We recently covered JBL’s massive PartyBox 720, and now the company is following it up with something more portable. The new JBL Boombox 4 is designed for people who want serious sound in a speaker they can carry, with big bass, clear highs, and a design that is easier to take anywhere.
JBL added AI Sound Boost, a feature that fine-tunes audio in real time so the drivers can play louder without losing clarity. That means the Boombox 4 can push harder while keeping distortion under control.
At nearly two pounds lighter than the previous model, the Boombox 4 is easier to move around, but it still delivers almost 50 percent more power when running on battery. The logos on the passive radiators now light up when Bass Boost is active, and you can pick between Deep Bass or Punchy Bass modes depending on what fits your playlist.
This speaker is also built for the outdoors. With a sturdier foot design and IP68 water and dust protection, it is made for the pool, the park, or the beach. Auracast support lets you link it with other JBL speakers to expand the sound when needed.
Carsten Olesen, President of Consumer Audio at HARMAN, said, “The market is moving towards more bass-heavy portable speakers – and JBL wrote the master class on bass.” He explained that JBL’s Bass Boost and AI Sound Boost make it possible to keep both the bass and audio quality balanced.
Internally, JBL made some changes by adding a third passive radiator and two new mid-range drivers, replacing the old subwoofer setup. The Boombox 4 also works with USB-C lossless audio for wired listening when you want a direct connection.
Battery life is strong, with up to 28 hours of playback and up to 34 hours when Playtime Boost is enabled. JBL also moved to a replaceable battery design, so you can extend the life of the speaker without replacing the whole thing.
Available in Black, Blue, White, or Camo, the Boombox 4 is up for pre-order on JBL.com for $549.95. It will see a full release on September 28.
