mega corporation, and when I first saw these speakers I dismissed it as a gimmick since its retro style is eerily similar to a different brand, and since JBL’s classic speakers didn’t look anything like a guitar speaker.
    However JBL has been making bookshelf speakers with the waffle screen for a few years now, reminiscent of their 1970′ era.
    What drew me to these is their first of kind home assistant integrations as well as classic JBL sound.
    So I have to say, it completely exceeded my expectations at every level.

    Style:
    The looks, besides their originality, just looks great. The frame has that roady amp style with a leather-like pattern, which is somewhat soft to the touch, not a hard plastic. The gold tone accents fit well with the overall theme. The large buttons look like they belong.

    Audio:
    It’s a small speaker so it sounds as expected from a bookshelf-size speaker, but with a punch.
    It’s Stereo, although to notice any stereo separation one would have t stand right in front of the speakers. Cannot remove the grille but it appears to have speakers on its right and left. There is also a downward firing sub on the bottom of the speaker. It’s feet are about 1 inch high with soft rubber endings, so there is enough gap for the sub to breathe. The sub is visible from the bottom and it looks great. The speaker has several mics to after playing for a few minutes, it learns the acoustics of the room it’s in. It’s all automatic and unlike other speakers, there is nothing to set up. Excellent implementation here. Audio is very detailed and natural, with plenty of bass. The app (more below) provides a tri-band EQ and there are bass and treble controls from the knobs on the speaker. With a high resolution stream or analog input, it renders details like a singer’s breath or a guitar pick with high fidelity.

    Inputs and controls:
    There are three main buttons on top: The play/pause and volume knob, bass and treble. There are normally no lights on the speaker, except when using one of the knobs, its ring lights up white to show its position. Then there are two small buttons: Bluetooth and Moment. Bluetooth is like on many other speakers: Press to switch or pair. The moments button is like a shortcut that’s programmed via the app.
    Bluetooth is the latest version 5.3 and supports multipoint: Connects to two devices at the same time, like a phone, tablet or computer.
    On the back of the speaker:
    There is the power cable. The power supply is built-in, so there is a standard, removable cable connector. I appreciate that there is no power brick.
    Then there is a physical Ethernet connector (Instead of using Wi-Fi, if available). This is can be very useful as a wired connection is generally more stable. Wi-Fi supports 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi 6.
    There is also an USB-C that can be used to connect an USB stick with audio files, but it doesn’t work as USB audio (I tried).
    There is also a 3.5mm stereo input. I’m using it to connect to the computer monitor and works well: It plays from the analog input when it’s not streaming. One issue is that it sometimes doesn’t switch right away from streaming to analog, but it works for the most part. Reconnecting the plug solves it.
    There is also a physical button to enable and disable the mics for the home assistants.
    There is also a light behind the grille that lights up when invoking or receiving a notification from the assistants: White for Google, Blue for Alexa, yellow for notifications, etc.

    Home assistants:
    This series is the first to integrate both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa simultaneously. Once set up though the JBL One app, invoke it via “Hey Google” or “Alexa” and they work as they should with no delay, answering questions, setting up alarms or playing music. I didn’t realize how useful this is as each assistant has its strengths.

    App:
    The only app required is JBL One. It’s used for initial setup, which worked without issue for me. It’s very simple, and it’s used for a variety of JBL speakers.
    It can pair more than one speaker of the same type for immersive/stereo audio, or multiroom.
    It can control EQ, volume, show cover art, and basic controls (play/pause, next, prev).
    It can also integrate directly with a handful of music services directly so one can play from the JBL app without having to stream it from the phone nor from a home assistant. It’s limited but it works great for services including Amazon Music, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, TIDAL, as well as Napster, Calm Radio and Qobuz.

    Streaming:
    It really covers all the bases:
    Apple AirPlay 2: Note that Apple Home currently shows the speaker and can be assigned to rooms but does not show playing tracks or controls, but AirPlay cover art and controls do work from the JBL app itself. Sound is great with no delay.
    Google Cast: Works right from every app I tried.
    Spotify Connect: Flawless, works with every type of account.
    Amazon: From Amazon music or from Alexa.

    Overall it’s a great speaker, surpassed my expectations.

27. 

    Loomis1975 – December 25, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Great sound on this Smart Speaker! Does not start to distort till the very high end. More than enough volume and push for a small to mid size room. Big plus, can play/pause, control volume AND Bass and Treble from the dials on the unit itself, no smartphone needed for the basics once its setup (you do need a smartphone to set it up though). My favorite feature on this is that you can use both Amazon’s Alexa and Alphabet’s Hey Google freely on this speaker. Between the two services you can listen to most any song especially if you have the premium service through either one of the two. I was able to ask Alexa questions or start some songs and then instantly Hey Google to something else, seamlessly. Works very well.

    One of my other favorites about this speaker is that it has an ethernet jack so you don’t have depend on WiFi if you don’t want. Wish more “smart” devices that obviously have the space for it had ethernet jacks like this one. There is also a 3.5mm regular input jack and a USB C connection on the back as well. The USB C connection worked fine for MP3 music for me.

28. 

    Buddy Brown – December 26, 2023

    Rated 4 out of 5

    When I opened the box and got a look at this new speaker, I was quite impressed. The grippy texture is very unique and pleasant, the rubber feet on the bottom completely isolate the speaker from the surface it’s on and allow it to resonate with the passive radiator. They’re so flexible that when I get some rocking bassy music going on it, the speaker will dance around a little, which is charming and fun for such a serious looking piece of kit.
    Documentation is non-existent in the box. After downloading the user manual from the JBL site, I was able to dig a little deeper into some of the functionality that isn’t immediately apparent when firing up the speaker and the app.
    The best sound is clearly over the Wi-Fi or ethernet connections, the Bluetooth is fine, but if anyone has forgotten the limitations of Bluetooth music streaming, this radio would love to demonstrate. I had no delays whatsoever with streaming via Airplay, and after pairing my phone with the Bluetooth, it connects quickly and also doesn’t have any real latency, but definitely still has the Bluetooth compressed sound. I like the ease of the Airplay connection as well, since it lets me skip pairing.

    I have listened to every kind of music I have on my phone and this “little” speaker pulls out detail similar to listening on headphones. Spatial positioning is rather weak, but is still there. If I’m listening to Tool or Pink Floyd where the left/right positional audio is important, you just sit in front of the speaker and the stereo imaging is good, not great. Anywhere off center from the speaker and it will still give you an indication of directionality, but it’s not a wide stereo image. This sounds like a detriment, but it’s great. A table radio like this should be a point of sound, it shouldn’t add a bunch of spatial processing to sound like something it isn’t.
    I love that I can hear the buzz of the amplifiers and hum of synths in this speaker, the sound is so detailed and full, it’s my new favorite speaker.

    I do wish it came with a radio. An FM tuner at least, but AM/FM should be on this radio, no doubt. I know one can stream most radio stations and that’s fine, but without a network connection via your home or phone internet, this little guy is cut off from the world and could still be useful with a tuner.

    The “Moment” button strikes me as a gimmick that will likely become a useless mystery function in a few years -it’s happened plenty. I don’t think a “high-end” piece of audio equipment should be dragged down with proprietary functions on the hardware, as when the software support dries up or the company moves on, you have useless hardware functions. The idea behind the Moment button is great, I would love to use it. I will not be using it, though as the selection of music services available for programming the button through the app is very limited. There is no Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube Music integrations in the app, you’re stuck with Tidal, Pandora, Napster (?!?), and a few other limited services that are only able to run through the speaker via Google Assistant or Alexa systems, the music integration requires Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, neither of which have any right to know what I’m listening to on my JBL speaker. The ethereal nature of all of these online services pretty much guarantees any hard button you put on your product is going to be obsolete shortly. 5 years from now, I can’t wait to hear “What does this heart button do?” “-Nothing”.
    The microphones on the top of the speaker are apparently dual purpose, the primary purpose appears to be to interact with Google and Alexa, but they also claim the speaker listens to the room in the spot you place it and adjusts itself to sound best. There is a hardware switch on the back that turns off the mics, but does it turn off the ability of the speaker to adjust itself? I don’t know. The bright red light that is always on the front of the speaker with the mic turned off is not pleasant or necessary. Some documentation of the actual function of the mic switch would be great.
    I would have given this guy 5 stars if not for the “feature” creep and super-cheapo choice to skip a tuner in a table radio. It keeps 4 stars because I don’t think you can get better sound quality in anything else this size.
    Recommended to everyone!

29. 

    KyleBrovflaski – December 29, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    the greatest and most stylish speaker under $500
    Before purchasing I looked through YouTube reviews and found someone who did a sound test with some machine that measures sound and found that this one and the JBL authentics 300 sound exactly the same. So if you don’t need a handle or wireless battery this is the one for you, otherwise your just paying nearly 200$ extra for those features. It also pumps pretty good bass. I use mine for the kitchen/ home office .

30. 

    Fefi – December 29, 2023

    Rated 5 out of 5

    This speaker pairs quickly, it has a clear sound and looks great.

31. 

    Eric – January 1, 2024

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I have been impressed with recent JBL products for home sound. I recently had the opportunity to experience a high end soundbar home theater system they released in 2023 and was blown away by the sound it produced as well as the surround effects it could achieve. This is the first semi portable, bluetooth speaker from JBL that I’ve used and I have to say I continue to be impressed. This is the smallest of this new line of Authentics products they have released, and I didn’t expect too much as the speaker isn’t huge. Opening the box and initially handling the speaker though surprised me for a couple of reasons. First it is a solid build. It’s heavy and stable and really feels like more of a speaker than it appears. Second I was pleasantly surprised that there is a woofer installed, facing downward, and has the diaphragm style mover exposed that I was hopeful would produce much bigger bass than I expect for a small unit like this. I wasn’t disappointed. The bass was heavy and clear and satisfying. I had to tweak highs a bit to balance the amount of bass I was getting. It wasn’t a bad thing. The controls on top of the unit are solid and feel premium, and the grill fabric on the front is a waffle design that I found very appealing to look at. Bluetooth works flawlessly and I connected both iOS and Android devices with no issues. I didn’t set up assistant services but they are there as well, making this a smart device. For a home speaker that isn’t intended for much beyond music, this is a great little device. I expect the larger siblings of this unit in the Authentics line are also as impressive. This is a solid buy.

32. 

    Josh76 – January 2, 2024

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I love speakers, specifically smart speakers, and I am always looking to try new ones. I had not tried a JBL product in years and wanted to give this one a try since I only see portable JBL speakers and headphones of late.

    Smart speakers need to do 2 things well for me to like it; a stable AirPlay connection and Alexa built. This JBL does both very well. It also connects via bluetooth and a line in option, making it very flexible. Alexa works very well and my music from my iPhone sounds great via AirPlay. I never use bluetooth for music as I typically stream to other rooms as well.

    I love that I can adjust the bass and the treble on this, the app also gives some adjustment control. I prefer the bass up high and the treble low but this speaker sounded better with the treble turned up a bit.

    The sound is good but not impressive at higher volumes; it just sounds like it’s missing that extra oomph. There are bigger, more expensive speakers in this range from JBL and I suspect they sound much better at the higher volume. Now, I’m a picky listener and I’m willing to bet that most people will think it sounds fantastic.

    Good speaker for my desktop, it will get plenty of use for years as it is an attractive device.

33. 

    CrazyDogPeople – January 8, 2024

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Short version: The JBL Acoustics 200 speaker is an excellent speaker, with dynamic sound and good options for operating the speaker without being too complicated. It works well with streaming as far as I tested and is easy to connect via Bluetooth to your own devices.

    Longer version:

    The JBL Speaker excels at filling a room with your sound. It sounds excellent when streaming or playing MP3s at medium to high volume, though of course playing music wirelessly or with MP3/streaming technology will provide the fidelity of higher quality original media. That said, the sound still seems impressive when you want have a good mix of all tones. The woofer is impressively full and balanced in this speaker as well; this gives ample bass but one can also adjust the sound somewhat through the app to have a more specialized mix. I found that when adjusting the equalizer I was pulling up the mid and treble tones for better differentiation in the mix, and that there was plenty of bass already. However, a lot of folks seem to have a preference for an overpowering bass feel. This speaker can certainly give you that if you want it.

    As indicated above, to have full control of the sound is made easier by the app—but, this speaker does have physical dials that let you adjust volume, treble, and bass on the unit. This is a nice feature, as most of the speakers I have used have minimal controls on the unit. There is also a physical switch on the back of the unit that allows the user to turn off the microphone, so that the machine is not necessarily always listening to you. I much prefer this, even if I do use streaming services on the machine, to a device that is always in listening mode. I just value the opportunity to protect my privacy a little bit at least.

    That said, I believe the app is probably necessary to make the device work well if you’re going to use Alexa, Google, or Spotify. I have only tested the speaker with Alexa, but it worked perfectly well once I did all the required sign-ups. This process is a little annoying, to integrate the app with the existing accounts, but generally easy and once it is done, not much needs to be reset. Inside the app, you can control the equalizer and volume as well as integrate with your stream. Despite that fact that my other Bluetooth smart speaker is a different brand, I was able to get perfect sync through Alexa, allowing me to unite the speakers and send whatever stream I was playing through my house without any issues and with minimal difficulty. I realize this feature is mostly due to Alexa, but the speaker cooperated perfectly.

    Using Bluetooth was incredibly simple. I pushed the button on the speaker to make it discoverable, and within a minute I was paired to my table and sending music to the speaker. Extremely simple to operate, though not integrated through the app. This is good and bad, but since there are knobs on the speaker itself for the sound settings, adjusting the Bluetooth sound is very easy.

    My only cons for this device are that at quiet volumes, the speaker seems a little muffled and the fidelity seems a little lacking. At anything above quiet, it’s perfect. It’s also a big square speaker, so it does project sound forward rather than in surround. So, one may notice that sitting directly in its path gives the best sound, but once the volume is at middle range or above, the sound is clear and room-filling.

    In sum: this is a beautiful sounding speaker with a nice look and beefy build. It’s pretty easy to use right out of the box. Good connection to WIFI and Bluetooth.

34. 

    ChanelB – January 12, 2024

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Best speaker I’ve ever purchased. Worth every penny.

35. 

    MariaC – January 19, 2024

    Rated 5 out of 5

    I love my speaker. It has the sound!!! I recommend this speaker if you love music❤️❤️