JBL has been producing Bluetooth speakers for years. This is due to their dedication to providing quality sounds and durable devices to all their customers around the world. If you look at their range of products, you’ll automatically learn that JBL has a large number of different Bluetooth speakers available. Knowing that JBL means quality, you know that all of these are quality speakers; and among these, there’s that one specific device that will suit your needs.
The JBL Pulse has been one of the top speakers of the company, and this has been around since the year 2014. Thing is, its 3rd generation version is what really shines. JBL has made a couple of improvements and developments for the Pulse by enhancing its sound, making it last longer for music playtime, as well as offering new features like stereo and chaining mode.
They added flashing lights which is a good way of hooking people in, but you’ll end up focusing on the sounds that it produces since it’s extremely good, clear, and crisp. This is an awesome Bluetooth speaker that you can take around with you, so if it has piqued your interest, let’s learn more about the features, specifications, and everything else about the JBL Pulse 3 that you need to know.
JBL Pulse 3 Review – What’s in the Box?
When we got our hands on the JBL Pulse 3, it came in a sturdy rectangular package that was tall enough to accommodate the speaker’s size. If you inspect the box’s exterior, you will find an image of the Bluetooth speaker along with JBL’s logo; at the back, its key features are present. The box is also pretty convenient since the company also included a little handle on it so you can hang the box if needed.
There weren’t any other important details written on the box so once we were done checking it out, we started opening the package to see what items are included inside.
In the box, the first thing you’ll lay eyes on would be a black cart-like item. This actually works as an extra protector for the speaker to ensure that it arrives to your place well and intact. Beneath this item is the JBL Pulse 3 speaker itself which is wrapped in paper.
It is neatly set next to a smaller black container which contains other accessories such as micro USB charger and the wall plug. All in all, here are the items and accessories that are present with the JBL Pulse 3: the speaker itself, one power adapter, a micro USB adapter, a safety protective sheet, the quick start guide, and a warranty card.
The Product
JBL Pulse 3 Review – Sound You Can see
The design of the Pulse 3 portable Bluetooth speaker maintains the classic cylindrical shape but with a couple of modifications and enhancements. If you’ve used the previous JBL speakers, you’ll notice that the company didn’t include the mesh covering around the device’s entire shell.
They decided to leave the speaker with a glossy and solid piece of durable plastic while only a small portion of it is covered in mesh. They also included their JBL logo on a good spot just right at the bottom, exhibiting the usual orange and white theme.
One portion of the Pulse 3 features the AUX and the micro USB port which are concealed by the water and dust resistant flap; it also features the device’s controls. This area includes all the necessary playback functions, as well as the Bluetooth, JBL Connect, light show toggle, and the power button.
We liked that the device isn’t heavy at all which makes it extremely convenient being a portable Bluetooth device. Just like its predecessors, the Pulse 3 is specifically designed to show off its brilliant LEDs that light up to the beat when you play your favorite tunes.
The plastic portion of the device is where all of the lighting takes place, and there are seven different preset lighting options that are available to you. There is also a custom option available and this can be found within the JBL Connect application.
It’s really convenient since you won’t need to have the application cycle through all of the available options; this is all thanks to the physical buttons that are present on the device. Though to access the custom option, you will need to use the Connect app for this.
This portable Bluetooth speaker has an output power of 20 Watts and a 3 x 40-millimeter transducer. Frequency response ranges from 65Hz to 20kHz with a signal to noise ratio of ≥80dB. For the measurements of the speaker, it isn’t really that big and is about 223 x 92 x 92 millimeters (H x W x D).
Now for the speakers and its play time, JBL claims that the speakers can last up to 12 hours in total for its music play time with its lithium-ion polymer battery (3.7 Volts, 6,000 mAh).
Product Features
Listed here are the features of JBL’s Pulse 3 portable Bluetooth speakers and see if these are things that you’d need for your daily audio-listening moments.
Bring your Sounds to Life
Take your music and listening experience to the next level with the Pulse 3 from JBL. It’s a great device that you can take with you wherever you go since it’s a portable and waterproof Bluetooth speaker. Also, it comes with a 360° sound and 360° lightshow to make every listening experience just like a party. Enjoy and bring your favorite tunes wherever you are while enjoying the beats with the glowing LEDs.
If you’re someone who wants to have a customized lightshow, the Pulse 3 will give you that. Just download the JBL Connect app and you can customize the LEDs how you want them to be.
Perfect for Outdoor Adventures
The JBL Pulse 3 isn’t just for listening to music right in your home, you can take it outdoors with you during adventures and the like. It’s rugged, durable, and comes with a waterproof housing, so you can enjoy worry-free listening while having a pool party, relaxing in the beach, or while biking around town.
The Connect + Technology
With JBL’s Connect + technology, you can easily link over 100 JBL speakers that are Connect + enabled. And if you have other Pulse 3 speakers, you can easily sync the lights to have your own LED party. If you don’t really mind, you can also keep them varied since on its own, the Pulse 3’s lights are entertaining as is.
We think that this is one of the coolest features of the JBL Pulse 3 since it lets you easily link a number of speakers all at the same time. This means that you can have a great party with lights and music from just one type of device; plus, you also don’t really have to worry about the speaker getting wrecked since it’s made from a durable body that is also waterproof.
It’s also really convenient since you can easily link any JBL Connect-enabled speaker to give you enough power to increase the volume of your music.
You can choose Party Mode for three or more speakers, or Stereo Mode for two speakers then sync your light show for a completely fun party. Aside from this, the app will also let you manage the brightness and you can also select between a number of patterns for the LEDs.
These include Wave for ripples, Explosion for something more random compared to Jet, which appears like numerous flashlights with different colors, Equalizer which syncs to your tunes, Rainbow to get the ROYGBIV scroll effect, Rave if you want a spotlight-inspired theme, and Fire if you want to have lights that mimic the movement of flames.
If you want to customize things based on your preference, you can choose the custom setting that lets you combine a variety of parameters. Additionally, the LED lights also provide you with a good visual indicator like glowing vapors, etc. All the available patterns can also vary in color based on what hue you choose from the app.
The colors can also be based on the photo you take via your paired smartphone’s camera. We noticed that brighter colors work better like blue or orange and as for the light show, we thought it was really cool and much smoother compared to that on the Pulse 2. If you’re not really into this, you can switch this option off if you want.
Using the Product
We can’t deny that the JBL Pulse 3 has its own gimmicky nature when it comes to its LEDs; so, we weren’t really expecting much on its audio quality and performance. Thing is, we’re taking all that back because after we’ve tried the speaker for quite some time, we were really surprised at how clear, clean, and balanced the speaker sounded.
You may also think that this speaker is extremely heavy on bass due to its appearance and lights, don’t be fooled because the Pulse 3 sounds excellent.
Other similar speakers may have emphasized their bass a little too much but as we’ve mentioned, this device manages to keep every sound clean and balanced. Its highs are good and blend perfectly with the other instruments; the bass is full and offers enough power which is good to the ears.
We tried music from different genres and all sounded perfectly nice; there were no distortions or unnecessary noise even when we maximized its volume. Also, the drivers seemed to be able to handle things really well so we’re amazed by the speaker’s performance.
For its size, the sound output was really good and it’s able to fill our fairly-large office room pretty well. We tried connecting another Pulse 3 via the Connect + and we definitely had a party with the cool lights and our favorite tunes.
When you have a 360° audio, it’ll be perfect for areas where you’ll be moving a lot like at a party, the pool area, or even on the beach. It’s a great feature that allows everyone to get the same listening experience in the area. We tried pairing other JBL speakers using Connect + and everything went perfectly well.
Now, let’s talk about the Pulse 3’s battery and powering performance. It makes use of a 6,000 mAh battery which is just the same as the one used for the JBL Pulse 2. We tested the speaker to see if JBL’s claim about the Pulse 3 having 12 hours of music playback was true, and surprisingly, we were able to listen to our tunes continuously and almost reaching the said 12-hour time.
It’s definitely better compared to the 10 hours on JBL’s Pulse 2 so we’re really glad for this enhancement from the company. We had our volume on max and the LEDs switched on when we tested the Pulse 3. Also, it took us about 12 hours or so before we really needed to recharge the device.
We also tested the device without the LEDs and quite surprisingly, it was able to extend the battery life for a bit. The device also features a microphone so it can function just like a speakerphone for any linked smartphone. We can say that this is another one of its great features since you can call family or friends while working on some other thing simultaneously.
Specifications
Conclusion
The Pulse and Pulse 2 were said to be the best and most exciting portable Bluetooth speakers when they first appeared. With that, JBL continues this trend with their latest Pulse 3 Bluetooth speaker. They gave it a new look with a couple of enhancements; plus, it sounds really good and we can definitely say that it is much better than its predecessor.
The Pulse 3 exhibits an attractive exterior while being tough and waterproof; it also gives you a great light show that is extremely eye-catching. Though its appearance and awesome LEDs are highly notable, what’s best about the Pulse 3 is the sound quality that it produces.
It has the fun factor and the quality that one should expect from JBL products; so, if you’re in search of a cool-looking, durable, and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker that grants you the coolness of LEDs, then we highly recommend this JBL Pulse 3 to you.
Where to Buy
If you want to have your own JBL Pulse 3, you can go to JBL’s official website to purchase this for only $299AUD.
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