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
(81 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 81 reviews
5 Stars
64
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
JBL Authentics 200!!
on January 5, 2024
Posted by: DonH
from Medford, OR
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Hello, I’m reviewing the JBL Authentics 200. I was interested in a smaller speaker to connect to my other Wi-Fi speaker in my living room. After a little research I chose this one. Physically it’s perfect for what I need. The retro look, especially the grille, matches my other speaker very well. It’s smaller but attractive. With an aluminum frame, the build is solid. It’s got some weight behind it. I like the easy to access volume, bass and treble controls right on top too. What’s better than all of this is of course the sound. It sounds like a speaker 10 times this size. The 2 tweeters produce the bright crispy treble I love. They’re angled out to the right and left for separation and it works. The midrange and bass come from a front facing woofer that sounds fantastic. The bass is enhanced even more by a passive radiator mounted on the bottom. All of the sounds can be changed by the JBL One app, the controls on top of the speaker or by the device the speaker is connected to. The choice of inputs are Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth USB-C, or a 3.5 mm jack. Built in Alexa or Google Assistant too. I can just say “Alexa, play jazz on Apple Music” and it happens. Very handy. These can be disabled also. I highly recommend this speaker. I love mine.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Small but powerful
on September 24, 2023
Posted by: Meghan
from Dallas Texas
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This JBL speaker may be small but packs a clear punch. This retro styled speaker brings class, clarity, and great bass all in one compact package. The knobs on top give the perfect feel for fine tuning your listening experience. One draw back I noticed was the lack of an on/off switch. However, the speaker will go to sleep after a period of inactivity. Another draw back is that I felt that it was missing the mid ranges a little bit. But overall, this speaker has amazing sound and I enjoy using it. Lastly, it is nice that there is an on/off switch for the microphone.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Tiny Beast!
on January 14, 2024
Posted by: Rainbo11
from Windsor, CO
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This speaker sounds amazing! There are sounds in songs I’ve been listening to for years that I have never heard before I listened on the Authentics 200. The speaker has such clarity and definition. The bass is tremendous, Big, HUGE! You can hear it throughout our home. I am in love with the vintage style it brings to my space. I absolutely believe it guarantees it’s value! Why not 5 stars, you ask? Well, I’m not sure if this is a kink or if something is wrong with mine, but it tends to skip. I know there’s nothing wrong with my music because it plays just fine in the car. It also needs to stay plugged in at all times to work. There’s no way to charge it. Overall, though, it is a tiny beast! Love it!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Classy, cool, composed
on January 19, 2024
Posted by: Happy_dad
from Bay Area, CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When I first received the speaker and started listening to my usual tracks to test the sound, I noticed that the Authentics skipped quite a bit. Every few minutes it would skip for a few seconds, as if my phone was out of reach of the bluetooth signal.
But this issue went away after a software/firmware update, which itself went quickly and easily using JBL One app.
But this issue went away after a software/firmware update, which itself went quickly and easily using JBL One app.
The visual design is great. It's cool looking, with either real or faux leather covering top and the sides. The front grill matches everything else in its style, but I wish it was removable, as the images outside the box suggest. Alas, the grill is not removable.
Connection, connectivity, and usage were all good, sans the hiccup in the very beginning. The speaker wakes up reasonably quickly, and keeps the signal well.
All buttons are satisfyingly tactile, and dials are a pleasure to use. Bass and treble dials briefly light up at their base to show the respective levels. Volume knob does the same, and it also incorporates the play/ff/rw button.
The smart speaker functionality is good, as is expected.
Sound quality is what you'd expect from JBL, given that this is an indoor classy speaker. It's not as heavy on bass as some of the portable JBL speakers (Charge, Partybox to name a few), and is a bit higher in fidelity. Jazz sounds amazing on this speaker, live and present.
Overall, it is a well-done speaker that doesn't excel at anything except being a classy indoor speaker.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
I am very impressed with this speaker
on August 22, 2025
Posted by: Shayray
I purchased my JBL authentic 200 smart speaker nearly 4 months ago. I am very happy with my purchase sound quality is great. I’m happy that there is both Google Assistant and Alexa built into the speaker. This is the only speaker that I’m aware of that has both options built into it. The build quality is excellent. I also like the fact that there is an ethernet port on the back of the speaker, I always prefer this option over using Wi-Fi. This is also a very attractive speaker. JBL really put a lot of time and effort into designing this speaker. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a Bluetooth speaker with a lot of The speaker is well worth the money in my opinion. I have owned many different Bluetooth speakers over the years with the Google Assistant built into them. This speaker is by far the most superior speaker I’ve owned.
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Smart Speaker with Google and Tidal support
on December 12, 2025
Posted by: jojoto
from CT
We are so happy and impressed with this little speaker. Not many companies are making Google Assistant devices, and I'm glad this is. Since our house has Gemini, this speaker does too. It also supports Tidal Audio, which wasn't advertised anywhere. I use Tidal and my wife uses Spotify.
It would be nice if the JBL app let us 'share' access, instead of sharing the same password, but other than that it's been great. I have the app on my phone and we set the 'heart' button to play forest sounds.
Most importantly, it sounds great! But it's so compact.
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Sound Perfection !!!
on December 30, 2023
Posted by: Walter61
from Boulder, Colorado
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Authentics 200 is the best wireless speaker I have ever used. It allows you to get the perfect balance of bass and treble, something that is unusual in wireless speakers. In addition to that you have the chance to equalize your music according to your own preference, through the JBL One app. The design is perfect for any corner of your house or office. it just looks great. The bass is amazingly great and at the same time you get a perfect crispy sound so that it is possible to get sound perfection even at a low volume.
I’m definitely impressed with the excellent quality of this product. I highly recommend it!!
I’m definitely impressed with the excellent quality of this product. I highly recommend it!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
JBL's most superior sound with class!
on January 2, 2024
Posted by: ANdru613
from Ft. Lauderdale FL
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Ever since the old days of the Charge 2, I've been a long time speaker fan of JBL. In all the speakers I own, JBL always grabbed the limelight in loudness and rocking bass, which is a must for any speaker, especially mine. But this one was really different.
Upon opening the box, I had a overwhelming sense of luxury and class just out of the look. I was thinking, this thing is going to look awesome just putting it in the house! Great design and look, as well as a great rectangular shape. The square boxes on the front definitely punch in those "vintage" vibes as they advertised!
Taking it out if the box, it was notably heavy. But then again, we aren't dealing with a JBL charge/flip/extreme where those are made to be carried around. The JBL vintage is much more of a Living room/bedroom type of setting then to bring along to your beach party, in my opinion
Knobs and buttons on the top have a pretty nice feel to them. It sounds funny, but being able to physically adjust the bass and treble gives much more of a "control" to your music then just using a app. There's nothing quite like turning a knob to perfect the song!
And most important, the sound. I would be honest, I was getting a bit skeptical about the sound, since the speaker had such great looks, I was thinking maybe JBL missed it with the sound quality this time?
Boy was I wrong! Sound is BEYOND phenomenal! The music has such a crisp, clean sound to it, it made me feel like I'm in the studio with the song being made! It rocked out with the bass on the heavy party songs, and at the other side of the spectrum, it has the richest sounding classical music I've heard from a JBL speaker! For once, I actually left my music playlist to go for hours on end nonstop all day in the house. It can definitely get very loud, easily fill up your average room, living room, or dining room setting.
Boy was I wrong! Sound is BEYOND phenomenal! The music has such a crisp, clean sound to it, it made me feel like I'm in the studio with the song being made! It rocked out with the bass on the heavy party songs, and at the other side of the spectrum, it has the richest sounding classical music I've heard from a JBL speaker! For once, I actually left my music playlist to go for hours on end nonstop all day in the house. It can definitely get very loud, easily fill up your average room, living room, or dining room setting.
To sum it up, I got surprised at this one. Sound is simply beyond the regular with the treble, bass, and mids. Plays the highs great, notably the lows with such depth, it's incredible.
Although it can be taken around, definitely wouldn't use it as my go to portable speaker. It's heavy, could get scratched up, and not practical for outdoor activity. However indoors, it really dominates. So if you're looking for epic sound for the house, office or any indoor space where the JBL authentics 200 can have a set place, it's your go to speaker, without a doubt. Highly recommend!
Although it can be taken around, definitely wouldn't use it as my go to portable speaker. It's heavy, could get scratched up, and not practical for outdoor activity. However indoors, it really dominates. So if you're looking for epic sound for the house, office or any indoor space where the JBL authentics 200 can have a set place, it's your go to speaker, without a doubt. Highly recommend!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com