JBL Go 4 test: our full opinion –

The JBL Go 4 is the ultimate portable speaker. Its mini format – it fits in the palm of the hand – allows you to take it practically anywhere with you and enjoy sound far superior to that of a smartphone. The JBL Go 4 is not fundamentally different from its predecessor the JBL Go 3, but benefits from aesthetic improvements and offers improved sound.

JBL Go 4 Technical sheet

The enclosure used for this test was loaned by the manufacturer

JBL Go 4 Compact and waterproof

The JBL Go 4 is the smallest Bluetooth speaker on the market and certainly the most practical to slip into a bag or clothing pocket. It measures a little over 9 cm wide, 7 cm high, approximately 4 cm thick and weighs only 190 grams. Difficult to go smaller without excessively sacrificing sound performance. Moreover, we are intrigued by this tiny speaker and we wonder what JBL could possibly have released from such a format.

The appearance of the Go 4 is reminiscent of that of the manufacturer’s other nomadic speakers, with a nylon mesh on all sides and the huge JBL logo in relief with orange edges on the front. Small refinement, the logo is covered in non-slip silicone, which makes it easier to grip the speaker. Moreover, this silicone is used on all sides of the speaker. In other words, the Go 4 is unlikely to slip out of your hand or slip from where it is placed. A small strap is attached to the upper right corner, for carrying or hanging the speaker.

On the left side edge are the power buttons, Bluetooth pairing and stereo chaining (with a second JBL speaker), as well as a power indicator LED. The play/pause and volume buttons are located at the top of the speaker. As is the case with all JBL portable speakers, they are recognizable to the touch by their relief design. So, you can adjust the volume without even looking at the Go 4. The USB-C charging port is installed on the right.

The JBL Go 4 seems very solid and the few drops suffered during this test did not affect its appearance or alter its operation. The speaker does not damage the surface on which it falls. It is also completely waterproof (IP67) and is not afraid of being placed in sand or immersed in water.

Acoustic design of the JBL Go 4

JBL sticks to passive radiator charging to produce balanced sound, despite a very small internal air volume. As a reminder, the smaller a speaker is, the less it is capable of producing bass sounds. Low frequencies require a much larger transducer than mid and high frequencies, which must rely on a large amount of air in the enclosure to “vibrate” more energetically.

In the case of the JBL Go 4, the transducer is only 5 cm in diameter and the internal air volume is ridiculous. Under these conditions, it is impossible to produce bass, unless you use a passive radiator – an unpowered transducer – which mechanically amplifies bass sounds. This system, which is found in all JBL portable speakers, is also present in the Go 4.

JBL Go 4 A simple to use speaker

The JBL Go 4 is very easy to use. The pause and resume playback button can be used to change tracks, with two presses for the next one and three presses for the previous one. The volume increments are small enough to accurately adjust the listening volume. To personalize the sound of the Go 4, you have to use the JBL Portable application.

There are three equalization profiles and a mode called Partytime Boost, which extends the autonomy of the speaker. No miracle, this is done to the detriment of the low frequencies which are set back to lower the power consumption of the integrated amplifier. This mode therefore has very limited interest.

With the JBL Go 4, you can play stereo… as long as you have two. Simply press the triangle-shaped button on each speaker in succession for them to detect each other and pair up. By using two speakers, we necessarily lose some of the interest of the Go 4, since the size of a double stereo configuration means that more space must be provided to transport the pair of speakers. However, the soundstage is transfigured, the sound much wider and the maximum sound volume increased. By the sea or in a slightly noisy environment, two speakers may be more useful than one. Thanks to Party Boost mode, several JBL speakers can be combined to play the same music. Compatibility is limited to Auracast (Go 4, Clip 5, Xtreme 4) and Party Boost (Boombox 2 and 3, Charge 5, Flip 5 and 6, Pulse 4 and 5 and Xtreme 3) compatible speakers.

The Bluetooth 5.3 controller is compatible with dual multipoint Bluetooth connection, which allows the JBL Go 4 to be used with two sources, without needing to disconnect from one to use the other. This dual connection is also practical for sharing use of the speaker with someone. As always, there is a sound decoding latency which, if you decide to use the Go 4 to play with your smartphone, causes a delay in the sound on the image.

Radio frequency reception is very good up to 10 meters and causes micro-cuts beyond that, which complies with Bluetooth specifications. You should therefore be careful not to move too far from the speaker with your smartphone.

JBL Go 4 Beautiful vocal reproduction

With such a small speaker, one should have moderate expectations in terms of sound performance. There’s no question of partying in the park with the JBL Go 4, because its reproduction of very low frequencies – essential to give a feeling of power – is almost non-existent and its maximum sound volume is moderate. You should consider the Go 4 as an extra speaker, a small radio that you ideally keep close to you. Under these conditions, it is very intelligible and the restitution of voices is careful. More than a meter away or at the back of a room, it can only create a sound environment of medium intensity. Still, it will surprise more than one user with its trunk and its refinement. Because the great quality of the JBL Go 4 is its beautiful tonal balance, combined with precise mid and high frequencies. This is an improvement over the Go 3.

Our measurements show that the Go 4 has been tuned to better embody vocals, delivering a soft sound, with a hint of brilliance in the treble. The exploration of the bass is limited to the low frequency of approximately 90 Hz, which allows the speaker to emphasize the tempo of the music, without however offering a feeling of generosity or depth to the percussion and bass guitar. This was expected and this is precisely the constraint of such a small enclosure. On the other hand, the peak intensity of 300 to 500 Hz gives generosity to both male and female voices. This is important because this type of small speaker is often used for listening to the radio. The curve flexes in the midrange and upper midrange, which prevents the speaker from being aggressive. The peak above 10kHz gives a hint of shine and edge to the sound. This balance changes beyond 50% volume, because JBL has limited the bass volume so that the Go 4’s transducer does not run away and produce too much distortion.

Dynamic behavior and soundstage

The small 5 cm transducer is not capable of marking large dynamic differences and you should therefore not expect to be startled. However, the transitional regime is satisfactory and all types of music are played with pleasant energy. On the soundstage side, with a single transducer and therefore in mono, no miracle: there is neither width, nor hardly any depth. But that’s not what we ask of this type of speaker. For this, you have to look at stereo and larger models, like the JBL Xtreme 4.

JBL Go 4 Adequate autonomy

JBL announces around 7 hours of battery life and this is what I was able to obtain by listening to the speaker at 50% volume with the default sound signature (JBL Signature). It’s already very loud and, when the Go 4 is placed close to you, it is more likely to be listened to at 25% volume, or even less. In this case the autonomy flirts with 9 hours.

If your picnic drags on and your spirits get drunk at the point of listening to an unreasonable volume, it is better to take an external battery with you to recharge your batteries, especially as the speaker can operate while charging. A full charge takes just under 3 hours. Finally, the Go 4 can be used to charge a smartphone.

JBL Go 4 Price and release date

The JBL Go 4 speaker is available in black, white, red, blue, purple, pink and camouflage colors at a price of 49.99 euros.