Replacement for JBL Link Portable - Needs to Have Bluetooth & Google Assistant & Apple Airplay

TwentyTwoCarats on 12/08/2024 - 08:16
Last edited 12/08/2024 - 10:22 by 1 other user

So I’ve had a JBL Link Portable since 2020 and the battery is getting kind of crap. Didn’t realise how 1-of-1 this speaker was.

Does anyone know of a speaker that is:
- Portable, with USB-C charger or charging dock
- Bluetooth, obviously
- Google Assistant / Voice control, this is the main way for me using the speaker. It’s always on WiFi so I just ask google to play certain songs or the radio
- Apple AirPlay - this was useful for playing audio off apps that don’t have the Cast symbol.

This was kind of a magic speaker and I cannot find an equivalent. Sure a lot of UE BOOMs and Bose speakers are more expensive or higher quality but no speaker has this set of features I think…

Thanks in advance!

Electrical & Electronics Bluetooth Speaker

Comments

  • pjetson on 12/08/2024 - 09:44
    +2

    Is it not possible to just change the battery?

  • sumyungguy on 12/08/2024 - 10:54

    You'll find a battery change walkthrough on YouTube for Link10 and Link20, not super difficult and no soldering required, just under $40 for the battery incl shipping

    • TwentyTwoCarats on 12/08/2024 - 11:21

      Mine is neither of those products, it’s the JBL Link Portable

      • sumyungguy on 12/08/2024 - 11:27

        My apologies, battery is a bit dearer for a Link Portable. A redditor says "I opened my JBL link portable following a tutorial to open the JBL link 10, the procedure is kinda the same"

  • freefall101 on 12/08/2024 - 12:47
    +1

    While I'd also recommend replacement, as above, the Sonos Roam would do the trick. Not specifically Google Assistant but it does support voice controls, wifi and AirPlay.

    • Pecan on 12/08/2024 - 13:15
      +1

      Sonos supports Google Assistant as well as Alexa.

      I second the Roam, or better still Move 2 if budget allows. It sounds so good for a portable speaker.

      • bmxr on 12/08/2024 - 17:23

        I third the Roam here.

        I have 2 of them. It has google assistant, easy to add to multi-room or not. Battery life is pretty good, just charge it with USB-C, don't worry about the dock. It's slimmer than the JBL too.

  • theguyrules on 12/08/2024 - 14:43

    I do not recommend the Sonos Roam as a replacement. I bought one when my JBL Link Portable died.
    Doesn't come with a dock - so you have to buy one or use QI wireless charger, and there are many reports that kills the battery.
    It was HEAPS more expensive, didn't really sound any better.
    It was a lot more finicky to connect to via Spotify compared to the JBL.
    I have Sonos products in my house and didn't ever use it as part of my other speakers.

    I ended up selling mine and buying an Anker BT speaker. But obviously that doesn't help with the voice assistant part.

    • TwentyTwoCarats on 12/08/2024 - 16:04

      Damn, so it really is a unique product then. Wish JBL made a new version :(

      • theguyrules on 13/08/2024 - 09:19

        It really is. No idea why the concept died.
        I 2 JBL's, one died about a year ago, the other is still going in the shed.

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