Compact, portable Bluetooth speakers are hard to come by thanks to the overwhelming popularity of the Beats Pill. JBL has always done a solid job of releasing solid bluetooth speakers, and the Charge 2 may be their best yet.
Features and Design:
The JBL Charge 2 has the approximate shape of a very large cylindrical soda can, and obviously a lot heavier and more durable. A hard speaker grille covers much of the front and back, while the rest of the unit, including the panel with the built-in controls, features a silicone shielding. It's easy to see that the speaker was made with durability in mind, but it still manages to give off a premium design. On either end of the cylinder are passive radiators that help provide the kind of enhanced bass that you can clearly see vibrating. They're suspended in place by rubber connectors and visibly pulse and vibrate while playing music, which is a cool feature on such a little speaker. Tucked away at the base of the Charge 2 is an auxiliary input for playing music from a wired device, as well as the micro-USB input for charging the unit. As with the company's recent JBL Synchros E40BT headphones, each end of the speaker features the large JBL logos. (in addition to the smaller one on the front), but beyond the standard black model, the color options, including blue, red, and purple, are very nice to look at. You'll tap into the Charge 2 with your smartphone, tablet, or other device wirelessly via Bluetooth 3.0. It's very easy to connect it, and once you connect it, you won't have to tinker with the settings after the initial setup.
Quality and Performance:For a relatively compact, battery-powered speaker, the JBL Charge 2 can really get up there in sound quality and volume. The first time I turned it on, the volume levels startled me, and the sound level wasn't maxed out. Compare it to the solid sound of the compact Jambox or the JBL Clip and the difference is immediately noticeable: The Charge 2 offers enough audio to fill a small room without significant distortion, so long as you're not cranking it at full blast. The most notable positive comes with its nicely differentiated range. This allows you to clearly hear both the rumbling bass separate with high levels of treble beautifully. Many speakers of the same size have trouble with bass, but the Charge 2 handles it perfectly. The JBL Charge 2 is bulkier than the Jambox and the Beats Pill, and there are much more compact Bluetooth speakers on the market. But JBL's device provides an obvious upgrade that you can actually hear. The JBL Charge 2 also wins praise for going above and beyond as a portable speaker. Within the sturdy unit beats a sizable 6,000mAh battery that offers an estimated 12 hours of playback, which is more than enough for me. If you're out and need a quick charge, you can simply plug your smartphone or tablet directly into the unit's USB port and pull from that built-in battery reserve. Granted, doing so will knock out some of those playback hours. But, when in need, it's an incredibly useful feature to have. The Charge 2 also has a social play option that allows up to three devices to be paired at once, letting a few local friends alternate control of the speaker at will, which is very impressive.
Final Thoughts:The JBL Charge 2 represents real improvement in an over-crowded genre, but in the end, it proved to be a superb speaker with a lot of cool features packed in. +Terrific Sound Quality +Fantastic Bass Response +Sturdy Design +Excellent Battery -A Bit Bulky
S&S Rating: 9/10 @whatsPlay
