These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The Denon Home 250 ranks #11 of 17 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $549; the JBL Authentics 300 ranks #32 of 75 boombox speakers by sound quality at $299.95.
The case for the Denon Home 250: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. The tradeoff: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail.
The case for the JBL Authentics 300: Integrates both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously (rare for smart speakers). The tradeoff: Narrow sounding, bass not as deep as others.
Buy the Denon Home 250 ($549) for a powered desktop speaker; the JBL Authentics 300 ($299.95) suits a boombox speaker instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Denon Home 250 | JBL Authentics 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549 each | $299.95 |
| Ranked | #11 of 17 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #32 of 75 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) | Yes (Wi-Fi Multi-Room) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | AC Power cable |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) | 10.8 lbs (4.9 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) | Yes |
| App | Yes (HEOS) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (App EQ) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) | 100W |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator | 1" tweeter + 4" woofer + passive radiators |
| Discontinued | No | - |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux | - |
| XLR Input | No | - |
| RCA Input | No | - |
| TRS Input | No | - |
| Optical Input | No | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | - |
| USB Input | Yes | - |
| HDMI Input | No | - |
| AES Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 | - |
| Dimensions | 11.8" x 8.7" x 4.7" (300 x 220 x 120 mm) | 13.5" x 7.7" x 7.1" (342 x 195.6 x 180.3 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous) |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 45Hz |
| Maximum SPL | - | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | - | No |
| USB Playback | - | Yes |
| MicroSD Playback | - | No |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Denon Home 250: $549 each Amazon eBay
Pros: Two outward-angled tweeters plus two mid-bass drivers and a rear passive radiator give it true stereo separation from a single cabinet, each driven by its own Class D amp for a claimed combined 80 watts. Trusted Reviews called the sound confident and wide-ranging, with expansive, well-resolved detail and adequate low-end punch and substance. Amazon Alexa is built directly into the speaker via its own microphones, on top of AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and the HEOS multi-room app.
Cons: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail. Only network or USB-sourced audio gets full hi-res quality; MQA-powered Tidal Masters streamed through the HEOS app gets stepped down to 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Full Denon Home 250 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) |
| App | Yes (HEOS) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.8" x 8.7" x 4.7" (300 x 220 x 120 mm) |
| Discontinued | No |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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JBL Authentics 300: $299.95 Amazon eBay
Pros: Integrates both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously (rare for smart speakers). Retro seventies design with leather and Quadrex grille. 100-watt amp, carries well with leather-trimmed handle. Rechargeable battery rated ~8 hours. Measured bass extension of 45Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Narrow sounding, bass not as deep as others. Peaky upper mids. No TWS. No IP rating. Not as loud as others. Not much battery life.
Full JBL Authentics 300 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 100W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 45Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 13.5" x 7.7" x 7.1" (342 x 195.6 x 180.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" tweeter + 4" woofer + passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi Multi-Room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cable |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous) |
| Weight | 10.8 lbs (4.9 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Authentics 300 - sound quality test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Authentics 300 - update
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Authentics 300 - listening session
- Alan Ross Reviews: Not quite! JBL Authentics 300 review and sound test vs Boombox 3, Encore and Stormbox Blast More from alanrossreviews →
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