JBL XTREME BATTERY INDICATOR PORTABLE
You don’t get aptX or NFC support, which is a shame for both sound quality and convenience, but connecting via Bluetooth is incredibly easy. The speaker is fully loaded with four drivers, two JBL Bass Radiators, a rechargeable 10,000mAh Li-ion battery which supports up to 15 hours of playtime, and a convenient USB charge out JBL Xtreme 2 is the ultimate portable Bluetooth speaker that effortlessly delivers dynamic and immersive stereo sound The JBL Xtreme is a bigger and badder Flip Factory Directly 7. It also charges from empty in around three hours, and indicator lights on the front show you just how much charge is left so you’re never caught short. I certainly never managed to run the battery down in a single session during my time using it. JBL has squeezed a huge 10,000mAh battery into the Xtreme, which JBL claims can run for up to 15 hours continuously. Chances are you’ll rarely need to unzip it when you’re out and about, but if you do it’ll be so you can charge your phone or tablet from either one (or both) of the USB ports.ĭon’t worry about draining the battery so you can charge your phone, though.
JBL XTREME BATTERY INDICATOR ZIP
To keep the electrical connections safe, the underside has a waterproof zip where a power socket, two USB ports, the 3.5mm line-in, and a “service” micro-USB port are hidden away. For some reason, JBL hasn’t stated an IP rating for the speaker so it’s unclear just how wet it can get, but I’ve used it during a rain shower, and JBL states it can be washed under a dripping tap. This adds a pleasing tactile element and is also splashproof. What sets the Xtreme’s design apart from its peers is its cloth jacket, which is wrapped around the speaker’s rubber housing. It’s also available in Blue and Black, but these just don’t have the same visual impact. It’s a fantastically well put-together Bluetooth speaker, and the red version I was sent for review really looks the part. The Xtreme isn’t small, either, measuring 283 x 122 x 126mm (WDH).ĭespite its size and bulk, I rather like the Xtreme’s brash style.
Amusingly, it comes with its own guitar-style shoulder strap, which is fine if you don’t mind looking like a modern-day Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Weighing a rather hefty 2.1kg, it isn’t the sort of speaker you can just throw in your bag when you’re heading out the door. If features such as smart assistant support and multi-room audio are not a must, the JBL Xtreme 2 is a top buy.For a portable speaker, JBL’s Xtreme isn’t really all that compact. The bass is deep, but controlled and balanced, meshing perfectly with clear mids and crisp treble. Every inch of it screams ‘big bass’, but the sound is far more measured and refined.
This is a portable boombox speaker with JBL’s signature side-loaded passive radiators. Often that means a product is worse than expected, but this time it’s a pleasant surprise. It’s true that some people want that from a wireless speaker, but what you get here is much better. While the Xtreme 2 extends down to the upper 55Hz sub-bass region for realistic-sounding kick drums and bass drops, that kind of juvenile excess just isn’t here. Just don’t expect the kind of oversized bass that might seem a natural fit for a boombox. This speaker sounds much more refined and delicate than it looks, without going too far and creating a bass-light tone. The Xtreme 2’s impressive stereo imaging highlights JBL’s aim of providing great audio, pure and simple. The mids have surprising fidelity, treble is clean and clear, with only the slightest hint of granularity that is no surprise in a speaker at this level. JBL’s tuning is remarkably tasteful, something that can be heard throughout the sound.