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JBL Boombox 2 Review

Enrest Walugembe Avatar
Updated Jan 25, 2024 6:27 PM

True Score

82
80
4

Experts

91
5,990

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Analysts hailed the JBL Boombox 2, endorsing it for parties, music, and outdoor use. They were delighted by its waterproof construction, loud music, and outstanding battery life. Testers also loved its balanced sound profile. However, they were disappointed by its poor directivity and lack of voice assistants.

$399.95

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The JBL Boombox 2 is a mid-range Bluetooth party speaker released in 2020, promising loud music and deep bass for partygoers. This device has an outstanding 334.6-foot Bluetooth range and supports dual-device Bluetooth 5.1 pairing, ranking well when compared to the top-rated speakers on the market today. This unit features a waterproof IPX7-rated design suitable for outdoor use, and it gets really loud. Read to the end of this JBL Boombox 2 review and see how it compares to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers today.

Consensus

our Verdict

Top critics adored the JBL Boombox 2, endorsing it for music, parties, and the outdoors. Editors at TechRadar loved its IPX7-rated waterproof construction. However, if you need a better IP67 dustproof and waterproof speaker, see our JBL Charge 5 review. Researchers at PCMag lauded its Bluetooth 5.1 tech, although it has a high 146 ms iOS Bluetooth latency and 121 ms Android latency. Editors loved its decent bass, which will appeal to music and movie buffs. However, the 13.0-lbs was deemed high during testing, and it lacks speakerphone functions and RGB lighting. See our ION Pathfinder 280 review for RGB lighting. Testing revealed a 49.0Hz to 19.1kHZ frequency response range and a near-neutral well-balanced -0.20 profile slope. It has an EQ and supports stereo. The JBL Boombox 2 has a high 5.25 dB directivity index, offering a disappointingly narrow soundstage. Testers clocked its maximum volume SPL at a very good 96.5 dB, but its 3.01 dB DRC showed some sound deterioration at the highest volume. It has impressive 23.9-hour battery life. However, if you require an even better runtime, see our Monster Rockin’ Roller 270X review. But it doesn’t support voice assistants.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Supports stereo
  • Impressive 23.9-hour battery life
  • The device gets really loud
  • Decent bass
  • Dual-device Bluetooth pairing

Reason to Avoid

  • Doesn’t support any voice assistant
  • Disappointing soundstage
  • Chunky construction
  • Lacks speakerphone functions
  • Mediocre Bluetooth latency

JBL Boombox 2 Specs

Battery LifeBattery Life24 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Charge TimeCharge Time6.5 hrs
SizeSize19.1" (w) x 7.9" (h) x 10.1" (d)
Smart AppSmart AppYes
Speaker PairingSpeaker PairingYes
Water ResistantWater ResistantYes
WattageWattage4 x 40W
Wireless RangeWireless Rangen/a

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)23.9
Volume Output (dB)96.5
Low End Roll Off (Hz)61.688
High End Roll Off (Hz)6,736.397

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Product Comparison

JBL Boombox 2 Review

True Score

82
83
85
82

Ranking

#

49

/

109

#

39

/

109

#

13

/

109

#

54

/

109

Market Context

The JBL Boombox 2 is a mid-range Bluetooth party speaker released in 2020, promising loud music and deep bass for partygoers. This device has an…

The JBL Boombox 2 is a mid-range Bluetooth party speaker released in 2020, promising loud music and deep bass for partygoers. This device has an outstanding 334.6-foot Bluetooth range and supports dual-device Bluetooth 5.1 pairing, ranking well when compared to the top-rated speakers on the market today. This unit features a waterproof IPX7-rated design suitable for outdoor use, and it gets really loud. Read to the end of this JBL Boombox 2 review and see how it compares to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers today.

The JBL Boombox 2 has a 96.5 dB maximum SPL, getting louder than the JBL Xtreme 3 with its 91.0 dB maximum SPL. Also, the…

The JBL Boombox 2 has a 96.5 dB maximum SPL, getting louder than the JBL Xtreme 3 with its 91.0 dB maximum SPL. Also, the Boombox 2 has a much better 23.9-hour battery life than the 12.7-hour runtime of the Xtreme 3 speaker. Check out the best JBL speakers today.

Designed for large parties, the JBL PartyBox 110 features a higher 98.3 dB maximum SPL and 2.92 dB DRC at the maximum volume, getting louder…

Designed for large parties, the JBL PartyBox 110 features a higher 98.3 dB maximum SPL and 2.92 dB DRC at the maximum volume, getting louder and maintaining the music quality better than the JBL Boombox 2, which has a 96.5 dB SPL and 3.01 dB DRC. The PartyBox 110 has RGB lighting, mic, and guitar inputs, and DJ effects, unlike the JBL Boombox 2.

The JBL Boombox 2 has a more neutral -0.20 frequency response slope, producing more balanced music than the Sony SRS-XG500, which has a -1.66 slope….

The JBL Boombox 2 has a more neutral -0.20 frequency response slope, producing more balanced music than the Sony SRS-XG500, which has a -1.66 slope. However, the Sony speaker has a mic+guitar input and features customizable RGB lights, unlike the JBL Boombox 2 speaker. Explore the best surround sound systems in our detailed review.

Battery Life

24 hrs

15 hrs

12 hrs

30 hrs

Built In Microphone

Yes

n/a

No

Yes

Charge Time

6.5 hrs

2.5 hrs

3.5 hrs

3 hrs

Size

19.1" (w) x 7.9" (h) x 10.1" (d)

11.8" (w) x 5.3" (d) x 5.4" (h)

Smart App

Yes

Yes

JBL PartyBox

Yes

Speaker Pairing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Water Resistant

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Wattage

4 x 40W

50W

160W

30W

Dig Deeper

JBL Xtreme 3 Review →

JBL Partybox 110 Review →

Sony SRS-XG500 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

80

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

91

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

82

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    100.6

    Category Trust Rating

    73
    The JBL Boombox 2 is a beautifully engineered beast of a Bluetooth speaker. The bass… Read More

    By:

    Andy White
  • PC Mag
    43.6

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The JBL Boombox 2 is decent for music. Although it lacks a bit of low-bass,… Read More

    By:

    Ted Kritsonis
  • Techradar
    43

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    JBL doesn’t reinvent all that much with this newer iteration of the Boombox, though did… Read More

    By:

    John Panoryios
  • Expert Reviews UK
    19.7

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    JBL’s Boombox 2 speaker is built for backyard parties, tailgates, and anywhere else you want… Read More

    By:

    Tim Gideon

Customer Scores