Marshall Willen II vs JBL Go 4

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Short answer: the Willen II for balance, the JBL Go 4 for a bit more low end. The Willen II is more balanced than the first Willen with no sharp treble, but its bass is still shallow. The Go 4 adds a little more bass than the Go 3 and fixes the strange mids peak, yet it runs out of composure with bass-heavy tracks pushed past about 50% volume.

Marshall Willen II vs JBL Go 4

Buy the Marshall Willen II. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $80.04 you would save on the JBL Go 4 does not close the gap.

There is a real battery-life gap here: the Marshall Willen II is rated for 17 hours, the JBL Go 4 only 7 hours.

Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Marshall Willen II JBL Go 4
Price$129.99$49.95
Ranked#11 of 50 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#27 of 50 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)70Hz~82Hz
Battery Life17 hours (Manufacturer specified)7 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Built-in MicrophoneYesYes
EQYesYes
IP RatingIP67IP67
Party ModeNoYes (Auracast)
Power BankNoNo
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
StereoNoNo
OmnidirectionalPointing upPointing up
TWSNoYes
Weight0.8 lbs (360 g)0.4 lbs (190 g)
Aux InputNoNo
BluetoothYesYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBCSBC
Bluetooth Version5.35.3
Frequency Response75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)90Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Charging Time2.5 hours3 hours
Drivers2” (51mm) full-range with dual passive radiators45mm
Dimensions3.9” x 1.7” x 3.9” (99 x 43 x 99 mm)3.7” x 3” x 1.7” (94.3 x 75.7 x 42.2 mm)
Amplifier Power10W4.2W
Digital Aux InputNoNo
StrapYes (built-in strap)Yes (built-in loop)

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Marshall Willen II:

Prices on this page were last checked October 3, 2026 at 10:26 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

Marshall Willen II: $129.99 Amazon eBay

Marshall Willen II ranking card

Older model: the Marshall Willen (ranked lower, rated 3.8/5).

Pros: More balanced than the first Willen, no sharp treble. Measured bass extension of 70Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not that deep of bass. Fairly low max output vs pricier speakers; midrange can sound a bit congested at volume. No aux input.

Amplifier Power10W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)70Hz
Battery Life17 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Charging Time2.5 hours
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions3.9” x 1.7” x 3.9” (99 x 43 x 99 mm)
Drivers2” (51mm) full-range with dual passive radiators
EQYes
Frequency Response75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
OmnidirectionalPointing up
Party ModeNo
Power BankNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapYes (built-in strap)
TWSNo
Weight0.8 lbs (360 g)

JBL Go 4: $49.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay

JBL Go 4 ranking card

Newer model: the JBL Go 5, ranked higher, rated 3.2/5.

Pros: A little more bass than the Go 3 and they fixed the strange mids peak. Measured bass extension of ~82Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not much bass at all, especially with electronic/bass-heavy tracks pushed past ~50% volume. Midrange can sound grainy and treble a bit sizzly; loses clarity at higher volumes.

Amplifier Power4.2W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)~82Hz
Battery Life7 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Charging Time3 hours
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions3.7” x 3” x 1.7” (94.3 x 75.7 x 42.2 mm)
Drivers45mm
EQYes
Frequency Response90Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
OmnidirectionalPointing up
Party ModeYes (Auracast)
Power BankNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapYes (built-in loop)
TWSYes
Weight0.4 lbs (190 g)