I’m a person who creates a setup for any piece of tech I have in my room. In essence, I’d like to keep things organized so that I know how best to use them. Believe it or not, I tried fixing up my bedside area with a table and phone chargers. I just needed something to fit the entire setup altogether.

Enter the JBL Horizon 2, a one-of-a-kind Bluetooth speaker fit for any living or bedroom space. It comes with features that make it a great device to blast your favorite songs on, especially when you’re jamming in your room. Although, it provides much more than just a nice soundtrip in any given space.

So, let’s take a deeper dive into the JBL Horizon 2:

More than just a speaker apparently

Upon unboxing the speakers, I honestly thought that it was just a bulky speaker for your bedside table. I mean, it comes in a form factor that’s mostly focused on speaker-like features and functions — like Bluetooth pairing and FM Radio. Also, it comes with a volume dial at the top and an LED screen in the center… wait, what?

Yes, the JBL Horizon 2 isn’t just any regular Bluetooth speaker you plug into a wall. In fact, it’s also designed as an alarm clock, as well. The LED screen that’s built into the design displays the time, any active alarms and logos to indicate a connected device. Although, it’s not that enticing when (at certain angles), I couldn’t see what’s displayed since it’s not an anti-glare display.

Nonetheless, the JBL Horizon 2 looks like a practical kind of speaker with a dual purpose. It’s not everyday you come across something like this, and I welcome it.

Easy to set up and work around

One thing this speaker brings is some ease of setup in any given space. As mentioned, I had it set up just on my bedside table since it was the only free space available. When you plug it in, it automatically turns on and is ready for an initial set up (date, time, and even your alarms).

For the most part, the controls were quite intuitive since there are symbols to help guide you through it. From connecting your preferred devices via Bluetooth to tuning the FM radio, it was pretty easy to work around. Also, you have access to two USB-A ports at the side of the speaker for charging your devices, as well.

Almost excellent sound quality

As a speaker, the JBL Horizon 2 provides a near excellent audio experience. Apart from the ease of connection, the speakers released sounds with some level of deep bass suited for any room. Also, it’s quite loud even just at volume levels 9-15, depending on how sensitive your ears are to sounds in any area.

I also found it quite nice that there is a dedicated volume dial for ease of control. Instead of having to press buttons on my phone, I could just simply turn the dial in the direction I want to increase or decrease the volume. The thing is, it assigns the volume levels according to your device’s volume settings, so I could gauge the bearable levels.

However, I say it’s almost excellent because in some cases, I experienced a slight hiccup with the sound quality. For the most part, audio playback happens after about 1-2 seconds from playing certain tracks or videos. Although audio and video sync quite well during playback, I still find it weird that there’s this level of delay even if my phone is close to the speakers.

Helpful in waking you up

If you’re someone like me who is recently having a hard time waking up, the JBL Horizon 2 is quite the useful alarm clock. Instead of having to set 15 different alarms on your phone, you can just set two alarms and they’re quite loud. Even if my head is not beside my bedside table, I can still hear it when I gain consciousness from my sleep.

To turn off the alarm, you have to press the volume dial like how most people in movies do but with less aggression. If you don’t press it, like most alarms, the JBL Horizon 2 comes with its own snooze functionality that you can also set. If there’s any real complaints I have about the alarm setup, it’s the fact that you can’t adjust the volume of the alarm.

Another feature that helps with the alarm functionality is the night light at the back of the speaker. All it takes is pressing the volume dial twice, and that night light is on — for those who can’t sleep with the lights off. If the speakers are close to you, this is great for shining light in your eyes to wake you up! Honestly, it’s an effective way to wake you up if you hate the sun.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

At PhP 6,299, the JBL Horizon 2 provides a multi-faceted sound system for any living space. It comes with speakers with great audio quality suited for those lovely soundtrips while indoors. With relative ease, you can connect almost any kind of device with Bluetooth and enjoy hassle-free volume control.

When you’re not using it as a speaker, it serves its other purpose as an alarm clock quite well. Even though the LED screen is rather subpar, it still tells you the time and even sets off according to your alarms for the day. With a night light at the back, you will also not have any problems with sleeping in the dark.

It’s an audio device that will surely find its place in your home or bedroom. While it may not be a portable device, it’s something worth investing in while you’re not going anywhere.

For more great products and accessories like the JBL Horizon 2, visit OnWardPH or follow them through their Facebook and Instagram accounts (@OnWardPH) for you to keep posted.