JBL Playlist

Impressive sound quality, chic design and effortless Chromecast streaming make JBL’s compact speaker a terrific buy at this price – but more bite and a rechargeable battery would make it even better.

Punchy, energetic sound ; Decent connectivity options ; Compact and good looking

Some Wi-Fi connectivity issues ; Sound lacks refinement ; Power cord is far too short

The JBL Playlist brings the Bluetooth speaker maker’s signature sound to a multi-room speaker for the first time. Between the Google Cast and Spotify Connect integration you’re sure to be able to connect everything you need to this speaker, whose sound...

Enthusiastic presentation ; Lashings of low end ; Google Cast compatible

Would benefit from more restraint ; Needs sweeter treble... ; ...as well as better timing and dynamics

The Playlist is unmistakably a JBL product, with an enthusiastic, entertaining voice that will prick up many an ear

So simple to use once connected ; Attractive design ; Loud audio

Audio balance not to our taste ; Power cable is far too short

If you're a Spotify subscriber and want a speaker you can conveniently stream music through, the JBL Playlist is ideal. It's also perfect for those who have an existing Chromecast Audio setup and want another relatively inexpensive speaker to add to...

The JBL Playlist is the most affordable Chromecast speaker I've seen and it offers the most open sound we've heard in a product of this kind. Setup is easier than with most other Wi-Fi speakers thanks to the Google Home app, which also lets you have a...

The speaker isn't as convincing with bass-heavy material like dance or pop music. The build quality isn't as impressive as its rivals'. There's no onboard battery so it's stuck in one spot.

If you're looking to build a multiroom audio system based on Chromecast, you really should consider putting at least one JBL Playlist in there.