Neither JBL Charge 4 nor Marshall Stanmore were recommended by experts this month
On 4 Mar 2024 (25 days ago) we went through 113 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Charge 4 nor Marshall Stanmore were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from Digital Trends (26 Feb 2024), WIRED (18 Feb 2024) Tom's Guide (22 Feb 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
N/A | N/A | $104 | JBL Charge 4 The JBL Charge 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with impressive sound quality, water-resistant design, long battery life, and exceptional Bluetooth connectivity, making it ideal for outdoor activities. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $329 | Marshall Stanmore | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2 |
+4 | $437 | Sonos Move 2 | 4 | 5 | - | 5 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - |
3 | -1 | $176 | Sonos Roam The Sonos Roam is a highly versatile and durable portable speaker that delivers excellent sound quality, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, voice assistant integration, and unique features such as Automatic TruePlay and wireless charging. | 3 | - | 10 | 11 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
4 | -1 | $60 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options. | 8 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [22]
- with a score: 9
- without a score: 13
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 22 reviews | 94 |
Lowest score by PCMag | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- WIRELESS BLUETOOTH STREAMING: Wirelessly connect up to 2 smartphones or tablets to the speaker and take turns enjoying powerful sound.
- UP TO 20 HOURS OF PLAYTIME: Built-in rechargeable Li-ion 7500mAH battery supports up to 20 hours of playtime and charges your device via USB port
- Read more
- Portable Bluetooth player with 80W output
- RCA 3.5mm input and maximum sound pressure level is 100 dB @ 1 m
- Double-ended cable and cabinet principle is bass-reflex
- Classic Marshall design details. Wireless connectivity : Bluetooth v4.0 aptX
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
JBL Charge 4 is a very popular option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Anker Soundcore Motion Boom or Anker Soundcore Motion Plus .
JBL Charge 4 was released in 2018. There are quite a few newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Charge 4 is $20.04 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
Marshall Stanmore is a well-known option at the top of the price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Marshall Stockwell II or Sonos Move .
Marshall Stanmore is $204.01 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).