JBL’s new Cove M1, Cove P1 and Cove X1 wireless speakers were announced just over a month ago, and are now available to buy in Australia. The trio marks JBL’s latest attempt to take on the likes of Sonos in the multi-room audio market, and having recently had the chance to see and hear the new speaker range up close, they certainly put up a decent fight.
The trip share some interesting features: they can each be used as standalone units, or paired with a second unit of the same model for stereo sound. They can also be integrated into a wider home audio system alongside compatible JBL products, including the company’s Bar Mk2 soundbars and Bluetooth-only speakers.
And for any TechRadar Australia readers interested in the new models, you can save 20% thanks to an exclusiveJBL AU coupon code.
The range up close
In ascending order of size and power, the new trio comprises the Cove M1, Cove P1 and Cove X1. All three models are Wi-Fi enabled, with support for Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and Roon Ready. And, of course, they can also connect
The Cove P1 and Cove X1 gain Dolby Atmos support too, while the P1 has the added benefit of being truly portable, thanks to its built-in battery. One immediate advantage is that you can use a pair as rear surrounds, connected to a Bar Mk2 soundbar, without having to worry about running power to them. Battery life is a claimed 14 hours on a single charge.
If you do have access to power behind your seating position, the Cove P1 sits on a USB-C-powered charging base, similar to theSonos Play – a pair of speakers which can also be used asbattery-powered rear surrounds with the Beam Ultra soundbar.
Another useful feature demonstrated to me was the P1’s portability. Say you’re watching sport on the main TV with the P1 acting as a rear surround speaker, but decide to move the party outside. You can simply ungroup the P1 from the home theatre setup, pick it up and take it with you. Once outside, press and hold the heart-shaped Moment button on top, and the P1 will resume playing the most recent content, so you don’t miss any of the action.
As for hardware, the Cove M1 has three 20mm tweeters and a single 4-inch woofer, with a total output of 110W. The Cove P1 gets three 30mm tweeters and a single 20mm tweeter to handle Dolby Atmos duties, along with the same 4-inch woofer, with a total output of 120W. The larger X1 gets four 30mm tweeters and two 90 x 120mm woofers, delivering a total of 200W.
JBL wants to simplify multi-room audio
One of the main points JBL emphasised during my demo was ease of use. The company told me it recognises that one of the biggest barriers preventing consumers from investing in multi-room audio is the perception that it will be too difficult to get up and running.
In response, JBL has developed the JBL One platform, which handles initial setup, speaker grouping and playback controls.
During my demo, adding speakers to a network appeared relatively easy, with step-by-step instructions provided within the app. All available speakers are displayed on one screen, and you can select which ones you want to group together.
One feature I found particularly neat is how quickly and easily you can remove individual speakers from a group to use them on their own. In my experience with Sonos, separating grouped speakers to use them as standalone units hasn’t always been as straightforward as it should be, so JBL’s approach is certainly welcome.
Of course, I’ll need to spend time with the JBL speakers in my own home before making any firm conclusions about how it compared with the likes of Sonos.
A missing piece of the JBL puzzle
The Cove speakers slot neatly into a gap in JBL’s lineup. The company is the king of Bluetooth speakers – just see our guide to thebest Bluetooth speakers in Australia as proof – and it already has a comprehensive selection of soundbars.
The Authentics speakers (the Authentics 200 currently tops our list of thebest wireless speakers) are similar in that they’re designed for home use, but they can’t be used with other JBL speakers, and their retro styling may not be to everyone’s taste.
If the Cove speakers sound like a good fit for your home, you can save 20% thanks to our exclusiveJBL Australia coupon code. Your unique code can be used on any full-priced item on theJBL Australia store, so you could even set yourself up with a complete home theatre system for less.
