What JBL makes

Origins. JBL was founded in 1946 in Los Angeles by James Bullough Lansing, a loudspeaker designer who had already worked on sound systems for cinemas. The letters are his initials. JBL speakers found their way into recording studios, concert halls and cinemas. Since 1969 the brand has belonged to Harman, and since 2017 Harman has belonged to Samsung.

What it stands for. JBL brings sound from the studio and the stage to the ordinary listener. The professional arm, JBL Professional, still makes speakers for venues and festivals; the consumer side turns that into speakers that can take a knock and a rain shower.

Reputation. JBL is known for rugged, waterproof portable speakers with plenty of bass, the kind you see on a terrace, in a tent or by the pool. Anyone after a neutral, studio-flat sound may find the tuning heavy at the low end. The headphones are solid, but do not have the speakers' name.

Ranges. For speakers, from small to large: Go, Clip, Flip, Charge, Xtreme and Boombox, and the PartyBox with a light show and a microphone input. For headphones, Tune for every day, Live and Tour for noise cancelling, Endurance for sport and Quantum for gaming. For the television the Bar soundbars, and Authentics for a speaker with a retro look.

Examples. Below, a few products that show what JBL stands for. The wider range: portable speakers, headphones, earbuds, gaming headsets and karaoke. A speaker that stops charging after a week: what you can ask for is in Your rights when you buy online.

The Flip is JBL's best-known speaker: a cylinder the size of a water bottle, waterproof, for taking along. More portable speakers.

The Charge is bigger and heavier, with more bass and a port to charge a phone on the go. More portable speakers.

From the Tour range: the Tour One, JBL's noise-cancelling headphones, for anyone who travels or commutes. More headphones.