Different classes, so treat this as a step-up-or-not question rather than a head-to-head. The JBL Partybox Encore 2 ranks #4 of 85 boombox speakers by sound quality at $330; the Soundboks Rider ranks #26 of 43 party speakers by sound quality at $599.
Why pick the JBL Partybox Encore 2: The Encore 2 improves the original with dome tweeters, a less boomy balance, slightly deeper bass, longer battery life and two included wireless microphones. The catch: It still lacks some upper-bass punch and cannot match the scale of the larger PartyBoxes.
What the Soundboks Rider does well: At 6.5 kg it is the lightest Soundboks yet, with a carry handle, IP66 dust and water protection, and the same swappable 100Wh battery as the Mix and Soundboks 4, rated for 35 hours at mid volume and 8 hours at maximum. The tradeoff: Its sealed 8in woofer runs out of real bass at high volume: Xander measured the -6 dB point rising to roughly 75 to 85 Hz at maximum, with 40 Hz some 20 dB down, and M1M heard the bass pulled back toward the upper bass above mid volume.
Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2 ($330) for a boombox speaker; the Soundboks Rider ($599) suits a party speaker instead.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Soundboks Rider is rated for 35 hours, the JBL Partybox Encore 2 only 15 hours.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Partybox Encore 2 | Soundboks Rider | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $330 | $599.00 |
| Ranked | #4 of 85 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #26 of 43 in Party Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) | Yes (Soundboks) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 35 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes (7 band App EQ) | Yes (6-band EQ + Bass+, Indoor and Outdoor profiles) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP66 |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 113.2dB(C) (measured by M1M Tech Channel) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No (no TeamUp) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | USB-C (65W fast charging) |
| Removable Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| USB Playback | Yes | - |
| Weight | 14.1 lbs (6.4 kg) | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
| Wireless Microphones | Yes 2 Included | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Amplifier Power | 100W RMS | 92W RMS (72W woofer + 20W tweeter) |
| Dimensions | 12.6” x 13.3” x 10.4” (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm) | - |
| Drivers | 1x 135mm (5.25”) woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75”) dome tweeters | 8” woofer (sealed), 1.2” dome tweeter in horn |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Strap | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to JBL Partybox Encore 2:
- Earfun Uboom X vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- Tribit Stormbox Blast vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM 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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The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Partybox Encore 2: $330 Sam’s Club eBay
Older model: the JBL Partybox Encore (ranked lower, rated 4.3/5).
Pros: The Encore 2 improves the original with dome tweeters, a less boomy balance, slightly deeper bass, longer battery life and two included wireless microphones. Its compact karaoke-ready design and 7-band EQ make it more adaptable indoors than the earlier Encore.
Cons: It still lacks some upper-bass punch and cannot match the scale of the larger PartyBoxes. The main value is compact karaoke convenience rather than full-range party output.
Full JBL Partybox Encore 2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 100W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.6” x 13.3” x 10.4” (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 135mm (5.25”) woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75”) dome tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (7 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Weight | 14.1 lbs (6.4 kg) |
| Wireless Microphones | Yes 2 Included |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL giving it to us large! The good, The bad, The diabolical! More from alanrossreviews →
- M1M Tech Channel: Partybox Killer? 2x Earfun UBoom X stärker als JBL Encore 2 ? More from M1MTechChannel →
- M1M Tech Channel: JBL Partybox Encore 2 Ein fettes Bass Upgrade
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Partybox ENCORE 2👌FULL TEST🆚 JBL Partybox ENCORE 1 More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Jbl Partybox Encore 2 📦UNBOXING. Short TEST AUDIO z ENCORE 1👌
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Encore 2 Partybox Deep Bass 🆚 Jbl Boombox 3 WiFi 🎶
- Dominik Reviews: JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Boombox 3 WiFi - Sound Test - Wide vs Narrow Soundstage! More from Dominik Reviews →
- M1M Tech Channel: JBL Partybox Encore 2 Ein fettes Bass Upgrade
- M1MTechChannel: Welche JBL Partybox ist die BESTE ? Alle Partyboxen im Vergleich | 2026
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Partybox Encore
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Earfun Uboom X
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Yeahbox Sonic Boom Ultra
- See all 77 comparisons
Soundboks Rider: $599.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: At 6.5 kg it is the lightest Soundboks yet, with a carry handle, IP66 dust and water protection, and the same swappable 100Wh battery as the Mix and Soundboks 4, rated for 35 hours at mid volume and 8 hours at maximum. Xander’s measurements found its flat profile genuinely flat, with distortion around 0.2 percent at moderate volume and below 2 percent from 500 Hz to 10 kHz even at full output, and the Indoor profile reaching down to 40 Hz at moderate volume. Both Xander and M1M Tech Channel preferred its punchy, controlled kick bass to the larger Soundboks Mix, and the app adds a six-band EQ with saveable presets.
Cons: Its sealed 8in woofer runs out of real bass at high volume: Xander measured the -6 dB point rising to roughly 75 to 85 Hz at maximum, with 40 Hz some 20 dB down, and M1M heard the bass pulled back toward the upper bass above mid volume. It measured 107 dB(C) outdoors for Xander and 113.2 dB(C) for M1M, about 3 dB below the Soundboks Mix and well short of the claimed 118 dB. There is no TeamUp, so it cannot link with other Soundboks speakers, the strap and charger are sold separately, and Xander found the grille causes dispersion artifacts around 5 kHz and judged the price too high for what it delivers.
Full Soundboks Rider review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 92W RMS (72W woofer + 20W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Soundboks) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 35 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Drivers | 8” woofer (sealed), 1.2” dome tweeter in horn |
| EQ | Yes (6-band EQ + Bass+, Indoor and Outdoor profiles) |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP66 |
| Maximum SPL | 113.2dB(C) (measured by M1M Tech Channel) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No (no TeamUp) |
| Power Input | USB-C (65W fast charging) |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs (6.5 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundboks Rider vs Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
- Soundboks Rider vs Soundboks Mix
- Soundboks Rider vs Klipsch Gig XXL
- Soundboks Rider vs Soundcore Rave 3S
- Soundboks Rider vs Onn Large Party gen 2
- Soundboks Rider vs Sony SRS-XV500
- Soundboks Rider vs Zealot PT21
- Soundboks Rider vs JBL Partybox 110
- See all 27 comparisons