Soundtrack Your Life: Why the JBL Charge 4 Speaker Is a Must-Have Audio Companion!

First Impressions

At first glance, the JBL Charge 4 doesn’t look like a different speaker than the predecessor. It basically has the same outlook as the Charge 3. But if you take a closer look at the build and the design, the Charge 4 does have some slight differences.

To be exact, the Charge 4 is slightly bigger than the JBL Charge 3. The difference is about a centimeter in all the parameters. In addition to the larger size, the Charge 4 is heavier than the predecessor. The weight difference is about 7.05 ounces in comparison.

While these differences might not seem like a big deal to some, it’s bad news for those planning to use it as an outdoor speaker. The increased weight and larger size decrease the portability factor of the Charge 4.

Even though it’s still more portable than regular speakers, you might find it hard to carry the speaker around in some cases. For example, when you’re hiking or traveling for a prolonged time. Nonetheless, the speaker is still backpack-friendly and should fit most backpack pockets.

Build Quality and Durability

The overall build quality of the JBL Charge 4 is really good for an outdoor speaker. As mentioned, it comes with an IPX7 rating, making it completely safe around water bodies. More to that the body of the speaker is relatively solid and sturdy. So, you can expect it to last for a prolonged time without any major issues.

Portability

While the JBL Charge 4 is larger and weightier than the JBL Charge 3, it’s still outstandingly portable. It’s small enough to fit in most of the smallest pockets of backpacks. And if you’re not hiking or traveling with a lot of weighty stuff on your back, the increased weight of the Charge 4 compared to Charge 3 won’t be noticeable.

Overall Sound Performance

The overall sound performance of the JBL Charge 4 isn’t really that great. It struggles to offer a consistent frequency response. As the accuracy is a bit low, the sound output may sometimes seem a little average.

Moreover, while JBL Charge 5, the successor, comes with a graphic EQ, the Charge 4 doesn’t. That means you’ll not have the option to tune the frequency response and make the speaker sound a bit better.

Bass Response

When it comes to the bass response, the Charge 4 is pretty decent. But you should see it performing better in open spaces and large rooms. After all, JBL has tuned it for outdoor listening. And this also means that the bass performance will seem underwhelming in a small room, garage, or closed space.

Mid-range Performance

The mid-range performance of the JBL Charge 4 is excellent. It’s pretty accurate and reasonably balanced. Thanks to that, you can expect to hear lead instruments and vocals with higher overall clarity and detail. But in certain cases, the vocals in the mids can get masked by the bass.

Treble

There’s a bit too much emphasis on the treble range. This makes the soundstage of the JBL Charge 4 feel very uneven while listening to certain tracks. In comparison, the JBL Pulse 4 has a much better soundstage. But Pulse 4 lacks some features that make the Charge 4 good.

Controls

The only good about the JBL Charge 4 in terms of controls is that it comes with clicky buttons, which are textured. Thanks to that, the buttons are easy to click. However, the buttons are hard to see in the dark, and there are no lights on the buttons. So, controlling the playback during the night can get pretty hard.

On the note of controlling the playback, the buttons of the Charge 4 let you pause, play, skip tracks, and change the volume. There is a Bluetooth button and a power button too. But the Bluetooth button doesn’t have any lights. Therefore, you can’t tell whether the speaker has successfully paired to a device.

Connectivity

Regarding connectivity, the Charge 4 has an AUX wired connection port. Thanks to that, you can use it as a desktop speaker if you want to. And even though there’s a USB port, the speaker doesn’t support USB audio. Instead, the USB is there to charge other devices.

About wireless connections, the Charge 4 offers outstanding Bluetooth performance. The range is up to 334.6 feet, and the speaker can maintain low-latency Bluetooth connections. 

Also, the speaker can make flawless connections with Android, iOS, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. In addition, you can keep the Charge 4 connected to two different devices at the same time. This feature should come in handy if you play music from two Bluetooth-enabled devices from time to time.

Battery Life

Another thing where the JBL Charge 4 shines is in terms of the battery life. The wireless speaker can offer up to 20 hours of runtime with a full charge. That’s more than enough for an entire day of music listening.

It has power-saving features to enhance the battery, such as auto shut off when the speaker is not connected. Also, it comes with a USB-C port for charging, which can charge the internal battery in just 4 hours.

App Controls

Even though the JBL Charge 4 comes with a companion app, there are not many good things to say about it. This JBL app is compatible with Android and iOS, and you can create a stereo pair using the link feature. Also, the app has a Party Mode, which lets you connect multiple speakers and get amplified sound in a large room.

But as hinted earlier, there are no EQ or advanced sound customization options. This makes the app less useful for users who want to get the most out of their wireless speakers.

Conclusion

Overall, the JBL Charge 4 is a decent pick for the price. And you can get immense value from it if you can grab it on deals. But you shouldn’t expect too much from it regarding sound performance. It’s good enough to offer an enjoyable experience, but it could’ve been a bit better.

This post was last updated on 2025-03-15 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.