The larger JBuds Party ($70) offers 30 watts of power to make it “one of the most powerful speakers at its price,” according to JLab, though, unlike most speakers at this level, it’s not fully dunkable, offering just IPX6 water resistance. Finally, because every brand needs a karaoke speaker, there’s the $150 Epic Party with a 360-degree soundstage, four 2.5-inch drivers, a 5.25-inch woofer, and up to 16 hours of claimed battery life. Like its siblings, the Epic boasts RGB lighting and includes both a 3.5-mm aux connection and a quarter-inch jack for adding a microphone. All four speakers are available this week, and we’ll be checking them out soon to see how they stack up to the best Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested. —Ryan Waniata
TCL Z100 Speaker Makes Atmos Sound More Flexible
More than 18 months after it was first teased at IFA 2023, TCL has confirmed the launch of the Z100—the world’s first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speaker. The aim here is to deliver Atmos sound wirelessly and flexibly, with a range of configurations available—from two to four speakers.
As they are wireless, the Z100 speakers can be placed wherever is convenient in the room, and will work along with the sound from compatible TCL TVs as well as any other Z100s you own, creating a 5.1.2-channel or 7.1.4-channel Atmos sound. Each speaker packs four drivers, including one upwards firing, to deliver 170 watts of total power.
The Z100 is currently compatible with the latest generation of TCL QD-Mini LED TVs, like the QM6K, and will also double up as a Bluetooth speaker (without Atmos). It’ll be available first in France starting July 2025, with further European and US launches to follow. —Verity Burns
Philips Hue Debuts the Wall Washer
Courtesy of Philips
The latest smart lighting release from Philips Hue is the Hue Play Wall Washer. This sleek, black, aluminum device is just 6 inches tall and is designed to sit on your TV cabinet or sideboard and, as the name suggests, wash your wall in colorful light. Employing a new ColorCast projection technology, the Wall Washer sprays light at a wide angle and supports multiple simultaneous colors and a ton of lighting effects. You can sync it with your existing Hue lights and systems, including the Hue HDMI Sync box and the TV and PC Sync apps. Folks can set the intensity, speed, brightness, 3D positioning, and direction of the light it emits in the Hue app. Available this month, a single wall washer costs a rather spicy $220, or you can snag a two-pack for $385.
Select markets already have access to the built-in AI assistant in the Hue app, which you can ask to generate scenes based on your mood or activity, but it’s rolling out to the UK in July and globally (including the US) in August. —Simon Hill
