Short answer: the JBL Partybox Encore Essential. It ranks #7 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $329.95; the Marshall Tufton ranks #60 and costs $450, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the JBL Partybox Encore Essential offers: A great sounding somewhat boosted bass party speaker. Watch for: Only 6 hours of battery at medium volume. Poor Water rating.
What the Marshall Tufton offers: 20 hour battery life; 2.5 hour full charge, or 20-min quick-charge for 4 hours of play. 3-way speaker design covers full frequency range in 360°. Sturdy construction with IPX2 rating. Watch for: Not much lower bass, upper bass boomy, boosted treble, not very balanced overall. Not as loud as others in the class. Very low water rating
Buy the JBL Partybox Encore Essential. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Tufton and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Marshall Tufton. It ranks near the bottom of the 73 boombox speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Battery life favors the Marshall Tufton: rated for 20 hours against 6 hours for the JBL Partybox Encore Essential.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Partybox Encore Essential | Marshall Tufton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329.95 | $450 |
| Ranked | #7 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 17ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 6 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (3 band App EQ) | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IPX2 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 100ms | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/0.5A) | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| USB Playback | Yes | No |
| Weight | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg | 10.8 lbs / 4.9 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | - |
| Output Power | 100W RMS | 80W |
| Dimensions | 10.9" x 12.9" x 11.5" (276 x 327 x 293 mm) | 9" x 6.4" x 13.8" (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 135mm woofer + 2x 44mm tweeters | 1x 5.25" woofer + 2x 2" full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| Max Volume | 110dB | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- JBL Partybox Encore vs JBL Boombox 4
- JBL Boombox 4 vs Aiwa Exos-9
- JBL Partybox Encore vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Marshall Tufton
- Turtlebox vs Marshall Tufton
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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 Essential: $329.95 Amazon eBay
Pros: A great sounding somewhat boosted bass party speaker.
Cons: Only 6 hours of battery at medium volume. Poor Water rating.
Full JBL Partybox Encore Essential review and specifications →
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 17ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 6 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 100ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.9" x 12.9" x 11.5" (276 x 327 x 293 mm) |
| Drivers | 135mm woofer + 2x 44mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (3 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Max Volume | 110dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 100W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/0.5A) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Weight | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- DLX Willington: Called It!🤣 JBL Partybox Encore VS Essential, with binaural sound sample. More from DLXWillington →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Triple Threat 💸 $200 Challenge 🔋 Soundcore Rave Party 2, W-King H10, JBL Partybox Encore Essential More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Klipsch Gig XXL vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential (Pee-Wee) - Indoors, Plugged In🔌 Bluetooth Speakers
- Reddit Search for JBL Partybox Encore Essential Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Aiwa Exos-9
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs JBL Partybox Encore
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Vifa Copenhagen 2.0
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs JBL Partybox Encore 2
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential vs Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6
- See all 46 comparisons
Marshall Tufton: $450 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20 hour battery life; 2.5 hour full charge, or 20-min quick-charge for 4 hours of play. 3-way speaker design covers full frequency range in 360°. Sturdy construction with IPX2 rating.
Cons: Not much lower bass, upper bass boomy, boosted treble, not very balanced overall. Not as loud as others in the class. Very low water rating
Full Marshall Tufton review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9" x 6.4" x 13.8" (229.1 x 163.1 x 350 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 5.25" woofer + 2x 2" full-range + 1x 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (hidden bass and treble adjustment) |
| IP Rating | IPX2 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10.8 lbs / 4.9 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons