Basically, the best sound in its class, but actually quite sound problems (now resolved)

Basically, the best sound in its class, but actually quite sound problems (now resolved)

JBL Charge II portable Bluetooth stereo speakers (2x 7.5 Watt) incl. Li-Ion battery (6000mAh) (Electronics)

Customer Review

Update December 2014:

After several months after the launch of the JBL JBL Charge 2 apparently resolved quietly those problems that has plagued the first series of devices and to which I also eingehe detail in my review. Many owners have these problems apparently not noticed anyway, allegedly came to the service that is not so many complaints about it, but the problems were definitely there. Anyway, apparently now been fixed by some of what JBL has bungled it. Whether all the current devices are already on the market free of errors, I doubt it. So far, apparently mainly "refurbished" seem devices directly from the JBL outlet store actually checked to be recorded with a new firmware and some with improved electronics (and, moreover, offered significantly cheaper). There are certainly plenty of (if not the majority) devices on the market that are still flawed.
In the (I'll call "refurbished") devices all distortion problems are finally gone with bass-heavy tracks. The re Rabe at low volumes has improved, which. Still not without artifacts, but the noise is heard almost exclusively with the finger on the grid For some owners of the new models have found that time and again those devices seem to have leaking microphones (the small opening on the far right at the top). At somewhat higher levels because air is pressed out from the inside, resulting in wind noise. Apparently was not respected by the subsequent intervention of a complete seal and there is certainly scatter depending on the device, not all have been able to confirm the problem.
Thanks to the corrections the JBL Charge 2 is currently one of the best sounding portable speaker on the market (especially if you order 99 from the JBL Store buys it as "refurbished"), the sound all similar alternatives at this price quite old / look can, which is why I set up my rating from 2 to 4 stars. The gross volume levels in the lower range (especially when playback of iOS, since the volume is always coupled fix both devices and you can not set the intermediate stages) is, unfortunately, remained still. Who likes to listen to quiet, should be to look anywhere else, hot tip: Denon Envaya Mini! Otherwise, the JBL Charge 2, the top device at the moment that all 5 stars would have earned if JBL would not since operated from the outset in such a strange policy of concealment.

Here is my original review of September 2014:

The batch 2 has sound hardly anything in common with the old batch. Was the old one Verschlimmbesserung the already sound rather strange-looking JBL Flip, with extremely überbetontem height range and unnatural and uncomfortable gepushtem upper bass sounds of the new truly sovereign. The overall frequency response is almost exemplary linear and has the most even larger portable speaker into the barriers. A SoundLink Mini sounds against JBL batch as a wummiger dull tube radio from the old days. The JBL Charge 2 radiates from much wider, even heard from diagonally above the height discoloration stays within limits, while the Bose really just exactly axially heard sounds bearable. If you knew what you did JBL, the bass has enormous Drive, although does not quite as deep as in Bose, but also fits completely into the overall picture, while purely blaring from Bose bass in the middle of the field.
What has impressed me most in Batch 2 was that he "simply sounding", while one is in some other similar models, although here and there impressed, but the sound of a whole just does not fit. In batch 2, it fits, I have nothing to complain about and find no gross weakness, or discoloration, etc.

We come to be, however, to the real problems of the device, because there seems something went quite wrong. What the Batch 2 namely not at all, can have low volumes. Not only that the volume in the first 4 levels of volume doubles with each step, as the first steps in question are not really good. Generally, the volume on the speakers and playback devices is synchronized, at least for iOS. I've seen that in Android which is partly not the case and you can separately control both the speaker and on the phone. The problem with the synchronous regulating and that the JBL Charge 2 just has only 15 dedicated volume levels. If the volume jumps are then already in the first 4 levels so high up there is not much left. The major drawback, however, is that the sound processor apparently does everything wrong, what can go wrong. Are usually in addition bass slightly lifted on soft Lautstäken to counteract the physiology of the human ear, it sounds low frequencies less at low volumes, it makes JBL reversed, bass disappears at lower levels almost entirely. Worse, however, is rather that of the DSP here also produces artifacts, which acts as additional bass spongy, unnatural with some bad noise and interference like Zirpgeräuschen. At first I thought of poor shielding against mobile phone, but that's not, then I thought of disorders Duch WLAN or Bluetooth, but the same artifacts and noises also occur with playback via line-in. You notice this problem especially to the fifth volume level. Acoustic music is almost inaudible with the JBL, it will only be better if one makes even louder. A pleasant background music is no longer possible.

Another and in my opinion even bigger problem is that the JBL Charge 2 distorted from the ground up in many titles. It seems to affect mainly titles, which are incorporated close to the limit. Bass drum strokes then begin audible scratching. It is also not matter whether leaked by Bluetooth or Aux, the volume does not matter, it just distorted. Mostly I even feel as if not the volume of the track the problem, but rather certain frequency changes that cause the DSP problems. Noticed it's me with sine sweeps that I have a test basis leaked and have repeatedly produced the same scratching sounds at specific frequency ranges.

It may even be that many do not even notice these problems. I have created a demonstration video showing these distortions and artifacts at low volumes in detail, the link can be found in the comments. I originally thought even more to a defect, but the problems have now been confirmed by other owners, so I just go out of a general design flaw.
These ailments bother me personally, of course, especially since JBL sound anything has mastered much better than Bose or Sony SRS-X3, but if I can the speaker not use at low volumes and beyond many titles do not play clean , the speaker is actually a reason for a recall. I'm also not sure if at all there is a possibility for a firmware update for this device, my support request in this regard directly JBL is already running. I'm very curious to see what happens.

Apart from the sound could have been but even so still can do much better when JBL batch. The two passive radiators to the sides are indeed nice to look at, if they back funny and hervibrieren, but during transport also extremely unfavorable. Just like that throw in the backpack comes with the batch 2 is not, unfortunately, JBL has the same save the new model and the practical shell of the old batch, so you should really consider how to really carry this portable Lautsrpecher. It has indeed thought of the right to spendieren additional Füsschen, so you can set up vertically the speaker, too, and the passive radiator still can play its part to the sound, but a simple guard left and right, the problem would have also achieved, I would even so go far and JBL recommend in future appropriate protective caps to sell as expensive extra that you simply could be screwed on the ends, is threaded unfortunately none available, so my idea is probably not feasible.

That the speaker is not really very stable, in turn, is such a thing. But on uneven surfaces it rolls like to just go away.

About all these little things I would have liked a blind eye and the JBL Charge 2 awarded top marks. My eyes have lit up when I heard it the first time and the Bose SoundLink Mini beside same time wanted to pack up and clean throw on Ebay. But the pitfalls are on the ground in detail, and one notices upon closer listening that there simply will not fit much. At high volumes, everything falls may not be so, since the distortion increases overall as well, but such high volumes, the JBL Charge 2 no. Was the old batch still impressive loud sounds of the new Although much better, but he might just 3/4 the volume of the old and compressed at the same time the dynamics quite extreme. He does it as well as significantly more musical than Bose example. Even at maximum the JBL batch 2 has enough Drive in kick drums, while Bose has weglimitiert this. Really loud but neither of them.
I also have an additional video with a direct comparison with the Bose SoundLink Mini link in the comments where you think I listen well where the weaknesses of Bose are, or the strengths of JBL, best of course really good headphones listen.

2 stars are perhaps hard, but what JBL has come here, just can not, I might accept it in a part of China by 30 euros.

Recommended, yes! But under certain conditions, especially not if you really want to hear "music" with it. To make noise but it works well and makes it even much better than all the other reasonable alternatives.

Missing songs on the CD Rank: 4/5
November 15
Beautiful but fine Rank: 4/5
January 24
Very powerful Article Rank: 4/5
April 8
Good toy 13 Rank: 4/5
November 17
Good product 5609 Rank: 4/5
May 15
good 891 Rank: 5/5
November 26

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