23

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109

Speakers

True Score Methodology v1.0

JBL Xtreme 3 Review

Name: JBL Xtreme 3
Brand: JBL

By

Kenn Muguna

5/23/2023 5:39 PM

True Score

83

Absolutely Fresh

84

7

Experts

91

8,513

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Pick

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

(

7

)

The JBL Xtreme 3 was hailed by product testers for its impressive build quality, neutral sound profile, and easy-to-use app. They also appreciated its long battery life but were slightly disappointed with its mediocre bass depth and lack of WiFi connectivity.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot
Overview
Consensus
- {post.0.post_title} Specs
- Test Results
Product Comparison
All Stores
Score Card
Expert Score Breakdown
Customer Score Breakdown
Learn More About Speakers

Product Snapshot

Overview

The JBL Xtreme 3 is a high-end portable Bluetooth speaker that was first launched in early 2022. The Xtreme 3 has an IP67 rating for both water and dust resistance, so it is one of the best speakers to consider for outdoor use. Owners will also be able to adjust its sound quality or pair it with another speaker through the JBL Portable app, and it also has a battery life of up to 12.7 hours. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Xtreme 3 also comes with a power-saving feature that shuts it down after being idle for 20 minutes to conserve battery life, and it also supports multi-device pairing. It doesn’t have a speakerphone and voice assistant functionality, but for this, you might want to check out its predecessor, which we covered in our JBL Xtreme 2 review. Otherwise, if you’re not too keen on portability and would be satisfied with a regular yet stylish indoor speaker, then our Klipsch The One II review might be worth a look.

Consensus

our Verdict

The JBL Xtreme 3 was credited by expert testers for its sturdy build quality, balanced mid-range vocals, and stereo soundstage. Product analysts from SoundGuys noted that it came with a carrying strap for more convenient carrying and had bumpers on both sides to prevent excessive damage in case it gets dropped. They liked how clear vocals and mids sounded during their sound tests and were impressed with how loud it got. Specialists from Rtings liked that its JBL Portable app (which also works on the JBL had a graphic EQ for easy sound customization and that its latency on Android and iOS devices was OK for listening to music or movie watching with no lag. Its 12-hour battery life was also impressive, but the JBL Charge 3 seems to last significantly longer. Have a look at it in our JBL Partybox 710 Review.

However, testers noted that the speaker did not have the best bass output (see our Kove Commuter 2 review if this is an area of focus for you). They also complained about its lack of WiFi connectivity.

Reason to Buy

Great build quality
Neutral sound profile
Long battery life
Multi-device connectivity
Water and dust resistant

Reason to Avoid

No WiFi connectivity
Mediocre bass depth
No speakerphone/voice assistant functionality

JBL Xtreme 3 Specs

	Battery Life	15 hrs
	Built In Microphone	n/a
	Charge Time	2.5 hrs
	Size	11.8" (w) x 5.3" (d) x 5.4" (h)
	Smart App	Yes
	Speaker Pairing	Yes
	Water Resistant	Yes
	Wattage	50W
	Wireless Range	n/a

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)	13.85
Volume Output (dB)	91
Low End Roll Off (Hz)	62.586
High End Roll Off (Hz)	6,544.625

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Product Comparison

	JBL Xtreme 3 Review	JBL Charge 5 Review	JBL Boombox 2 Review	Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Review
True Score	83	85	73	58
Ranking	# 23 / 109	# 13 / 109	# 64 / 109	# 101 / 109
Market Context	The JBL Xtreme 3 is a high-end portable Bluetooth speaker that was first launched in early 2022. The Xtreme 3 has an IP67 rating for… The JBL Xtreme 3 is a high-end portable Bluetooth speaker that was first launched in early 2022. The Xtreme 3 has an IP67 rating for both water and dust resistance, so it is one of the best speakers to consider for outdoor use. Owners will also be able to adjust its sound quality or pair it with another speaker through the JBL Portable app, and it also has a battery life of up to 12.7 hours. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, the Xtreme 3 also comes with a power-saving feature that shuts it down after being idle for 20 minutes to conserve battery life, and it also supports multi-device pairing. It doesn’t have a speakerphone and voice assistant functionality, but for this, you might want to check out its predecessor, which we covered in our JBL Xtreme 2 review. Otherwise, if you’re not too keen on portability and would be satisfied with a regular yet stylish indoor speaker, then our Klipsch The One II review might be worth a look.	The Mpow X6 Truly Wireless Earbuds have a much better sound leakage performance than the Mpow X3 ANC Bluetooth Earphones. However, the Mpow X3 has… The Mpow X6 Truly Wireless Earbuds have a much better sound leakage performance than the Mpow X3 ANC Bluetooth Earphones. However, the Mpow X3 has a slightly higher total battery life of 22.9 hours than the Mpow X6, which averages 19 hours. Also, the Mpow X6 can be used while charging while the X3 cannot, but while they both support Active Noise Cancelling, the X3 has a superior noise-canceling ability.	The JBL Xtreme 3 is much smaller than the JBL Boombox 2 and, therefore, a lot lighter. However, the Boombox 2 offers a much longer… The JBL Xtreme 3 is much smaller than the JBL Boombox 2 and, therefore, a lot lighter. However, the Boombox 2 offers a much longer battery life of almost 24 hours than the Xtreme 3, which only lasts 12.7 hours. The Boombox 2 also has a broader range of up to 334.6ft compared to the Xtreme 3’s 190.3 ft.	The JBL Xtreme 3 has a graphic equalizer, while the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 does not. The Xtreme 3 is lighter than the Studio… The JBL Xtreme 3 has a graphic equalizer, while the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 does not. The Xtreme 3 is lighter than the Studio 6 and capable of a stereo output, while the Studio 6 is not.
Battery Life	15 hrs	20+ hrs	24 hrs	8 hrs
Built In Microphone	n/a	No	Yes	Yes
Charge Time	2.5 hrs	4 hrs	6.5 hrs	5 hrs
Size	11.8" (w) x 5.3" (d) x 5.4" (h)	–	19.1" (w) x 7.9" (h) x 10.1" (d)	11.2" (h) x 11.5" (w) x 5" (d)
Smart App	Yes	JBL Portable	Yes	Yes
Speaker Pairing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wattage	50W	30W	4 x 40W	50W
Dig Deeper		JBL Charge 5 Review →	JBL Boombox 2 Review →	Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

84

*.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

83

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

Expert Score Breakdown

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight.

102.6
Category Trust Score
69
JBL’s Xtreme 3 speaker delivers robust bass depth in a rugged, waterproof build ideal for… read more
By:
What Hi-Fi?
54.9
Category Trust Score
80
The JBL Xtreme 3 improves upon its predecessor by adding dust-resistance (part of the IP67… read more
By:
Mike Lowe
55.87
Category Trust Score
NR
The JBL Xtreme 3 is a versatile and talented wireless speaker that’s as happy chilling… read more
By:
Zak Khan
48.27
Category Trust Score
80
JBL’s signature Bluetooth speaker design is a cylinder, and the JBL Xtreme 3 doesn’t stray… read more
By:
Yasmine Crossland
51.48
Category Trust Score
90
Fantastic sound quality with a rugged design – this speaker is waterproof and can withstand… read more
By:
Andrew Williams
42.51
Category Trust Score
100
You might assume the JBL Xtreme 3 is a crude bass-heavy party speaker from its… read more
By:
John Panoryios