Smarter than the average bar
Some of JBL’s Link wireless speakers have won awards from Sound+Image; they’ve combined impressive sound with their powerful combination of the wireless ‘Link’ (in addition to mere Bluetooth streaming) plus the presence of built-in Google Assistant for voice control and queries, and the ability to ‘cast’ to them from your home network and to stream from internet services.
JBL’s Link Bar opens up the ecosystem to include a TV audio solution. And there’s a bonus here, as for this application JBL has included a potentially very handy additional skill.
Equipment
That additional inclusion is Android TV, the smart TV interface which we reckon is perhaps the best TV interface of them all, given it provides access to a huge selection of apps rather than the limited supply available to any single brand’s own interface. It’s able to handle all the TV catch-up services in addition to the likes of Netflix, Stan, Amazon and, of course, Google play (though see below).
So if you have a TV which is lacking in all things smart, this JBL Bar can transform it into a smart TV, adding access to apps, streaming services, the ability to search using voice, while also hopefully fulfilling its main purpose of providing a sonic upgrade over the built-in sound system. It’s a potentially powerful offering.
The Link Bar is a medium-sized soundbar just over a metre in length, and it rises 6cm from your benchtop, hopefully low enough to cover neither the bottom of the
