To round up our review of JBL’s retro styled modern classic Bluetooth speaker series, the Authentics Series, we saved the smallest for last.

The Authentics Series 200 is a bookshelf speaker, adorning the gold and black visage of its bigger siblings, dressed and ready to party like it’s the 70s.

Again we see the exact same buttons and dials as we did on the Authentics Series 500 and 300.  A Bluetooth connection and favourites button as well as the dials to tweak your audio.

Around the back is a similar affair too and the 5 inch sub is placed on the bottom, ready to thunder.
Inside the JBL Authentics 200 is two 25mm tweeters, which coupled with the lower placed sub can belt out a whopping 90 watts of awesomeness. Don’t let the size of the JBL Authentics Series 200 fool you. It’s got some grunt.

To really hone in your preferred audio experience the Authentics Series range is best paired with the free JBL app for Android or iOS.

You can also marry up with your favourite AI assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.  Connecting up is super easy you just need to Bluetooth it from your smartphone or tablet. Or sync it to your home’s WiFi.

If you want to be a bit more technical you can plug the Authentics Series 200 in to your modem via a LAN cable for a more stable streaming experience.

While there’s a lot of Bluetooth speakers out there in the stores, some extremely high quality, none compare to the Authentics Series range. A touch of retro chic mixed with present day tech and an audio experience that is top shelf.

While small, the Authentics  Series 200 can easily fill a medium sized house wall to wall with booming HQ audio.

Mains powered, you’re not going to be able to get back to the age of jive in public, but it’s a sure winner in your home this holiday season. Ready to belt out the best of your New Year’s party playlist.

The post JBL Authentics Series 200 Bluetooth Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Amazon has recently announced an all-new Alexa experience for families in New Zealand and Australia.

Amazon Kids on Alexa, available on Echo smart speakers and Echo Show devices, has been designed to help kids learn, play and grow, while being entertained at home.

The experience will allow kids 12 years and under to discover fun, child-directed content with Alexa, from sing-alongs with Amazon Music, to playing games, and telling jokes, while ensuring parents can fully manage and control the experience.

“While Alexa’s been keeping Kiwi homes organised, entertained and connected, the youngest members of the household have increasingly become curious and interested in engaging with Alexa in their own way,” said Kate Gooden, Head of Product, Amazon Alexa ANZ. “We’re excited to launch Amazon Kids on Alexa in New Zealand, joining the 20 million kids and parents around the world who are already using the service. We can now provide Mums and Dads peace of mind in knowing that their kids are getting child-directed content, and new kid skills in an environment that parents can easily manage via our Parent Dashboard tools.”

Designed just for parents and kids, Amazon Kids on Alexa brings child-friendly Alexa features, content, settings and parental controls to Amazon Echo smart speakers or Echo Show devices, including:

• Block Songs with Explicit Lyrics: Automatically filter songs with explicit lyrics from Amazon Music, Apple Music or Spotify — so children can discover new songs or listen to their favourite tunes.
• Time Limits: Set bedtime and time limits to prevent kids interacting with Alexa late into the night, or simply pause Echo devices for dinner or homework time.
• Add or Remove Services and Content: Use the Parent Dashboard and Alexa app to choose which services and skills kids can use. Voice purchasing is blocked by design.
• Household Communication: Amazon Kids on Alexa also allows for household announcements, calling, messaging, and Drop In within the home – no more shouting through the house that dinner is ready.
• Activity Review: The Parent Dashboard also allows parents to see their kid’s Alexa activity, plus review their voice recordings in the Alexa app.

Kids can also ask Alexa questions about their favourite school subjects like science, maths, or geography or request guidance on spelling or word definitions while they’re working through homework. Since Alexa is built in the cloud and always getting smarter, it continues to learn every day. With Amazon Kids on Alexa, kids can also enjoy fun experiences from ABC Kids, Kinderling Kids, Nickelodeon, and more.

Amazon has a longstanding commitment to preserving and building trust with customers and their families. As with all Amazon devices and services, Amazon Kids on Alexa is designed with privacy and security in mind. The Parent Dashboard allows parents to choose which services and skills kids can use, and review their child’s activity.

Parents and their children will always know when Alexa is listening to a request because a blue light indicator will appear on the Echo device. Parents can mute the microphones on the device with one press of a button, and most Echo Show devices also come with a built-in shutter to cover the camera. Parents can go into the Alexa app at any time to check their privacy settings and make adjustments as needed.

Parents have access to all voice recordings and can choose not to have voice recordings saved or delete them at any time. To learn more about the features providing transparency and control over your Alexa experience, visit the Alexa Privacy Hub or the Amazon Children’s Privacy Notice.

Amazon Kids on Alexa will be available for Australian and New Zealand customers to enable via the latest version of the Alexa app on compatible Echo devices, through a software update on September 22, 2022.

The post Introducing Amazon Kids on Alexa appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Take the boom with you.

Harman Kardon’s newly released Citation speakers are both bluetooth and wireless connecting for both in-home and on the go.

The Citation 200 is a full HD 360 degree speaker, resembling a small subwoofer and although a bit weighty at almost 3 kg is a pick up and go.

There are two parts to the Citation 200; the main speaker and its base – and I really love what Harmon Kardon have done here.

Instant charge when placed on to its charging pad – which charges wirelessly (unlike similar speakers that still require a full plug in for a juice up). That said if you’re out and don’t have the charge base with you you can power up with a USB-C cable.

A full charge is going to get you up to 8 hours – given the power that this 360 speaker has that’s not bad – but the charge time is a killer, around 3 hours from empty to full.

Taking the Citation 200 out of the home it exceeded its purported lifespan of 8 hours on battery.

In my tests I paired to both Android (10) and iOS (Apple). Whether in or out of the home off it’s charging base I typically experienced 9 to 11 hours at mid volume music streaming after a full overnight charge.

If you’re looking for something that’s going to rock that beach party, or rattle the walls in your bedroom this is definitely it.

Outputting at 50 watts RMS at 80dB whether in an open wide space or within a room the Citation 200 is one of the highest performing portable speakers I’ve tested so far.

But being a booming wireless speaker isn’t everything that the Citation 200 has – it is also a smart speaker, as we saw with Harman Kardon’s Citation Oasis.

Within your home you can set up Google Assistant which is the built in A.I. and if you have more than one of the Citation speaker series in your home you can pair them up.

The Citation 200 is water resistant -but not waterproof. It can handle a few splashes here and there, but drop it in the pool and it’s all over.

A damn fine audio solution to the summer downunder, the Citation 200 ticks all of the boxes you would expect and has that decent battery life that’s going to keep you rocking out from dawn to dusk.

The post Harman Kardon Citation 200 Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Harman Kardon sure know a thing or two when it comes to superb audio.

They should do, as they’ve been the elite top shelf brand for decades and first producing audio gear 65 years ago.

Now they’re expanding their smart audio range with their new citation series.

STG received two of their smart speakers in our office, the first one being the Oasis.

Resembling an old school alarm clock the small form factor sized Oasis is a one stop device for all your bedside needs.

Firstly it comes with Google Assistant built in and Apple AirPlay.

Once you set the speaker up in your home and connect it to your WiFi you’ll need the Google Home app to get the smart stuff happening.

In previous devices a year or two back Harman Kardon integrated Amazon’s Alexa, however finding that pretty much everyone uses Google and / or has a Google account they have made the move.

Once you’re good to go in your Google setup you can begin to talk away to the Oasis and control your audio (and other smart home devices if added in to your Google Home).

Being a bluetooth speaker the Apple AirPlay enables you to boom out your personal or streamed playlists from your iOS device.

Connection on both wireless and bluetooth is flawless.

But the Citation Oasis still has more to offer.

A wireless charger on the top of the Oasis will see you right for a full nights charge up.

The ports at the back enable another charge up of a device via USB and there’s even a built-in radio with the antennae socket there aswell as the tried and true 3.5mm port.

The grey coloured mesh and plastic finish should seamlessly fit in to anyones existing decor and the Oasis can belt out the sound that’s for sure.

While the dual speakers come in at 6w you’d believe that they are ten times that power.

The Oasis can also be paired with any other Harman Kardon Citation speakers, so if you get yourself a few of the smart speakers from the Citation series, link them up and have music streaming simultaneously in every room.

As for the Oasis as a standalone it is one superb bedside buddy, or wherever in the home you decide to place it.

It’s Harman Kardon’s professional audio together with A.I. smarts.

The post Harman Kardon Citation Oasis Smart Speaker Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

‘Hey Google, play my greatest hits’.

JBL have been in the personal audio space since ages ago. Decades upon decades they have been synonymous with high end acoustics, vibrating bass and detailed cinema experiences.

Over the last few years JBL have released a slew of bluetooth enabled speakers for your home and outdoors.

This year sees a new range, including the just received by us, JBL Link Music.

Roughly about the size of a sports ball measuring 5.3 by 4.4 inches the JBL Link Music is a wireless speaker that will connect via WiFi and/or bluetooth.

Apple Airplay compatible the Link Music comes with Google Chromecast and Google Assistant built in.

The oblong shaped speaker gives off a full 360 degree and can really belt out a tune. Small but mighty loud.

Whether you are an Apple user or Android, pair the Link Music with your phone via your home’s wireless network to take control of your audio streaming, or if you have your A.I. Assistant all setup with your Spotify a simple voice command is enough to get yourself rocking.

I tried both iOS and Android aswell as using Google Assistant on it’s own.

Apple Airplay was easy enough but at times via bluetooth the iPhone or iPad would not see the speaker – and when it did would occasionally report that the JBL Link Music was ‘not compatible’.

Android, no worries. It would see the Link Music instantly and connect. Boom done.

The JBL Link Music is more than just another wireless speaker. With Google Assistant and the Google Home app you can get information in an instant using voice. If you have other IoT devices in your smart home setup control these via the speaker aswell.

The JBL Link Music is not a portable speaker.

It is required to be plugged in to the mains and it also lacks any onboard audio controls – other than volume and instant Google Assistant soft buttons at the device’s top surface and mic mute frustratingly placed near the power socket.

Still, for the lower price factor the JBL Link Music is more than enough for one’s lounge, room or home office.

Given it’s mega volume range via it’s a single 20-watt driver and small footprint the Link Music can be hidden on a shelf, desk or table without being an eyesore.

I would’ve like to see it being a portable unit, using Google on the go paired with your phone, but otherwise the JBL Link Music is a smart speaker that’s worthy of owning.

The post JBL Link Music Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ultra HQ audio meets A.I smarts.

Alexa has her boom and bass on with Amazon’s newly released Echo Studio bluetooth speaker.

Taking notice of the successes and failures of the earlier released Echo speaker, Amazon have gone back to the roots of what makes a bluetooth speaker damn good and produced one A.I. driven sound machine to rule them all.

The cylindrical eight inch heavy weight (3.5kgs) is not designed to be portable – it requires mains power to work and is most definitely a shelf or desk sitter.

Using the Amazon Alexa app for iOS or Android you will instantly connect up with the Echo Studio via both bluetooth and your home’s Wifi. If you have other Alexa devices in your smart home the Studio will instantly integrate itself in to the Alexa eco-system. You can even promote the Echo Speaker as the preferred source for your music by default.

Upon first power up the Echo Studio will do an audible scan of your surroundings relative to where the Studio has been placed. It is recommended to give it at least 6 inches away from walls and objects.

With one grunty large sub at the base the Echo Studio has four low to mid-range speakers w. built in tweeter facing up, left and right and front. This projects sound in a virtual surround effect while the downward facing sub exhausts it’s low rumbles from the cut out lip on the speaker.

for the size and girth of the Echo Studio the onboard controls are minimalistic. Volume, sync and mic off pretty much does it and for inputs at the rear, AC power, USB-C and a traditional 3.5mm.

For users of the subscription based Amazon Music, Amazon have built the Echo Studio to be in tune with their UHQ and 3D Music tracks. While there are only a handful of these 3D songs at the moment, it is something that we can expect to see a bit more of going forward.

However, for the most of us who stream music, Spotify works and for the first time ever we are hearing music from a single Bluetooth speaker that is up there with the likes of 5.1 system.

While the Echo Studio does a fantastic job of projecting sound in a virtual 3D environment, there is no projection to the rear of the device. You don’t notice it, unless you have the Echo Studio on a table where it can be accessed at all angles.

Being that it is an Alexa speaker it does come with all of the amusement and artificial intelligent helpfulness from the Amazon assistant.

The Echo Studio is by far the most powerful, the best sounding, ground rumbling smart Bluetooth speaker currently available. Priced just a bit over $300 AUD / NZD it’s a totally sound and worthy investment.

The post Amazon Echo Studio Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.