JBL Cove X1 and JBL Cove P1 - Finding the Sweet Spot... Wherever it Is

Man, JBL makes a lot of different stuff. From earbuds to party speakers and everything in between, there's an audio device (or even a light) to suit every occasion and every budget.

Even so, not content to just update its existing product lines every year, JBL continues to innovate, embracing new technology and coming up with even more exciting gadgets all the time.

In recent years, there's been a heavy emphasis on interconnection between devices and now JBL has taken that philosophy to a whole new level.

The Cove series follows on from the Authentics speakers JBL launched around three years ago.

I loved the Authentics range. These were bespoke, retro-looking speakers that raised the bar for home audio, both in terms of performance and style. So much more than just another bluetooth box, they were fully Wi-Fi capable and could be integrated into your smart home, even working alongside other, non-JBL devices.

The Cove speakers don't look quite as groovy. In fact, you could argue the Cove X1, Cove M1 and Cove P1 are boring boxes that don't really look like anything at all. Even the colour options are uncharacteristically binary for JBL; rather than a choice of orange, blue, red or green, the Coves are either all white or all black.

Presumably this is partly because JBL suggests you can "Build your dream home sound system," with these speakers, not only connecting seamlessly with each other, but also with other devices like the JBL Bar MK2 to create a genuine, wireless home theatre. If you're using a Cove speaker like that, you probably want it to blend in, rather than stand out.

These are smart speakers in every sense of the word. You set them up using the JBL One app, connecting them to your Wi-Fi and controlling them with that app, the buttons on top or with voice commands, via Alexa+.

Which is not to say these are Alexa-only devices, quite the opposite. You can AirPlay to the Coves, or Google Cast. If it's a streaming service, the Cove speakers can probably run it; Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Music - you name it.

I was only sent the Cove X1 and the Cove P1 to review, but I think it's safe to assume the M1 works exactly the same way these two do. They all have upward-firing grilles and are Dolby Atmos certified - always a bold claim from a relatively small, single speaker. But there are a lot of drivers in there; two tweeters and two woofers in the P1 and an almost unbelievable TWELVE drivers packed into the larger (and considerably heavier) X1.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from these speakers, sound-wise, but man oh man, JBL has really knocked it out of the park here.

I usually assume there'll be decent bass response from most JBL speakers but this is really at another level - especially from the Cove X1. As I listen to my hi-res, Productive Low-Fi playlist on Spotify, the ever-present bass grooves are so warm and rich you can physically feel them flowing through you, even at relatively low volume.

This is something JBL is very proud of with this range; producing a comprehensive, room-filling soundscape, even when you're playing your content softly. And it's not just superb bass we're dealing with here; true Dolby Atmos Music means clarity and balance - the term "room-filling" absolutely encapsulates the effect - almost as though these speakers are capable of pushing their soundscapes into every tight corner of your space.

And that even seems to work outside.

Unlike the Cove X1, which is certainly powerful, pumping out 200W from its dozen different transducers, the P1 is portable, with its own wireless charging cradle included in the box.

There's a subtle-yet-effective hand grip cavity at the back, making it the easiest thing in the world to lift off its charger and set up anywhere, inside or out. With up to 14 hours playback on a full charge, you can definitely take it with you when you need high quality audio somewhere other than your place and remember, these speakers are Bluetooth 5.3 capable, so the fun doesn't stop just because you're out of Wi-Fi range.

We were having a barbecue for my daughter's 23rd birthday the other day and the weather was favourable so we were all out on the deck enjoying a seriously sunny afternoon. I was playing her hand-picked Summer playlist on the Cove X1 inside and it sounded amazing. Obviously. Then it was a simple matter of holding down the love-heart or "Moment" button on the Cove P1 so it could stream the same playlist simultaneously - you'll see me demonstrate this feature in the video below.

I honestly couldn't believe how well the P1 performed outside. It's IP56 water and dust resistant, so you can plonk it down literally anywhere. Just like the X1, it uses a feature JBL calls "Constant Sound Field" to create a much wider sweet spot than you might expect from a single small speaker. Again, I was impressed at the fullness of the atmosphere the P1 created, even outside.

My singular frustration with the Cove P1 is turning it on. For some reason, you have to hold your finger in place on the power icon for a full five seconds before it will fire up - almost like a childproof lock. Not a biggie - but it seems unnecessary.

Otherwise, these are kind of my new favourite speakers.

Whether you use them by themselves, as part of a more organised wireless home theatre system, or just connect them wirelessly to other Auracast-enabled devices - multi-zone / multi-room audio couldn't be easier.

What's more, the mic sensitivity listening out for your voice commands appears to be the most responsive of any smart speaker I've used to date. Even with music playing pretty damn loud, a half-mumbled, "Alexa..." still seems to get either the Cove X1 or Cove P1's attention so you can instantly adjust the volume, play, pause or skip, all totally hands-free.

These might be the most boring looking speakers JBL has put out for a while, but I couldn't be more excited by the sound quality and connectivity options.

Unfortunately, I can't really demonstrate just how good the Coves sound in a video - but at least I can show you how easy they make it to move your music around...

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Cove X1.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Cove P1.