Customer reviews from jbl.com
JBL - Authentics 200 - Retro Style Smart Home Speaker with Built in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Voice Assistants, Alexa and Googl - White
Average customer rating
4.7
(79 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 79 reviews
5 Stars
62
4 Stars
14
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Star
1
100%of customers recommend this product.
(
69 out of
69)
Customer Reviews for JBL - Authentics 200 - Retro Style Smart Home Speaker with Built in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Voice Assistants, Alexa and Googl - White
Customer Rating
5
Beautiful speaker with great sound and features!
on January 1, 2024
Posted by: RubenGG
from New York, NY
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The JBL Authentics 200 is a fantastic medium-sized speaker, perfect for a bedroom, office, rec room, or other similar spaces, although it has the power to fill a living room as well if that’s where you intend to use it. After a couple days of owning and testing it, here are my first impressions:
THE GOOD:
- Looks great. Very cool retro look, which adds to the decor in my bedroom and complements my more modern furniture. The faux-leather looks and feels pretty real, and the faded gold accents add a nice touch.
- Sounds great. Nothing new here, the same fantastic JBL sound quality that we’re used to. Clean and clear sound both at low and high volume, and it packs a huge bass for a relatively little guy.
- Very easy to set up. This is where JBL really has made progress from older speakers. I’ve owned an L16 (which I love) for years, but whenever I need to set up a new wifi network or change any setup, it is always a pain to get it to connect to the network again (and I need to look up the manual as it's not intuitive). With the Authentics 200, setup was incredibly easy. Plug it, turn it on, open the JBL One app, and it will find the speaker and guide you through the steps to connect it to the wifi network and set up the voice assistants.
- Feature packed. Supports Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, and a few others which I don’t use but I’m sure other people do. In terms of connectivity, they really have covered all the bases.
- Looks great. Very cool retro look, which adds to the decor in my bedroom and complements my more modern furniture. The faux-leather looks and feels pretty real, and the faded gold accents add a nice touch.
- Sounds great. Nothing new here, the same fantastic JBL sound quality that we’re used to. Clean and clear sound both at low and high volume, and it packs a huge bass for a relatively little guy.
- Very easy to set up. This is where JBL really has made progress from older speakers. I’ve owned an L16 (which I love) for years, but whenever I need to set up a new wifi network or change any setup, it is always a pain to get it to connect to the network again (and I need to look up the manual as it's not intuitive). With the Authentics 200, setup was incredibly easy. Plug it, turn it on, open the JBL One app, and it will find the speaker and guide you through the steps to connect it to the wifi network and set up the voice assistants.
- Feature packed. Supports Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, and a few others which I don’t use but I’m sure other people do. In terms of connectivity, they really have covered all the bases.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
- Lack of battery (needs to be plugged in). I think JBL should’ve made the Authentics 200 the portable speaker in the lineup (ie. It should be the one that has a battery, as opposed to or in addition to the 300). Given it’s the smaller of the 3 speakers, in my opinion it should’ve been the one designed to be portable, as it is the lighter one and easier to carry.
- Lack of battery (needs to be plugged in). I think JBL should’ve made the Authentics 200 the portable speaker in the lineup (ie. It should be the one that has a battery, as opposed to or in addition to the 300). Given it’s the smaller of the 3 speakers, in my opinion it should’ve been the one designed to be portable, as it is the lighter one and easier to carry.
Overall, very happy with the new addition!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Nostalgia and modern functionality.
on January 1, 2024
Posted by: Juan G
from San Antonio, TX
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This product blends nostalgia and modern functionality seamlessly. Its compact design, reminiscent of classic aesthetics, delivers impressive sound quality. The sleek casing ensures durability, and bluetooth connectivity is hassle-free. This retro gem not only enhances efficiency during work but also adds a stylish touch to any setting. Despite its compact size, it's a powerful fashion statement that has become an indispensable part of my audio setup. Recommended for those who appreciate both style and substance.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Crispy Looks and Sound
on January 2, 2024
Posted by: Brian G
from Racine, WI
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The JBL Authentics 200 is a crisp looking and sounding home smart speaker that will keep you grooving!
As always, JBL puts some great thought into their unboxing experience with all of their products. It is very attractively and carefully packaged. It is well protected in its retail box, and was shipped very carefully as well. Opening the box, first things first are the handy quick start guide and manual. There aren't that many buttons, so it is pretty quick to plug in and connect. However, the JBL One app is a must-have to get the best out of it(which isn't hard to do), and that itself is simple and well thought out.
I selected this speaker specifically for the looks AND functionality. We are an Alexa house, but find most smart speakers really lacking in sound quality that we expect. We needed something nice looking and great sounding for our living room, and found it in the Authentics series. JBL has married form and functionality very well here! The leatherette covering and brass appointments, as well as the stylistic grill, will find themselves at home with most decor. The sound is shockingly well-rounded for a speaker of this size, I suspect due to the bottom-firing woofer that really fills in the low end. You will not mistake yourself for being in a night club with overly-booming bass; this speaker provides clarity and depth in the whole range from full bottom end to crisp and clear highs. It is also very LOUD! When doing some New Years' cleaning, I pumped the volume and heard it very clearly over my loud old vacuum cleaner. Perfect!
My only very minor gripes are the lack of a dedicated power button and that the speaker doesn't support streaming from Apple music through Alexa from the JBL One app. Most of my other Alexa devices support Apple music. It is an easy enough work around to airplay from my phone, but I wish I could just tell it to stream my playlists like I do other Alexa devices. RE: the lack of a power button, that is probably just my eco-consciousness coming through, and wishing that more devices had hard power switches to reduce energy draw while idle.
All in all, this is a SOLID 4.9/5 stars, and would highly recommend to anyone looking for something with boutique looks AND boutique sound! JBL for the win!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Packs a Punch with Great Features and Design
on January 2, 2024
Posted by: Roland of Gilead
from Valparaiso, Indiana
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The JBL Authentics 200 is quite the speaker that’s loaded with features. First off is the design. It looks like a classic amplifier that a rockstar would use in concert. It blends in well with most any furniture.
The packaging was very well designed to protect the product from damage. Setup was pretty simple with the JBL One App. One minor complaint I have though, is that you need a second app. I already have the JBL headphone app but this requires a second app. The volume, treble and bass are easy to control from the app though I haven’t found a mid-range control. The app has an equalizer to set your treble and bass and save your settings as well.
You can connect via Bluetooth or WiFi which allows you to connect devices seamlessly using Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.
Voice commands are available through Alexa and Google Assistant. Alexa worked very well and was easy to set up. Voice control can be toggled on/off on the rear of the device. Some other cool features are that you can connect this via Ethernet, an Auxiliary plug, or USB not to mention the WiFi and Bluetooth. I was able to set this up to my Samsung Smart TV via Bluetooth I just wish there was a remote for the volume. I’ll have to try an auxiliary cable at some point.
Overall, based on the design, ease of use, and sound quality, I would say that this is well worth the price. Another great product from JBL.
The packaging was very well designed to protect the product from damage. Setup was pretty simple with the JBL One App. One minor complaint I have though, is that you need a second app. I already have the JBL headphone app but this requires a second app. The volume, treble and bass are easy to control from the app though I haven’t found a mid-range control. The app has an equalizer to set your treble and bass and save your settings as well.
You can connect via Bluetooth or WiFi which allows you to connect devices seamlessly using Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.
Voice commands are available through Alexa and Google Assistant. Alexa worked very well and was easy to set up. Voice control can be toggled on/off on the rear of the device. Some other cool features are that you can connect this via Ethernet, an Auxiliary plug, or USB not to mention the WiFi and Bluetooth. I was able to set this up to my Samsung Smart TV via Bluetooth I just wish there was a remote for the volume. I’ll have to try an auxiliary cable at some point.
Overall, based on the design, ease of use, and sound quality, I would say that this is well worth the price. Another great product from JBL.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Good things come in small packages
on January 2, 2024
Posted by: Lee G
from Miami, FL
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The JBL Authentics 200 is the smallest of JBL Authentics speaker line. It is a modern speaker with a hint of the companies retro look on the front grill. It is a high quality compact bluetooth/wifi speaker. It has all of the latest features like dual voice assistants, bluetooth 5.3, wifi, a wired LAN connection, a 3.5mm auxilary input. It has physical buttons and dials like play/pause, bluetooth, a favotites button and volume, treble and bass dials. The JBL One app helps make the best of the speakers technology as it provides controls as well as the ability to update the speakers firmware. The speaker packs a punch for its size. The output is rated at 90 watts and can get pretty loud. The sound is crisp, clear, well balanced with great bass. The speaker has two 1/4” front firing tweeters, one 5” front firing full range woofer and one 6” down firing bass radiator which helps give the speaker great bass response. This speaker is a definate keeper as it is packed with the latest features, sounds great, can get loud and looks great.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Loud and clear.
on January 2, 2024
Posted by: Gonzalo G
from Los Angeles , CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is my first premium speaker and one of my favorites. First the design stands out and sets it apart from my portable bluetooth speakers. The sound is the best part i am able to set it to max volume and there is no change in sound quality. The volume, treble and bass are easily adjustable thatnks to the controllers being on top. Also its not bulky and able to move around freely sound is enough to fill up living room and kitchen. Jbl still my top choice for speakers.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
One word…. WOW!!!!😍 You will not be disappointed
on January 3, 2024
Posted by: HardyToyota
from Memphis Tn
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] All I can say is WOW!! This thing looks great and the sound is Amazing. If you like BASS like I do this thing is for you even if you don’t like a lot of Bass it still sounds great. The Bluetooth was very easy to connect. Be careful where you put it because it might move as you’ll see in the video. Whether you like Old School or New School it’s gonna make you SMILE!!! Thanks JBL you’ve done it AGAIN!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Overall Great bang for your buck. Great Features.
on January 3, 2024
Posted by: Guerrero123
from Madison , Georgia
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This Speaker is Amazing . I didn’t expect it to be loud clear , and with a lot bass. It’s one of the best speakers I’ve listened to in my life . I love the Airplay feature I can play music and if I get a call won’t stop the music and stop the party!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com