If you've been thinking about buying one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers out there for a while now and simply couldn't settle on the right device to fit your personal needs and budget, you might want to wait a little longer for JBL's latest models to go on sale.
It's no secret that the Harman-owned company sells a lot of amazing audio products at a wide range of price points right now, and in just a few months, there will be even more great JBL-branded speakers on the market starting as low as $49.95 and going all the way up to $599.95.
The good, the cheap, and the extreme
Although we're obviously not here to play favorites and make the tough decisions in your stead, it's clearly hard to find a better speaker in terms of portability and overall bang for your buck than the $79.95 JBL Clip 4. You should therefore easily understand our immense excitement at the impending arrival of an improved new Clip 5 edition with, you guessed it, the same old price tag.
JBL Clip 5
Compared to its forerunner, this budget-friendly but not dirt-cheap model will be even easier to clip on to your backpack or other travel bags with a redesigned carabiner featuring a bigger and more accessible opening than ever before. Perhaps more impressively, the JBL Clip 5 boasts up to 12 hours of battery life, compared to a maximum of 10 for the Clip 4, while also promising "more streamlined" sound and "consistent bass" at every volume.
Of course, this thing is still nowhere near as impressive as the JBL Xtreme 4 in terms of either endurance time between charges or audio performance. Naturally following in the footsteps of the $379.95 Xtreme 3, that high-end new product is set to retain its predecessor's recommended price while incredibly upping the battery life ante from no more than 15 hours to a mind-blowing 24 hours.
JBL Xtreme 4
Even better, the Xtreme 4 is the first member of its family to pack a user-replaceable battery for "enhanced serviceability", and because this is 2024, something called AI Sound Boost enters the capabilities mix to "optimize the acoustic output level" and thus deliver more powerful audio with the help of artificial intelligence... somehow.
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But not everyone can afford to spend nearly 400 bucks (or even $80) on a "dumb" old portable speaker, which is obviously where the JBL Go 4 comes in. This is exactly as cheap as the hugely popular Go 3, at $49.95, and exactly like the Xtreme 4 and Clip 5, it supports Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio functionality, as well as multi-speaker connection via Auracast.
JBL Go 4
Those are pretty great, modern features for that price point, and what's even greater is that the Go 4 manages to add two whole hours to the Go 3's admittedly modest 5-hour battery life rating without radically changing its universally beloved design. What's not so great is that you need to wait until June to get a chance to order the JBL Go 4, Clip 5, and Xtreme 4, unlike...
Two new PartyBoxes with easy-to-swap batteries
That's right, the JBL PartyBox Club 120 and PartyBox Stage 320 are also basking in the CES 2024 spotlight in Vegas ahead of a slightly closers April 2024 commercial rollout, bringing the aptly named JBL PartyBox Wireless Mic with them for the ride.
JBL PartyBox Club 120
The 120 is of course smaller, less powerful, and just generally less bonkers than the 320, although it's still set to cost a pretty steep $399.95 with a nice built-in foldable handle, two handy mic inputs and one guitar input, IPX4 splash resistance, up to 12 hours of battery life, and the same aforementioned AI Sound Boost magic as the Xtreme 4.
The top-of-the-line JBL PartyBox Stage 320, meanwhile, packs two high-sensitivity woofers and dual tweeters into a decidedly-not-small body, requiring a telescopic handle and "sturdy" wheels to go from one stage to another while promising to keep the party going for as much as 18 hours in one go.
JBL PartyBox Stage 320
If that's not enough for whatever music marathon you got on your schedule for next summer, you'll be delighted to know that both of these new additions to the JBL PartyBox family come with (presumably huge) batteries you can easily replace in times of need.
Last but not necessarily least, the $149.95 JBL PartyBox Wireless Mic is naturally compatible with all PartyBox speakers, promising seamless "plug-and-play" connectivity, as well as "clear voice and crisp sound" for up to 20 hours between charges.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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