JBL Charge 4 - Portable Bluetooth Speaker - White

The JBL Charge 4 delivers really strong, clear sound with deep bass for its size. It gets loud enough for outdoor use without distorting, and the battery life is excellent—I can use it for hours without worrying about charging it constantly. I also like that it’s waterproof, which makes it great for beach days, pool time, or just hanging outside. It feels durable and well-built, and the Bluetooth connection is quick and stable. Overall, it’s a reliable speaker that performs really well in different settings.

This thing is amazing, battery life, sound, waterproof-ness all TOP tier! It has taken a lengthy swim in the river with me, worked right away, and still a year later. Still has battery left after being the main speaker for a weekend. Can't recommend enough, so happy with my purchase!

(UPDATE) SO AFTER 2 WEEKS! IM EVEN MORE HAPPY WITH THIS SPEAKER! I think I've only charged this thing 2 times in the 2 weeks I've had it and I didn't even need to! I use it for about 8 hours a day also! I'm watching or rather listening to shows on my tablet while I work! So music may drain the battery faster but I've only had it get down to above half battery life! I also use it at home sometimes at night I'll fall asleep with it connected to my projector and thr battery is amazing! I throw it in my drone back with a bunch of other cameras and stuff never looks dirty or scratched o haven't dropped it yet and I hope I don't but it feels like it can handle a few good wasit level drops on solid ground before anything would happen! I hope the charge 5 and this one pair in party mode when I get that one! I needed a portable speaker in the shop sometimes I have to go outside and work and sometimes I just don't like the full system I have banging around tbis is perfect super clear sound sometimes I even hook my TV to and and set it next to the couch so I don't bother anyone else amd I can hear what people are saying because the crisp sound! I'm a very huge bass head but I like the fact that this doesn't sound muddy and over saturated with low end! (After a Week) I'm still loving this thing! The battery life is amazing! I ran my tablet at work on it for 2 days and charger the tablet from it the whole time and it only dropped one little dot / bar of battery in 2 days I wasn't running it super loud and a lot of what I was listening to was just talking but I listen to shows while I work so the screen was running on my tablet the whole time as well! I like it i haven't dropped it or gotten it wet yet but seem very sturdy! It hasn't gotten scratches or beat up in my work bag at all either! I plan on buying the charge 5 now hopefully I can get them to link together in party mode somehow!

THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW I LEFT FOR THE CHARGE 5 SPEAKERS. THE COMPARISON WITH THE CHARGE 4 IS AT THE UPDATE NEAR THE END OF THE REVIEW! ------------------- I purchased two of these to work as a stereo pair in my apartment to obtain a nice full sound without having to really crank the volume to have an enjoyable experience and bother the neighbors. Well it all started out great, the white look clean and are small enough to not take up too much visual space. They also sound fantastic for a battery powered speaker, relatively full low end and crisp highs without needing to be EQed. They are setup roughly 15’ feet from one another in opposing corners of my studio space. They add presence and a fullness that I was missing from my Notabrick Bluetooth speakers. Now for THE PROBLEMS: I synced the speakers together and switched them to “stereo” mode from the app with no problem using my iPhone 13 Pro running Bluetooth 5.1. When it was time to connect it to my stationary media hub it was intended for (a 2020 iPad 8th gen) it would only connect one speaker and not allow for a party link or stereo link between the two Charge 5’s anymore. It took my some time of testing and no help from the internet to find out that the Bluetooth 4.2 that the iPad uses means the JBLs could no longer connect in a pair. I figured they had their own connection protocol (perhaps wifi 2.4ghz) for party mode. This shared audio functionality will ONLY work if your device that is sending audio is Bluetooth 5.1. SECOND ISSUE: So I put the iPad aside and would only be using my iPhone for music since that’s the only way I could get the Stereo mode to function. But after 15-30 minutes of music playback the speakers will disconnect themselves from one another requiring you to manually go to them and reconnect themselves. Every third time or so they will also drop the Bluetooth connection requiring you to “forget device” on your phone and resync Bluetooth to your host Charge 5 and then relink the speakers. This is all to say that if you want to use more than one speaker, even using a compatible Bluetooth 5.1 device that they are extremely finicky. Using a single Charge 5 has proved to be very reliable, sound great and look great. I am an audiophile and have many thousands of dollars in pro audio. The current tested Firmware version is 0.8.6.0 and has not been updated for over a year so this is unlikely to be fixed. UPDATE: I purchased two Charge 4 speakers to run through all the same testing and scenarios as the newer Charge 5 Models and found that with the exception of the occasional dropout and auto reconnection (perhaps once every two hours or so) these have solved all my issues. In fact, having the Aux plug on this model has also meant I can plugin my DJ decks to them when we are at the park and the primary speaker that is being plugged into will duplicate the signal and send it to the second speaker wirelessly with no issues. There is about one second of lag with this setup so the use of my DJ headphones is a requirement, but I love the added functionality. I also find the battery meters to be much more easy to read on the Charge 4. Finally, I do not know if it's because the transmission power of the Bluetooth 4.2 in the Charge 4 over the Bluetooth 5.1 in the Charge 5, but I find that I get a longer transmission range with no dropouts with the older Charge 4 model. On paper this should be backwards but testing 4 independent units in different scenarios have shown this to be recurring findings for me. I have used the 2020 iPad, iPhone 13 pro and Macbook M1 pro and a HD Firestick as my test subjects. I do notice that the Charge 5 has a slight edge in real world testing for maximum volume and clearly has a crisper high end to it where the Charge 4 sounds a little more round but is still very pleasing to the ear. I suggest to save a ton of money and pickup the Charge 4 if you are planning on using them in a multi speaker setup like me.

The JBL Charge 4 remains a reliable workhorse for outdoor gatherings, boasting impressive volume and a battery life that can easily power a weekend camping trip, with the added bonus of charging your phone in a pinch. Its sound profile is commendably balanced for its size, offering clear mids and a punchy low end that avoids muddying the mix, though audiophiles might lament the mono output and slight distortion at max volume. The Charge 4 retains a devoted following for its legacy features like the 3.5mm aux input—a rarity in modern portables—and its ability to sync with older JBL Connect+ speakers. It’s a fantastic, tank-like speaker that prioritizes durability and battery stamina over cutting-edge bells and whistles.

Tenth on I’ve purchased and they’re great for patio grilling area. You don’t need to run wires and you can run them in party mode so they can be heard all over with a lower volume. Waterproof is so great! Got them around the pool and they never fail.

Initially, my preference was the Bose Soundlink Mini II with its smooth notes and decent sound quality in a small transportable package; that is, until I heard comparison against a JBL Charge 4 on YouTube. Based on that review and others, I purchased this speaker for its waterproof, multi-connect and sound. Great price: You can buy a Charge 3 direct from JBL for $129 with 12 color options, with price point being on par with Amazon. Sounds great; EXCELLENT better describes it. If you have a Charge 3 there isn't enough improvement to justify buying a Charge 4. The Charge 4 went from two smaller speakers to one slightly larger speaker which improved bass frequency from 65Hz to a deeper 60Hz. When the JBL arrived we conducted our own comparison against a Bose Soundlink Mini II and - Wow. The Charge 4 is much clearer, has better frequency response and has better sound presence in the room. It's a bit larger and heavier than the Soundlink Mini II which might turn some off, but to me; if I'm going to carry any speaker like this then I'm taking the same care and am sure I can find just a little more room. Good packaging but NO INSTRUCTIONS?! Not that charging and setup are all that difficult, but this is my first device that requires USB C, first anything that arrived with ZERO printed information, and rechargeable device that arrived with ZERO anything to charge it with. /// Setup was easy. I bought a USB C cable from the nearest gas station and plugged it in for 3 hours since it came somewhat charged already. Once charged, press the Bluetooth button then connect to your phone or other device. For settings, I always recommend phone volume to be no more than 1/2 to 3/4 volume then using the Charge 4 volume from there. This affords you plenty of up/down volume adjustment remotely from your phone and doesn't task the internal sound processor....this, since it's cheaper to replace/repair a Charge 4 than an expensive smartphone. You and someone else can be Bluetooth paired to this speaker at the same time. Battery Life: The built-in rechargeable Li-ion 7500mAH battery is strong. Not only does it support up to 20 hours of playtime (at lowest setting, and figure 10 hours at half volume), but it will also charge your phone and other devices via the USB port. I strongly suggest buying a protective case for it which will hold your charger, USB C charging cable AND any spare USB cable needed for cell phones. It has the same IPX7 waterproof as a iPhone, Samsung or other higher end smartphone. We place it on the deck without any worries of accidents from fluid spills, big splashes, being left in the rain, or even an accidental swim in the pool. Having that peace of mind alone is priceless. JBL Connect+: With Connect+ you can connect several of these to together for full sound experience. Put 4 in opposing corners of a large room, in different rooms, indoor and outdoors...heck, even in your car if your current stereo or speakers are crap. Bottom line - this being my FIRST Bluetooth speaker ever, and having friends that have made different choices for the speakers they have, I have zero regrets with my purchase after hearing it beside theirs. Bang for buck is spot on. I have excellent sound in a transportable package in a wireless speaker that is rugged, waterproof and allows multiple speakers as well as people to connect. I now proudly own the party favorite speaker for socials, events and private enjoyment. WIN!

The JBL charge 4 is a great product. I found it to be initially disappointing due to the warm sound signature. I have found that the highs aren’t totally accurate but they’re close enough to not distract you from the music. The highs are present but definitely aren’t strong which adds to the warm signature. The mids are very good and exceptionally clear for the size of this device. Because of this, the vocals are great in most songs. They are well represented unless they sneak up on the high notes which is when you can hear a slight distortion from accuracy. However, the vocals which dip into lower range sound really good as the speaker does a great job not to put too much emphasis on the radiators making it sound bassy and unrealistic. If you listen to high quality hifi tracks you’ll be able to imagine the singer right in front of you because of the presence and sound stage. As for the mono speaker, don’t listen to the critics of this new implementation because most of them either don’t know what they’re talking about or they are just picking at it because they don’t like the thought of it. You’re not going to get stereo by using 2 speakers 3 inches apart like on the last model and as for separation, this mono speaker separates just fine if not better than the last model especially in mid to lows. The speaker gets plenty loud for the average person and it manages to maintain its dynamics all the way to just under full volume. I’ve compared this speaker to many others such as charge 3, xb30, xb31, xb20, extreme, onyx... and what I’ve found is that while the highs are a bit lacking in certain songs it certainly makes up for it in other departments. The bass is very good in the charge 4. The bass notes are represented accurately and it’s able to hit lower frequencies most portable speakers of this size can’t (20). However, it’s worth mentioning it’s still no sub. This speaker has trouble representing very low frequencies. The radiators start shaking instead of making music which for those of you who don’t know (this doesn’t sound very good). The battery life of this speaker wasn’t as advertised and I found I could only get 9 hours on 60 percent volume which isn’t bad but is a huge deviation from the claimed 20 hours. After using this speaker for awhile and comparing it to other speakers, I’ve actually grown fond of this unit and it’s become my beach toy. Don’t take any critics in this review too seriously as I doubt most people are 50% as critical as me when it comes to audio but this one gets my thumbs up. Future improvements would definitely require a tweeter and possibly a bigger battery.

Viele ausprobiert von JBL aber die Charge 4 ist mit Abstand die Beste. Warum diese nicht mehr hergestellt wird kann ich nicht nachvollziehen! Hammer Sound, Bass, Handhabung... Einfach ein Hammer Teil...

The JBL Charge 4 is, in my opinion, the best of its class for size, battery life, sound quality, and build. It's not too big at all; perfect size can easily carry it in your hand or a backpack without any problems. The advertised battery life of 20 hours is valid and lasts me a week or more depending on use and volume; it also charges up pretty fast and can be used as a power bank to charge other devices. The sound quality is astonishing. It provides plenty of base, clarity in mids and highs, as well as a lot of volumes, e.g., can fill my house will sound without breaking a sweat. In my opinion, it far surpasses the likes of its competitors like the UE Boom 3, JBL Flip 5, Sony XB32, etc... The build quality and aesthetics are also gorgeous. The mesh material on the outside provides a premium look and feel while protecting the speaker as well, given its IPX7 waterproof rating. If you are looking for a portable, premium sounding, Bluetooth speaker, I would highly recommend purchasing this. The only reason I would consider something like the UE Boom 3 or JBL Flip 5 is if you really really need it to be portable. Because the JBL Charge 4 is quite portable and provides much better sound quality and battery life, which makes it worth the extra money.

Perfect in every sense

Uso no dia a dia do trabalho e recomendo, som alto e de qualidade.

Enjoyed the speaker with its good sound. been using almost a year and still working. Bass is good specially when the volume is increased. Easily connects to bluetooth, can connect 2 device at the same time. Satisfied!