Smart Speaker of the Year under $500

The mains-powered Link Music offers great sound for the price, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Google Assistant and AirPlay 2.

The JBL Link Music is cheaper than the Link Portable, as it saves by not having the battery, yet it sounds significantly better, given its larger driver, a greater physical volume, and possibly significantly more power given that it has permanent access to the mains, while the Portable will have been designed to maximise its battery life by pulling less. The Music also sounds far better — cleaner, less processed

— than either the JBL Link 10 (a previous award-winner) or even the larger Link 20 which sounds positively muffled in direct comparison. JBL really does seem to have advanced its sonics significantly in the latest generation. Some specific comparisons: the bass line from The Chats’ Smoko pounded out of the Link Music with an impressive size; from the Link Portable it still had size but sounded woolly and soft in comparison.

The same effect was evident on Leonard Cohen’s vocal on Going

Home — full and clear on the Link Music, while still full but woollier on the Link Portable.

What you don’t get with the Link Music is the waterproofing, for hopefully obvious reasons (it’s plugged into the mains). And again this is a mono speaker, having a single 64mm driver, downfiring and here assisted by a pair of passive racetrack-shaped radiators on either side. Its full sound shows JBL’s sonic skills in this arena.

So do you take the superior sound but stationary situation of the JBL Link Music, thereby saving yourself $50? Or take the still enjoyablesounding and rather more mobile JBL Link Portable to enable on-the-go streaming? We may have an answer to this quandary, especially given the discounted prices we’ve seen on the street — as we write, Australia Post is offering this Link Music for just $99. At those prices, just get one of each. More info: www.jbl.com.au