Editor’s note: This review was updated on October 15, 2021, include information about the Charge 5. 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 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.
If you’re having trouble connecting to your Charge 4 then it might be a good idea to just reset it and start from scratch. That will take a hit though if you decide to also charge your devices via the USB-A output on the back. 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.
JBL Charge 4 review
JBL has had a spring clean of its audio range – and that’s good news for those who really value sound quality. 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.
To satisfy the urge to press these, JBL has embossed an exclamation mark into the rubber surface.
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. It may make a good marketing video, but won’t be of much use unless you can get your hands on multiple JBL speakers.
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.
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 can’t deliver real sub-bass, but in the context of most songs it gets close enough to satisfy. 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
Editor’s note: This review was updated on October 15, 2021, include information about the Charge 5. 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 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.
If you’re having trouble connecting to your Charge 4 then it might be a good idea to just reset it and start from scratch. That will take a hit though if you decide to also charge your devices via the USB-A output on the back. 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.
JBL Charge 4 vs. Bose SoundLink Color II: One Of These Is Too Pricey
After testing them for a month, I’ve determined that JBL Charge 4 is better than Bose SoundLink Color II due to superior sound, battery life, and durability. Bose SoundLink Color II has good sound quality, but the volume is too low and the price too high. Read on to learn more about JBL Charge 4 vs Bose SoundLink Color II and how they compare in sound, design, durability, power, and software. JBL Charge 4 is vastly superior when it comes to sound quality and volume.
Plus, it has a deeper bass and brilliant sound that beats most other similarly priced speakers. While Bose SoundLink Color II sounds better than some other portable speakers, it doesn’t have enough bass for most people.
For reference, the SoundLink Color II at 85% is the same as Charge 4 at 40%, that’s a shame and it doesn’t warrant the high price tag. If you want a similar Bose speaker that’s more affordable and also more durable, then consider SoundLink Micro.
The Charge 4’s design is nothing special, but it’s far better than SoundLink Color II, which I found to be simply ugly. While the design isn’t the most attractive, it doesn’t look terrible like SoundLink Color II. This speaker comes in 10 colors: Black, Blue, Forest Green, Grey, pink, Red, Sand, Teal, and White. There are four colors: Aquatic Blue, Coral Red, Polar White, and Soft Black.
The multifunction button can play, pause, sound songs, or activate your phone’s smart assistant. Both speakers can take some hits, but I put more trust in Charge 4 as it has a better waterproof rating and feels more solid. While it isn’t listed as shockproof, it can take a few falls without lasting damage.
The IPX7 waterproof pushes Charge 4 into the lead here, making it the more durable speaker between these two.
Considering the very low volume of the SoundLink Color II, this battery lasts about three times as long. While the hours might seem similar, the fact that you can run JBL Charge 4 on lower volumes means that it offers longer playback times.
The Bluetooth seems more reliable than SoundLink Color II, and I got an extra five feet. Neither is perfect, but Charge 4 has awful software while SoundLink Color II is useful and straightforward.
Except for software, Bose SoundLink Color II fails in a lot of respects. JBL Charge 4 is the much better portable speaker here for its better sound quality and battery life.
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 $119.95 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 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
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: 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
The JBL Charge 4’s sound hits that minimal bar for entry where it’s melodious enough that you’re really not going to notice any shortcomings unless you’re really looking for them. Basically, unless you’re an audiophile that is willing to pay extra for the best possible portable music experience, the Charge 4 is quite likely to pass muster. The Charge 4’s bass is actually a bit weakened compared to previous iterations of the speaker, but in most cases that’s actually a good thing. That clarity doesn’t come through so much in heavier, more aggressive songs, where even the more nuanced bass can make things feel a bit muddled.
This, combined with rough edges on the ends of the speaker, make it somewhat unfriendly towards fitting in crowded bags or backpacks. This means it can handle full submersion in a meter of water for 30 minutes, and can easily shake off any spilled beverages you throw at it.
It was able to easily fill our large testing apartment with sound, even when we packed in over a dozen, sound-absorbing people. This new iteration of the speaker also offers a USB charging port, so you can use it’s battery to top off your phone if the need arises.
If you need a loud speaker that can last all night and won’t skip a beat if it gets spilled on or dropped in the dirt, thefits the bill.
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