JBL Xtreme 4 review: our full review –

After four years of good and loyal service, the JBL Xtreme 3 is bowing out. The manufacturer has considerably revised its copy with multiple acoustic and functional improvements. If the transducers change little, the amplification gains a handful of Watts and the extension in the low frequencies a few Hertz, with the result a fuller sound. The JBL Xtreme 4 is now more durable and its battery can be replaced by the user. And some new features are also appearing.

JBL Xtreme 4 Technical sheet

The enclosure used for this test was loaned by the manufacturer

JBL Xtreme 4 Water and shock proof

The JBL Xtreme has gained weight. A few centimeters here and there, clearly visible at first glance. The JBL This weight gain is in no way annoying, the speaker can be easily carried on the shoulder with its comfortable removable strap. The Xtreme 4 is distinguished by its control area, now organized in two rows of buttons. Those for reading and volume are tilted more towards the user and easy to differentiate by touch thanks to a marked relief. The power and Bluetooth pairing buttons are integrated into a hollow, backlit panel.

At the back, the connectivity is evolving. Gone is the silicone hatch of the Xtreme 3 with its USB-C, USB-A ports and its mini-jack line input; the Xtreme 4 only has a single USB-C port. The latter is used both for recharging an external device (smartphone, etc.) and for powering the speaker, for which JBL provides a power supply. Charging can optionally be carried out with a USB battery, which was not possible with the Xtreme 3 which only had a mains socket.

Another change, the base of the speaker now houses a waterproof hatch for the battery, closed with two Torx screws. JBL promises that the battery will be released and the user will be able to replace it easily. Once checked, the hatch opens without incident and we discover a large battery which simply needs to be removed from its housing. Its capacity is 9444 mAh (68 Wh) compared to 5000 mAh (36 Wh) for that of the Xtreme 3.

Despite everything, the speaker retains its IP67 certification, which makes it completely waterproof and dustproof. The JBL Xtreme 4 therefore has no fear of falling into a bathtub or swimming pool. It is also not afraid of shocks and its aluminum radiators are protected from falls by thick semi-rigid silicone rings.

Acoustic design of the JBL Xtreme 4

The JBL Xtreme 4 is equipped with four active and two passive transducers to amplify very low frequencies. On the front there are two 7 cm diameter transducers responsible for low and mid frequencies, as well as two 2 cm dome tweeters dedicated to high frequencies. The 7 cm transducers are associated with an amplification of 2 x 30 W, while the tweeters can count on 2 x 20 W. These powers are better distributed compared to the Xtreme 3, which used 25 W amplifiers for all frequencies, while low frequencies consume more current than high ones.

The maximum power of the speaker is available only when the AC adapter is used. Otherwise, on battery, the power is limited to 2 x 20 W and 2 x 15 W. In practice, the difference in volume is only heard when the speaker is listened to at full volume. On battery, the dynamic margin is then limited. So much for the explanations, but in practice all this is negligible.

JBL Xtreme 4 Five buttons and that’s it

Nothing new under the sun, the JBL Xtreme 4 is pleasant to use. Its two attachment points and the strap also allow it to be hung from a hook or tree branch. The only criticism we can make concerns the button for pairing with other JBL speakers, which has disappeared in favor of another pairing button, but only with Auracast compatible speakers.

At least in the current state of the Auracast audio peripheral market, the simplified connection protocol is only very rare. You can, however, use the old JBL Party Connect protocol, but you will have to go through the JBL Portable app. In this case, the JBL Xtreme 4 can be combined with a Flip or Charge speaker to play in concert.

The JBL Portable app offers multiple EQ profiles and a customizable mode with 5 EQ keys. The PartytimeBoost mode is designed to extend the autonomy of the speaker when engaged, however at the cost of a reduction in the volume of low frequencies, detrimental to my taste for the beautiful natural balance of this speaker. Finally, the speaker startup and shutdown music can be deactivated through the app.

A little AI to improve the sound?

JBL announces that the high volume. Is AI really needed to achieve this result?

Not really, especially since the Xtreme 4 behaves like the BoomBox 3 Wi-Fi or the Charge 5 Wi-Fi from this point of view, which are not equipped with AI. And then this technology of dynamic power limitation so as not to exceed the capacities of the amp and transducers is not new. There may be a bit of marketing overload here, but the presence of an electronic safeguard to limit saturation is a very good thing.

Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint

On the wireless side, the onboard Bluetooth 5.3 controller is compatible with multipoint connection, which allows the speaker to be used successively with two smartphones for example, without having to manually disconnect from one to use the other. Audio latency is noticeable in video games, with the sound arriving with a very slight delay on the image. No worries for the films and series that you would like to watch with the Xtreme 4, sound and image are perfectly synchronized with the videos. The radio link is stable through thin partitions or a wooden floor and outdoors up to approximately 10 meters away.

JBL Xtreme 4 Powerful and precise sound

With its increased size, we could expect the JBL Xtreme 4 to play a little louder than the Xtreme 3. This is not the case and the two speakers are equal in terms of sound power. Also, the greater volume of the speaker is certainly due to the inflation of the size of the battery and not to a greater volume of air, because, in the bass, the two speakers play an equal role. However, there are many differences.

JBL seems to have smoothed out the mid and high frequency registers, which provides more comfort for the ears at high volume. This has clearly been a trend at JBL for several months, the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi and Boombox 3 Wi-Fi being similarly softer than the models they replace, while still being punchy in their reproduction.

The response curve of the JBL It is much better from this point of view than the Charge 5 Wi-Fi, but logically below the exceptional BoomBox 3 Wi-Fi. A closer look at the curve shows peaks of presence in the register midrange, around 300 Hz to better embody the voices and 700 Hz to better emphasize them, then a slight withdrawal of acidic frequencies for the ear (1 kHz – 3 kHz), then a beautiful linearity in the treble up to 10kHz. The curve then rises to peak around 15 kHz, a frequency at which our ear is not very sensitive, but which brings precision to the entire musical message when it is accentuated. In short, it’s acoustic haute couture and the balance of the speaker is never faulty, regardless of the music played. In a nutshell, the JBL Xtreme 4 delivers consistent and very detailed sound.

• Bass: powerful and nuanced
• Midrange: soft and dynamic; good eye for detail
• Treble: fine and silky

Dynamic behavior and soundstage

In terms of dynamic margin, the JBL Xtreme 4 is not far behind. Here again, no notable difference with the Xtreme 3, despite more powerful amplification. At both low and high volume, the speaker separates the sound planes well and lets you hear a thousand details. Despite a stereo configuration, the soundstage is not very wide and the sound always seems to come from the speaker.

JBL Xtreme 4 Very variable autonomy

The usage time of a speaker such as the Xtreme 4 depends greatly on the listening volume, since its amplification is very powerful. Used at 90% of its volume, the Xtreme 3 lasted a couple of hours. Thanks to its battery with almost doubled capacity, the Xtreme 4 manages to last around 3h30 at full power. To imagine benefiting from the 24 hours of autonomy mentioned by JBL, you will have to listen at low volume and activate the PartytimeBoost mode which reduces (too much) low frequencies.

At 50% power, a level suitable for peacefully listening to music 2 meters from the speaker at the beach, against a backdrop of sea surf, the JBL Xtreme 4 lasted 19 hours, playing a pop playlist and jazz in normal sound mode. This is very good, but if you plan to add sound to an aperitif that lasts forever, or even extend it with a truly festive atmosphere, it will be better to take an external battery with you.

JBL Xtreme 4 Price and release date

The JBL Xtreme 4 is available in black, blue or camouflage and is priced at 349 euros. Its only valid competitor is the JBL Xtreme 3, whose stocks are currently sold out at around 200 euros.