JBL is one of the old guard of speaker tech—the company’s been around for decades. Now the
undisputed kings of Bluetooth speakers for the mass market
JBL is well known for its colorful Bluetooth speakers and ultra-portable designs. The brand’s
distinct, bass-heavy audio profile makes it a go-to for party speakers and personal speakers
alike, delivering rich sound and surprising volume even in the most compact designs.
in this video, we will take a look at what I think are the best best JBL Bluetooth speakers
of 2021. To see the most up-to-date prices and find
out more information about these Bluetooth speakers, you can check out the links in the
description below. Before we start, let me know down on the comments
what color you like the most out of the JBL speakers.
First, we starting the list, with the Best Budget one, the JBL Go 3
JBL’s most popular and pocketable speaker is so-named to invoke a call to action – to
‘Go’ out and seek adventure. One look at the latest version, the JBL Go 3, however,
and we want to head for a shower; it really does look like a soap on a rope.
Available in black, blue, gray, red, or teal models, the 2.7-by-3.4-by-1.6-inch (HWD),
7.4-ounce Go 3 is tiny enough to fit in just about any bag and even some pockets. Its rectangular
body has rounded edges and is covered mostly in cloth grille, with rubberized feet on the
bottom. The JBL logo is emblazoned in large letters across the front panel, and a stylish,
sporty lanyard is built into the left panel, next to the USB-C port for the included charging
cable. There are buttons up top for volume up/down
and play/pause. Pressed twice, the play/pause button skips forward a track. There’s no
track backward navigation, which seems like an oversight, and there’s no speakerphone
functionality, which would be annoying if the price weren't so low. The right side panel
houses a power button and a Bluetooth pairing button.
The Go 3’s sound profile is a mix of pleasant surprises and, considering the compact design,
totally expected limitations. This is not a particularly detailed-sounding speaker,
and although it can go loud enough to fill a decent-sized room, distortion kicks in well
before the volume maxes out. JBL promises 5 Hours of battery life with
the GO, which is pretty close to what I got 4 hours and 23 mins.
Next on the list we have, the Best Waterproof speaker, the JBL Pulse 4
The JBL Pulse 4 is a small and portable speaker with a unique design. It has customizable
RGB lights around the speaker's body, as well as a transparent plastic exterior. Thanks
to its 360-degree design, it has outstanding directivity, resulting in a large and open
soundstage. It also has an IPX7 rating for water resistance.
The Pulse 4 has a rounded cylindrical build, measuring 8.2 inches tall by 3.8 inches around.
At 2.8 pounds, it's heavier than your typical portable speaker. It's available in black
or white models, but of course, the real star of the show is the interior LED panel that
wraps around the midsection of the speaker enclosure.
There are various controls arranged around the top ring of the speaker, including buttons
for power, Bluetooth pairing, volume up/down, and play/pause. There is also a button that
controls the LED lights, and a PartyBoost button.
The sound quality of the JBL Pulse 4 is excellent: The speaker provides a balanced profile that
doesn’t overemphasize bass like many other party speakers. There’s plenty of bass to
fill a small room. For its size, the Pulse 4 provides a nice amount of bass. The speaker
also gets extremely loud. The battery performance of this speaker is
satisfactory. The manufacturer estimates the life to be roughly 12 hours, but it can vary
depending on volume levels and whether or not you use the LEDs.
Best Party speaker we have, the JBL Partybox 310
JBL have redefined big, booming Bluetooth speakers with the PartyBox 310. That much
is clear as you can turn on this mammoth, booming device which is now one of the most
powerful Bluetooth speakers on the market. The shape of the speaker is very ideal for
what it is trying to accomplish. It is a beveled rectangular box that can easily
be situated on virtually any stable surface, and the position of the front tweeters allows
the sound to project very nicely. There are little rubber stoppers on the side
as well as the bottom so that the speaker can be set up horizontally or vertically.
JBL claims a 45Hz to 20kHz frequency response. The three basic controls – bass, treble,
and bass boost can completely change the signature. There are two bass boost levels (both shorten
battery life) – one for mid-bass (50-100Hz) and one for high-bass (100-200Hz). There is
also a Bass Boost button (mid-bass) on the control panel.
After 100Hz, it is has solid mids and is relatively flat to 10kHz. There is a dip to avoid harshness,
and after which it peaks to get that mid-treble so necessary for instruments then drops off
fairly steeply to 20Hz. The JBL PartyBox 310 has a fantastic battery
performance. It allows for over 17 hours of continuous playback time before needing to
be charged and charges in just under three hours. In addition, it enters standby mode
after 20 minutes without any operations so that you can avoid wasting power when the
speaker is not being used at all times. Best Value we have, the JBL FLIP 5
The JBL FLIP 5 is a cylindrical Bluetooth speaker. It's well-built, has a carrying strap
so you can take it with you on-the-go, and it comes in several different colors to better
suit your style. If there’s one thing the JBL Flip series
is known for, it’s for being tough. The Flip series started out splashproof, and eventually
made the jump to being completely waterproof—and that’s still the case with the new JBL Flip
5. It’s wrapped in a durable fabric material that gives it an IPX7 rating, meaning: it
can survive being submerged in up to three feet in water. On either end of the speaker
is a tough rubber that protects the exposed bass radiators.
The Flip 5 has overall very good sound, with impressive bass for a speaker its size. Compared
to the Flip 4, the Flip 5 has more bass and spreads the sound slightly wider. It has a
very crisp and clear sound the equally enticing vocals that wash over the electronica come
through with sharpness and precision, and thanks to the Flip 5’s spaciousness and
rhythmic knack, each element in the mix seems to fit together just right.
The JBL FLIP 5 has a decent battery performance. It's advertised to last around 12 hours, but
I measured just above 9 hours. However, battery life can vary depending on usage, so your
results can differ. Last but not least, Best All-Rounders, we
have the JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is an iteration on a winning
formula. The Charge series of speakers is known for balanced sound, high volume, and
long battery life, and that hasn’t changed in this fifth generation. However, the Charge
5 improves on just about every aspect of what made it great, making it an easy recommendation
for those looking for big, balanced sound with all-day battery life.
Sitting the Charge 5 sample next to its older sibling, the Charge 4, I played a quick game
of spot the difference. The logo is now bigger but looks classier and less like a badge than
the branding on its predecessor, with simple metallic accents around the letters rather
than a block frame. Similar to previous models, the cylinder design
is important. This means the bass radiators at either end of the speaker are able to vibrate
more freely, without any constraint. This helps with the speaker’s 65Hz low-end response,
which is incredibly strong and detailed considering the speaker could still be considered quite
small. Similar to previous models, the cylinder design is important. This means the bass radiators
at either end of the speaker are able to vibrate more freely, without any constraint. This
helps with the speaker’s 65Hz low-end response, which is incredibly strong and detailed considering
the speaker could still be considered quite small.
It has a killer battery of 20 hears! but still, your results will vary with your volume levels.
Thanks for watching! I hope you found this video to be helpful. If you have any questions
about the products mentioned in this video, you can leave a comment below and I will get
back to you as soon as I can!