Popular for its wide range of audio products for their quality and worth, JBL (now owned by Harman International) has forayed into Bluetooth compatible audio systems with its offerings such as JBL Clip and JBL Flip to name a few. To add into that series is the company’s latest launch: JBL Go; a wireless Bluetooth speaker. The JBL Go ventures into the economical segment of the wireless Bluetooth speakers market and is tagged at a decent price of 1999 INR. It is easy to connect your phone to the JBL Go using Bluetooth pairing. We used the JBL Go for a reasonable amount of time and liked it for the services it offered. So let us discuss the JBL Go’s review in detail. Here is JBL Go Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review:
Specifications
- Bluetooth version: 4.1
- Support: A2DP V1.2, AVRCP V1.4, HFP V1.6, HSP V1.2
- Driver: 1 x 40mm
- Output power: 3.0W
- Frequency response: 180Hz – 20 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥80dB
- Battery type: Lithium-ion polymer (3.7V, 600mAh)
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 68.3 x 82.7 x 30.8 (mm)
- Weight: 130g
Design
Deigning a portable product comes with its share of constraints such as dimensions, body material, and should be handy. But we must say JBL did a fine job while crafting the JBL Go. It is a block-shaped device which can resemble as an oversized matchbox. That said, JBL Go is very handy to use and can be easily taken for outdoors in a handbag. Its weight of just over 130 grams is not an issue either. A smooth rubberized finish runs all over the JBL Go’s cuboid body. The rubberized finish makes it easy to handle and comes with its own feel-good factor. The front face of the device consists of a plastic grill with the JBL logo located over it. The top has the power, Bluetooth, volume and call receive buttons while the right side has the USB and 3.5mm port along with a mic hole. Go is fueled with a 600 mah battery which is of non-removable type. The speaker has one LED on the front panel, behind the speaker grill, which indicates charging with a red light and a blue light flashes when the Bluetooth is switched on. Go is available in orange, blue, black, pink, red, light blue, yellow and gray colors.
Performance
Well, this is the section where the majority of the cheap and even budget speakers show their true colors and disappoint top to bottom. However, Go is no such product. Impressively, Go, with its small size and limited battery capacity; came out a complete winner in majority of the situations we tested it in. the audio was loud with a reasonable amount of clarity in it. However, once we reach the maximum sound output level, one can observe some crackling as well. Go handled the various acoustic levels of songs which were without too much instrumentation very well. But the negative aspect came up while listening up to songs which demanded bass. If you listen to artists who rely on bass, this might not be the relevant product for you. That said, the sound intensity and quality provided by JBL Go is sufficient while using it indoors.
Battery
JBL Go is fuelled up by a 600mAh non-removable battery. JBL provides a microUSB cable to recharge the battery. The battery takes approximately 80 to 85 minutes for a full charge. The company claims a nonstop playback time of around 5 hours. During our tests, we got a nonstop playback time of around 5 hours 15 minutes.
Verdict
Priced at around 1999 INR, JBL Go is a nice combination of robustness, beauty and moderate audio quality wireless speaker. It is ideal for use at small gatherings and parties. If you are looking for a decent Bluetooth speaker which carries reputed brand name and bass isn’t much of the concern, then, this might be the product for you.
