I trust JBL to put out some good speakers, and these don’t look like an exception. They’re essentially bookshelf speakers, but instead of the trusty box shape, they’ve mounted the speakers into a sort of quarter-toroid, possibly to make for a more rounded sound (wocka wocka wocka). Really, it’s for mounting in corners and such, helping distribute the sound through a space directly instead of bouncing it around.
There are a lot of specifications in the release, including the names of many alloys and such designed to create “outstanding resolution and transient response” and really I have to take their word for it; I’m neither a materials engineer or an audiophile of any expertise. I’m sure they sound great. Trouble is, they’re a bit expensive. At $250 for the indoor version (black) and $270 for the outdoor version (white) you’re going to be spending at least a grand if you want to wire your house up with the things. Well, if you do go in for them, they’ll make for good conversation at your fondue parties. They’ll be available later in the month.