Gadgetory

JBL's pulse 2 is a refreshing Bluetooth speaker not only does it offer very good sound for its size but it has the added value of offering a very cool light show thanks to its built-in LED lights you press a button on the speaker itself to toggle through ten different light show options including fire rain and fireworks also the speaker has a companion app and you can adjust the light show remotely from your phone via the app additionally you'll find a prism sensor embedded in the speaker that allows you to hold a colored piece of paper or colored object up to it and press a button on the speaker and have the LEDs change to that color it's a bit of a gimmick and didn't always work but hey it's kind of fun to play with as you might expect the light show plays off your music and matches its mood you can also download ambient sounds via the app such as fire and rain to enhance the light themes and finally you can wirelessly link two of these speakers together to augment the sound if you happen to have two of them the speaker seems pretty durable its splash proof though not waterproof and there's a gasket that covers the microUSB charging port and audio input to keep moisture out as far as other extras go there's a built-in speakerphone but it doesn't have the USB charging port of JBL's charge speakers and doesn't offer quite as good battery life it's rated at 10 hours which is still pretty good we think those charge speakers are among the best sounding compact bluetooth speakers and the pulse 2 is right there with them in terms of sound quality yes we'll pay more for the light show at around $160 online the pulse 2 is well worth the extra dough it is a very good value at that price point