JBL Authentics 500

The Authentics 500 is a whopper, but is its sound as impressive as its size?

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₹59,999

From its burly dimensions to its retro good looks and powerful, attention-grabbing sound, the largest member of JBL's Authentics range of wireless speakers is also one of its most sonically outgoing. Were the Authentics 500 a party-going pal, it would be the one dancing on tables with its shirt off, belting out Wonderwall at the top of its lungs as it reaches for its sixth Peroni of the night.

The JBL Authentics 500 doesn't come cheap. The hefty wireless speaker retails at around ₹60k. That sees it occupying a tough section of the market, just above some seriously competent rivals. The recent five-star Audio Pro C20 is yet to officially launch in India, while our current king of spatial audio, the smart and superb Sonos Era 300, costs ₹50,999. For anyone splashing a bit more cash, the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation currently goes for around ₹1,19,000.

The Authentics 500 is a handsome, sizeable and, at 7.8kg, rather weighty unit, so you'll need to ensure you have sufficient desk space or a particularly robust shelf if you are planning on making it your new wireless speaker of choice. The speaker's eye-catching waffle grille gives it a bold, assertive look, edged beautifully by a sleek metallic trim that doesn't so much hint at a well-made product as it does shout it from the rooftops.

Thanks to its substantial dimensions, JBL's latest has enough space to cram in quite a few drive units behind that waffle-like frontage. It houses three 25mm aluminium-dome tweeters alongside a trio of 7cm midrange units and a 16.5cm downward-firing subwoofer. That's a significant advance on the smaller Authentics 300 model, which packs a more modest array comprising a duo of 25mm tweeters and a single 13cm woofer.