JBL Pulse 4 Wireless Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker Review

If you enjoy your music, and also like the outdoors, you may also like to take your tunes with you. JBL has several products that would work for you. Up for review today is the JBL Pulse 4. It’s a waterproof wireless speaker that will also put on a light show to your music.  So whether its out to the lake, or a camping trip where you get rained on, there’s no concern.

Features and specs:

Product Description

Sound you can see

Kick start your party with JBL signature sound and a dazzling LED light show all in 360 degrees. Our bold, IPX7 waterproof design shines bright and will keep the tunes flowing for up to 12 hours on a single charge. Tap the JBL Connect App to change the sound-responsive colors and patterns and connect with other JBL PartyBoost compatible speakers to make your party epic.

General Specifications

Maximum music playing time (hrs):  12

Output power (W):  20

Dimensions

Dimensions (cm):  9.6 x 9.6 x 20.7

Dimensions (in):  3.78 x 3.78 x 8.15

Weight (kgs):  1.26

Weight (lbs):  2.78

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth version:  4.2

Battery

Battery capacity (mAh):  7,260

Charging time (hrs):  3.5

Features

3.5 mm audio cable Input:  No

Auto-power off:  Yes

Bluetooth:  Yes

Lightshow:  Yes

Powerbank:  No

Speakerphone:  No

Voice Assistant integration:  No

Waterproof:  Yes

 

The JBL Pulse 4 came in a nice looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the speaker. Opening the box revealed a well protected speaker held in place by custom molded foam. The speaker was mostly made of plastic and what appeared to be silicone around the edges. Quality of materials used in the construction, as well as the fit and finish was very good. Also included was the owner’s manual and charging cable.

 

I really like the design on the JBL Pulse 4. On the top is an upward firing speaker. On the bottom is a down firing passive radiator. You get 360 degree sound, with good low-end extension for its size. It’s a waterproof design. So the clear smoked plastic on the outside seals the inner components and light show. Towards the bottom is the charge port. At the top are all of the buttons for power, Bluetooth, lights sync, as well as the play and volume control.

 

The JBL Pulse 4 has some excellent features. It has an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it can handle being submerged for 30 minutes at 1 meter. So no matter if you get caught in a rainstorm on your camping trip, or if it falls into the shallow end of the pool, you’ll be covered. The light show that you get to your music is great. And being able to link multiple of these speakers together is also a really cool feature! Now let’s see how it performs.

 

Timmy Trumpet: Savage Freaks: This little pulse 4 seriously jams! Vocals were crisp and clean with nice timbre and texture. The horns were nice and smooth without being too brassy, with very good harmonics. And the cymbals were crisp and clean. But what impressed me the most was the bass output. It played with better than expected low-end extension. And it played with so much authority my table was resonating! Even when pushed hard, the bass was well controlled with little distortion, and the highs were just a tad bright.

 

Disturbed: Sound of Silence: The vocals were pleasantly raw with very good resolution of the timbre, and very natural sounding. Piano sounded very natural, with nice warmth of the strings, of their harmonics. Guitar was crisp and clean. Drums had good dynamics and low end extensions playing with authority.

 

Michael Jackson: Don’t Stop till You Get Enough: Vocals were very natural sounding with smooth texture. Drums were really dynamic with tight impactful bass. Strings were also smooth with nice resolution of the bows. And I was impressed with the depth of the woodiness of the wood blocks that came through. There were a lot of instruments in this track, and the JBL Pulse 4 resolved them all very well without much perceived compression!

 

I enjoy spending time outdoors. And when I am outdoors, I like bringing my tunes with me. So it’s nice having a product like the JBL Pulse 4 that you don’t need to worry about it getting caught in the rain. I know I would get all that with the Pulse 4. But I was not expecting the sound quality that I heard. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the JBL Pulse 4 has earned our Highly Recommended Award. And not only was the light show a cool addition to the music, it also functions as a great visual for volume level that went up and down as you adjusted the volume. So it was easy to see where you were on the volume level. Based on the $249 MSRP, they are very fairly priced. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.JBL.com.