It’s no secret that the Harman-owned company sells a lot of amazing audio products at a wide range of price points right now, and in just a few months, there will be even more great JBL-branded speakers on the market starting as low as $49.95 and going all the way up to $599.95.
The good, the cheap, and the extreme
Although we’re obviously not here to play favorites and make the tough decisions in your stead, it’s clearly hard to find a better speaker in terms of portability and overall bang for your buck than the $79.95 JBL Clip 4. You should therefore easily understand our immense excitement at the impending arrival of an improved new Clip 5 edition with, you guessed it, the same old price tag.
JBL Clip 5
Compared to its forerunner, this budget-friendly but not dirt-cheap model will be even easier to clip on to your backpack or other travel bags with a redesigned carabiner featuring a bigger and more accessible opening than ever before. Perhaps more impressively, the JBL Clip 5 boasts up to 12 hours of battery life, compared to a maximum of 10 for the Clip 4, while also promising “more streamlined” sound and “consistent bass” at every volume.
JBL Xtreme 4
Even better, the Xtreme 4 is the first member of its family to pack a user-replaceable battery for “enhanced serviceability”, and because this is 2024, something called AI Sound Boost enters the capabilities mix to “optimize the acoustic output level” and thus deliver more powerful audio with the help of artificial intelligence… somehow.
But not everyone can afford to spend nearly 400 bucks (or even $80) on a “dumb” old portable speaker, which is obviously where the JBL Go 4 comes in. This is exactly as cheap as the hugely popular Go 3, at $49.95, and exactly like the Xtreme 4 and Clip 5, it supports Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio functionality, as well as multi-speaker connection via Auracast.
JBL Go 4
Two new PartyBoxes with easy-to-swap batteries
JBL PartyBox Club 120
The 120 is of course smaller, less powerful, and just generally less bonkers than the 320, although it’s still set to cost a pretty steep $399.95 with a nice built-in foldable handle, two handy mic inputs and one guitar input, IPX4 splash resistance, up to 12 hours of battery life, and the same aforementioned AI Sound Boost magic as the Xtreme 4.
JBL PartyBox Stage 320
If that’s not enough for whatever music marathon you got on your schedule for next summer, you’ll be delighted to know that both of these new additions to the JBL PartyBox family come with (presumably huge) batteries you can easily replace in times of need.
Last but not necessarily least, the $149.95 JBL PartyBox Wireless Mic is naturally compatible with all PartyBox speakers, promising seamless “plug-and-play” connectivity, as well as “clear voice and crisp sound” for up to 20 hours between charges.
