I haven't written about this before because I wanted to use it for some time before I formed a real opinion. A few months ago I stumbled on a killer deal on Amazon for a Blue & White JBL Charge portable bluetooth speaker.
Here's the JBL site for it:
http://www.jbl.com/estore/jbl/us/produc ... atchtype=e
And here's a photo of the model I got:
Review:
I've been carrying the JBL Charge in my suitcase on about 10 business trips and one vacation trip and I can say I absolutely love this thing. Not only does it sound very decent (much better than its size would suggest), but the addition of a high capacity 6000mAh battery for powering my phone while listening or just recharging it when I need to is a huge benefit.
When I was in Singapore and there was virtually nothing to watch on TV in my motel room, I would turn on the speaker and listen to my extensive music collection from my phone while I worked, got ready in the morning, or relaxed with a drink looking out me window at the gorgeous Singaporean skyline. It was great! Likewise, on domestic trips when I get up in the morning I can listen to my local Austin radio station(s) while showering and getting ready for the day, which gives me a sense of home despite being thousands of miles away. I love it.
At home I've used it as well in the garage, porch, and yard. I find it easier than moving things around to hear music and since I prefer my music collection over a radio, I get exactly what I want.
The huge battery ensures more playing time than I really need, and when I am listening I often plug in my phone so it doesn't drain the battery. I just have to remember charge the speaker after I use it, which isn't hard since I also have to charge my phones, tablet, expansion batteries, and such already. In my hotel room I have five outputs on my USB charger and I use every one every night. So, the ritual is set for me.
Sound quality? Well, it is very good and plays loud enough I can hear the music or radio station while in the shower if I put the speaker on the bathroom counter. To enhance the bass at lower listening levels, I place the speaker right in the corner of the room, but at louder levels that isn't necessary and the speaker can sound a little boomy (ah... good ol' Fletcher & Munsen). While I would enjoy a little more volume from time to time, I think it is damned good for a device I can put in my computer bag and not use up all the extra space. The sound is balanced and very well defined, considering. Most of the other bluetooth speakers I've heard in this price range ($120 - $180) are not as clear sounding, but some are stronger in the bass. I'd prefer the clearest, most natural midrange over a strong bass sound, so this is the perfect speaker for me. Not that the bass is deficient! The bass is very well presented and balanced with the overall tone of the speaker.
In general? I love it. Even at the current street price of as little as $130 (depending on the color) it is a steal. I think it competes very well against any portable speaker I've seen or heard selling for as much at $200.
Complaints?
I have two complaints -
1) Device specific: It doesn't handle two BlueTooth connections well. I have two phones and one tablet I like to use with this speaker, but it really only handles one connection, so I have to re-pair the speaker every time I switch to a different device. This process is very familiar now, so I can do it, but I'd prefer not to.
2) Bluetooth tech: The volume is controlled by both the playback device and the volume control on the top of the speakers. I was under the impression that once paired the volume control on the speaker was actually controlling the volume on the device, but that isn't the case. So, I have to turn up the device all the way (and on my Samsung phones that means accepting a warning notification about listening at loud levels and ear damage - another damned step) before I get full volume limits for the speaker. Stupid, in my opinion.
Here's the JBL site for it:
http://www.jbl.com/estore/jbl/us/produc ... atchtype=e
And here's a photo of the model I got:
Review:
I've been carrying the JBL Charge in my suitcase on about 10 business trips and one vacation trip and I can say I absolutely love this thing. Not only does it sound very decent (much better than its size would suggest), but the addition of a high capacity 6000mAh battery for powering my phone while listening or just recharging it when I need to is a huge benefit.
When I was in Singapore and there was virtually nothing to watch on TV in my motel room, I would turn on the speaker and listen to my extensive music collection from my phone while I worked, got ready in the morning, or relaxed with a drink looking out me window at the gorgeous Singaporean skyline. It was great! Likewise, on domestic trips when I get up in the morning I can listen to my local Austin radio station(s) while showering and getting ready for the day, which gives me a sense of home despite being thousands of miles away. I love it.
At home I've used it as well in the garage, porch, and yard. I find it easier than moving things around to hear music and since I prefer my music collection over a radio, I get exactly what I want.
The huge battery ensures more playing time than I really need, and when I am listening I often plug in my phone so it doesn't drain the battery. I just have to remember charge the speaker after I use it, which isn't hard since I also have to charge my phones, tablet, expansion batteries, and such already. In my hotel room I have five outputs on my USB charger and I use every one every night. So, the ritual is set for me.
Sound quality? Well, it is very good and plays loud enough I can hear the music or radio station while in the shower if I put the speaker on the bathroom counter. To enhance the bass at lower listening levels, I place the speaker right in the corner of the room, but at louder levels that isn't necessary and the speaker can sound a little boomy (ah... good ol' Fletcher & Munsen). While I would enjoy a little more volume from time to time, I think it is damned good for a device I can put in my computer bag and not use up all the extra space. The sound is balanced and very well defined, considering. Most of the other bluetooth speakers I've heard in this price range ($120 - $180) are not as clear sounding, but some are stronger in the bass. I'd prefer the clearest, most natural midrange over a strong bass sound, so this is the perfect speaker for me. Not that the bass is deficient! The bass is very well presented and balanced with the overall tone of the speaker.
In general? I love it. Even at the current street price of as little as $130 (depending on the color) it is a steal. I think it competes very well against any portable speaker I've seen or heard selling for as much at $200.
Complaints?
I have two complaints -
1) Device specific: It doesn't handle two BlueTooth connections well. I have two phones and one tablet I like to use with this speaker, but it really only handles one connection, so I have to re-pair the speaker every time I switch to a different device. This process is very familiar now, so I can do it, but I'd prefer not to.
2) Bluetooth tech: The volume is controlled by both the playback device and the volume control on the top of the speakers. I was under the impression that once paired the volume control on the speaker was actually controlling the volume on the device, but that isn't the case. So, I have to turn up the device all the way (and on my Samsung phones that means accepting a warning notification about listening at loud levels and ear damage - another damned step) before I get full volume limits for the speaker. Stupid, in my opinion.
