JBL has taken over the lead in the quickly expanding “party box” style of large portable (or semi-portable) PA style speakers with their Partybox range, which currently consists of the Encore Essential, Partybox On The Go, and the 110, 310, 710 & 1000 models.
Although all pretty cool in their own rights – the big dogs of the bunch are the 710 and the 1000, and if you are serious about sound, then one of these two models is the right one for you.
Neither the 710 nor the 1000 have batteries, so neither can be considered true “portable” speakers however both have wheels and handles, and can be fairly easily moved from one place to the next.
You’re just not jamming out on the beach per se, without a generator.
For that, you’ll want the models with batteries so check out the Partybox 110 or Partybox 310.
But back to the question at hand: if you are looking for the biggest and baddest speakers on the market and you have narrowed to down to the Partybox 710 or the Partybox 1000 which one do you get?
We’ve spent a lot of time with both and we have a clear winner, but if your needs are different then ours, then read on and decide for yourself.
The JBL Partybox 1000 Is a Beast
When it comes to being the king, the Partybox 1000 takes the crown. It is a massive speaker system weighing in at 76.5 lbs (34.7 kg) and it stands at over 43″ inches tall (105 cm).
And it needs all that space to house the speakers: 1 x compression tweeter, 2 x 7″ Mid-Range speakers, and a huge 1 x 12″ down firing subwoofer.
That all adds up to 1100 watts of face melting power – that stays clean and distortion free, even at max volume. (That can’t be said for other brands I’ve tried.)
That woofer is killer. It just whomps the whole room. You’ll shake pictures off the walls and might crack a few windows if you aren’t careful with it.
There’s also a whole bunch of fun stuff on the speaker like the trigger pad (I’m not a DJ, I can conceptualize how to use this thing, but in practice I have no idea if it’s relevant or not) and the light show on the front is just bonkers.
Where to Get One
Head over to Amazon to grab one and get free shipping
JBL Partybox 1000 $1,299.95
JBL Partybox 710 $799.95
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
But Here Comes the Partybox 710
The Partybox 1000 was one of the first Partyboxes JBL came out with, and it’s still on its first generation.
The Partybox 710 is a 2nd gen JBL Partybox speaker, like the 110 and 310, and you can see the differences.
The 710 is not as large as its big brother, its 61 lbs (27.8 kg) and 35.6″ (90.5 cm) tall.
It has 800 watts of power which it delivers via 2 x 216 mm (8″) woofers and 2 x 70 mm(2.75″) tweeters. No subwoofer on the 710.
The controls on the top are simplified, no trigger pad like the 1000 has.
Then there is the light show – and even though the 710 isn’t a full panel light show, I like it better than the 1000’s. It has more strobe functions, including colored strobes, and feels like it projects more of a club vibe than that of the 1000.
I like the 710 light show better for that reason. Its a personal preference, but it just feels more about making the party cool, then making the speaker look cool.
It doesn’t have quite the same punch as the 1000 to be sure – but the difference is not massive outdoors. The sub on the 1000 gets a little lost outside, but still, the 1000 is providing you with more punch than the 710.
Pricing Differential
The Partybox 1000 retails for $1,300. The Partybox 710 is $800.
Thats a pretty big gap, a $500 difference. Is the subwoofer, extra watts and trigger pad worth the $500? Up to you, but to my mind the 710 is the winner when you compare price to performance.
Heck for $1,600 you can buy two 710’s and link them wirelessly. If you are looking for the ultimate performance, that’s the way to go in my opinion.
Where to Get One
Head over to Amazon to grab one and get free shipping
JBL Partybox 1000 $1,299.95
JBL Partybox 710 $799.95
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.