Short answer: the JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2, by a wide margin. It ranks #6 of 113 boombox speakers against the Boombox 4’s #20, and it costs a fraction of the price.
The Boombox 4’s core problem is value, not power. Our notes describe its output as pretty insane for the size, and its 210W AC output dwarfs the Encore Essential 2’s 100W RMS. But our notes also call it pretty overpriced for the category, and note it actually sounds worse out of the box than the older Boombox 3, only pulling ahead once you dial in a 7-band EQ. It also has no aux input at all.
The Encore Essential 2 punches above its price. Our notes credit its move to dome tweeters over cone tweeters for noticeably better off-axis performance, along with slightly deeper bass and less rolled-off highs than the original Encore. Its one real weakness is a bit of missing upper bass, and it lacks the wireless microphones of the non-Essential Encore models.
The Boombox 4 wins outright on toughness and runtime: 28 hours of battery against 15, and an IP68 rating built for full submersion versus the Encore Essential 2’s splash-resistant IPX4. If you need a speaker that can survive being dunked or run all day off grid, that gap matters regardless of the price difference.
What the Encore Essential 2 adds for karaoke and jamming: an aux input, a guitar input, and a microphone input with a built-in echo effect for karaoke mode, none of which the Boombox 4 offers.
Buy the JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 for nearly every use case. It sounds better relative to its price, has more input options, and costs a fraction of what the Boombox 4 does.
Buy the JBL Boombox 4 only if you specifically need extended submersion-grade water resistance or all-day battery life away from an outlet, since those are the two things it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Boombox 4 | JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.95 | $249.95 |
| Ranked | #20 of 113 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #6 of 113 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | Yes (7 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | AAC 144ms, SBC 48ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 115dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC Power cord |
| Removable Battery | Yes | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs (5.98 kg) | 13.7 lbs (6.2 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, LC3, AAC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, up to 30W) | Yes (USB-C) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| USB Playback | No | Yes |
| FM Tuner | No | - |
| Microphone Input | No | Yes (Karaoke mode with echo effect) |
| MicroSD Playback | No | - |
| Amplifier Power | 210W AC / 200W battery | 100W RMS |
| Dimensions | 20.1” x 10.2” x 8.3” (510 x 260 x 210 mm) | 12.6” x 13.5” x 10.3” (319.5 x 342 x 260.4 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 123mm woofers + 2x 20mm tweeters with passive radiators | 1x 135mm (5.25”) woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75”) dome tweeters |
| Strap | No | No |
| Guitar Input | - | Yes |
| Wireless Microphones | - | No |
| Lights | - | Yes |
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