In the last post we spoke about JBL Link series which is rescently launched in CES2018.

In last review, we spoke on JBL Link family speakers JBL Link10 & JBL Link20 (Read Review here), their features and specifications, what’s new.

In this review we will speak about JBL Link 300 & JBL Link 500 which belongs to the Link family and features the all new Integrated Google Assistant control.

What’s Notable in JBL Link 300 & 500 Series ?

• Style:
  Styled to look as oval barrel shaped … the comparison picture in the beginning of this post, you will notice that both speakers have same thickness but difference width and length, what it means is that JBL Link 500 will perceive to be thinner compared to Link300.
  Material used is all-black fabric and rubber design. Further the sides feature black grille cloth cover encompassing a large, circular bass resonator on the back with tiny Silver JBL logo.
• Integrated Google Assistant control:
  In last post I have detailed out all the features which Google Voice assistant will provide you, I suggest to read the same .. Read details about voice assistance of Link10 to Link20
  Just one more thing you can manually activate the Google voice assistant without a wake-up word using the button on the top 🙂
• PURE Bluetooth & WiFi Speaker: no 3.5 mm Jack !!! No Wired connection possible !!!!
  Please note that Link 300 is strictly a BT & WiFi Speaker, so you will not be able to connect any Audio output using 3.5mm jack !
• Voice calls: Not available
  Again one more important function is missing in Link 300, making of voice calls, it does not have Speaker phone function as well as can’t do it over WiFi using Google voice assistant, I think this is one of the lacking function in Link300 and must be acted upon by JBL.
• Link 300 is as good as Google Home Max in terms of Size & with its price tag the proposal becomes much more attractive for you, I agree that it would not provide you as refined powerful audio as Google Home Max, or even Link 500, but when the budget matters it hits the perfect strike, delivering reasonably loud sound over Bluetooth or WiFi.
  Also Link 300 will deliver you same performance in terms of using Google Voice Assistant, means not only you will be able to get the basic information like sports and weather or have music playback from Google Play, Pandora, Spotify, or YouTube, But Also gain control  over smart home compatible devices in your home.
• Sound:
  Link 300 can handle the Deep bass and just sufficient for the home party, although it can’t perform like Link 500, its outperforms when you look at the given budget
• Remaining features are also explained in my previous blogpost .. refer to link given above …

JBL LINK 300 vs JBL LINK 500

Voice Activated Speaker Specs Comparison Table	JBL LINK 300	JBL Link 500
Speaker Type	Voice activated speaker
Color	Black, White
Transducer	1 x 89 mm woofer, 1 x 20 mm tweeter	2 x 89 mm woofer, 2 x 20 mm tweeter
Output Power	2 x 25 W	4 x 15 W
Frequency Response	55 Hz–22 kHz (-6dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio	>80 dB
Wireless network	802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz)
Bluetooth version	4.2
WiFi Version	Support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi connection
Supported audio formats	HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC, Opus
Google Assistant	Yes, Built-in
Hands-free voice control	Yes, using Far-field voice recognition
Google Home app	Free Google Home app on iOS & Android
Chromecast	Yes, Built-in
Cloud streaming	24 bit/96 kHz High quality sound, powered by the cloud
Multi-room playback	Control multi-room playback with the Google Home app
Music play time	Not Applicable
DC / AC Power	19VDC, 3.0A No battery power	Internal 100-240V – 50/60Hz
Battery charge time	Not Applicable
Dimensions	236 mm x 134 mm x 154 mm	370 mm x 200 mm x 157 mm
Weight	1.7 kg	3.5 kg
What’s In The Box	JBL Link Speakers
	Power Cable and Adapter	Power Cable
	Instructions, Warranty and Documentation
Waterproof Speakers	JBL LINK 300	JBL Link 500

Both Link 300 & 500 due to power supply as well as size are not suitable for travel or camping/hiking …

So they are meant for purely home use …. maybe you can take them to your backyard or patio ! You can enjoy real JBL immersive sound to fill the rooms at home, so bigger the better means Link 500 can be placed in hall.

Hope this helps !

Cheers !!