JBL Pulse 3 Bluetooth Speaker
Discovery
Remember back in the summer of 2024 when I had my intense period of James McAvoy obsession? No? Well, it happened.
I went through this man’s entire filmography, eventually making my way to a 2017 romantic thriller called Submergence, co-starring one of my girl-crushes, Alicia Vikander. In a scene where he visits her in his room for their lunch date, you can see a hypnotic speaker lighting up to music.
It took me a bit of reverse image searching (thanks, Google Lens) and keyword guessing to figure out what speaker that was—the JBL Pulse 2, released September 2015. A nine-year-old piece of tech, already succeeded by the Pulse 3 (January 2017), Pulse 4 (September 2019), and Pulse 5 (February 2023).
When it comes to speakers, I generally don’t care. I will gladly rawdog music straight from my iPhone’s shitty speaker. But there was something about that interactive lightshow that got me in my inner leprechaun. And I figured I could use a little spice when I stream music out on the porch, which I do maybe once a year.
The speaker at rest.
Hunt
It’s nearly impossible to find a brand new or refurbished Pulse 2 that’s not overpriced or sus. The secondhand market is even worse. I checked Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari…even eBay. The offerings clearly showed the speaker being “preloved” within an inch of its life. Cracked rims, questionable stains, dubious sound quality. No, thanks.
So the question now was “how desperate am I to get this speaker?” And the answer is not that desperate. I was actually beginning to like the Pulse 3, with its smooth plastic/glass(?) body vs the Pulse 2’s mesh-like appearance, which dulled the glowing LEDs.
Pulse 4 and 5 weren’t even considered, as I am not a fan of the double-wall glass look, and it didn’t look like the specs improved much between the 3 and 4. I do have a bit of pragmatism in my bones.
I found the Pulse 3 on Amazon, no problem.
Except, actually, slight problem, because it was $120. Again, I was not that desperate for a speaker; therefore, I was willing to wait until the price dropped. So in my cart it parked, waiting for Prime Day, which at the time was coming in less than a month.
As expected, the price dropped some on Prime Day. From $120, it went down to $96, and that 20% discount was good enough for me.
Usage
An unexpected perk of this bright 360° interactive LED lightshow was I could relive my clubbing days right at home. The JBL Connect+ app lets me pick the pattern and colors I wanted, and it would light up based on the beat of the music.
One night when Mr xo, mini-xo, and I were brushing our teeth in the bathroom, I killed the lights, put on some LMFAO, and we Party Rocked for the full 2 minutes we were timed to brush our teeth. We did this for a few nights, until we had to get serious and monitor mini-xo’s brushing because he was starting to get a cavity in one tooth.
Another unintended use was for gaming. My LG gaming monitor doesn’t come with a speaker (unfortunate), but with an aux cord connected to my Switch dock, that problem was solved.
Pros & Cons
BATTERY LIFE: I’ve had this speaker for almost 4 months now, and I have not had to charge it yet. Granted, I don’t use it heavily, but the fact that the juice doesn’t drain over time is impressive. The product page boasts 12 hours of playtime, and I just so happen to have a buttload of audiobooks that I could play to test this claim.
MICRO USB: Not a fan. For tech that came out in 2017, I expected it to come with USB C.
BLUETOOTH PAIRING: Connecting is hassle-free. Once I paired the speaker to the JBL Connect+ app, I have never had to fiddle with my phone to pair again. I just turn on the speaker and it will automatically pair.
IPX7 WATERPROOF: Not that I would bathe or swim with this speaker on purpose, but should it fall into the tub or the pool, I am not going to panic.
Verdict: YAS
Despite its hefty price tag for a speaker—after all, there are cheaper, non-brand name speakers out there—I don’t regret buying this product. It’s pretty, it’s sleek, and my son loves the lightshow. I have no complaints about the audio quality, and I know that’s ironic coming at the very end of this post, when we’re talking about a speaker.
My JBL Pulse 3 in white was purchased on Amazon for $95.99 (before taxes) on July 2024