First discounts take $50 off JBL Authentics smart speakers, rare Nest Protect deals, JBL earbuds, more

The just-released JBL Authentics smart speakers are now on sale for the first time at $50 off with Google Assistant in tow. Starting from $300, the savings carry over to a rare chance to save on Google Nest Protect smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at $99 as well as Jabra’s latest Elite 8 Active earbuds at $150. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

JBL Authentics smart speakers are $50 off

Amazon is now offering one of the very first chances to save on the new JBL Authentics 300. This smart speaker powered by Google Assistant and Alexa just launched earlier this fall and skipped out on all of the Black Friday deals last month. Now it’s finally on sale at $399.99 shipped. This is $50 off the usual $450 going rate and the first real chance to save some cash. It’s a new all-time low, as you’d expect. We found that it hits all of the right notes in our hands-on review, and we explore why below the fold.

The story with the new JBL Authentics 300 may be headlined by its smart features, but we have to talk about the eye-catching design first. There’s a classic retro build that pairs a leather-like enclosure with a grid-textured grille on the front – all with brushed metal accenting. Premium build aside, JBL packs dual tweeters and a downward-firing passive radiator into the form factor. 

There’s Bluetooth for pairing right to your smartphone for playing music, as well as Wi-Fi to summon your smart assistant. Both Alexa and Google Assistant make the cut, turning this already nifty-looking speaker into a smart home for controlling smart home gear, conversing with the digital helpers, and streaming music directly from your preferred service. The JBL Authentics 300 speaker manages to pull that off with 8 hours of battery life for untethered playback.

Rare discounts hit Google Nest Protect

Amazon is now offering the Google Nest Protect starting at $99 shipped for the wired model. These smoke detectors also come in a battery-powered option at $100. Each one is down from the usual $119 price tag and marks the first discount we’ve seen in months in either case. These are the first price cuts since back in September and are the second-best prices of the year. Learn more about the Nest Protect experience down below or over in our coverage.

Google Nest Protect comes in one of two different designs based on whether you want a traditional battery-powered option or a wired one. It brings smoke and carbon monoxide detection into your smart home, with Assistant support packed into its unapologetically Google design. There’s a built-in speaker for alerting you, as well as the ability to have alerts sent right to your smartphone.

Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds on sale

Best Buy is now offering the second-ever discount on the new Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds. Dropping down to $150 in several styles, the savings today kick off from the usual $200 price tag and is also matched over at Amazon. Having just launched back in August, you can now lock in the second discount and a new all-time low at $50 off. It’s an extra $30 below our previous September mention too. Jabra’s latest flagship earbuds arrive with a fitness-oriented approach that earns the Elite 8 buds the Active naming scheme. We fully break down what that means below the fold while also taking a hands-on look in our recent review.

Jabra’s new Elite 8 Active earbuds arrive with some notable improvements over the previous-generation pairs. It all starts with improved active noise cancellation, which steps up to apply filters for blocking out wind and other loud environments. There’s a total of 40 hours of playback from the package, with 8 hours of listening on the buds themselves joined by another 32 hours from the charging case. Everything, of course, comes wrapped in a workout-ready design, with an IP54 water-resistance rating being joined by 1-meter drop protection. Throw in Google Fast Pair support, as well as multipoint Bluetooth, for good measure to round out the package.

Sonos holiday sale starts from $119

Sonos is back with one last chance to save on its popular lineup of smart home speakers and home theater upgrades. Whether you’ve been eyeing that Sonos Arc soundbar or want to see what all the fuss about its new Era 100 speaker is all about, the savings are offering the best prices of the year across just about everything the company sells. Shipping is free across the board, and many of the savings are even matched over at other retailers like Crutchfield. 

Best trade-in deals

9to5Google also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on Android smartphones and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device, or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Google along the way!

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