For Kira Balinger, listening to music is a staple in her everyday routine.
She doesn’t need a special occasion to put on music, which is why she considers a good speaker essential at home.
“As somebody who is very musically inclined, I cannot go a day without listening to music. So I feel like for somebody who loves music like me, it's essential talaga to have a good speaker talaga in your house,” Kira told Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph) in an exclusive interview during the JBL Sound Amplified event on September 23 at Élan by the Bay in Parañaque City.
Since she uses her speakers every day, she wants something that can keep up with her routine.
WHAT KIRA BALINGER LOOKS FOR IN A SPEAKER
When choosing a home audio device, Kira said she thinks about how long she will be able to use it.
“Choosing a home audio device, something that will last a long time. Yun talaga kasi araw-araw ko nagagamit yung speakers ko, e.
"So, and in fairness sa speakers ko, hindi siya nagbibigay [bumibigay]. Like it doesn't give out. Hindi siya nasisira. As somebody who uses music every day, yun talaga yung hanap ko.”
She also pays attention to the quality of the sound.
“Saka yung maganda yung bass, quality din yung sound, siyempre."
Her daily listening habit also explains why she was drawn to one of the home entertainment set-ups she tried at the event.
Kira enjoys movies, too, so she was curious about what it would feel like to watch one with a more immersive sound setup.
“Oh, you know, we had the test booth a while ago for the JBL Bar something. You know, for the TV, for the all around something. Oh my god. As somebody who likes movies as well, the all around sound system with the two flip ones, grabe, ibang experience siya. Sobrang na-enjoy ko yun.”
What surprised her was how the sound seemed to pull her further into what she was watching.
“And medyo nagulat ako kasi it felt like kung anong pinapanood ko, parang nandun na rin sa living room kung saan ako nanonood. So ibang amats yun. Ay, ibang experience din yun. So I would like to have that in my household.”
The setup Kira experienced was designed to create a surround-sound experience for television and movies.
JBL's Cinema SB510MK2 and SB550MK2 soundbars both have dedicated center channels and Dolby Audio, while the SB550MK2 comes with a separate wireless subwoofer.
The soundbars can also work with compatible JBL portable speakers through the company's SurroundPlay technology.
That was the kind of set-up that made sense to Kira, who enjoys watching movies at home.
But the product that really caught her eye had less to do with movie nights.
KIRA BALINGER FINDS A SPEAKER SHE LIKES
When asked which new product stood out to her aside from the soundbar, Kira immediately remembered the speaker with the lights.
“The one with the light. The one with the lamp with the hawakan. The Pulse? Basta yung speaker na maganda yung ilaw.”
She was referring to the Pulse 6's Sunset Mode.
“Kasi yung pinaka-tumatak sa akin when they were showing us na meron silang parang sunset na mode. And you can time it. Parang you can put it on for one hour. Tapos yung music at pati yung lights, titigil in one hour.”
For Kira, that feature could actually be useful at home, especially for people who like having music or white noise while falling asleep.
“So for people who need like music to sleep or white noise, super good yun kasi hindi nila kailangan isipin na okay lang kung i-off. No need to wake up and switch it off kasi kusa na siyang mag-o-off. So I thought that was very thoughtful. Pinag-isipan talaga.”
The Pulse 6 is built around the combination of sound and lighting.
Its 360-degree lightshow can be customized, while its Sunset Mode gradually dims the lights before turning them off.
It also has a Bedside Lamp feature that produces a softer glow.
That last feature seems especially well suited to the atmosphere Kira envisions for her room.
“And amats ko yun talaga yung ilaw. Ang sarap kaya sa room na may dim lights ka na nagbabagu-bago. Very relaxing siya.”
But Kira was already thinking beyond what the speaker could play.
She was imagining how it could change the feel of a room at the end of the day.
JBL introduced the Pulse 6 alongside several other products at Sound Amplified, including the PartyBox 330 and PartyBox Ultimate 2, the Cove M1, Cove P1, and Cove X1 home audio speakers, the Cinema SB510MK2 and SB550MK2, and new Tune and Wave true wireless earbuds.
The line-up also included the Quantum 120 and Quantum 520 gaming headsets.
For Kira, however, the event ultimately gave her a clearer idea of what she wants for her own home audio set-up.
Music that sounds good for everyday listening, a movie setup that draws her into the story, and lighting that makes her room feel more relaxing—for Kira, sound is an essential part of feeling at home.