JBL sound heritage comes to the fore in the JBL Xtreme 2. It produces a sound that is one of the best for a portable, waterproof, Bluetooth speaker this reviewer has had the pleasure to listen to.
Once you swallow the $349.95 price and look at the specs you will under why this costs what it does.
- 40 watts (2 x 20) – twice the majority of portable speakers
- 80dB (it goes higher than that) of clean, distortion-free sound
- Real bass kicking in at 55Hz
- Strong, flat mids
- Amazing treble (almost to 20kHz)
- 15-hour battery life (depends on use) and a power bank
- 136 x 288 x 132 mm x 2.393kg
Review: JBL Xtreme 2
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It’s a big, solid, powerful, BT 4.2 speaker that can fill a large room or outdoor area – perfect for the beach. It is one of the few waterproof speakers that doesn’t sound muddy (excuse the pun) – a symptom of most waterproofing.
Battery
The 15-hour, 1000mAh battery charges quite quickly from the 19V/3A (57W) charger – in our test it was under four hours. The unit also has a USB-A port to function as a 5V/2A power bank.
Waterproof – yes
It is IPX7 (think IP67) that like most smartphones can take a 1m dunking for up to 30 minutes. The durable fabric material and rugged rubber housing will also withstand sand, snow, and general pestilence like acid rain!
How does it sound?
Damned good. Its superior to most of the smaller BT speakers because it has some cubic volume – something a coke can sized speaker can’t achieve.
It has 2 x 2.75” drivers,. 2 x 20mmm tweeters and a passive Bass Radiator.
Real bass kicks in at 55Hz, and it is almost perfect to 20HkHz. It’s a warm and sweet JBL sound signature.
We also used it as a speakerphone, and it was clear. Callers could hear me as I walked around a large office.
You can connect it to two BT sources and switch between them (multi-point) and connect to up to 100 JBL Connect+ enabled speakers.
GadgetGuy’s take: JBL Xtreme 2
You expect this kind of sound quality from JBL. You don’t expect it from a waterproof speaker!
On that basis alone it’s a great device for rugged outdoor types or wussy beachgoers who may appreciate the carry strap.
I mentioned the price was $349.95 but if you look around you will find it on special for $249 (check online), and that makes it a stand up bargain. Go, buy it now.