Have you ever wanted to throw an “easy-connect” Wi-Fi speaker across your living room? If your answer’s no, I don’t believe you. As a tech journalist, I’ve tested my fair share of even the best smart speakers with severe connectivity issues.
If I had a nickel for how many times I’ve fantasized about taking a chainsaw to a recalcitrant speaker and giving it a piece of my mind, I’d have enough to buy myself a Wi-Fi speaker that actually worked.
Well, JBL’s trying to fix all that with its new “Cove” line. Releasing on October 8, the Cove line includes the entry-level M1 ($199), portable-yet-Wi-Fi P1 ($399), and the flagship X1 ($429). Allegedly, it takes just forty seconds to connect the speaker to your home Wi-Fi. I know, right? It honestly feels too good to be true. I got to try out the new line, so what did I actually think?
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No connectivity headaches
I’m just as suspicious as you, but during my three hours using and listening to the JBL Cove M1, Cove P1, and Cove X1, I didn’t experience any cuts or restarts. Ever feel like sometimes if you look at a wireless speaker wrong, it’ll reset itself? I do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Denon Home 550, but I had to buy an Ethernet cable to stop it disconnecting randomly.
During the stereo demonstration, the paired X1 speakers took about thirty seconds to connect to the example phone, but once they connected, they connected. No issues there. “Money” by Pink Floyd dinged and crashed its way through the 6-drivered speaker.
You can also use the smaller M1 and P1 speakers as rears with the JBL Bar 300XMK2 and the JBL Bar 500XMK2. To test this out, I watched the famous car chase scene from “No Time to Die”, and I was nodding along with thinly veiled admiration. The church bells resounded through the living room, and every lick of the tense violin OST felt like a lash of tension darting up my spine.
I know, right? There’s got to be something wrong… surely…
Dynamic, punchy sound
In true JBL fashion, the Cove M1, P1, and X1 all sound fantastic. Obviously, the flagship X1 is the most exciting and vivacious, but the M1 holds its own, too. There’s a decadence to the bass — just like JBL’s Live 780 NC headphone line — and vibrance in the vocals.
“Shiver” by Ed Sheeran filled the open-plan kitchen, particularly effusive in the violin plucks. Although the treble was a touch harsh in “Señorita”, the M1 is a small speaker, so naturally isn’t going to have the depth of the P1 or X1.
Speaking of the P1 and X1 — boy, am I excited to test them out properly. As already touched upon, the X1 is rich and dynamic, especially during “Birth4000” by Floating Points. The sub-bass was strong without overpowering the hi-hats or high-frequency synth notes, one thing I look out for while testing speakers.
As the portable speaker of the group, the P1 has a 14-hour battery life (but charges while placed on the dock, so should always be full of juice) and sounds rambunctious. When I tested this in the garden, my first thought was, “The neighbors definitely hate me.” Let that do all the talking for me.
Problem-solving features
Last, but certainly not least, is the array of problem-solving features across the Cove line. For starters, you can control the speakers without the app, which I like to see. Of course, you need the app for initial Wi-Fi setup and button configuration, but once you’ve programmed the heart-shaped “Moment” button to Spotify playlists (or podcasts), it can play with one tap.
The speakers also have a “Follow me” feature, where they switch off from one room and start playing instantly from the next. There’s also a “break-in” feature, so you can stop a group and start a new group with just an on-speaker button.
Seriously, in a world full of apps, this is a breath of fresh air.
But my favorite part: you don’t need a JBL account to do any of this. The JBL One app runs entirely off Wi-Fi, so as long as your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the speakers, you can control the speakers with no JBL account. And you don’t miss out on any features. Other members of the household can also control the speakers with just the app (or buttons) — no account setup necessary.
So what’s the catch?
Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll be testing the speakers out properly in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back here for my comprehensive review. Right now, it all sounds too good to be true… My home speaker suspicion senses are tingling.
My hopes are well and truly sky-high.
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