Review JBL Link 10 is a Voice-Activated Flip 4

Oh the highly anticipated JBL Link 10 has arrived and we’re so ready to test drive the waterproof speaker that reminds us of the Flip 4. Get all the details below.

Review JBL Link 10 is a Voice-Activated Flip 4

Build & Design

The Link 10 features a rugged exterior, also in line with the Flip family making the shell waterproof with an IP rating of X7. That means you can feel free to take this baby to a pool party and jam to your favorite tunes without fear. The speaker is safe as long as it isn’t immersed in 1 meter of water for longer than 30 minutes . In terms of build, this speaker is shorter and stockier than the Flip 4, for anyone who is a fan. It stands at 6.7 inches tall and about 3.4 inches in diameter and weighs about 1.5 pounds. The top and bottom of the speaker isn’t circular, it’s more like a rounded square. On the top, there are five buttons: Google Assistant Help button, pause/play button, volume adjustments, and Bluetooth.

Features

Thanks to Google Home app and Chromecast technology your phone acts as a wifi-based command center. This speaker has the ability to be used alone or as part of an integrated system of other Link (Link 20, 300, 500) or Chromecast speakers (Google Home, Google Home Mini) makin for a pretty cool system.

Set-Up

Setting up the speaker is quite easy. It takes about 10 seconds to initially recognize your wireless network, it’s really not a deal breaker to me, as it’s equipped with some mighty fine features. If you’ve already got Google Assistant set up on another device you’ll skip the Voice Match step, since this technology is so advance it’ll use the previous recorded data to recognize your voice.

During set-up you’ll also enter your address, so Google Assistant can give you the most up-to-date information on traffic, weather, find the closest place to buy groceries, oh and aso make a shopping list.

Personally, I think you don’t even know you need a voice activated assistant until you have one. I’ve got a Google Assistant (GA) in my room and every morning I ask her (I chose a female voice) for the weather forecast, time, and details on my upcoming events (that’s basically anything you’ve scheduled on your calendar). When I’m just about ready to leave (usually in a rush) preparing my snow gear in the living room, I find myself calling out to my Google Assistant, too bad it’s located in my bedroom. Once you have one, you’ll want more and that’s because the opportunities are endless.

Additional Uses

There are some amazing features that I have yet to take advantage of, but am soon to do so. You can sync your Google Assistant with smart plugs and smart locks which allow you to turn off the light and lock the door by simply telling GA on your JBL Link 10 to do so. As I’ve already mentioned, your Link 10 via GA has the ability to read aloud your upcoming schedule for the day, the forecast, traffic, as well as jot down items to your virtual shopping list. You can also ask for news updates. Within the Google Home app simply select which news apps you’d like to hear from. Making this even more seamless, within the Google Home App, you can set-up “My Day” which combines a few features like weather, commute, next meeting, reminders, news, and can read them all to you in one go.

So far, everything about this speaker is quite impressive. However, it falls a little short when considering the battery life. It supports a continuous run time of about 5 hours at a moderate volume. Blast the Link 10 at the maximum and the life expectancy is cut short.

Sound

When it comes to playing music, the JBL Link 10 can do so via Google Chromecast. When set-up in the Google Home app you’ll be able to ask for a song to be played via your default music app. I use Spotify and voila. After asking for a variety of song selections, I’ve come to the following conclusions in terms of audio performance.

The JBL Link 10’s dual 8-Watt system provides a wider sound stage than what I’ve heard on most wireless speakers which can showcase a thick muddy mid-section and lack in spacing and articulation. The JBL Link 10 does a much better job – especially at the under $150 price point. It’s not as compressed as others and displays a nice degree of reach which is great for those pool parties. The speaker really sings in the mid-range which is nicely layered between the highs and mids. At low to moderate volumes the speaker provides pretty clean and articulate sound, but pushing it any further can cause some distortion. Overall, expect pulsing sound with better clarity and detail than your standard speaker.

This speaker is currently available at the lowest price at Audio46.

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Specs
Output Power: 2 x 8W
Frequency Response Range: 65Hz–20kHz
Bluetooth Version: 4.2
Dimensions (Dia x H):  3.4 inches x 6.7 inches
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Battery charge Time: 4 hours
Music Play Time: Up to 5 hours