JBL has added a new speaker to its retro-styled Authentics range, and this one is built to be carried. The Authentics 30 has gone on sale in China through JD.com for 2,999 yuan, about $445, which puts it at the premium end of portable Bluetooth speakers. There is no word yet on a global launch or pricing in other markets.
Looks are the main selling point here. The Authentics line borrows from JBL’s 1970s hi-fi speakers, and the Authentics 30 follows that styling closely. It has a faux leather cabinet, JBL’s chunky Quadrex foam grille on the front, and a cast aluminium handle across the top. It comes in two finishes, an earthy orange and a metallic black. The orange feels like the one designed for a living-room shelf.
The handle is there for a practical reason. The speaker measures 331 x 279 x 180 mm and weighs 4.83 kg. That is portable in the sense of moving between rooms or out to a balcony, not something to toss in a backpack. Inside are a single 5.25-inch woofer and two 1-inch tweeters, with a quoted frequency range of 45Hz to 20kHz at -6dB. JBL lists the output at 100W. Connection is over Bluetooth 6.0, and sound settings can be adjusted in the JBL One app.
Battery life is rated at up to eight hours, which is modest for something this size. It does not need to be a weakness, though. The speaker also runs directly from mains power at 100 to 240V AC, so it can stay plugged in at home and switch to battery only when moved. That mixed setup suits a speaker most people will probably keep indoors.
The more interesting question is where it sits in JBL’s own lineup. Last year the company released the Authentics 200 Platinum Edition in China for 1,999 yuan. That model is lighter at 3.12 kg and supports Wi-Fi alongside Bluetooth 5.3. The Authentics 30 costs 1,000 yuan more and adds a bigger cabinet, a battery and the handle. The launch details mention only Bluetooth, so buyers who want multi-room streaming should check that before assuming the newer model does more.
It also nearly overlaps the Pulse 6 that JBL launched in August, another handled portable with a light show built in, priced 500 yuan lower. The two speakers target very different tastes. One is about lights, the other about looking like old hi-fi gear.
For now, the Authentics 30 is a China-only premium portable that leans on style. Whether JBL brings it to other markets, and at what price, is still unknown.
