
It’s summer and you know what that means: Getting a tan on the beach while drinking your favorite drink, endless outdoor sports and activities, and nights out by a bonfire. While you lounge by the shore or in a park, wouldn’t it be nice to listen to some music? You can get yourself a portable Bluetooth speaker. There are so many great wireless speakers to choose from, boasting great designs and the latest in audio tech. One such speaker is the old-but-gold JBL Xtreme.
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The JBL Xtreme was released four years ago, but that doesn’t mean it can’t compete with its newer contemporaries. It has an ergonomic cylindrical shape, a trait that it shares with most JBL speakers. The speaker is covered in black mesh fabric (it comes in other colors as well, including blue, red, and camouflage) that provides additional waterproofing. At 4.65 pounds it is rather heavy for a portable speaker. We doubt anyone will appreciate holding it for a long time. Luckily, it comes with two metal hooks on both ends so you can attach it to a strap on your bag. This speaker has an IPx4 rating, which means it can handle splashes of water. Just don’t dip it in the water.
This speaker boasts two external dual-passive radiators on both ends that pump out terrifically powerful bass. Control buttons are found up top, including the power button, the volume up and down buttons, the play/pause button, the Bluetooth pairing button, and the JBL Connect button. This button allows you to sync the Xtreme with another JBL speaker wirelessly so both can play the same music simultaneously.
All the Xtreme’s ports are found in a compartment hidden behind a zipper, including a 3.5mm jack to play music from an external source, two USB ports to charge your phone, and a power jack to charge it. This zipper-protected compartment looks great but is a little cumbersome to access.
The Xtreme boasts solid sonic performance. Aside from the terrific bass emanating from the twin radiators, cranking up the volume really high doesn’t compromise audio quality. Plus, at its highest volume, the Xtreme can get extremely loud for its relatively small size.
Battery life is equally impressive at 15 hours long with continuous playback at normal volume. When you play music at an even lower volume, you can squeeze out a couple more hours from it.
The JBL Xtreme offers excellent sound performance, long-lasting battery life, and splash-proof design that’s perfect for outdoor use. However, if you want a wireless speaker that’s even more durable and waterproof, check out the JBL Charge 3, which you can completely submerge in water without worries. For something more affordable check out the JBL Flip 4, which costs only $100 or less.