JBL BoomBox 3 Bluetooth Speaker Review

We all like our music. It’s also fun to take our music on the go. To allow us to take our music on the go, the boombox became popular several decades ago in the 70’s. JBL has re-invented the boombox with their BoomBox. Up for review is their BoomBox 3 with a $499 MSRP.

 

Features and specs:

 

General Specifications

Output power (W): 1x80W RMS-subwoofer + 2x40W RMS-midrange + 2x10W RMS-tweeter (AC mode) 1x60W RMS-subwoofer + 2x30W RMS-midrange + 2x8W RMS-tweeter (Battery mode)

Audio Specifications

Dynamic frequency response range (Hz): 40 Hz - 20k Hz

Dimensions

Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth) (cm): 48.2 x 25.7 x 20.0

Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth) (in): 19.0 x 10.1 x 7.9

Weight (kgs): 6.7

Weight (lbs): 14.7

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6

Bluetooth frequency: 2.402GHz - 2.480GHz

Bluetooth transmitted modulation: GFSK, π/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK

Bluetooth transmitter power: ≤ 9 dBm (EIRP)

Bluetooth version: 5.3

Battery

Charging time (hrs): 6.5

Maximum music playing time (hrs): 24

Features

JBL PartyBoost: Yes

3.5 mm audio cable Input: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes

Charging cable: Yes

Powerbank: Yes

Waterproof: Yes

Wireless: Yes

Rechargable battery: Yes

IP Code: IP67

 

The JBL BoomBox 3 came in a nice-looking color printed box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product held in place by custom cardboard. Materials used in construction were mostly plastic with some metal, rubber and cloth. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the quick start guide and power cord.

 

As a child of the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s, before talking about the design of the JBL BoomBox 3, I feel I need to first talk about boomboxes in general and its evolution. I have owned my share of boomboxes. And they were designed to bring our music on the go. This was the radio and cassette tapes, add later included CD.s. They also improved on the sound by going from a single full range speaker to also include a separate tweeter. And to custom tailor the sound to our performance, many also included a graphic equalizer. I was the life of the party with my boombox.

 

Through the next few decades, our music has changed. Cassette tapes are gone, and CD’s are rarely used. Regular radio is also not used nearly as often. Born on physical media like cassette tapes, CD’s and radio listened to a large percentage of the time, I have even succumbed to the evolution of how we listen to our music. JBL BoomBox 3 is a result of this evolution. After all, why include a radio turner and CD player as well as the cost for them, when they may not be used?

 

I love the design of the JBL BoomBox 3. It has a similar form factor as the boomboxes of old, yet includes the features we need. Gone are the CD and radio turner replaced with Bluetooth. Most of what we listen to is accessed on our phones, be it downloaded music tracks or music services like Amazon, or Spotify, to name a couple. So all you really need is Bluetooth to connect to your phone. You can even connect 2 phones, to allow friends in on the action.

 

For it to be really easy to use, JBL went with a simple design. There are buttons for power, Bluetooth, play, volume up and down and link to link other JBL wireless speakers. At the bottom of the front is an LED to show the battery charge level. Connections on the back are for power cord, audio in for an external audio device, and USB port to access the internal power bank. This simplistic design also yields a clean look, and it looks great! The JBL app is also really simplistic, but gives good features with the 3-way equalizer, streaming to multiple JBL wireless speakers, and the quick start guide.

 

Unlike boomboxes of old, JBL also has upped its game in the sound quality of the BoomBox 3. JBL employs a 3-way system. There’s a .75” tweeter, 2.75”midrange, and 4.5”x7.4” subwoofer. But there’s also a passive radiator on each end. It’s a sophisticated subwoofer system that uses a single active subwoofer that is similar in cone area as a 6-inch round driver, and dual 5-inch passive radiators. I’m a fan of passive radiators.  And while use of a passive radiator is rare, this one uses two. Very rare, and very impressive! You get a separate tweeter and midrange for crisp and clean sound, with an active subwoofer with dual passive radiators to maximize the amount of bass from a small package. Add the IP67 dustproof and 1-meter waterproof feature, and you can get great sound anywhere. Now let’s see how they sound.

 

Earth Wind & Fire: September – Wood blocks had really good resolution of the woodiness tone of the block, tambourine was crisp and clean as were the cymbals. Vocals were silky smooth with great texture of the timbre. Shaker block also had nice texture. Snare was nice and dynamic.  Kick drum was also dynamic with really good low-end extension and played with authority. Trumpet was also really dynamic, super clean, with great harmonics.

Disturbed: Sound of Silance – piano sounded natural with very good harmonics. Vocals were smooth like honey with excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre. Acoustic guitar had really nice resolution of the strings. Strings were also smooth with excellent harmonics of the strings. Tympani had nice dynamics and low-end extension and authority with good resolution of the pad.

Tiesto @ Sevenn: Boom – Holy *#@*! I was not expecting this from a little boombox! Some of the bass beats were not as deep, but were nice and tight, super clean, and hit hard. Thers were deeper bass beats that also hit really hard with great low-end extension. And then others were really deep, really clean as well, but shook the room! I knew the single subwoofer with two passive radiators had high potential, but wow!

 

If you want to take your music with you outdoors, you’ll want great sound and a speaker that can handle any outdoor environment. The JBL BoomBox 3 handles both. It’s also well made to provide years of use. If you’re looking for an outdoor wireless speaker, especially if you like a lot of bass, the JBL BoomBox 3 is unique in that aspect and deserves to be on your short list. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the JBL Boombox 3 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info check out their website at www.jbl.com.