Speakers
Cheap, Small, and Pretty Great: Our Tribit Stormbox Micro Review
Doubts are in order when we see a cheaper speaker like this one promising all the latest snazziness, so we weren’t sure what we’d get when we opened our latest box: the Tribit Stormbox Micro BTS10. But we’re overall delighted that we decided to give this ultra-portable speaker a listen, and in fact it has …
JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 6: A Slightly Improved Ultra-Portable Speaker for a Decent Price
We’ve been following the JBL travel speakers closely for years now, and the Flip line is now on its sixth iteration. Once again JBL has made a few excellent, small improvements. We’ll detail what’s different going from the Flip 5 to Flip 6 below in a nutshell and give you our take on who should …
College Dorm Speakers: The Best Sound for Small Rooms, for Large Parties, and for a Shoestring Budget
Out of the hundreds of speakers we’ve reviewed there are a few that are perfect fits for those going off to college. You’re not staying in your university’s dorm or apartment-style housing forever; most people move at the very least from year to year. So it’s important to have a speaker that’s portable enough not …
JBL Flip 4 vs Flip 5: Is the New Version Worth It?
This article covers previous-model speakers. For the latest from JBL, check out our comparison review of the JBL Flip 5 versus Flip 6. The JBL Flip 5 was released August 1, 2019 as an update to the JBL Flip 4 — already one of the better affordable portable Bluetooth speakers out there. While the Flip …
JBL Pulse 4 vs Flip 5 vs Charge 4: What’s Different Between the Celebrated Mid-Sized Bluetooth Speakers
Update as of December 2021: Note that these speakers have been replaced by newer models; see our comparison of the JBL Flip 5 vs. Flip 6 for more, as well as our comparison of the larger JBL Charge 4 and Charge 5. The broad differences between these speaker lines remain the same however, and the …
Which Is Better: JBL or Ultimate Ears? The Bluetooth Speaker Brands Compared
We’ve listened to tons of JBL and Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speakers over the past ten years, penned countless reviews, and read just about everything our fellow, lesser audio critics have to say about them as well. Both companies’ portable Bluetooth speakers are great for loud, crisp, gorgeous sound on the go, and you ardent fan-ladies …
The Small, Useful Steps Up From the JBL Charge 4 to the JBL Charge 5
JBL has had some ups and downs in its Charge speaker line, and we haven’t always recommended the newest version when JBL makes an “upgrade”. But the JBL Charge 5 is a suitable, minor improvement over the Charge 4, and depending on your specific feature needs and the pricing at the time you read this, …
The JBL Xtreme 3’s Small Upgrades from the JBL Xtreme and Xtreme 2: Worth it?
The JBL Xtreme, Xtreme 2, and Xtreme 3 speakers offer an excellent, portable, rugged route to serious bass oomph and to getting a quite loud outdoor party going. This series has long been a favorite in terms of ruggedness among the largest, loudest Bluetooth speakers we review; we think that for people who party a …
JBL Boombox vs JBL Boombox 2: Is the Slight Upgrade Worth the Cost?
The JBL Boombox 2 was released in spring 2020 as as an update to the original portable outdoor party companion, the JBL Boombox. Both of these are at the larger, and more outdoorsy end of the biggest, loudest portable speakers we’ve reviewed. And they’re expensive. In this article we go through what all reliable critics—not …
The Best JBL Portable Bluetooth Speakers: A Side-by-Side Comparison, Mini-Reviews, and FAQ
We’ve done in-depth reviews of all JBL Bluetooth speakers, understandably you folks don’t want to read all that. So here’s a quick side-by-side table with mini-reviews and an FAQ to help you choose the right JBL sonic portable buddy for you. JBL makes great-sounding, well-regarded portable Bluetooth speakers that are durable and road-worthy. Any of …