What’s it like to live with a speaker that also serves as a digital assistant? I was dubious at first, but ended up finding numerous uses for my new Google friend, which could recognize my voice when I spoke at a normal speaking volume level in my office, 20’ away in the next room. For other services, such as Tidal or Deezer, you’ll first need to launch the app on your device, then stream tunes to the speaker using Chromecast Built-in. Lest we forget, the Link 500 is also a multiroom-capable Wi-Fi speaker, and can be configured to stream tracks, albums, and playlists directly via voice command from Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and Spotify. This gives the Assistant the information it needs to supply quick answers when asked about traffic conditions for your commute, local weather, daily horoscope, etc. Other options in the Google Home app let you link your Google profile so that the Assistant has access to your home address, work location, contacts, phone number, and all other personal data the tech giant has compiled on you. If other people in your household want to interact with Google Assistant, they’ll need to go through the same voice-recognition routine. The only other requirement was to teach Google Assistant to recognize my voice by uttering “OK Google” and “Hey Google” a few times. I then downloaded the Google Home app to my iPhone, entered my Wi-Fi password, and added the Link 500 as a Google Home-compatible device. To begin interacting with the JBL Link 500, I set it up on the low bookcase in my bedroom where I normally place compact all-in-one speakers. Additional LEDs on the front illuminate when Google Assistant is activated. An LED on the speaker’s front lights up to indicate Wi-Fi signal strength. There are also buttons for activating Google Assistant, and to mute/unmute the built-in microphones used for voice control. On the top panel are capacitive control buttons to adjust volume, pause/play, and pair the speaker with Bluetooth devices. Other than Wi-Fi, the only way to connect with the Link 500 is via Bluetooth - it has no analog audio inputs or USB ports. The Link’s plastic cabinet, available in black or white, is covered in a mesh of the same color, giving it a basic, not-unattractive look. Its driver array consists of two 0.8” tweeters paired with two 3.5” woofers - one woofer each firing to front and rear - and each driver is powered by its own 15W amplifier. The new Link 500 ($399.95 USD) is JBL’s largest voice-activated model, and the one best suited for stereo music playback.Īt 14.6”W x 7.9”H x 6.2”D, the pill-shaped Link 500 is compact enough to easily fit on a bookshelf. For example, JBL, owned by Harman International Industries, has hitched up with Google: JBL’s Link line of Wi-Fi speakers incorporates Google Assistant, as well as Google’s Chromecast Built-in platform for streaming up to 24-bit/96kHz audio. Makers of more traditional speakers are beginning to join the voice-activation trend. Not surprisingly, fellow tech titans Google and Apple offer their own competing digital assistant/home control platforms - Assistant and Siri, respectively - along with voice-activated Wi-Fi speakers that serve as the system interface. Rather, it’s Amazon Alexa, a voice-activated, “intelligent” digital assistant that also serves as a platform for smart home control. While the Echo Dot does contain a single 0.6” driver, the main draw for most folks isn’t its limited ability to reproduce sound. The audio product that everyone wanted to find under their tree was the Echo Dot, a voice-activated Wi-Fi speaker that sells for $50 USD. This is not to say that most Amazon shoppers were spending money on amplifiers, bookshelf speakers, or even headphones. According to Amazon, the e-commerce site’s hottest product category during the 2017 holiday season was audio.
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