The compact JBL GO speaker is a portable wireless accessory that allows true music lovers not to part with their favorite music.
Equipment
Both the functionality and equipment of the portable JBL GO speaker are straightforward. The packaging in which the column is implemented is made of transparent plastic. Inside is a bright orange microUSB cable and accompanying documentation for the accessory.
Many users in their reviews of JBL GO wireless speakers noted that an additional advantage of the device would be the addition of a lace to the kit to attach the gadget to jeans or a backpack. The column is notable for its small size and portability, and therefore such an innovation would be very useful.
Design
JBL uses colors aimed at youth audiences in its latest product line. All colors are bright, saturated, stylish and a little toy. This fate did not pass the JBL GO column - on sale you can find an accessory in black, gray, blue, yellow, red, pink, orange and turquoise. Unfortunately, there is no classic white color in a series of acoustic gadgets, but you can live without it.
Owners of the device in the reviews on the JBL GO column note soft keystrokes and their excellent response. The gadget control buttons are located on the top panel of the case and are flush with it. When pressed, they bend a little, which, judging by the reviews on JBL GO, is very pleasant to feel under the fingers.
On the right panel there is a 3.5 mm audio input, a microphone hole and a microUSB connector for charging a speaker. A drawback of many music lovers in their reviews of the JBL GO column was the lack of a cable with a mini-jack at both ends, designed to connect a speaker to a sound source. As a result, you have to buy it, which is not good.
On the left side of the case is a sufficiently large loop designed to secure the cord, which facilitates the transportation of the column. The shape of the column is rectangular, the corners are not smoothed out.
A non-standard approach to the appearance of the gadget during the period of popularity of rounded corners appealed to consumers: reviews on portable speakers JBL GO emphasize the organic design of such a trendy design. In the palm of your hand, the column is more like a small Soft-Touch brick, the surface of which is very pleasantly felt under the fingers. The case is made of high-quality materials, not processed metal or glossy plastic, which can often be found in Chinese counterparts.
High-quality, strict and stylish performance of the column is brightened up by the ease and frivolity of coloring.
On the bottom side of the case, technical information about the device is pushed back. It does not have a special effect on the general appearance, therefore, you can not pay any attention to it.
The speaker, located on the front side of the speaker, is covered with a metal mesh, which many music lovers, judging by the reviews on JBL GO, have found a very interesting solution.
Device connection
You can connect the speaker using a standard 3.5 mm cable or via a Bluetooth channel. It makes no sense to save battery power by connecting the gadget through a wire: the operating time is practically the same. The data transfer version 4.1 says in advance that the power consumption of the acoustic device is very low.
To a new sound source - a smartphone, tablet, computer, laptop - a portable speaker is connected very quickly and easily. You don’t need to torment and rush around the device with a tambourine: on both devices the visibility mode is turned on, and after 10-15 seconds the connection is established. The reviews on the JBL GO portable speaker say that to turn on the visibility mode, just press the Bluetooth button on the case once.
Communication breaks or errors during the operation of the device were not recorded. The maximum distance at which you can remove the sound source is not more than 5 meters. There should be no obstacles in the way of the signal in the form of walls or other wireless connections - in which case the sound quality and communication will be ideal.
Periodically turning the speaker on and off indicates a low charge on the built-in battery. The discharge of the battery is also accompanied by a flashing red LED located on the front side of the case under the metal mesh of the speaker. When playing music, the LED is solid blue.
Handsfree
The portable speaker can be used as a Handsfree device. The main and only speaker reproduces the speech of the subscriber, the voice of the owner of the gadget is fixed with a built-in microphone with noise reduction. The voice is perfectly picked up by the microphone at a distance of 30 centimeters. You can communicate at a greater distance from the speaker, but the speaker’s voice will sound louder and quieter.
You can connect a speaker to only one sound source. Unfortunately, the gadget cannot work with two or more devices at the same time.
Sound quality
The power of the sound stream issued by a speaker with a diameter of 40 mm is 3 watts. It is quite enough to notify the whole street of their own musical preferences, as indicated in the reviews on JBL GO. Playable music will also be perfectly audible in a room ranging from 120 to 150 square meters.
A huge advantage is the absence of whistles, wheezing and other interference at maximum volume, which usually accompanies the voltage of the converter.
Music lovers in their reviews on JBL GO say that the column is perfect for playing simple and medium in complexity musical genres and styles.
Unfortunately, you should not listen to dubstep, metal or hard rock in such a gadget: portable devices are not capable of reproducing such genres.
When installing the speaker on resonating surfaces, you can hear low frequencies. Of course, you should not expect normal bass from acoustics, but you can get something like that from JBL GO.
Offline work
The manufacturer claims that the speaker is capable of working for 5 hours of continuous music playback. The device is charged for 1.5 hours.
According to reviews on JBL GO, it can be judged that the maximum runtime of the speaker when connected to the sound source via the Bluetooth channel at the maximum volume level is 2 hours 38 minutes. After this time, disconnections and disconnection of the gadget begin. After that, the speaker can play music through the cable, but the quality suffers greatly, and the audio playback time is very short.
The speaker is fully charged within 1 hour 39 minutes. The column is connected to a stationary computer or laptop using a USB cable. Charging time is significantly increased in the case of recharging the column through the AC adapter.
The battery life declared by the manufacturer is confirmed only if the music is played at medium volume.
The cost of the new JBL GO column is 1990 rubles. The cost is slightly higher than the average price of such portable gadgets, however, it is worth paying for its bright design, recognizable brand, functionality and good characteristics. Sound quality is maintained at the height, not inferior to many expensive analogues of acoustic devices from world famous brands, and significantly bypasses cheaper Chinese speaker models.
Waterproof speaker JBL Charge
The JBL Charge column is one of the budget models of the manufacturer, which has become a kind of bridge between Micro, Clip and JBL GO Black. Reviews on the columns of these models confirm their similarity in functionality.
For the average buyer and music lover, the Charge model will be the most attractive among the entire line of portable JBL speakers. Other series have the very dubious advantages noted in the reviews on JBL GO Teal - carbines or LEDs, while the Charge is more practical and has a voluminous battery that can be used to charge any other portable devices. The company JBL recently introduced a new, fourth model in the line of speakers - Charge 3.
Specifications
- Support for A2DP 1.3, HFP 1.6, HSP 1.2 and AVRCP 1.5 with the ability to connect up to three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth.
- Wired connection via cable with mini-jack connector.
- Operation mode in the form of a wireless headset.
- Two speakers with a diameter of 50 mm wide range and two passive emitters.
- Power speakers - 10 watts.
- The range of reproduced frequencies is from 65 Hz to 20 kHz.
- The noise / signal ratio is more than 80 dB.
- IPX7 waterproof protection - the gadget can be under water for half an hour at a depth of one meter.
- Built-in battery, from which you can charge any other external devices via USB-connector.
- Relatively light weight - 800 grams.
- Dimensions - 213x87x88.5 mm.
Equipment
In the box at Gharge 3, everything is standard and recalls JBL GO Black reviews: a bright orange shade power supply coupled with interchangeable plugs and a microUSB cable. This case is not required, thanks to IPx7 protection technology.
Design
Early Charge models looked very much like beer cans. The design of the new Charge 3 is in many ways similar to the JBL Xtreme.
Users in their reviews of JBL GO Black jblgoblk wireless speakers note that all of the company's products are produced in bright and rich colors - black, red, gray, blue and turquoise.
The JBL logo is located in the center of the Charge column, a little lower - a five-position indicator of the charge level, very convenient and bright. The charge level is easily determined, even if you look at the gadget from above - the indicator glow is reflected in the surface of the table.
The control keys are located symmetrically on the top panel. From the right to the left are the keys for pausing the composition, increasing the volume, connecting via JBL Connect, turning on the device, decreasing the volume and connecting via Bluetooth.
All column connectors are firmly closed with a massive rubber plug. With careful use, the likelihood that it will begin to leak is unlikely.
As in the previous speaker model, the connectors are standard - microUSB, 3.5 mm audio output, USB port for charging other gadgets. The output amps in the Charge columns are very high, for which we can say thanks to the manufacturer.
Passive radiators are located in recesses at the ends of the column. They do not pass water, like other elements.
The texture of the base of the gadget is embossed, the lower surface of a small area itself. You can not worry about the stability of the column - due to its weight it holds firmly in one place.
In Charge 3, not only the charge indicator, but also the power button is highlighted: when synchronizing via Bluetooth, the blue LED is lit, in the on state - the standard white. When JBL Connect is running, the corresponding key is lit.
The manufacturer did his best by creating an acoustic device with a unique and unusual design. The Charge 3 case is symmetrical, made of high-quality material with an original textile coating without unnecessary additions in the form of touch buttons. Some other columns of the manufacturer outwardly strongly resemble this model.
Sound quality
The sound has become more balanced compared to the previous model, which is especially noticeable when listening to vocals in musical compositions: in many speaker models it comes out on top, while in Charge 3 it harmoniously merges with the ensemble. The open sound, characteristic of this series, has remained unchanged - the main speakers look strictly ahead, respectively, you do not need to trick with their installation.
Charge 3 speakers can work with three different connection schemes. An acoustic device can be connected to the output of the computer's audio card via a cable for playing music, via Bluetooth connection to any gadget, transferring high-quality tracks to it through any streaming service.
You shouldn’t refuse to use portable systems: the sound quality changes dramatically depending on the specific type of connection. The dynamics and sound of individual instruments almost disappear and overlap with vocals when connected via Bluetooth. The sound of better quality tracks is greatly improved.
JBL Connect mode implemented in Charge 3 allows you to synchronize several speakers of the same manufacturer at the same time. All devices can be connected using the JBL Connect app. Also, a portable speaker can be used as a wireless headset: this mode is very easy to turn on and, of course, very convenient when traveling or jogging.
Offline work
When you connect a portable Charge speaker via a Bluetooth connection, the device turned off 40 minutes before the time specified by the manufacturer, trying to save the last remaining battery charge. However, the column may work after being turned on again for a few more minutes.
If you compare Charge 3 with a previous version of the same model, you can note an increase in the charging time of the device and a decrease in battery life. When the battery is low, the gadget has stopped notifying the owner with sound signals, interrupting the playback of musical compositions - now only the charge indicator that is lit in red notifies you of the battery discharge.
The Charge series, like the GO, is constantly being improved by JBL. The manufacturer's priority remains speaker design and sound quality. A distinctive feature of Charge portable acoustic devices is a high class of protection against moisture. As a result, JBL created a universal portable device that can be used at any time of the year without fear of failure.