Customer reviews from jbl.com
JBL - Charge 4 - Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black Camo
Average customer rating
4.4
(1,191 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 1,191 reviews
5 Stars
858
4 Stars
138
3 Stars
69
2 Stars
52
1 Star
74
88%of customers recommend this product.
(
796 out of
901)
Customer Reviews for JBL - Charge 4 - Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black Camo
Customer Rating
5
Charge series evolved!
on January 15, 2019
Posted by: Steven S
from Atlanta, GA, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When I first read the JBL charge 4 had done away with dual drivers in favor of one proprietary driver. I thought this was crazy (not in a good way) until I listened. I felt testing this new single driver against a charge 3 dual driver would be a fun and fair comparison. Standing in front anywhere from 5-15’ish feet, I could not tell a single driver from a dual driver’d charge 3. If anything, the charge 4 has more to give in ways of overall power, sound stage, tuning and loudness.
The differences seem to fluctuate depending on music. For example, Gorillaz and Princess Freesia/Soulpersona (fist bump Oluv) gave the charge 4 the advantage over the charge 3 in overall soundstage and really showed a better tuned speaker. The charge 3 sounded as if there was some type of fabric wrapped around it. Rock like Jane’s Addiction seemed to make the charge 3 & 4 sound more similar than different. Maybe this was a midrange thing? Stevie Wonder and Adele (once again) showed a much better tuned charge 4 vs. the charge 3 with more defined, crisp highs, cleaner but sweet lows and just overall more power and better separation. Lumineers also had more of a cleaner sound while the charge 3 just sounded like there was fabric wrapped around it..kind of a light muffle compared to the charge 4.
I can kind of see why people claim the charge 3 and 4 sound similar but I am not one of those people. The charge 3 was a rock-solid speaker for its time but JBL DID evolve it with the charge 4. After comparing the 2 speakers’ side by side in different rooms/distances/genres, I see what JBL did there with the charge 4 and I was pleasantly surprised. My hat is off to them for improving without straying from an already great recipe. Depending on your budget, the charge 3 is solid BUT if you have a little extra to drop in the charge 4 definitely do it!
Minor side note, the charge 4 does not include a wall plug but does come with a USB A-USB C cable to charge it but you must provide your own wall/usb charger. The charge 4 uses a USB C cable to charge itself but it does have the USB A output in case you want to charge your phone while on the go.
The differences seem to fluctuate depending on music. For example, Gorillaz and Princess Freesia/Soulpersona (fist bump Oluv) gave the charge 4 the advantage over the charge 3 in overall soundstage and really showed a better tuned speaker. The charge 3 sounded as if there was some type of fabric wrapped around it. Rock like Jane’s Addiction seemed to make the charge 3 & 4 sound more similar than different. Maybe this was a midrange thing? Stevie Wonder and Adele (once again) showed a much better tuned charge 4 vs. the charge 3 with more defined, crisp highs, cleaner but sweet lows and just overall more power and better separation. Lumineers also had more of a cleaner sound while the charge 3 just sounded like there was fabric wrapped around it..kind of a light muffle compared to the charge 4.
I can kind of see why people claim the charge 3 and 4 sound similar but I am not one of those people. The charge 3 was a rock-solid speaker for its time but JBL DID evolve it with the charge 4. After comparing the 2 speakers’ side by side in different rooms/distances/genres, I see what JBL did there with the charge 4 and I was pleasantly surprised. My hat is off to them for improving without straying from an already great recipe. Depending on your budget, the charge 3 is solid BUT if you have a little extra to drop in the charge 4 definitely do it!
Minor side note, the charge 4 does not include a wall plug but does come with a USB A-USB C cable to charge it but you must provide your own wall/usb charger. The charge 4 uses a USB C cable to charge itself but it does have the USB A output in case you want to charge your phone while on the go.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Highly Recommended
on January 15, 2019
Posted by: Bill B
from Buffalo, NY, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was surprised by the bass and mid range depth. This is the best portable Bluetooth speaker I have heard, hands down. Long battery life and waterproof make this the perfect outdoor speaker.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Exactly the Right Size
on January 14, 2019
Posted by: Moli
from Minneapolis, MN, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Absolutely love this speaker. I live a pretty active lifestyle, and this speaker is the perfect size to take with me wherever I go. Its about the size of a water-bottle and fits in the side-pocket of my backpack. Great for hiking/day trips. The durable/waterproof design and ability to charge my phone are just bonuses.
Don't worry about it being too small though, it gets louder than I'd ever need.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Very nice quality, good sound, waterproof !
on January 14, 2019
Posted by: mydoglouie
from Minneapolis, MN, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I wanted to try a Bluetooth speaker that was waterproof. This is a very high quality speaker. Waterproof feature is awesome. Being able to use this speaker near the pool or at the beach is great. The size of the speaker is just right, not too big.
Sound of this speaker is nice and loud, bass is good. I love the availability to add a second speaker via the jbl connect. I would like to add a second speaker for more sound. Great features, and very nice looking. Highly recommend !!
Sound of this speaker is nice and loud, bass is good. I love the availability to add a second speaker via the jbl connect. I would like to add a second speaker for more sound. Great features, and very nice looking. Highly recommend !!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
on January 13, 2019
Posted by: Beatrice O
from Covina, CA, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Great speaker, it has an amazing bluetooth range. It comes with a type C charger. Loud speaker with good base.
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Great Clarity
on January 12, 2019
Posted by: xtg14x
from Salt Lake City, UT, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Comparing to the Charge 3, the Charge 4 improves noticably in a few areas. It's slightly larger in every way, and the two main drivers are now oval. As for sound, it seems to be better at throwing sound in all directions, as well as sounding fuller and bigger which makes it better at filling a room. My favorite part about the Charge 4 is the amount of clarity it achieves, the separation of vocals and different instruments, and cleaner treble and bass. It makes the Charge 3 sound cloudy and congested. A worthy successor, in my opinion.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Great battery capacity. Good sound
on January 12, 2019
Posted by: surmap5923
I purchased this a month ago, to replace a JBL Extreme that I gave to my son. Good sound, and the battery lasts for days.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Perfect Party Speaker
on January 12, 2019
Posted by: Tim123
from Tucson, AZ, United States
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is much bigger and louder than the previous Charge 2 that I've owned for a few years, though it is still perfectly portable. The bass is impressive for its size and its sound fills up our great room nicely. While this works well for an everyday speaker, it really shines outdoors while camping and pool parties. I had a number of people tell me how great it sounded on a recent camping trip. This one is a keeper!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com