JBL Charge 4 Review

The worlds best selling Bluetooth speaker just got a big upgrade. The all new JBL Charge 4 is now available! We’re excited. Why?

Because one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get from a price to performance ration was the JBL Charge 3, and JBL has made a bunch of improvements with the new model.

For $149 you get a ton of power, sound quality, features and portability. We got our hands on one already, lets review it!

The Sound

Let us begin with the most important feature, the sound. Pound for pound, the JBL Charge 4 is one of the best sounding speakers on the market.

Dual passive radiators deliver huge bass for such a small package. The overall sound tone favors mid-range though, so you get clear and crisp vocalizations as well.

There is no discernible distortion, even at top volume. And top volume gets it done, this sucker is LOUD. 30W of raw power are available to you. All it takes is one Charge 4 to get the party started.

This is a significant boost in output from the previous generation, which is nuts given its already impressive heritage, and at the same price!

The closest competitors to the JBL Charge 4 today would be the Bose Soundlink Mini ($199) and the UE Megaboom 3 ($199.) But on all levels the Charge 4 outperforms, and for $50 less then the competition.

The Look

There are some subtle and not-so-subtle changes to the cosmetics of the JBL Charge 4. They are minor in most cases but well done.

What remains from past designs is the same durable fabric-like covering which wraps around the outside to protect the speakers within.

What awaits: New button layout and slightly modified shape.

Lots of new colors too! We love colors. 10 in total will arrive over the course of the next few months.

Some of the new ones like Sand need to be seen in person to appreciate. The yellow color is just crazy out there, but someone will love it!

This new color pallet also brings the Charge 4 in-line with the other new JBL products like the Clip 3, Xtreme 2 and Go 2.

Charge 4 is slightly larger than its predecessor, but still portable enough to fit into a purse or backpack: it’s about 9″ long and 4″ around and weighs in at 2lbs.

The Features

Charge 4 was designed to be with you out-and-about in the world, and take all that it can dish out. It’s ruggedized and IPX7 waterproof, so it can be submerged underwater for several hours.

You can beat the heck out of them too and they still look great. Drop one down a flight of stairs and unless you catch a weird angle or something your Charge 4 will be fine.

A great new addition is the upgrade to the Connect + feature, which finally allows the Charge 4 to sync with 100+ JBL Boomboxes, Flip 4’s, Pulse 3, and Xtreme 2.

Another big change is the addition of USB C input for charging, as opposed to micro USB with Charge 3.

As the name implies, the Charge 4 still has the ability to power up your gadgets via USB, thanks to the extra large battery it hides inside it.

That large battery also enables the Charge to play for over 20 hours on a single power-up. In our testing we’ve had one run for 30 hours at 60% output. Very efficient.

Oh and in case this is a thing for you: If you are looking for voice control, you won’t get that with Charge 4. Look to the JBL Link series instead. You won’t nearly get the same audio performance but hey, you can have a conversation with it.

Update 12/27/2018

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Charge 4

Now that we’ve had a few weeks more to test them both out, here are our impressions on how the JBL Charge 4 stacks up against the older JBL Charge 3.

First is volume: The Charge 4 is louder than the Charge 3. Not by much, it is only really noticeable if you do a side-by-side comparison.

Second is the sound: The Charge 4 favors vocals more than the Charge 3. They pop more and are more separated from the music.

There is some debate out there about the Charge 4 moving to a mono speaker setup from the stereo setup in the Charge 3. The difference is a trivial argument. You can’t hear stereo separation in a speaker that is only a few inches apart.

Overall both have very good sound,  a little different from one another but not noticeable unless you are doing a serious side-by-side geek-out.

Third is price: The Charge 3 wins this one. It will continue to be available in the market, but at a lower price of $99. Given that the speakers are similar enough in sound and performance, this would make a very compelling case for choosing a Charge 3 over the 4.

That is unless you need the Connect Plus feature because you have a Flip 4, Xtreme 2, Pulse 3 or Boombox you want to pair with!

Charge 4 Specs:

• Bluetooth® version: 4.2
• Transducer: 50 x 90mm
• Rated power: 30W RMS
• Frequency response: 60Hz–20kHz
• Signal-to-noise ratio: >80dB
• Battery type: Lithium-ion Polymer 27Wh (Equivalent to 3.6V 7800mAh)
• Battery charge time: 4 hours (5V/2.3A)
• Music playtime: up to 20 hours (varies by volume level and audio content)
• USB charge out: 5V/2A (maximum)
• Dimension (W × D × H): 8.6″ x 3.7″ x 3.6″ (220 x 95 x 93mm)
• Weight: 2lbs (965g)

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Where to get them:

Charge 4

Charge 4 from $149 from JBL.com

Charge 4 from $149 from Amazon with Prime Shipping

Charge 4 from $149 from Best Buy

Charge 3

Charge 3 from $99 from JBL.com

Charge 3 from $99 from Amazon with Prime Shipping

Charge 3 form $99 from Best Buy

Conclusions

Last year the JBL Charge 3 was the number one selling Bluetooth portable speaker in the world. With the improvements they have made to the Charge 4, it’s going to be hard to see how they don’t keep that spot this year.

The reason is simple: for the price you just cant find another speaker out there that sounds (and looks) this good and that is still this portable enough to take out with you.

Two thumbs up for the JBL Charge 4!