Remember back in the day when you would listen to tunes in your room, even outside with friends, on a massive boombox? Perhaps even hoisted one over your head to let the girl of your dreams know you loved her. Boomboxes are making a comeback, of sorts, with a modern twist. Ones like the JBL Boombox 3 combine retro design with 21st century technology like Bluetooth wireless connectivity to a source device: no cassette tapes or CDs needed! I had the pleasure of listening to tunes from one for the last several weeks. Here’s my take.
What Is The JBL Boombox 3?
The portable (though not as small and lightweight as you might think) Bluetooth speaker boasts a three-way speaker system with racetrack-shaped subwoofer, two mid-range drivers, and two tweeters. It purports to offer deeper bass than the previous generation versions along with more powerful sound.
The speaker, which isn’t new (it was released a few years ago but remains a popular model in the line) can run for up to 24 hours per charge, providing a full day’s worth of music. Thanks to the IP67 rating, it’s also waterproof and dustproof so you can safely use it outside in most weather conditions, and technically even submerge it for short periods of time (it’s unlikely you’d do this, however, given the weight). Grab it from the sturdy metal handle with orange silicone grip to bring it with you.
Use the built-in power bank to charge the source device you’re using for music (or another), like a smartphone or tablet. With PartyBoost, easily connect other JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers to enhance sound, creating either a stereo experience with two or all-encompassing audio to fill a big space with more. Connect up to two mobile devices at once via Bluetooth 5.3 so two people can take turns playing DJ.
The JBL Boombox 3 sells in Canada for $600 and comes in either black or Camo. It’s distributed in Canada by Erikson Consumer.
JBL Boombox 3 Review
Taking the JBL Boombox 3 out of the box, it’s immediately evident that it has weight to it. You won’t be hoisting this speaker over your head unless you have been bench pressing daily: it weighs close to 15 lbs! With that said, the handle makes it easy to carry at your hip from room to room or from the boardwalk to the beach. Speaking of the beach, as noted, the high ingress rating means you could comfortably bring it to the beach or place it by the pool without worry about it getting splashed or touched with wet hands.
The speaker takes about six hours to recharge: my review unit came with an 80% charge out of the box, so I was able to get going immediately. It can plug into a power source and be used that way as well. Once you turn it on, you’ll hear JBL’s fun guitar riff sound (again when you turn it off) and it instantly goes into pairing mode. Otherwise, tap the prominent Bluetooth button to make it discoverable.
Download the JBL Portable app for simple equalizer controls and software updates: there was a PartyBoost-related update that ran as soon as I opened the app. You can adjust bass, mid, and treble but there are no presets. Since you’ll likely be using this speaker for background tunes while you garden or for a backyard barbecue in the summer, getting down the nitty gritty of tweaking audio settings might not be a high priority anyway. Use the connected device to control volume or the on-speaker volume controls.
How does it sound? Considering JBL’s prowess in the audio space, it’s no surprise that this speaker doesn’t disappoint. Listening to “Wonderwall” from Oasis on SiriusXM, the vocals and backing track work harmonious: I could hear every nuance, from the drums to the guitars and the vocals with precise clarity. In Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand,” also played from SiriusXM, the vocals shined with fabulous detail.
I decided to check out some Spatial Audio tracks from Apple Music as well, including The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Both sounded wonderful, the beats and vocals nicely balanced with thumping bass in the former tune that would easily get a party started. I tested with the volume loud enough to entertain at a backyard or beach party and there was no distortion. In fact, the louder this speaker gets, the better it sounds.
With two of these speakers outdoors, you can really get a party going. As expected with JBL, as noted, the sound is very bass heavy. You can adjust this in the app if you don’t want to shake the floors or disturb the neighbours, but you’ll find bass overall to be more pronounced with this speaker than other similar speakers. If you love bass heavy tunes, this will be music to your ears.
Since I have been using “Creep” by Radiohead as a benchmark tune for many of the audio products I have been reviewing of late, I decided to try this song as well, played from Apple Music. Thom Yorke’s vocals, especially with the volume cranked, will give you chills. The reproduction of the vocals and instruments, including the guitar right down to the cymbals, is fantastic. I compared the audio to the Sonos Era 300 in the same room, and the sound from the Sonos speaker was slightly hollower. While I was still able to hear the nuances of the tune, the JBL speaker has more power, greater detail, and an overall more pleasant sound.
To verify with another track, I blasted Michael Sambello’s “Maniac,” first from the JBL Boombox 3 then the Sonos Era 300 and did the same with “Master of Puppets” from Metallica. The detail and sonic separation with the JBL Boombox 3 is impressive. While the Sonos Era 300 sounded great as well, there’s more oomph, power, bass, and emotion felt when listening from the JBL Boombox 3. The Sonos Era 300 is better suited for a private listening room/home theatre and the JBL Boombox 3 for a bass-thumping party, blasting tunes on Sunday home cleaning day, or bringing with you to the beach or park.
Should You Buy The JBL Boombox 3?
Simple to use, delivering powerful, bass-heavy sound, and rugged with long battery life are all qualities that make this portable Bluetooth speaker a winner. The only downside: it’s not quite as portable as you might hope. It’s easy to bring out to the backyard and from room to room, or pop in the trunk for a camping trip, tailgate, or game of family flag football at the park. But you aren’t going to walk to a friend’s house with this (unless they live next door) or saunter around a college campus. If you don’t have good upper body strength, you might even need to use two hands to carry it around.
But the versatility makes up for the heft. I love that the speaker can be used to recharge a phone as well. The IP67 rating makes it the perfect speaker to bring to the beach or use by the pool. You can play tunes from your phone and not worry about draining the battery and place the speaker on a blanket on the sand and feel confident that it’s protected.
The PartyBoost feature is a benefit as well since you can connect multiple compatible JBL speakers, even different models that support the feature, to create more immersive sound. From a big gathering with friends to a quiet night in with board games or dinner, the JBL Boombox 3 is a great option. It’s best suited for bass-heavy tunes, but with some tweaks in the app, you can still enjoy everything from smooth jazz to classical or soft rock, too.
Sure, the JBL Boombox 3 isn’t as small and lightweight as other portable Bluetooth speaker models. But there’s something nostalgic about carrying around a boombox like you did as a kid, even if it doesn’t have a tape deck or CD player. At $600, the JBL Boombox 3 is pricey, but you can often find it on sale for up to $150 off. If you’re looking for a versatile speaker to use inside and outside the home, and take with you, grab this speaker when it’s on sale.