This is the JBL XTREME 2 and it looks very similar to the JBL XTREME 1 that I reviewed three years back.

But are there changes better yet are there improvements we’ll find out as always being transparent JBL did send us over for review.

JBL Xtreme 2 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

but my assessment was not altered in any way I’ll go over both pros and cons JBL XTREME  to it is kind of pricey here this is the first con I guess you can say at $299 retail at the time this article.

But click on my links down in that article below click on those links for the most updated prices in real time you never know when these things might go on sale.

I’m David and I’m here to help you make that purchase decision welcome everyone another review.

Physical features Of JBL Xtreme 2

All right guys getting started here although this has a pretty good amount of weight in size compared to its main competitor these Sony xba-4 the one that supplied carrying strap tremendously helps offset the weight and how large this thing is.

Now based on the size it could have been better audio we just have to wait and see in the audio test a little bit later.

But aesthetically I love the subtle changes or refresh some of the translucent pieces here and there with a subtle amount of branding.

And if you look at the older model you can see how the new JBL XTREME 2 looks more like a blimp and it did before.

it’s just slightly a little bit bigger the same durable fabric grill like most mainstream outdoor speakers makes are turn.

And with my testing of dunking this into water its still ipx7certified and yes it still does float awesome plus there

Xtreme 2 Audio quality

Now we have the famous passive bass Raiders that moves during music keep in mind for those who are new this doesn’t push out audio matter of fact although.

This is in casein that fabric even on the rear where there is no audio coming out this way it’s just front directional audio.

look at the very top buttons are identical with all the other JBL speakers with easily identifiable raised buttons there’s Bluetooth pairing volume up and down or of their of course similar to Sony or Sony is similar to JBL.

but there’s this feature called JBL connect plus allows you to pair to JBL speakers together to achieve stereo sound this always worked well for me or compared over a hundred JBL Kinect speakers together and have them all play at the same time.

The function works quick and efficient and they’ve always been easier to pair than my Sony XP speakers.

Button & connectivity of JBL Xtreme 2

Now over to the very far right here you can use the play button to only skip a song you alley can’t go back with a triple press which is common among other brands.

Now the same button can be changed to your voice assistance such as a Google assistant or siri.

But oddly you lose the pause play feature which doesn’t make much sense to me on the other hand the voice assistant does work.

but you do have to walk up to the speaker to press it to ask it a question you can’t stand from like 10 feet away and ask hey what’s 53 plus 16 you know those kinds of questions.

Comfortably

Now moving on to the backside onto this cat water-resistant flap you simply have a3.5 millimeter port for physical connections a reduction to only one USB charge out ports and less is simply the AC power cord connection.

The JBL XTREME’s that can only be charged with this wall cord which was my gripe back in the day they’re not to say Sony is better or at least I don’t want to set that tone.

But Sony did introduce the second option of charging this speaker with a micro USB cord.

It’s the perfect alternative well you don’t want to lug that big cord that was supplied by JBL and instead use your friends like a phone charger or such.

JBL Xtreme 2 Battery life

Now other topics of battery life this is rated at just 15 hours of playback which is somewhat on the low end.

but over the years testing the JBL flip speaker the JBL charged speakers JBL for the most part for or have been very conservative about what they claim which is great which is what I like with the JBL XTREME  two I got a full 25 hours in 36 minutes into the speaker dime.

the older JBL XTREME  at 50% buy him back in a day whoops he also claimed 15 hours but three years ago I achieved 18 hours in 16 minutes with my test to recharge this thing it took 2 hours and 42 minutes from dead to full.

Speakerphone

Now the last feature is the speakerphone option giving this a quick go around here I confirm the speaker works best within just three feet though any further the person I tested this with said they can hear an echo right away and five feet and further.

There’s just a bigger echo on my voice and I sounded of course a bit further.

Speakerphone wise it’s usable obviously but clearly, I sounded like I was on a speakerphone in a bathroom just let it echo a lot of hollowness in general.

So that’s really about it for the JBL XTREME  to no-frills no gimmicks just straight to the point really good visible quality speaker.

So let’s see how this does in the audio test please put on your headphones or earphones as I’ll be using my binaural microphones.

Comfortably

Now Bluetooth connection was perfectly fine again we’re still not yet at Bluetooth 5.0 but I have always stated Bluetooth 4.2 is still great for average consumers I got a total length of 80linear feet here at the office before T signal to cut out.

Competition

I’m shocked since other brands have tweaked their audio over the years and then me revisiting the JBL XTREME and the JBL XTREME 2 it’s crazy how this sounds better than the competition

not to get this out the way if you have the old JBL XTREME  I would not recommend upgrading it they sound practically the same the JBL XTREME  – just ever so slightly sounds a little bit clearer maybe a little bit more refined but it’s very minimal compared to.

the competition JBL sounds it’s so much more refined though the base hits and doesn’t distort or drill it doesn’t muddle that mid-range basis punchy stronger than the UE speakers and cleaner than this sony ba-40 one.

It gets you into the music without sacrificing other frequency bands.

Bass quality of JBL Xtreme 2

now if you like bass just know you’re not getting deep sub bass like some of these standing portable speakers from like Son’s or the ionic studio speakers from Harman cordon.

But if your priority is portability JBL XTREME 2 has the best amount of bass to quality ratio if that makes sense here.

But the vocals are bright and forward which I personally love its clear distinct in-your-face at times but without being harsh or overdone.

This is good for entertaining since it’s not just about bass but you want your vocals to stand out.

You can also hear some depth with the JBL XTREME 2 as there’s some sense of audio being in the forefront and an audio a little bit more rearward of that.

The soundstage isn’t impeccable like most polluted speakers but compared to others it’s not a single dimensional experience actually does a little bit better.

As for the high notes for Bluetooth speaker the audio has just enough clarity not too much roll-off as there.

But it surely doesn’t hit a high-pitched screech or it doesn’t ring my ears I personally didn’t have any kind of listening fatigue over time of me testing.

My opinion

So overall this speaker doesn’t have a lot of that buzz or extra cool stuff that other speakers have there’s no LEDs and so extra-base button there’s no sound profiles and the fact that other brands have gone down in price to $200 or less one can say that this $300 retail price tag might be a bit high.

my viewpoints if you want the best audio no frills no gimmicks again you just want great sounding audio in this particular size through this big volume loudspeaker I think it’s worth it.

I like the Sony Mba-40 one for its base but for the past month or so of testing and even casual use JBL XTREME 2 has been more of my most well-rounded speakers I usually go to this more often now.

Conclusion

Again click on my links for the most updated prices they might have dropped since its release.

so that’s about it guys find me on my personal Instagram or Facebook pages follow me you guys take care I’ll catch you guys on the next one