If you live in a typical Singapore-sized house, you know the problem. You want proper room-filling sound, but you don’t have the luxury of space for a big hi-fi setup. JBL’s new Cove M1 is the brand’s answer with a compact Wi-Fi speaker that’s meant to sit quietly on a shelf and sound much bigger than it looks.
I’ve been using two at home, one in the living room and one in the bedroom, linked together. Here’s how it’s gone.
Design and setup
The M1 is a squarish box, 12.5 x 18.4 x 12.5 cm, and heavier than it looks at about 1.65 kg. I picked it up expecting something lighter.
What I like most is how little it tries to be noticed. JBL’s speakers are usually loud, bright and covered in branding, but the M1 has no flashing lights and a logo so small you’d miss it from across the room. It comes in black or white, and either one just sits there looking tidy. If you want a speaker that doesn’t turn your shelf into a gadget display, this is it.
Setup was also easy. Via the JBL One mobile app, I was able to connect the speakers to my WiFi network quickly, and updates via the app was pushed directly into the speakers.
You can also choose to set up Alexa for voice assistance. The M1 does not support built-in Google Assistant microphone for voice commands
Sound quality
In the living room, the M1 gives rich room-filling sound. I placed it in the corner of the living room, and with jazz playing in the background, it filled the area without me needing to crank the volume (sound bounced off the wall). I was concerned a speaker this small wouldn’t manage it and I was impressed when it did.
Spec-wise, you get three 20mm tweeters, a four-inch woofer and 110W RMS. In plain terms, the tweeters handle vocals and cymbals, the woofer does the bass, and the wattage is how loud it can go cleanly. It plays down to 55Hz, so there’s real bass, just not subwoofer-level rumble. It looked underpowered to me at first, but in a typical Singapore house or bedroom, it’s plenty.
The bass is sufficient. I tried adjusting the EQ settings to test it, and there’s enough low end to feel the music without it getting boomy. It’s not a subwoofer replacement, but it doesn’t need to be.
Living room and bedroom units
I set up the second M1 in the bedroom using the same JBL One app, then linked it to the living room speaker. It took just a few taps and no cables.
Once they’re linked, you have two options. You can play the same playlist on both speakers at once, so the music follows you as you walk from room to room, or you can have each speaker play something different.
Volume per speaker can also be controlled via the app or manually on the speaker itself.
Connectivity
The M1 has Bluetooth 5.3 and dual-band Wi-Fi, and supports AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and Roon Ready. For me, I relied mostly on AirPlay and Spotify Connect.
What could be better
- Portability: There’s no battery, so the M1 has to stay plugged in. It’s the same limitation as my Google Home speaker, so it doesn’t bother me much. If you want something portable, the Cove P1 has an in-built battery.
- No Dolby Atmos: The M1 is the speaker in the Cove series without Dolby Atmos Music support.
- Inputs: There’s no physical input, so it’s wireless only.
Is the M1 enough?
Specs-wise, the Cove P1 and X1 are more powerful, with the X1 built to anchor a larger room. However, for small spaces such as Singapore homes, the M1 is sufficient, and honestly it’s all I need.
Pros
- Very good sound in a living room setup
- Easy pairing and multi-room linking
- Suits small spaces
- Sufficient bass
- Reasonable cost for what it does
Cons
- Needs a power outlet, so it isn’t portable
- No Dolby Atmos support
- No physical inputs
Verdict
The M1 is easy to set up, sounds great for its size, and the price isn’t too high for what you get. You can get it for S$399 from the JBL Online Store