JBL GO Review – A Bluetooth Speaker For Your Holidays
A few weeks ago I rented a car for a summer trip in Europe. I was already almost done with the playlists on my phone when I realized the car didn’t have any aux input or Bluetooth connection. Can you believe it? A brand new car, with only a CD player and FM radio? Anyway, I couldn’t bear the idea of a long trip without my favorite music, so I headed to the nearest electronics store to get an affordable and compact Bluetooth speaker.
The JBL GO caught my attention; it was tiny, minimal-cute and (according to the rep) good enough for our trip. It turned out the guy was right…
In the car
I knew it couldn’t replace a proper car sound system, but this tiny beauty made our car trip much more enjoyable. The sound was balanced and loud enough to satisfy even an audio geek like me. Connecting it was a breeze, the soft buttons have a nice feel and the device even doubles as a speakerphone.
Speaking of specs, this is a Bluetooth 4.1 device. The manual says you can expect up to 5 hours of playing time (and I can confirm that, actually it felt like it lasts even longer). A full charge takes approx 1.5 hours (a USB cable is included).
The pool test
During our trip, we spent a few days in a B&B in the countryside. What’s better than swimming in an outdoor pool on a hot summer day? Swimming in an outdoor pool listening to the music you love!
I was with some friends, and when I started playing my playlists through the JBL GO (from the other side of the pool) they couldn’t believe that such a tiny device could sound that good. Long story short, dear JBL, I think I got you some new customers that day, you owe me a drink or three.
A welcome bonus
The JBL GO also boasts a 3.5 mm line input, so I hooked it up to the OP-1 to make some music. Especially in summer I don’t like using headphones when making music, so the JBL GO line in proved to be very helpful to create an ultra-compact music making setup.
https://youtu.be/7J39cPYTx1I
Conclusion
These must have been the best $ I spent so far this summer. If you’re looking for a travel-friendly Bluetooth speaker for your next holidays, you should give the JBL GO a try. I’ve loved its surprising audio quality (3.0W never sounded that good!) and its award-winning product design (available in 8 different colors). Enjoy your trip and let me know!
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About The Author
Fab
Founder & main editor here at ANR, 'non-musician' and music-tinkerer. His first keyboard was a cheesy Yamaha PSS-270. He still loves it.
Hi there,
Good to know that you had such a wonderful trip with JBL GO ! I just bought this tiny speaker yesterday, and I have been already shocked by its audio quality, so impressive!! I didn’t expect that I could have this good sound when I paid the money. I am sure I will also bring some new customers to JBL too. Now I decide to take it in my bag with me every day, and enjoy my favourate music wherever I can. 🙂
Like your post, have a nice day!
( forgot to mention, I am Chinese, and I have to pay more money to get this device because of the terrible tax, for about $49, d*mn it. 😀 )
David