JBL Pulse 3, the best luminous nomad speaker

Ergonomics

To describe Pulse 3, there is no shortage of comparisons: some see a kinship with the stones in Indiana Jones and the Cursed Temple (but if finally, remember), others an affinity with Lava Lamps (we continue in the madeleines of Proust from your childhood), still others resemblances which require even more imagination. We will therefore stick to a factual presentation: the cylinder, over twenty centimeters high, weighs its little kilogram, which narrowly categorizes it in transportable enclosures.

While the second was only a slightly elongated version of the eldest, this third version benefits from a complete facelift. For starters, it is of course available in black, but also in white. Then, exit the grid: the upper two-thirds of the enclosure are now only allocated to the LEDs, much more numerous than before, and to their translucent hardened plastic dress.

This new design offers a completely amazing rendering to see on a nomadic speaker: whether you like it or not, whatever it is, it is by far the best mastered example of nomadic light enclosure to date on the market. We tried to capture above as best as we could the rendering ... which remains clearly superior in reality: the gradients in particular are nicely controlled and the numerous LEDs now allow much finer transitions than with the Pulse and Pulse 2.

These lights turn on automatically when the speaker is turned on. The other controls are distributed around the rubber hatch, which protects the analog input in mini-jack as well as the micro-USB port for recharging and ensures its watertightness: the Pulse 3 is indeed IPX7, which allows it to '' be submerged 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. We do not see what it would be useful for you, but know that it is possible.

On the left, there is the activation of Bluetooth which requires only a short press, the JBL Connect function allowing to pair several JBL speakers together (not necessarily of the same model, for example a Flip, Charge or Go) in multi- mono ( officially up to 100) or stereo. Also present are the controls for adjusting the different light atmospheres available and their intensity. On the right, there is access to the sound management controls, namely the volume adjustment as well as the multifunction button allowing to put the track in play / pause, to answer the phone thanks to the integrated hands-free kit and to go to the next track.

JBL abandons the sensor on the Pulse 2 and ultimately prefers that of your smartphone. A rich idea, since we strongly doubt that users of the previous model have a real use for it, especially since the smartphone application already existed at the time of its release. Updated, this application allows you to choose between the many light atmospheres (rainbow, campfire, wave, jet, explosion, equalizer and rave party), to personalize and determine the color, either to a color chart, either by photographing directly from your smartphone the desired color.

In terms of autonomy, JBL promises a dozen hours. In practice, it barely keeps its promise, with 11.45 am on the clock. The on / off button is also topped with 5 LEDs indicating the remaining battery level.

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Audio

The three Pulse 3 speakers are contained in a volume comparable to that of a portable speaker. As such, the Pulse 3 offers more than adequate sound performance. However, given its total dimensions, we are obliged to host it in the comparison of transportable speakers and therefore to note its sound rendering in a more severe way, in terms of the performance of the best speakers therein, like the excellent Zipp from Libratone, the JBL Xtreme or the Onyx.

The Pulse 3 promises an omni-directional rendering, a promise that we hastened to verify. In fact, this is not entirely the case: already from the front, the frequency range between 2 kHz and 12 kHz is set back - it is therefore not an exaggeration to say that the treble in general is not really not put forward. From the side (90 ° and 270 °), there is an even more pronounced attenuation between 3 kHz and 8 kHz, demonstrating on the contrary a certain directivity.

Mediums, on the other hand, are very well represented, low midrange included, which for a transportable speaker is certainly expected, but remains a good performance if we take into account the low volume allocated here for sound reproduction. JBL promised a frequency response of up to 65 Hz in the bass. It's measured, listened to, and confirmed: the Pulse 3 has no trouble going below the 100 Hz mark, and even reaches 60 Hz. Between 100 and 150 Hz, on the other hand, the trough that we see on the curve results in a very noticeable drop in level on the mixes.

Like its predecessor, the Pulse 2 delivers excellent power for a portable speaker, suitable for transportable, which will sound without difficulty in a large living room. Bluetooth latency, on the other hand, is great, very great: with more than 300 milliseconds of lag, don't expect to watch a movie with it. Note that there are also some wired, but it is then far too weak to be annoying.

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Conclusion

Thanks to its completely redesigned design, its comprehensive controls and its application, the JBL Pulse 3 is simply the best bright portable speaker that exists today. Its size can on the other hand create sound requirements which it will not be able to meet: its 3 speakers, confined to a single third of the enclosure, offer a performance very focused on the first half of the spectrum quite honorable for an enclosure portable , medium for transportable.

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