JBL announced Cove on 1 September 2026, a Wi-Fi speaker range controlled through JBL One.
The range includes compact M1, battery-powered P1 and flagship X1 models. A user-activated Moment button transfers listening between rooms.
Soundbar compatibility
The announcement identified these limits for rear-channel use:
- Cove P1 and M1 at launch.
- Bar 300MK2, 500MK2, 800MK2, 1000MK2 and 1300MK2 soundbars.
The voice-control plan had a separate geographic restriction. The manufacturer scheduled Alexa+ support through an over-the-air software update later in 2026, only in the United States. This was a future regional addition, not a function announced as immediately available to buyers in every market.
The earlier soundbar announcement
JBL introduced that soundbar family on 10 June 2025. Its description of the Bar 1300MK2 included a subwoofer with two eight-inch drivers and two detachable wireless speakers. The Bar 1000MK2 had two upward-facing drivers and a ten-inch subwoofer, alongside detachable rear speakers. The announcement also described a seven-band equaliser in JBL One and a configurable Moment button for songs and playlists. Those specifications concern the earlier soundbars and their supplied speakers, rather than the separate Cove units announced subsequently.
A software entry before the unveiling
JBL's release-note archive for the Bar 300MK2 and 500MK2 records version 26.33.11.82.00 on 19 August 2026. Its listed additions include multichannel grouping with Cove speakers and Auracast. The same archive records support for DTS Virtual:X in the update dated 15 July 2025 and Samsung SmartThings support in the entry dated 28 April 2025. These are the manufacturer's dated software records for two soundbar models, not confirmation that every customer installed an update. They document the supporting software separately from the new speaker announcement.
The UK Cove announcement scheduled availability for October 2026.
Media contact
JBL / HARMAN. Current HARMAN media contact: Darrin Shewchuk, darrin.shewchuk@harman.com. Company website: https://www.jbl.com/.