JBL has announced two new accessories for its PartyBox line of LED-enhanced Bluetooth speakers: the PartyLight Stick, which looks like a glowing animated lightsaber, and the PartyLight Beam, which can project a light show onto walls or ceilings.
The $99.95 PartyLight Stick and $149.95 PartyLight Beam can both function as standalone lights—you can adjust the intensity, speed and movement of each light to suit the mood of a party using a mobile app. But both have built-in microphones that adjust their animated light shows to match the music playing in the room.
Both lights become more powerful when connected wirelessly to one of JBL's PartyBox speakers. Their glowing animations are synced to the LEDs in the speakers and the music playing via Bluetooth Auracast – a feature that can send a Bluetooth signal to an unlimited number of other devices. This also means multiple PartyLight Sticks and Beams can be synced to light up a larger room.
JBL says the PartyLight Stick, which uses 183 RGB LEDs, runs for about eight hours on a rechargeable battery, making it easier to place several of them around the room without creating tripping hazards from power cords. It's also IPX4 splash-proof, so it can be used outdoors in the rain or near a pool as long as it's not submerged.
The PartyLight Beam combines three RGB LEDs with four white LEDs, but needs to be plugged into a power outlet. This does impose some limitations on placement, especially in a room full of partygoers, but the angle of the light projection can be adjusted so it can be placed close to walls. JBL doesn't specify an IP rating for the Beam, so you'll want to protect it from inclement weather, fountains, and champagne sprays at celebrations.
The JBL PartyLight Stick and PartyLight Beam are now available in both North America and Europe.