Sweet Sound Meets Power JBL Xtreme
I spend a ton of time on the seashore withinside the summer. And even as at the start look my great, thatched Billabong hat, reflected sunnies, and outsized Yeti can also additionally scream seashore bum, make no mistake: I am tough at work. You see, there is not a Best Buy on Earth which could compete with the choice of Bluetooth audio system observed on a sweltering, crowded seashore. A stem alongside the coastline is an infinite mashup of sounds, from membership bangers to traditional rock anthems and oh a lot Tay. And as I stem, there may be one speaker emblem that catches my eye extra than any different: JBL.
The American audio maker has constructed a popularity for its nicely-designed and top class-priced audio system that continuously sound higher than maximum. Its transportable Flip and Charge audio system are mainstays on our quality Bluetooth speaker lists, and the mid-sized Xtreme three speaker it launched in 2021 become broadly praised, making it a difficult act to follow.
At CES in January this 12 months JBL introduced that it’d eventually be updating the famous speaker, in conjunction with the brand new Clip five and Go four mini audio system, and that point has come. The JBL Xtreme four released nowadays withinside the U.S. and, happily, JBL has left it nicely sufficient alone … for the maximum part — it is nevertheless effective for its length at a hundred watts, nevertheless sounds candy and bold, and nevertheless makes correct on its “Xtreme” moniker with its IP67 ruggedness rating.
But JBL has additionally visible suit to make a few upgrades wherein it counts, which include the addition of Auracast Bluetooth connectivity, a few AI-powered sound optimization tech, and, maximum impressively, an upgraded (and replaceable!) battery that boasts a predecessor-sizzling 30 hours of playtime.
The JBL Xtreme four will be the quality Bluetooth speaker of the 12 months for its class, however is it really well worth its 380 price? It’s a difficult job, I realize, however I logged plenty of seashore time to discover out.
Out of the field and setup
I’ve been reviewing plenty of Bluetooth audio system lately, and one factor that has set the JBL Xtreme four aside from the others is simply how tons extra top class it feels. JBL in reality has nailed this over the years, and I become reminded of that as quickly as I pulled it out of the field.
The speaker comes securely wrapped in a felt-like bag and is packed in recyclable cardboard that capabilities fold-up handles that make it clean to slip out. It’s additionally best to peer that JBL has covered a stable energy-brick-to-USB-C powering cable and now no longer only a solo cable … or no cable at all.
The Xtreme four additionally comes with a exceptional nylon strap that clips to the speaker via way of means of manner of steel carabiners, and it additionally capabilities the considered necessary bottle-opener buckle. Do you want a bottle opener to your speaker strap? Some might argue, no. I am now no longer one in all them. It is a pleasant touch.
A quick-begin manual withinside the field offers you the entirety you want to realize approximately the Xtreme four, which include a way to pair it together along with your telecellsmartphone or different devices, that’s lifeless simple. I did not even want to place the speaker into pairing mode — I simply opened my telecellsmartphone’s Bluetooth options and it observed it and matched it. Re-pairing is straightahead sufficient as nicely via way of means of preserving down the devoted Bluetooth catch at the speaker.
The quick-begin manual additionally has a useful QR code that you could test for downloading the nicely-designed JBL Portable app, which I already had mounted on my tool from different JBL audio system I own.
Design
Not to belabor the factor here, however JBL makes excellent Bluetooth audio system, and the Xtreme four isn’t anyt any exception. JBL says that the speaker is made with recycled material and plastic, the previous of that’s a tightly weaved mesh that wraps nearly totally round it, similar to the preceding generations of this speaker. It’s to be had in blue, black, and camo.
I wasn’t positive how nicely the material protecting become going to preserve up at the seashore, and even as I did not roll the factor round withinside the sand, there had been without a doubt a few grains caught withinside the mesh after. Luckily, though, the Xtreme four has an extraordinary IP67 dirt and water resistant rating (it may be submerged in a meter of water for as much as 30 minutes), so spraying the sand out withinside the sink after become a cinch.
The Xtreme four is set the dimensions of a rugby ball at 11.7 inches lengthy via way of means of five.nine inches tall via way of means of five.five inches deep. And it is now no longer heavy however feels sizable and strong for its length at simply four.6 weight. Hanging from my shoulder at some stage in the slogs to and from the seashore, or anywhere else I trekked with it, did not trouble me withinside the least.
On the returned of the speaker, matters get minimalist. Embedded withinside the material protecting, all there may be is a cylindrical plastic tag with the Xtreme four version call on it and the USB-C port. That’s it. The USB-C port, of course, may be used for powering and as a energy financial institution for powering different devices, which my daughter and her buddies made use of numerous times.