Although JBL announced some of its latest speakers—OnBeat Rumble and Charge—via a press release just before CES, the company also had some new models to introduce in person. (additional reporting and photography by Lizz Schumer)
The JBL and Harman/Kardon booth featured displays of speakers, headphones, car audio, and other accessories.
JBL also introduced new J55i ($100, shown) and J88i ($150) headphones, continuing the design language seen in its recent Flip and OnBeat Micro/Mini speakers, with contrasting colors and collapsible fold-down designs.
OnBeat Rumble ($400) is the company’s most expensive Lightning speaker to date, with twin full-range drivers and a large down-firing subwoofer inside. The top can accommodate iPads, iPhones, and iPods alike.
Charge ($150) is an upgraded, resilient version of last year’s award-winning Flip Bluetooth speaker, now with 12 hours of battery life, a ruggedized enclosure, and additional amplifier power. New colors are offered, with considerably more and brighter rubber accenting the plastic tube-ish body.
OnBeat Mini for iPad ($150) is a larger version of the OnBeat Micro recently released for iPhones and iPods, continuing to use a Lightning connector for compatibility with the iPad mini and full-sized iPad. This version packs a little extra amplifier power, more charging power, and plenty of additional internal dock space to accommodate the larger tablets. It can also be used with iPhones and iPods.
The Harman/Kardon options include a wide variety of speakers and other audio devices.
