Short answer: the JBL Boombox 4 on measured sound quality, the JBL Authentics 300 on price and design. The Boombox 4 ranks #20 of 113 boombox speakers at $549.95. The Authentics 300 ranks #46 at $299.95, $250 less.
The Boombox 4’s sound quality comes with an asterisk. Its notes are candid that it’s pretty overpriced for the category and actually sounds worse than the Boombox 3 out of the box. It only pulls ahead with its 7-band EQ tuned to a preset like Oluv’s, versus the Boombox 3’s 3 bands, and it drops the aux input entirely in the process. What it does bring is pretty insane output capability for its size, a 115dB max volume, and an IP68 rating for extended submersion.
The Authentics 300 trades output and battery life for design and smart-home integration. It’s built around a retro seventies look with leather trim and a Quadrex grille, and it’s one of the few speakers that integrates both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant at the same time. Its own notes describe it as narrow sounding with bass that doesn’t reach as deep as rivals and peaky upper mids, and it lacks TWS pairing and any IP rating entirely. Its 8-hour battery life is a fraction of the Boombox 4’s 28 hours.
Everything else favors the Boombox 4 on paper: a removable battery, USB-C power bank output up to 30W, Auracast party mode, and double the output power at 210W versus 100W. The Authentics 300 answers with Wi-Fi multi-room support and USB playback, features the Boombox 4 doesn’t offer.
Buy the JBL Boombox 4 for far more output, battery life, and water resistance, but plan on applying an EQ preset to get the sound quality its ranking implies.
Buy the JBL Authentics 300 if the retro design, dual voice assistant support, and Wi-Fi multi-room matter more to you than raw loudness or battery life.
Water resistance is not close: the JBL Boombox 4 is rated at IP68 (extended submersion), well ahead of the JBL Authentics 300 at no water resistance.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Boombox 4 | JBL Authentics 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.95 | $299.95 |
| Ranked | #20 of 113 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #46 of 113 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz | 45Hz |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IP68 | None |
| Bluetooth Latency | AAC 144ms, SBC 48ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 115dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Wi-Fi Multi-Room) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC Power cable |
| Removable Battery | Yes | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs (5.98 kg) | 10.8 lbs (4.9 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, LC3, AAC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, up to 30W) | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| USB Playback | No | Yes |
| FM Tuner | No | - |
| Microphone Input | No | - |
| MicroSD Playback | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 210W AC / 200W battery | 100W |
| Dimensions | 20.1” x 10.2” x 8.3” (510 x 260 x 210 mm) | 13.5” x 7.7” x 7.1” (342 x 195.6 x 180.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 123mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with passive radiators | 1” tweeter + 4” woofer + passive radiators |
| Strap | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous) |
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