Verdict
JBL reaches into new territory with one among its high speaker designs, making this roving social gathering machine snug to calm down into the typical front room. Does it belong there? That’s up for debate, however it might probably actually ship the house hi-fi items.
Professionals
- Highly effective, deep bass
- Unusually good ruggedisation for its measurement
- Ethereal and clear imaging
Cons
- Fairly heavy to make use of as an on a regular basis transportable speaker
- Costly, significantly this Wi-Fi model
- Bullish look received’t swimsuit some rooms
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IP67 water resistanceThe Boombox 3 is water-resistant to an extent it might probably deal with submersion in water. -
Multi-roomCan function as a multi-room dwelling speaker, not like the usual Bluetooth-only mannequin. -
As much as 24 hour battery lifeThis speaker’s battery lasts as much as 24 hours, so long as you might be comparatively conservative with the amount
Introduction
The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi should be one of many largest transportable audio system I’ve ever reviewed.
JBL pushes the envelope right here on what persons are prepared to hold round to outside occasions, with out pitching an precise PA speaker. The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi remains to be very a lot an everyday wi-fi speaker for people trying to merely get pleasure from music, although.
It’s a little bit of a star performer to that finish too. Bigger scale lets the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi dig down deep into the bottom bass registers. It has that traditional JBL mixture of energy and tasteful tuning. And on this Wi-Fi model the Boombox has half an eye fixed on a semi-permanent spot in your house, and it’s in a position to work as a multi-room speaker.
Design-wise I discover this one among JBL’s least easy-to-recommend wi-fi audio system, as the dimensions, look and £549 price squeeze its mainstream attraction slightly. Nonetheless, that is nonetheless a powerful wi-fi speaker if it fits your wants.
Design
- 482 x 257 x 200mm
- Metallic and plastic design
- Rubber backside foot
The very first thing you should ensure that earlier than shopping for a JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is whether or not you need a wi-fi speaker this massive. I’ve at all times by means of of the JBL Xtreme as a bigger speaker sequence, nevertheless it’s dwarfed by the Boombox.
Having lived with the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-FI for some time now, although, it’s not the dimensions that continues to face out. It’s the burden.
The Boombox 3 weighs round 6.6kg, six instances as a lot because the Cost 5. This isn’t the form of speaker you’d wish to carry throughout, say, a 15-minute stroll to the native park. And in contrast to the step-down JBL Xtreme 3 there’s no shoulder strap, only a large metallic deal with with rubbery strips beneath for further grip.
If this speaker goes to journey a method, you in all probability wish to put it in a automobile boot or extra-(further) massive rucksack.
It’s pretty robust, although. The JBL Boombox 3 is rated for IP67 water and dirt resistance, that means it may be submerged in water.
The primary physique is roofed by a troublesome nylon weave, and the passive radiators at every finish are protected by chunky outcrops of plastic. These radiators are much less susceptible than you would possibly guess. They aren’t conventional speaker drivers, and may simply shrug off being flicked, pushed or flippantly punched.
These additionally contribute to the JBL Boombox 3’s aggressive look, alongside the extra-large JBL emblem on the entrance. Be sure you are recreation for this model, in addition to the excessive weight.
Options
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Wi-Fi
- Spotify Join, Alexa Multi-room, Chromecast
Earlier generations of the Boombox, and most JBL audio system I’ve used through the years, have been Bluetooth-only. There’s a Bluetooth model of the Boombox 3, however the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi has Bluetooth and, you guessed it, Wi-Fi.
You employ the JBL One app to set the speaker up, and may then stream audio to it over Spotify Join, Chromecast or AirPlay. It might probably additionally combine with the Google Residence for multi-room, though the JBL One app gives multi-room options too. It additionally permits you to pair two of those audio system in a stereo array.
I had no points getting the Wi-FI options to work. However, as a long-term JBL Bluetooth speaker appreciator, I’m glad the on-device controls have been saved easy.
There are not any annoying touch-sensitive controls. Every is an precise clicky button, and solely the “coronary heart” is particular to the Wi-FI options. You may set a favorite playlist of piece of content material to this “favorite” button, so as to get listening with a single button press.
The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi does lack any technique to join analogue sources, although. Pop off the rubber-sealed connection flap on the again and also you’ll solely discover a energy connector and USB, which helps you to cost different gadgets.
This isn’t a wise speaker both. There’s no microphone, ruling out speaking to digital assistants or taking calls. I don’t assume it’s an incredible loss in a speaker that ought to spend a very good period of time out of Wi-Fi vary, regardless of the title.
It makes use of a 72Wh battery, comparable capability to a bigger laptop computer. Used for the speaker alone, JBL says you possibly can count on a cost to last as long as 24 hours at reasonable quantity.
JBL says it takes as much as six hours to cost, which appears an age to attend. A fast top-up isn’t the way in which right here. Nonetheless, in keeping with my energy meter it attracts 25-27W, which isn’t unhealthy for a wi-fi speaker.
Sound High quality
- Deep bass ground
- Excessive most quantity
- Partaking sound with restricted customisation
The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi justifies its measurement with its speaker array. A lot of the entrance is stuffed with speaker drivers. They embrace a 19cm lengthy rectangular subwoofer, two 2.75-inch mid-range drivers and two 20mm tweeters that sit simply in entrance of the mid drivers.
That doesn’t embrace the 2 huge passive radiators, one at every finish, that give the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi its attribute conga drum-style form. In comparison with the Boombox 2, there’s an extra central woofer, which JBL makes area for utilizing the concentric design of the opposite driver pairs.
The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi sound is successfully a scaled-up model of that achieved within the JBL Xtreme 3. And, for probably the most half, that’s superb information. It is a JBL Professional sound speaker. As in different JBL fashions, this results in a extra refined, grown-up and versatile sound signature than the outer look would possibly initially recommend.
Nonetheless, deep bass remains to be its key energy. There’s stable bass output proper right down to the 40Hz sub-bass vary, simply as JBL’s spec sheet guarantees. I examined it with a tone generator simply to verify there’s actual deep bass happening right here.
Bass isn’t every part, thoughts. There’s a very good sense of airiness and separation within the higher registers, and whereas the bass is highly effective, it doesn’t sit oppressively on the mids, making its method into locations it shouldn’t be and clogging up the sound.
Most quantity is fearsome, and apparently the speaker positive aspects much more energy when plugged in. There’s greater than I’d ever want when it’s not. Like all good speaker ought to be, the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is basically genre-agnostic as a result of it has a stable sense of tonal stability. And once you play a podcast, it doesn’t sound as if presenters’ voices sit on a sagging inflatable pillow of bass. That is what you’d hear in an excessively bassy speaker.
As within the JBL Xtreme 3, although, present me a touch of a higher-end strategy and I find yourself wanting extra. The default tuning of the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi does have some further bass, for added plummy bounce, and the mids can sound a contact pushed again into the shadows.
The JBL app does supply EQ controls to allow you to fiddle with this, however they’re pretty rudimentary and weak. You may tone down the Boombox 3’s bass to make it extra well mannered firm, however bass/mid/treble controls don’t allow you to go all that far in tweaking the “JBL Professional” tone.
I’d advise not placing to a lot weight of expectation on the speaker’s Dolby Atmos cred, displayed on JBL’s web site, both. That is solely obtainable by means of TIDAL, so received’t think about for a lot of.
Nonetheless, it is a very satisfying hear for all kinds of content material. However, as with every speaker of this model, you get a restricted sense of stereo because of how shut the drivers are collectively. Positive, it might probably fill rooms, no drawback, however not in the identical method as a correctly spaced stereo pair. I solely convey this up as a result of the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is extra possible for use as of us’ major dwelling speaker than earlier fashions within the sequence, because of its Wi-Fi options and multi-room chops.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
Can be utilized indoors and out: It is a highly effective speaker that can be utilized each as a multi-room dwelling unit and a party-ready speaker with sufficient punch and quantity for use outdoor.
No technique to plug in analogue sources: This is able to not be the primary choice for a grown-up, minimalist front room, and you’ll’t plug in a cabled supply like a report participant as there’s no aux enter with this technology.
Closing Ideas
The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is a superb wi-fi speaker that can be utilized each as your major hi-fi, and an outside half speaker. It has the bass energy the title and design appear to vow, with out going too far and ruining what’s a extremely satisfying sound character with some higher-end traits.
This isn’t the mannequin I’d personally pick of JBL’s line-up. I discover it a bit too huge and heavy for my sort of transportable use. And it isn’t the sort of speaker I’d wish to have rooted in my front room, largely due to the way it seems.
Nonetheless, we’re dealing in among the most subjective areas of the assessment right here. In case your arms are slightly stronger, your tastes much less pedantic, you’re onto a winner right here.
How we check
We check each wi-fi speaker we assessment totally over an prolonged time frame. We use business customary assessments to check options correctly. We’ll at all times inform you what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
Discover out extra about how we check in our ethics coverage.
Examined for greater than per week
Examined with actual world use
FAQs
It has IP67 water resistance.
No, a figure-of-8 lead plugs proper into the again of the speaker.
There’s no aux enter right here, so all connections should be wi-fi.
