I recently talked about JBL Charge 5 - a great thing for a variety of tasks. Here is the article:
Review of the JBL Charge 5 speaker system
Sergey Kuzmin
19 April 2021
Today is the time to talk about one of the largest Bluetooth systems on the market - a very good time for such a device. After all, both Charge and Boombox are ideal summer companions for large groups and singles. Let's quickly tear the packaging apart, turn it on and listen.
Photo: Ilya Kichaev / Wylsacom Media
Characteristics, equipment and brief +/-
JBL Boombox 2 characteristics:
- Speakers: 2 LF × 106 mm, 2 HF × 20 mm
- Power: 2 × 30 W (when operating on battery power), 2 × 40 W (when operating on mains power)
- Frequency range: 50–20,000 Hz
- Signal to noise ratio: > 80 dB
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1 (2.402 - 2.480 GHz)
- Bluetooth profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6
- USB port for smartphone charging: 5V/2.0A
- Audio cable input: 3.5mm
- Battery Li-ion polymer: 10,000 mAh (72.6 Wh)
- Battery life: up to 24 hours
- Full charge time: 6.5 hours
- Possibility of operation from the mains
- Water protection: IPX7
- PartyBoost technology for speaker consolidation
- Dimensions: 485 × 201 × 257 mm
- Weight: 5.9 kg
- Price: $335 (RUB 25,990)
Brief pros and cons ⚖️:
- Powerful high quality sound.
- Stylish design and high-quality assembly.
- Reliable Bluetooth connection.
- Not bad ergonomics.
- Possibility of connecting 2 sources via BT.
- Moisture protection IPX7.
- Autonomy (up to 24 hours).
- High price ($335).
- The sound is focused on bass and related music.
- There is no possibility to charge via USB.
- Other nuances (application, weight, no aptX, cannot turn on the previous track).
Equipment:
- Portable speakers JBL Boombox 2
- power unit
- 2 charging cords (with different plugs)
- Documentation
JBL Boombox 2 set
Autonomy
The autonomy of the device is ensured by a battery with a capacity of 20,000 mAh. This reserve is enough to listen to music for 24 hours without interruption. In addition, you can charge two smartphones at once from the speaker.
The problem here is with charging time. It will take as long as 6 hours to completely fill the battery. So it is better to leave the device connected to the outlet overnight.
JBL Boombox
JBL Boombox 2 vs JBL Boombox vs Marshall Tufton
Comparison of portable speakers
| Difference | JBL Boombox 2 | JBL Boombox | Marshall Tufton |
| 1. Appearance and dimensions | The heaviest (5.9 kg). Larger than the first version (485 × 201 × 257 mm). No green colors: only black and khaki. | Slightly smaller and lighter than the second generation (495 × 196 × 254 mm, 5.25 kg). There is also a green version, black and military are also available. | A signature Marshall design, the speaker is vertical rather than horizontal, and has a carrying strap rather than a handle. It is smaller and lighter (229 × 163 × 350 mm, 4.9 kg) |
| 2. Number of emitters and power | 2 LF × 106 mm, 2 HF × 20 mm 60 W (when operating on battery power), 80 W (when operating on mains power) | 1 LF × 50.8×70 mm, 2 HF × 20 mm 40 W (when operating on battery power), 60 W (when operating on mains power) | 1 LF × 133 mm (5¼ inch), 2 MF × 50 mm (2 inch), 1 HF × 16 mm Total power - 80 W |
| 3. Protection | IPX7 | IPX7 | IPX2, one might say, there is no moisture protection. |
| 4.Bluetooth | 5.1, SBC support only. | 4.2, SBC support | 5.0, SBC and aptX support. |
| 5. Connectors | Dedicated for charging, 1 USB for charging external devices, AUX, service microUSB. | Dedicated for charging, 2 USB for charging external devices, AUX, service microUSB. | Dedicated for charging, AUX. |
| 6. Features | Charging external devices, PartyBoost. Cannot be combined into a system with Boombox. | External device charging, JBL Connect+, microphone (calls and voice assistant) | Possibility of adjusting bass and treble. |
| 7. Autonomy | Up to 24 hours at low volume. | Up to 24 hours at low volume. | Up to 20 hours at medium volume. |
| 8 Sound | Emphasis on low frequencies, fairly clear sound in general (mids and highs are not very “suppressed”), excellent for electronic music. | The bass is of lower quality than that of Boombox 2; it covers the midrange more. There are distortions at HF. At high volume the bass sags. Good for electronic music. | Better and more balanced sound, although also with an emphasis on low frequencies. The bass is more impactful and not as voluminous (soft). The speaker can be listened to from any side, there is a volume effect. Universal sound for almost any music, worse for dance than Boombox 2. |
| 9. Price | 355$ | 260$ | 390$ |
It's simple. If you have Boombox, there is no point in buying a new version. Only if there are no problems with the battery, as happened with the first generation. The sound of the Boombox 2 is better, but not so much that it is “next level”. Marshall Tufton is an option for those who prefer to listen to more than just dance music. This speaker cannot be heated, but it is more powerful (perhaps louder, but not a fact), the sound is better, you can listen from all sides, there is aptX support. But the price, of course, is very impressive.
Appearance and build quality
JBL Boombox 2 arrives to the new owner in a really large box, which is not surprising . It's good that there are handles on the sides, otherwise carrying the box would be problematic. Inside is the following:
- Portable speakers JBL Boombox 2;
- Power unit;
- 2 power cords (with regular and American plug);
- Documentation.
On the one hand, it’s sparse. On the other hand, what else is needed? Perhaps an audio cable would be helpful. I found it (although not right away), but I’m sure not everyone has it. Although... how many people listen to portable acoustics via wire...
