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Bluetooth Speakers

True Score Methodology v1.0

JBL Boombox 2 Review

November 16, 2023

True Score

Mixed Reviews

Experts

5,119

Consumers

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.

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Table of Contents

Overview
What Is Not on the Box
Product Comparison
All Stores
Score Card
Expert Score Breakdown
Customer Score Breakdown
Learn More About Bluetooth Speakers

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.

What Is Not on the Box

What the brand doesn’t always tell you…

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.

True Score

Reasons to Buy

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

Reasons to Avoid

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

Specifications

	Battery Life	24 hrs
	Built In Microphone	Yes
	Charge Time	6.5 hrs
	Size	19.1" (w) x 7.9" (h) x 10.1" (d)
	Smart App	Yes
	Speaker Pairing	Yes
	Water Resistant	Yes
	Wattage	4 x 40W
	Wireless Range	n/a

All Specs

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Product Comparison

	JBL Boombox 2 Review	JBL Xtreme 3 Review	JBL Partybox 110 Review	Sony SRS-XG500 Review
True Score	77	84	76	74
Ranking	# 22 / 81	# 11 / 81	# 31 / 81	# 37 / 81
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	3 hrs
Built In Microphone	Yes	n/a	Yes	Yes
Charge Time	6.5 hrs	2.5 hrs	3.5 hrs	110 watts
Size	19.1" (w) x 7.9" (h) x 10.1" (d)	11.8" (w) x 5.3" (d) x 5.4" (h)	22.4" (h) x 11.6" (w) x 11.8" (d)	Yes
Smart App	Yes	Yes	JBL PartyBox	Yes
Speaker Pairing	Yes	Yes	Yes	n/a
Dig Deeper		Read review →: JBL Xtreme 3 Review	Read review →: JBL Partybox 110 Review	Read review →: Sony SRS-XG500 Review

Score Card

Expert Score

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

Customer Score

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

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

Expert Score Breakdown

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight

A
Trust Score
73
The JBL Boombox 2 is a beautifully engineered beast of a Bluetooth speaker. The bass… read more
By:
Andy White
D
Trust Score
80
The JBL Boombox 2 is decent for music. Although it lacks a bit of low-bass,… read more
By:
Ted Kritsonis
D
Trust Score
80
JBL doesn’t reinvent all that much with this newer iteration of the Boombox, though did… read more
By:
John Panoryios
F
Trust Score
80
JBL’s Boombox 2 speaker is built for backyard parties, tailgates, and anywhere else you want… read more
By:
Tim Gideon