JBL Pulse 3 review - Bluetooth speakers that will replace the night light

Design and equipment

The first thing we see is a picture that changes colors from different viewing angles. The impressions from unpacking were not so pleasant for a long time: everything looks nice and neat, and the box lid is magnetised, rather than closed with cardboard clips. Plugs and cables are a bit strange and unusual in the accessories section, but you can forget about that after the first unpacking.

The package includes the speaker itself, microUSB cable, adapter (5 V / 2, 3 A), two plugs and instructions.

Pulse 3 is available in two colors: white and black. We got the second option, which turned out to be quite versatile and organically fit into various office interiors. Plus, black is practical. You can put such a column in the kitchen and not worry about its appearance.

70% of the speaker surface is occupied by an acrylic-covered screen. It makes Pulse 3 a bit like a lava lamp. Below is a panel with buttons and a grill with the JBL logo, which hides the speakers. At the bottom and top there are passive radiator membranes.

This distribution of the Pulse 3's working areas immediately hints that the sound is not at all important here.

Dimensions and ergonomics

The column has grown significantly compared to the previous version: now its dimensions are 223 × 92 × 92 mm, and it weighs almost a kilogram. Pulse 3 retained the cylindrical shape of its predecessors, but now it is more of a manifestation of continuity: you definitely won't want to insert such a column into a bicycle bottle cage.

Water resistance has long become almost an obligatory feature of such speakers, and JBL Pulse 3 also has it. Moreover, the water resistance class is solid - IPX7, which allows short-term immersion to a depth of one meter. Why such a degree of protection to a column, which in all respects does not pull on a marching one, is unknown. But you can use it as a shower column.

At the bottom of Pulse 3 is a panel with buttons and interfaces. In addition to the classic symbols, you can find two more: the JBL Connect + icon and the image of the sun. The first button is responsible for connecting with other speakers of the company, and the second for the backlight mode. Only three buttons are responsible for controlling the player: volume settings and Play / Pause. Double clicking on the last one turns on the next track. The buttons are rather tight and do not respond very pleasantly to pressing, so it is more convenient to control music and backlighting remotely.

A charge indicator is located above the buttons. There are two inputs under the cap: AUX and microUSB for charging. There are no additional inputs for using the speaker as a battery.

Backlight

JBL knows that sound is only part of the user experience when listening to music. Indeed, almost everyone who saw the luminous column was surprised and asked how much it cost. An important nuance: the music has not started playing yet.

The backlight comes on automatically when the device is turned on. It operates in eight modes, which can be controlled using a button or the JBL Connect mobile app.

The algorithm for the movement of lights in seven modes is preset, but you can change the color of the illumination by choosing it in the palette or capturing it from the environment using the camera. The most interesting mode is the custom one, in which you can assign up to three out of nine backlight patterns.

Backlighting is presented as an element of a daring party, but it is also pleasant to listen to minor and slow compositions with it: the lights almost always adjust correctly to the music. If you want a more accurate match, you can select the "Equalizer" mode.

Creating coziness and atmosphere is a task that Pulse 3 does with a bang. Just play a slow song and the speaker will pick up the temperament of the song. Turn down the brightness with JBL Connect and Pulse 3 turns into a dim nightlight that makes it pleasant to fall asleep under.

Sound

Pulse 3 carries three active 40mm radiators with a total output of 20 watts. Two passive speakers above and below are responsible for the bass. Stated speaker range: 65 Hz - 20 kHz. Judging by the test of the French portal Les Numeriques, it is, but with some reservations. First, there is a drop in amplitude in the range from 100 to 150 Hz, and secondly, the range from 1 kHz to 10–12 kHz loses to the lows and the highest frequencies of the range.

The first dip slightly affects the density of low frequencies, and the unevenness of the amplitudes of frequencies above 1 kHz leads to a slight off-scale high frequencies at maximum volume.

I want to rate the sound at four points out of five. Portable Bluetooth speakers always have a compromise in sound, so if the JBL Pulse 3 loses to the flagships of the market, then it is quite a bit. She can fill a spacious room with good sound, but hardly pump the crowd at a party.

But what is really unpleasant is the delay of more than 300 ms. It doesn’t interfere with listening to music, but you don’t have to think about comfortable watching movies and videos on YouTube with Pulse 3.

Other functions

The speaker can sync with other speakers from the company: Boombox, Flip 3 or 4, Charge 3, Xtreme and its predecessor Pulse 2. Connect two devices and listen to music in stereo. Add multiple Pulse 3s and put on a synchro speaker light show. Find more of them and you will have a party with cool sound and special effects.

Another feature is the ability to use voice assistants Siri and Google Now. You can reassign the Play / Pause button to enable them.

Autonomy

The Pulse 3 battery capacity is 6,000 mAh, which is equivalent to 12 hours of operation of the column, and it charges up to 100% in 4.5 hours - as it is written in the instructions. Based on our experience and feedback, battery life may be shorter and it may charge faster. It depends on many factors: the volume of the music, the distance from the speaker to the signal source, brightness and lighting modes.

The battery life is not that important when you remember that the Pulse 3 is still a home speaker that does not pretend to be used for travel.

Verdict

The best Bluetooth speakers of recent years are about the same: they give out solid but compromise sound, show good autonomy and durability, and even look similar. Therefore, devices like the Pulse 3 want to forgive sagging in frequencies, tight buttons and almost complete lack of additional functions.

If we remove the backlighting, we will have a rather ordinary-looking speaker with characteristics not much higher than average. But it is precisely this nuance that is decisive here, turning Pulse 3 into a very entertaining device, a stylish piece of furniture and, possibly, the best luminous speaker in the world.

Buy JBL Pulse 3 for 11 490 rubles →