JBL Charge 4

amazon JBL Charge 4 reviews

The JBL Charge 4 is a great choice for those who want a waterproof, powerful-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in a moderately sized chassis.

JBL knows how to deliver when it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers. The previous version of the Charge was successful, and the JBL Charge 4 ($179.95) won’t be scrapped. With a waterproof design, the speaker sounds big for its size and is small enough to fit into a loudspeaker. The bass depth here is also impressive, mainly thanks to the dual passive radiators that add richness and power. The only two factors are the lack of speakerphone functionality and the speaker being mono (which is forgivable, though, as size would prevent true stereo separation anyway).

Design

The 3.7 x 8.6 x 3.7-inch (HWD) cylindrical Charge 4 is available in a multitude of colors — 10 in all, including mustard yellow and teal, as well as the more standard black or red models. The speaker has an IPX7 rating, which means it has an unknown level of protection against dust ingress and is completely waterproof. The Charge 4 can be submerged up to 1 meter deep for about 30 minutes, making it the ideal poolside companion or simply a rain- and water-resistant option.

The front of the speaker is mainly a fabric and metal grille. Underneath, the Charge 4 uses a racetrack-style driver, which measures 1.9 x 3.5 inches and offers mono audio. Side-firing passive radiators help create a sense of greater bass depth, and the system outputs 30 watts of sound and a frequency range of 60Hz to 20KHz. Some might make the mistake of deciding to switch to mono when there’s enough room for dual drivers here, but you won’t hear what separate dual drivers have to offer unless you push your head right away into the speaker grid. Using a single, higher-quality driver results in a better overall, albeit mono, audio experience.

At the top, there’s a panel home button for Power, Pairing, and Volume Up/Down, as well as a Play/Pause button that, when pressed twice, skips a track. Oddly enough, there is no reverse navigation function. There’s also a JBL Connect+ button to link up with many other compatible JBL wireless speakers — you can connect more than 100 speakers to play the same sound.

The Charge 4 does not have speakerphone functionality, so all calls will need to be made on your mobile device. Larger Bluetooth speakers usually don’t have phone functionality, but the Charge 4 is about the same size, which sounds like an omission.

JBL estimates the Charge 4’s battery life to be around 20 hours, but your results will vary with your volume level and combination of wired and wireless use.

where can you get a JBL Charge 4 online

JBL Charge 4 – Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Black: Buy it now

JBL Charge 4 Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Bundle with Portable Hard Case – Magenta: Buy it now

JBL Charge 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Blue) with Knox Gear Hard Travel Case Bundle (2 Items): Buy it now

Performance

On tracks with intense bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Charge 4 doesn’t disappoint, delivering a powerful deep bass response that’s crisp and clear, even in the lows maximum volume (and the speaker can be quite loud for its size). It looks like the Charge 4 is packing a bigger woofer than it is—maybe not a subwoofer, but certainly a capable low-frequency driver. The highs are slightly sculpted and enhanced to match and balance the lows, meaning that this isn’t ideal for those purists between sculpting, boosting, and mono delivery.

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with less deep bass in the mix, gives a better sense of Charge 4’s overall tonal character. The drums on this track add some depth. Charge 4 without emitting thunder. Callahan’s baritone also received rich mid-bass solidity, while higher register percussion hits and acoustic playing had enough mid-high presence to keep the sound balanced.

In Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives an ideal amount of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to remain small. Beat-splitting sub-bass synth hits are delivered with solid depth, though you won’t look around the room for a hidden subwoofer. The sustain of the drum hits gets more bass feedback than noticing the lower bass. It’s still a powerful sound, and vocals have the ideal clarity here — clean, no extra sound.

Orchestral tracks, such as the opening scene in John Adams’ Gospel According to the Other Marys, get some of the added low- and mid-frequency accents here, adding some depth to the music’s presence of a lower register device. However, the bright spot still belongs to the higher register; the strings and vocals are clear and bright. The added bass depth might not appeal to purists, but it helps to combine nicely and doesn’t overshadow the higher register elements.

Conclusion

The Charge 4 sounds great for a mono speaker at this price point. Its solid construction is waterproof and, for all its output, not too big. 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 bigger, the JBL Xtreme 2 is a real machine, but it does. It costs twice as much as Charge 4. However, for the size and price, the Charge 4 is a tremendous value.

Advantages

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and clear, crisp highs.

The sound is quite loud for its size.

Waterproof.

Disadvantage

No speakerphone function.

Mono audio output.