Review of the JBL PartyBox 310 speaker and JBL PBM 100 microphone - let's rock the world!

What is bass mode and what is it for?

Before you turn on the bass on your JBL speaker, you need to understand their purpose. Depending on the modification, a speaker from this manufacturer may have a different number of speakers and characteristics. In this case, the sound frequency in audio devices ranges from 20 to 20,000-30,000 Hz. This includes all types of frequencies: LF, MF and HF.

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If you enable bass boost on JBL, frequencies in the low range are added. More precisely, they become more of a priority when playing music. This mode helps make the sound deeper and achieve a little more volume. Many people decide to turn on ultra bass on JBL in order to listen to tracks in a noisy street or simply enjoy compositions with large low frequencies. This creates a feeling of higher sound quality.

How to turn off bass

It was noted above that using the special mode in continuous mode is not recommended. In this case, you need to know how to remove bass on a JBL speaker. To do this, use one of the following ways:

1. Disable outdoor mode by turning off the speaker for a while and then turning it back on.
2. Use the capabilities of one of the applications discussed above.

Knowing how to turn off the bass on your JBL speaker will extend the life of your speakers and battery. In the situation with the power supply, everything is logical. High volume takes a lot of resources from the power source. On average, the battery capacity is at the level of 5-7 mAh, which is enough for 10-14 hours of the device. If you turn on the bass mode on the device, the consumption almost doubles. Consequently, the device will work for no more than five hours. If you want to listen to the device for a long time with bass, for example, at a party, take a charger with you.

Now you know how to turn the bass on and off on your JBL to get better sound quality. This option is very useful because it allows you to achieve better low frequencies and additional depth. But you should abuse this option, because it negatively affects the speakers and drains the battery. In the comments, tell us if you use this bass mode in practice, and in what cases.

How to enable outdoor mode on JBL

JBL is an American organization whose main specialization is the production of audio equipment and acoustics. The technique of this organization is popular in many countries, including Russia. The company received this reputation due to the high quality of its products and low cost. However, not all speaker users have enough power, especially if they use the speaker outdoors. How to enable outdoor mode in JBL speakers of various models?

Street mode in JBL

⇡#Appearance and ergonomics

The appearance of JBL Boombox 2 is so bright and expressive that it is simply impossible to pass by it without holding your gaze. Designers from HARMAN worked hard on the new product, paying attention to the smallest details. The speaker is available in two colors: traditional black and eye-catching military-style protective colors. We got both options for testing.

Appearance of the JBL Boombox 2 speaker

Carrying handle

The speaker has the shape of an elongated barrel with slightly beveled ends and a massive carrying handle. The outer part of the case is made of smooth plastic, pleasant to the touch, with soft inserts in some places. In particular, the inside of the handle is made soft to make it more convenient to hold the speaker, and the side walls, where the protruding soft parts perform protective functions for the passive radiators located on the sides. The latter do not have magnetic heads and move only due to the movement of air inside the case when the active speakers are operating.

Top view and side view

All four active speakers are located on the front of the barrel-shaped housing. Large low-frequency ones are in the center, and high-frequency ones are at the edges. The body is tightly covered with large-weave fabric. The fabric appears to be glued to the body, as it does not move, even if a lot of force is applied. In general, the quality of materials and workmanship of the JBL Boombox 2 is ten out of ten. It is impossible to find even the slightest defects or manufacturing flaws.

Bottom view

The speaker rests on a large protruding stand, which is also made of some fairly soft material. The stand is grooved, which should prevent the speaker from slipping when placed on smooth, wet surfaces like pool tiles.

Design elements for low-frequency speakers

The column also has elements with a purely decorative function. For example, these are huge “JBL” and “!” emblems located on passive speakers, or branded logos on the handle and front panel. But basically everything in it is done in order to either provide comfort in work or protect the device from external influences.

Control Panel

The control panel next to the carrying handle consists of six short-travel buttons, two of which are separated into a separate backlit block - these are the power buttons and the buttons for connecting to a sound source via Bluetooth. The remaining buttons are designed to adjust the sound volume level, connect additional speakers using PartyBoost technology and control playback. For the last action, only one button is allocated: pressing it once starts or stops playback, and pressing it twice is responsible for moving to the next track. All buttons have a clear, pleasant click. Well, at the very bottom of the front panel there is a built-in battery charge indicator in the form of a vertical luminous strip.

All wired interfaces of the JBL Boombox 2 are located on the rear wall of the case. They are hidden behind a large rubber (or silicone) plug with three sealing contours. The plug very tightly covers the panel with interfaces, so you don’t have to worry about tightness. Even if you do not close the plug completely, neither splashes nor even a waterfall will harm the column. But the chances that the plug will accidentally open are much higher in this case than if it were tightly closed.

Wired Interface Panel

Behind the plug there is a connector for connecting a power adapter, a USB type A port, a 3.5 mm mini-jack connector for a wired connection of a sound source, and an additional Micro-USB interface intended for carrying out service work on the speaker.

A few words should be said about the power adapter, which in the JBL Boombox 2 is made in an elegant case with rounded edges. Unlike similar products that come with other speakers, this power adapter is simply pleasant to hold in your hands. The power of the adapter is 100.8 W, so finding a similar one if it is lost or damaged will not be easy. Overall, the aggressive, expressive design, workmanship and thoughtful arrangement of all design elements of the JBL Boombox 2 deserve the highest praise.

How to switch between frequencies

In order to switch the device between bass and treble (which will significantly affect playback volume), you must follow these steps:

1. Simultaneously press the Bluetooth and volume down buttons on the speaker.
2. Hold down both buttons for 10 seconds.

After these simple steps, the device will switch to high-frequency playback, which means that the sound will be noticeably louder. The buttons can then be released.

Secrets of saving

The development and production of acoustics is a serious and expensive business. The entry of another new product into the market is preceded by a long period of development, the costs of which, along with the cost of materials and production, are included in the final cost of the product. At the same time, the cost of development is a fixed value, and the more speakers it is planned to sell, the smaller the share of their cost this item of the manufacturer’s expenses will occupy.

Such simple economics tells us that only brands that produce a truly mass product have the opportunity to make it affordable without losing quality. JBL, due to its global nature, is one of these. In the Stage series, floor standing speakers cost the same as inexpensive bookshelf speakers, and the 5.1 set will cost the price of a decent floor-standing stereo pair. And for this money we get far more than just beautiful buildings. A basic package of proprietary JBL technologies is included.

Switching on street mode

In order to activate street mode on different models, you must perform the following steps:

1. Charge 3. On this model, activation of “Street mode” occurs in exactly the same way as the transition between frequencies. That is, the user needs to simultaneously press the Bluetooth on/off button and the volume down button. However, you must hold the combination until the LED starts to light red.
2. Flip 4. In approximately the same way, the bass playback mode is activated on the Flip 4. However, there is one difference - instead of a light bulb, the user will see the color changes of the two LED buttons. The mode is also turned on - using Bluetooth and reducing the volume.
3. Charge 2+. For this model, the high volume mode turns on much longer - after about 20-30 seconds. The principle is the same, but the user will see the result after all the buttons on the column light up at the same time.
4. Xtreme. The indicator in this case is the start button. Depending on the modification and assembly, the start button, after activating the street mode, will either change its color or simply blink once. Therefore, it is important not to miss this moment.
5. Go. Another model that is often purchased is the JBL Go. As always, you need to click on the same two buttons. The mode will change after the light turns off. In this case it is located approximately under the model name.

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This is how easy it is to switch to outdoor mode in speakers from JBL. However, there is one thing.

⇡#Technical characteristics

* Average price on Yandex.Market at the time of writing.

The JBL Boombox 2 speaker is built on four speakers. The two low-frequency ones are large enough for a portable speaker system, measuring 4 inches, and the high-frequency ones are 0.75 inches each. At the same time, the sound power when the speaker is running on mains power is higher than when running on battery power. It’s not often that such an impressive set of speakers can be found in a portable speaker system, and even not of such large dimensions. But the weight of the new product is decent: almost six kilograms have accumulated due to a number of reasons, including large low-frequency speakers, a built-in rechargeable battery with a capacity of 72.6 Wh, and a protected case.

The case, by the way, can really surprise the owner of the JBL Boombox 2, because the speaker has an IPX7 standard, according to which it can be briefly immersed in water to a depth of up to a meter. Let us remind you, just in case, that these are not headphones, not a small compact speaker that fits in a pocket, but a full-size boombox. It’s just that, unlike others, you can swim in the pool with it and listen to music at the same time. For this, the column can easily be forgiven for its large mass.

And in terms of autonomy, the new product breaks records. According to the manufacturer, the built-in lithium-ion battery allows the speaker to operate continuously throughout the day. The volume level is not specified, but we will try to find out during testing. JBL Boombox 2 can also serve as a portable charger: among its interfaces there is a standard USB type A port, to which you can connect a smartphone - a sound source that has every chance of being discharged before the speaker itself.

The JBL Boombox is connected via Bluetooth specification 5.1 and the A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.6 profiles. True, the manufacturer is silent about codecs. Apparently, the speaker only works with the SBC codec. You can also connect the sound source to the JBL Boombox 2 using an audio cable with a regular 3.5 mm jack. If desired, and if you have a second JBL Boombox 2 speaker nearby or any other JBL speaker system compatible with PartyBoost technology, you can combine the devices into a single system and increase the power by two or more times. There will be one sound source for them, but there can be an unlimited number of speakers. It’s probably impossible to wish for anything more for a portable speaker. JBL Boombox 2 has everything you need.

Turn it up!

Acquaintance with the musical capabilities of acoustics began with concert videos in the home theater. It was enough to turn up the volume to make the atmosphere of rock concerts authentic. It was the same well-recognized concert sound - bright, dense, powerful, literally sweeping the audience off their seats. At the same time, jazz and blues, which have a completely different sound design, were played carefully, collectedly, and quite realistically by the speakers.

Listening in stereo mode could provide a more complete understanding of the musical potential of the acoustics, and for this purpose two other models were used: the floor-standing A180 and the bookshelf A130, connected to Arcam HDA series stereo components.

The floorstanding speakers provided a very energetic and bass-heavy sound, which, however, was distinguished by a high degree of clarity and intelligibility of low frequencies, completely unexpected for a model of this price. The most complex bass tracks were reproduced without overtones or blurring of individual notes, although the bass reflexes worked very intensively. The mids and highs were generally well balanced relative to each other, with a slight bias towards light and cool tones. The most important thing is that in this part of the range there was no excessive brightness, loudness or harshness. The sound was honest, open and quite comfortable. Without pretending to be highly detailed, the acoustics produced a very focused sound that was intelligible over the entire range.

The nature of the presentation of the musical material can be described as assertive and energetic, which again reminded me of the sound of branded concert speakers. This turned out to be very useful when playing rock, metal, electronic dance music and other genres that require dynamics, rhythm and scale from the system. In this situation, the performance of the acoustics was almost flawless and did not raise any complaints.

When it came to more subtle matters, requiring delicacy, tact and greater attention to small details, delight was replaced, perhaps not by disappointment, but by the understanding that this was still a budget model. The Stage acoustics painted a sound picture too general, with large strokes, making it impossible to hear the subtle nuances of vocals or the timbres and overtones of live instruments.

The transition from floor-standing A180 to bookshelf A130 did not fundamentally change the situation, except for the quite expected change in the amount of bass. It has become smaller, but still quite large relative to the size of the shelf-life creatures that reproduce it. There was no increase in the degree of intelligibility in the mid/low range when switching to bookshelf speakers, simply because floor-standing speakers did not have any problems with this part of the range. And, perhaps, it was this fact that impressed me most of all. The description of the Stage series says that the developers first of all tried to provide a favorable price-quality ratio for the buyer. But it came as a surprise to me that budget acoustics would be so precisely tuned.

This is definitely JBL

You can determine whether an acoustic system belongs to the JBL brand without looking at the nameplate, simply by the combination of a horn and white speakers with a ribbed surface. This is definitely, without a doubt, JBL.

Midrange/woofer drivers with dense polycellulose diffusers, reinforced with concentric annular stiffeners, have been used in JBL acoustics for quite a long time. This is a time-tested technology that provides cones with both low weight and high rigidity - all for the purest, most focused and tightest sound of the low and mid frequencies. The white diffusers are a direct reference to classic JBL speakers, from the L100 series to the modern vintage-inspired Studio Monitors.

The Stage series acoustics use mid/bass drivers of various calibers from 76 to 305 mm. All emitters have a large dust cap and a wide rubber suspension with a large working stroke. Most models use bass-reflex acoustic design.

The upper frequencies are voiced by a 25-mm driver with an aluminum dome, designed in HDI. JBL uses horn tweeters quite often in concert acoustics, studio monitors (and of course, in home hi-fi).

Let me make a small technical digression. Please note that a horn does not always serve to focus sound at a specific point; it can also perform the opposite function - evenly dissipate high frequencies over the widest possible angle. To this end, the brand's engineers have developed wide horns with an acoustic lens. At first they were used in studio acoustics, but now, in a somewhat simplified form, horns with an acoustic lens have found application in the home Stage series.

It is worth noting that in this model, as in the professional series, the horn has an absolutely smooth surface without recesses or protrusions at the attachment points. And this has not only an aesthetic, but also a very practical meaning. Each recess or screw head located on the working surface of the horn is a point of refraction of the sound wave, which inevitably introduces distortion into the sound of the high frequencies. And, accordingly, the smoother the surface of the horn and the smoother the transition from it to the plane of the acoustics façade, the cleaner the sound will be. All this is taken into account in the design of the Stage speakers, and it is very nice to see such attention to detail in a budget model.

Presence effect

We decided to start the test by listening to acoustics in a home theater format. Based on Arcam electronics (which, like JBL, recently belongs to HARMAN), a cinema with a 7.1 configuration was assembled. The senior A190 floor speakers worked at the fronts, the classic A125C model worked on the central channel, the senior A120P subwoofer worked on the LFE channel, the junior A170 floor speakers worked on the side rears, and the junior A120 bookshelf speakers worked on the rear rear channels.

The situation was complicated by the fact that the rear channels were located quite close to the listening position, but with a large difference in height. The tweeters of the side floor-standing speakers were located almost at the level of the listeners' ears, and the rear speakers were located much higher, on wall shelves. To obtain an even sound picture in such conditions, the acoustics must have the ability to widely disperse high frequencies. And the Stage kit did not disappoint in this regard, but rather even surprised.

The panorama surrounding the listening position turned out to be completely seamless, and it was impossible to localize by ear the installation locations of the satellites. At the same time, the localization of effects recorded in film soundtracks was, without exaggeration, excellent. Such precise and volumetric elaboration of space in all directions is not always possible to hear even on more expensive sets that use high-altitude sound channels (the 7.1 set, modest by modern standards, successfully coped with the task).

No less impressive was the fact how full-bodied and confident the sound of the rears was. They were not inconspicuous and fully participated in the reproduction of sound effects. If an airplane flew in the frame, the heavy hum of its engines moved in space. The pops of aircraft machine gun shots sounded heavy and dense not only in the front, but also in the rear channels.

In general, the system pleased us with its large-scale and dynamic sound. Explosions and other sharp sounds were reproduced quickly and sharply. Even at high volumes, dynamic bursts were processed as if there was at least a two-fold reserve. The nature of the sound was reminiscent of what can be heard in a good commercial cinema: a feeling of unlimited power was created, the sound was dense and surrounded on all sides, as if there were not seven, but a dozen and a half speakers placed around with a small step.