While that obviously isn’t a huge deal, it’s not good news if you were relying on the portability of the speaker. Yes, the tough waterproof fabric makes a comeback along with the IPX7 certification that lets you submerge it for up to 30 minutes in a meter of water. It also floats for a bit if you do drop it in the water so you don’t have to worry about losing it if it falls off of a boat or a deck. These also have the characteristic exposed dual passive radiators on either end just like most of the new JBL speakers over the last few years. Editor’s note: Sara tested a JBL Flip 4’s IPX7 rating by submerging it in a pool for about 10 seconds, and it came out broken. The bottom is a small built-in stand with five tiny LED lights that let you know how much battery life is left when you tap the power button, and around back is a rubber flap that keeps all of the ports protected from water.
The Charge 4 has all of your bases covered with a strong connection up to around 30 feet just like most Bluetooth speakers. The Charge 4 also doesn’t have a built-in microphone so if you tend to use your speaker for phone calls you might be annoyed. Unfortunately, if you bought an older speaker with the regular JBL Connect (like the Charge 3), it isn’t compatible with this new plus version. So if you and a few friends are going to splurge on 100 of these and throw a “Project X” style party, this could be a feature that you might be interested in. This was the part where I was most surprised because I was expecting the sound quality to be an improvement over the Charge 3, but it seems to be extremely similar to my ears. JBL went with a single driver over dual-drivers this time around, but besides a few minor complaints, I don’t think many people who buy this speaker are going to notice.
Just like the previous model, the new JBL Charge 4 has a strong low end for its size which is no doubt helped by those passive radiators. Bass notes throughout the song Tearing at the Seams by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were distinct and easy to follow along with, but the speaker suffers from the same lack of clarity in the mids that the last model did. This was especially true in the song Lost on You by LP, where the vocals sounded like they were in competition with the strings and background melodies throughout the chorus. Otherwise, you’re better off springing for the JBL Charge 5, with its newer tech, better battery life, and better IP67 rating.
JBL Charge 4 review
It cleaned up the sound of its big Bluetooth speaker with the excellent JBL Xtreme 2, and has now done the same for the Charge range. Whereas Ultimate Ears has simplified its designs, JBL has kept the Charge 4’s chunky passive radiator at each end.
These aren’t fragile speaker cones, but much tougher resonating structures that can withstand a bit of rough treatment from the hands of unruly kids or clumsy adults. There’s a chunky rubber foot on the bottom and the front and back are covered with a rugged, water-resistant fabric.
As long as the chunky connection port cover on the back is sealed, water resistance doesn’t get much better. There’s no wi-fi, no native support for digital smart assistants or proper multi-room functionality.
That means a greater focus on coherence, separation, and giving the midrange more room to breathe. It isn’t necessarily better, but does show JBL has put much more thought and effort into this update than you might assume from its exterior.
There’s an unusual consistency of substance and texture throughout the mids and treble, and better than average clarity to the midrange. That’s an excellent characteristic to help render vocals lines realistically, and project them properly in the mix. The JBL Charge 4 can deliver punchy dance and pop synth beats with convincing punch, but like every speaker this size, there is a limit to its bass floor. The JBL Charge 4’s single forward-facing active driver also makes sure there’s a definite, if acceptably wide, listening sweet spot.
JBL Charge 4 review
The JBL Charge 4 only offers minor updates to the previous generation but it remains an excellent value in wireless speakers. The JBL Charge 4 only offers minor updates to the previous generation but it remains an excellent value in wireless speakers.
The Charge 4 can pump out gobs of bass that doesn’t overwhelm, lasts forever, and can top up your phone in pinch. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” goes the old adage and that’s exactly the philosophy JBL took when updating its already-excellent Charge 3 speaker.
The design is basically identical, as are its specs, but the improvements are subtle and not noticeable until you begin listening to the speaker and realize that the sound quality has been refined. The JBL Charge 4 offers much better tonal balance while still being able to dish out some serious bass that doesn’t overwhelm other parts of the frequency spectrum.
For the money, you get a speaker that sound great, is tough as nails, acts as a charger for your phone, and lasts all day. Around the back you’ll find a large silicone door that protects the 3.5mm aux, USB-C, and USB-A ports.
For arond $150 (£160, AU$200), you get a speaker that lasts all day, sounds great, can put up with all kinds of abuse, and tops your phone up in a pinch.
JBL Charge 4 Review
In fact, the Charge 4 can be submerged up to 1 meter for about 30 minutes, making it an ideal poolside companion, or simply a great splash-proof, rainproof option. The side-firing passive radiators help push out a greater sense of bass depth, and the system outputs 30 watts of audio and a frequency range of 60Hz to 20KHz. JBL estimates the Charge 4’s battery life to be about 20 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels and your mix of wired and wireless usage. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Charge 4 doesn’t disappoint, delivering powerful deep bass response cleanly and clearly, even at top volumes (and the speaker can get quite loud for its size).
Callahan’s baritone vocals also receive a solid low-mid richness, while the higher register percussive hits and acoustic strumming get enough high-mid presence to keep the sound balanced. On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives the ideal amount of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its punchiness. There are other solid options in this price range—the EcoXGear EcoSlate, the Bose SoundLink Color II, and the Sony SRS-XB3 are all winners, and if you want to go bigger, the JBL Xtreme 2 is a true powerhouse, but it costs twice as much as the Charge 4. JBL Charge 4 4.0 Editors’ Choice See It $124.95 at Amazon MSRP $179.95 Pros Powerful audio performance with rich bass and crisp, clear highs.
The Bottom Line The JBL Charge 4 is an excellent option for those who want a waterproof, powerful-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in a moderately sized frame.
JBL Charge 4 review: The best value Bluetooth speaker?
At the time of writing, the dusty pink model was available on the JBL UK website for £114, with the river teal and desert sand versions priced at £115. The other colour variants – grey stone, midnight black, steel white and ocean blue, mustard yellow, forest green, fiesta red and two camo options – were all listed at their retail price of £160. There’s no strap or handle like you’ll find on some of JBL’s larger offerings but it’s not needed, the Charge 4 can be picked up and carried in one hand easily enough or simply slung in a bag.
When multiple Connect+ speakers are hooked up to the same audio source via Bluetooth, you can simply press their Connect+ buttons to enjoy a stereo or multi-speaker setup.
With JBL now exclusively making speakers running Party Boost, you won’t be able to pair the Charge 4 with the company’s recent releases or the Go 3, Xtreme 3 and Clip 4, all of which were announced at a virtual IFA event in early September. If you already have the Charge 3, the improved audio on offer probably doesn’t justify forking out for the fourth-generation model, especially as you’ll be missing out on voice assistant and speakerphone support. Those wanting something a little less rough and ready should check out the B&0 A1 2nd Gen: a super stylish speaker that delivers exceptional audio in a dust- and waterproof package. And those after an illuminating audio experience will want to check out the LG XBOOM Go PL7, a party-ready speaker featuring customisable lighting effects and an IPX5 rating. For a comprehensive roundup of our favourite alternatives, head over to the best Bluetooth speakers page, which includes a buying guide breaking down everything you need to know before making a purchase.
JBL Charge 4 review: Portable yet powerful
(Pocket-lint) – JBL is one of the strongest contenders in the portable Bluetooth speaker market, with its Charge range asking questions of well established rivals such as the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. We don’t know, maybe it’s the weird translucent rubberised edging, maybe it’s the camo green paint work of our review sample and the distracting orange badge that’s front an centre. Which you might think shows the intent of this speaker’s use – in an outdoors setting – but its molded foot actually sees it sit best on a table really. These are easy to use, emit clear sounds when searching for a device and we’ve found the Bluetooth signal to be strong throughout use.
There’s a USB so you can plug in a device, such as your phone, to draw the power from the speaker – which is one of the features version 4 adds over its predecessor. Despite its cylindrical shape, the JBL Charge 4 doesn’t output sound equally through 360 degrees like some of its competition.
For a speaker as small as this it hits all the right notes, low to high, creating a soundstage that demands attention. The bass is massaged by those twin passive radiators – one at each end of the tube – that you’ll see vibrating gleefully when the low-end is in effect.
But it is very portable, rugged, waterproof, has epic battery life, and sound that’ll blow your socks off – especially considering its small scale.
JBL Charge 4 review: A great speaker, unless you already have a Charge 3
The JBL Charge 4 speaker is slightly larger than the previous version, and a little heavier too. If you are looking for an alternative device, check out our list of the The JBL Charge 4 is now unavailable to buy from most retailers.
JBL Charge 4 review comes from the audio experts at our sister site SoundGuys. On either end of the speaker the Charge 4 is still rocking dual exposed passive radiators.
It isn’t a huge difference, but if you plan on making this the speaker you toss in your backpack when you go camping then every ounce counts. Under the waterproof flap around the back, you’ll get the previously mentioned USB output as well as a headphone jack if you want to hardwire in a device, and a USB-C port for charging. In our testing, the Charge 4 got less than that: 13 hours and 46 minutes of constant playback, which is still pretty solid. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering the Charge 3 was one of the better sounding Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested.
Bass notes throughout the song Tearing at the Seams by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were distinct and easy to follow along with, but the speaker suffers from the same lack of clarity in the mids that the last model did. This was especially true in the song Lost on You by LP, where the vocals sounded like they were in competition with the strings and background melodies throughout the chorus. The only real differences that will matter to most people is the JBL Connect+ feature and the USB-C charging. Don’t expect much of an improvement over the Charge 3, since you’ll get similar sound quality, the same IPX7 build, and the same battery life.
Its svelte cylindrical shape is easy to pop into a bag, and it shares the same IPX7 rating as its big brother the Charge 4.
Be First to Comment