JBL opens up pre-order for its $330 speaker that doubles as a lamp

Following the announcement of the Pulse 6 Bluetooth speaker earlier this month, JBL has now begun accepting pre-orders. It has also announced the release date for the portable speaker.

According to info on the JBL website, the Pulse 6 is priced at $329.95 in the US, which is surprisingly cheaper than the CNY 2499 (~$372) price tag in China, where it is also currently available to buy. JBL says once you place your order, your card will be charged, but you can cancel any time before Sunday, September 6, 2026, which is when it will begin to ship, for a full refund. Unfortunately, pricing and availability have not been revealed for the UK and Europe.

The JBL Pulse 6 has a sound output of 40W which is made up of a 30W woofer and a 10W tweeter. It has support for lossless audio via USB-C, stereo pairing, and support for Bluetooth Auracast, which lets you link it up with other JBL speakers with Auracast, such as the JBL Go 5 (curr. available on Amazon for $39.95). The speaker has Bluetooth 6.0 and support for SBC, AAC, and LC3. 

The Pulse 6 also has an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating and integrated lights that sync to what you are playing. JBL has also stated that the speaker can be used as a bedside lamp without playing any audio, all you have to do is double tap the speaker to turn the lights on. Users will be able to adjust the brightness and color temperature with the JBL One app.

There's also a feature called Sunset Mode which allows users to set a playback timer of up to 60 minutes with the app. As the timer reaches the end, the light dims and fades out and playback stops. The JBL One app can also be used to adjust the equalizer. The JBL Pulse 6 has a battery capacity of 4,722mAh, which should provide up to 12 hours of use. It takes up to 4.5 hours to charge using a 15W charger.