The JBL Xtreme 2 isn’t all that “extreme” anymore. The new top dog from JBL is the JBL Boombox. If you’re looking to buy one of these, you’d want to know how the JBL Xtreme 2 compares to the Boombox. Let’s get started.
Performance:
Xtreme 2: The JBL Xtreme 2 has received excellent feedback for its ability to get quite loud and deliver strong bass without distorting. It’s not as subtle and refined as the Marshall Kilburn II; it’s an outdoor party speaker and not really the speaker you’d want for mainly indoors use. It is, as we’ve reported before, a solid step up in sound compared to the original JBL Xtreme. Perhaps it’s heavy on the bass end, but that’s a blessing for rocking outside, where you want the bass to be able to carry a bit. It goes more than loud enough to get a crowd of 20-30 people dancing.
JBL Boombox: Its sound profile is similar to that of the JBL Xtreme 2, but it’s capable of going even louder and sounding great doing so. The JBL Boombox’s critics have been quite uniform in their praise of its ability to hold steady and not distort while blasting sound over a wide radius. It’s a bit overkill for an inside speaker, where you’d want a more refined setup anyway, but great for delivering good quality and relative evenness in an outdoor setting. Bass tends to fall away, especially with distance, when you’re playing music outside, so this speaker’s emphasis on the bass end actually makes it quite useful for that use.
Features
JBL Xtreme 2: JBL Xtreme 2 is IPX7 certified, which means it’s totally water-resistant. It means that if the Xtreme 2 gets accidentally dropped into the pool, you don’t need to panic. Even if submerged (to a depth of 1 metre), it will float to the surface and stay water-resistant for 30 minutes.
This speaker has 15 hours of battery life. Of course, it would have been nice if Xtreme 2 had more playtime, but the majority of JBL Xtreme users are totally satisfied with the battery life, and a span of 15 hours is clearly a good, long run. Both speakers need approximately 3.5 hours to be fully charged.
Anyone who has a portable speaker has experienced a situation when, in the middle of playing music, someone calls you on your phone. Xtreme 2 has the Speakerphone feature, which enables the user to quickly take their calls without any fuss. This feature also cancels the echo and noise, so that you can comfortably speak and listen while taking your call.
The Voice Assistant Integration feature that can be used with speakers is increasingly popular these days, so it’s good to know that Xtreme 2 has this feature and that you can use Siri or Google Now with this speakers, if you wish to. The Xtreme 2 has AUX jacks and built-in microphones as well.
JBL Boombox: But of course, the biggest speaker (254.5 x 495 x 195.5 mm) has the biggest battery life. The Boombox provides 24 hours of power. Boombox also has Voice Assistant Integration – a feature which allows you to control your music via voice commands.
The JBL Boombox can be fully charged in less than 6.5 hours. So, yes, it does take quite a while; but if you charge it during the night, the time factor needn’t cause any inconvenience. The Boombox is also IPX7 certified for reliable water resistance.
Both the Xtreme 2 and Boombox have the Connect+ and they can actually connect to each other. Mixing their audio abilities together can really get the party going.
Bluetooth connectivity
Boombox and Xtreme 2 use Bluetooth version 4.2, which is a better suit if you want to have clearer sync and less latency. Both have the echo and noise-canceling Speakerphone feature. It allows you to make crystal-clear calls when someone is calling on the device, while also playing music.
Portability
The JBL Boombox is modern and powerful, with a huge sound in what is still a relatively portable package. JBL Boombox has the biggest weight and size, and Xtreme 2 is comparatively a more portable speaker that weighs less.
Design
JBL Xtreme 2: Xtreme 2 comes in a choice of three colors: Black, Blue & Green. As color can affect how much we love a product, it’s definitely worth exploring the different shades as part of your choice. As Xtreme’s successor, it’s a little bit bigger and heavier but is certainly smaller and lighter than the JBL Boombox.
Boombox: The JBL Boombox is, as its name suggests, a deliberate throwback to the days of cassette tapes, and the devices we’d lug around to play them.
Spec comparison – JBL Xtreme 2 vs JBL Boombox
JBL Xtreme 2
Specs:
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 136 x 288 x 132 mm
- Weight: 2.383 kg
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- IPX 7 Waterproof: Yes
- Aux Input: Yes
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Speaker Pairing: Yes
- Voice As. Integration: Yes
- Built-In Microphone: Yes
- Battery Life: 15 hours
- Battery Charge Time: 3.5 hours
- Tweeter: 2 x 20 mm
- Bluetooth Version: v 4.2
- Frequency Response: 55 Hz -20 kHz
- Apps: JBL Music, JBL Connect
- Connectivity: Connect+
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio: >80 dB
- Woofer: 2 x 69.85 mm
JBL Boombox
Specs:
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 136 x 288 x 132 mm
- Weight: 2.383 kg
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- IPX 7 Waterproof: Yes
- Aux Input: Yes
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Speaker Pairing: Yes
- Voice As. Integration: Yes
- Built-In Microphone: Yes
- Battery Life: 24 hours
- Battery Charge Time: <6.5 hours
- Tweeter: 2 x 20 mm
- Bluetooth Version: v 4.2
- Frequency Response: 50 Hz – 20 kHz
- Apps: JBL Music, JBL Connect
- Connectivity: Connect+
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio: 80 dB
- Woofer: 2 x 101.6 mm
JBL Xtreme 2 vs Boombox – which one should you buy?
Depending on your needs and preferences, if you’re not fazed by the big size and want the speaker that has a maximum ability and the best features, then Boombox is your choice. But the optimal choice would be to get the Xtreme 2, which has almost the same features as Boombox but is definitely smaller and lighter to carry. It has less battery time but is still packs a giant punch!
