JBL Xtreme 4 Speaker Review

The JBL Xtreme 4 has a very similar design to its predecessor, the JBL Xtreme 5. In terms of size, it's somewhere between the compact JBL Charge 5 and the heftier JBL Boombox 3. It can be placed either horizontally or vertically and there's two discreet hooks on top to attach a carrying strap. It's available in three color variants: 'Blue', 'Black' and 'Black Camo'.

This small speaker is lightweight enough to carried around in one hand. While it's marginally heavier than the JBL Xtreme 3, there's a handy removable carrying strap that can be used to make it even more portable.

This speaker has a great build quality. As with the last iteration, it's rated IP67, meaning it's dust-tight and can be immersed in water for up to 30 minutes. The whole speaker is wrapped in tight mesh for a sturdy feel and the bass radiators on either side seem similarly solid. There are two low-profile hooks on the top of the speaker that can be used to attach a carrying strap, which also features a built-in bottle opener.

The controls are straightforward and easy to use. The buttons themselves are responsive, with a good amount of give to let you know you've entered a command. There's a play button, a Bluetooth connection button, a power button, and a multi-speaker button for linking multiple PartyBoost or Auracast-compatible speakers. There are also dedicated buttons for volume up and down. Furthermore, there's an LED bar that indicates the battery level and charging status. The play/pause button is multi-function: you can press once to play/pause, press twice to skip a track, and press three times to skip back. There's audio feedback when you hit max volume (a chime), as well as visual feedback in the form of LEDs that light up when a function is engaged.

• JBL Xtreme 4 speaker
• Carrying strap
• AC adapter with USB-C connection cable
• Quick Start guide and safety information

When placed horizontally and with the default JBL Signature EQ, this speaker's frequency response is fairly similar to the JBL Xtreme 3, with balanced mids that help reproduce vocals and speech clearly. Though there's a dip in the treble response, it's not quite as veiled as the previous iteration, which adds some high-end sparkle to mixes. Due to its small size, there's not much in the way of rumble or thump in the low-end, though, so you'll want to opt for a larger speaker if you want the kicks in EDM songs to really shift some air. While the graphic EQ and presets in the app can't do much to amp up the bass, they do give you some scope to adjust the sound to your preferences.

The soundstage performance is decent. This speaker can play stereo content without downmixing to mono, which lets you hear a degree of separation between the left and right channels in your favorite songs. While its directivity isn't bad, audio doesn't sound as consistent across different listening angles as with other speakers with 360-degree designs.

The JBL Xtreme 4 has an okay dynamics performance. While it can get pretty loud for its size, there's quite a bit of compression at max volume that impacts audio clarity as you crank up the volume. This is particularly evident in the bass range, where you'll hear some pumping artifacts in transient-heavy music, like techno or EDM. If you're looking for a similarly portable speaker that compresses less at max volume, it's worth looking at the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus.

The battery life performance is amazing. The manufacturer advertises 24 hours of battery life but was able to achieve a little over 27 hours in testing. While it scores lower than the JBL Xtreme 3, it's worth noting that the battery life is over double the length. This speaker's battery life performance is hampered by its longer charge time. That said, if you don't mind plugging it in for a few hours between charges, you'll be rewarded with all-day battery life and then some. There's also a power-saving feature that switches the speaker off after 20 minutes of inactivity, as well as a 'Playtime Boost' feature in the app that can help extend the battery life.

The JBL Portable app is very good and gives you control over a few parameters that you can't adjust via the physical controls, like adjusting the graphic EQ or presets. There's even a 'Playtime Boost' function that helps prolong the battery life. You can also pair another compatible speaker to form a stereo pair or pair one or more compatible speakers via PartyBoost (for older JBL speakers) or Auracast (for new JBL speakers equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 or above) for a multi-speaker experience.

This speaker doesn't have any ports beyond the USB-C port that's used for charging. That said, you can also use the port to charge other devices using the speaker's battery.

This speaker features Bluetooth multipoint compatibility, so you can connect with up to two devices at one time, in case you and a friend want to share tune selection privileges. Latency with both Android and iOS devices isn't bad, but it's possible you'll experience some lip-sync issues between the audio and visuals if you're using this speaker to watch videos. That said, different apps and devices compensate for latency differently.