JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi review: our full review – Frandroid

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi Speaker // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Summer is fast approaching and JBL is not mistaken. With the Boombox 3 WiFi, the American manufacturer wants to offer the ultimate nomadic speaker, capable of producing both a smooth musical atmosphere for lunch in the meadow and powerful sound for parties on the beach and until the end of the night. The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is at the forefront of a line of successful portable speakers consisting of the JBL Clip 4, JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 and JBL Xtreme 3, from which it stands out with a significantly higher maximum volume and better balance as well as a record-breaking battery life of 24 hours. Like the new JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi, this superlative loudspeaker also has a WLAN connection with support for the streaming protocols AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multiroom and even Dolby Atmos. The icing on the cake is that the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is equipped with microphones to analyze the sound environment around it and adjust its sound signature accordingly.

JBL Boombox 3 Wireless data sheet

The case used for this test was borrowed from the manufacturer

JBL Boombox 3 WiFi design

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi takes up the characteristic lines of the JBL portable speakers, i.e. a curved cylinder covered with a reinforced, wide-meshed acoustic fabric. Measurements match, at no less than 48cm long and 26cm high, double the JBL Xtreme 3 or triple the Flip 6. Sacred Piece. Such dimensions are imperative to maintain a comfortable tonal balance at high volume.

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi with the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi and the JBL Flip 6 // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

The build quality is beyond reproach, each element has been assembled with impeccable precision. The bow used to transport the boombox is made of brushed aluminum with an anti-slip structure molded into the mass. The control buttons are located at the top of the housing and are slightly offset to the front, so that the carrying handle does not interfere with operation.

The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi headband is made of aluminum // Photo: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

There are buttons to control playback, volume, power, Bluetooth activation, plus a new heart-shaped button for automatically launching a favorite playlist (we’ll get back to that). On the front are all active converters as well as a huge embossed aluminum JBL logo with a delicate gold hue.

A JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi passive radiator // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

On the sides are two huge aluminum passive radiators flanked by a ripple exclamation mark logo, a reminder that the speaker now has Wi-Fi. On the back, hidden under a waterproof flap, are the power connector and a USB-A port to charge a smartphone, for example. The USB port can deliver up to 10W. It’s a shame that it’s not reversible, which would have allowed the Boombox 3 WiFi to be charged even outside of any power outlet, for example with an external battery. In addition, JBL does without the line input of the classic Boombox 3 and it is no longer possible to use an analogue source (e.g. player) with the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi.

No line input on the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi, just a USB-A port for charging a smartphone // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Finally, there is a thick rubber base at the bottom of the speaker to prevent the transmission of vibration and ensure it remains stable. At 6.7 kg, the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi should hardly roll when installed.

Internal design of the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is a 3-way loudspeaker, which means that each frequency register (bass, middle and treble) is transmitted separately via separate transducer groups. This technique, which is widespread in the hi-fi sector, enables a finer reproduction of the sound and provides more details than with one or two converters. This makes the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi the only JBL portable speaker to integrate a true subwoofer powered by a central transducer (19 x 11 cm) supported by two huge side passive radiators (12 cm diameter). As a reminder, passive radiators improve the propagation of bass tones and increase their intensity.

The Boombox 3 transducers, with the subwoofers in the middle and the pairs of mid-frequency transducers and the tweeters on either side // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Average sound reproduction is transmitted to a pair of circular transducers (8 cm) located on either side of the front panel. Unlike other JBL speakers, they do not reproduce bass tones and are therefore significantly faster and more differentiated when reproducing mid-tones (vocals, strings, etc.). Finally, a pair of dome tweeters (2 cm) provides the highest tones. These tweeters are positioned in front of the 8cm transducers in a coaxial assembly that theoretically allows for greater spatial precision. We’ll come back to that. Finally, each speaker is connected to its own amplifier capable of delivering up to 80 watts for the subwoofer, 2 x 40 watts for the main transducers and 2 x 10 watts for the tweeters. These forces are significant and appear to be consistent with the cabinet’s claims of playing loud and balanced.

JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi Use and Application

The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi isn’t as easy to take with you as a small speaker like the JBL Flip 6, which you can slip into a pocket for when an opportunity to listen to music arises. With its weight of 6.7 kg and its size, the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is a real eye-catcher and a parameter to consider. But once you’ve achieved your goal, using the speaker couldn’t be more enjoyable. Its rubber buttons are shaped according to their function (triangle for reading, + and – for volume, etc.) and you can see them even with your eyes closed. It’s very convenient.

The good news is that although the aluminum headband is black, it does heat up somewhat when exposed to sunlight. After four hours on the beach under the June sun, moving the enclosure won’t burn you. The only gripe in terms of usability concerns the startup melody, which can’t be disabled, at least for now, as JBL has told us that an upcoming update should fix this aspect.

Lossless and multi-room audio thanks to WiFi

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi remains a Bluetooth speaker and can of course also be used outside of any Wi-Fi network. However, it behaves a bit differently than other JBL speakers, taking about ten seconds before it’s ready to play the quietest sound, obviously the time it takes to load more extensive software. Bluetooth reconnection management has evolved and by default the boombox does not automatically reconnect to the last device; You must either press the Bluetooth button on the speaker or enable the option in the app. Additionally, PartyBoost mode, which allows streaming to multiple JBL speakers simultaneously, is no longer available.

The small heart-shaped button starts the playlist selected by the listener, but only with a WiFi connection // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

With Wi-Fi, the Boombox becomes compatible with the streaming protocols AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Alexa Multiroom. Therefore, unlike Bluetooth, music can be streamed to the speaker without compression. A significant step forward, especially if you subscribe to a service that offers CD or HD quality streaming (Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal or Qobuz). In addition, the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi can be integrated into a home WiFi speaker network using AirPlay grouping from an iOS device or Alexa Multiroom on Android. You can then play the same music on multiple speakers, even from different brands.

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi can be used as a home speaker. Note, however, that it will turn off automatically after a period of inactivity, regardless of whether it’s running on battery or AC power, and it can’t be activated over the network to play a song. It’s a shame, because the speaker has a network standby mode and only consumes 1.8 W, which is less than Sonos speakers, for example. A firmware update would be desirable so that the loudspeaker does not switch off when connected to the mains.

New control app

It’s now the JBL One app (rather than JBL Portable) that provides access to the speaker’s advanced features. There’s a 3-band equalizer, as well as a new feature called ‘Moment’, which lets you add a radio station or playlist of your choice and then start playback by simply pressing the heart-shaped button on the case. Supported services are limited to Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tune In or Napster; The function cannot be used for Deezer, Spotify or Apple Music, at least for the time being.

Please note that the “Moment” button only works when the speaker is connected to the internet via WiFi.

Dolby Atmos Compatibility

Also new is that Dolby Atmos immersive audio format is supported, albeit only from Tidal (with Hi-Fi Plus subscription). Too bad for Apple Music or Amazon Music subscribers, who also offer a large number of tracks in this immersive audio format. Due to the Tidal Connect protocol not being supported or pending a hypothetical update, it is not possible to listen to Dolby Atmos via the Tidal app. Finally yes, but in degraded conditions the native app streams the Dolby Atmos 2.0 version of the tracks and not the 7.1 version with sound objects, with a significant difference in playback.

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

To use Dolby Atmos 7.1 you need To your Tidal account in the JBL One app and start playing your favorites or playlists from there. We’ll come back to that later, the Dolby Atmos on this Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is amazing and many soundbars would do well to take inspiration from it. Currently, the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is the speaker that offers the best musical experience in Dolby Atmos, even surpassing the Sonos Era 300 for my taste, thanks in part to the centering and impeccable clarity of the voices. Note that using Dolby Atmos requires a connection to a WiFi network and the Internet, while Bluetooth does not allow the transmission of multi-channel streams and spatial metadata due to the lack of a suitable codec.

Multipoint Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connection is the only one that can also be used on the go. WiFi requires an intermediate access point between the speaker and the smartphone. The Bluetooth connection is very good, the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi only shows weaknesses beyond 10 meters.

Good news, the acoustic fabric doesn’t hold back sand // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Only the SBC codec is supported, but this is negligible since the quality of a speaker depends on its transducers and amplification. No aptX or LDAC, but we’ll see later, that’s not a problem. In gaming use, a delay in the sound on the image of around one second must be expected, i.e. with a clearly noticeable desynchronization in video games. During video playback, on the other hand, the picture and sound are perfectly synchronized.

JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi Audio

Who came up with the idea of ​​naming this speaker Boombox? Sure, the name is pretty well chosen considering that the main target audience is a party-going crowd, but it really belittles the case’s talents. Because with its adventurous look, the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is a real hi-fi loudspeaker that has its place in the living room to listen to jazz or classical music, as well as on sand level to broadcast dance. Rap, pop or rock with decibels.

signature sound

I’ve listened to the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi connected to an iPhone over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, from Apple Music and Tidal for tracks in Dolby Atmos. I also took them everywhere: office, living room, kitchen, terrace, garden, park and beach. The differences between Bluetooth streaming (SBC) and Wi-Fi (lossless) aren’t fundamental: the bass is a bit tighter and the treble is a bit more precise, but you have to listen and look out for the little beast.

The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi delivers the most powerful and, most importantly, the most balanced sound of JBL’s entire line of portable speakers. You don’t have to play it loud to be convinced, even at low volume – and that’s also its strength – the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi delivers a smooth, full sound that doesn’t force the listener to force their attention. The tonal balance is excellent and no register dominates the other. Certainly not the lower register, which knows how to be reserved when necessary and only opulent when the title being played requires it.

• Bass: Perfect expansion and impressive support even at high volume, with moderate resistance and therefore good articulation
• Medium: Surgical precision, utilizing nearly all the sounds contained in this register: voices, strings, brass… and an acidity that is controlled at very high volumes.
• Treble: soft and well integrated into the medium, always giving airiness and depth to the whole.

response curve

As explained above, when the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is this big, it’s meant to go down in frequency, producing deep and realistic low frequencies – in other words, pleasing.

JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi response curves versus listening volume // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

Based on my measurements, JBL sized the passive radiators at 40 Hz, a frequency that gives real depth to the sound. On the blue and pink curves, which correspond to listening at low and medium volumes, this presence is clearly visible at 40 Hz and clearly audible in practice. The rest of the curve is cleverly constructed, with a peak of edginess around 100 Hz, ideal for adding impact to percussion, and a plateau from 300 to 600 Hz to emphasize vocals. Another obvious and visible peak between 1 and 2 kHz to make the overall sound clearer and more incisive, then a dip around 2 to 4 kHz to avoid any harshness (here our ear is very sensitive). Finally, the increase in treble provides relaxation and also has an amplified effect outdoors, so that the sound is clearer and more understandable in noisy environments.

The orange curve is obtained at full power and we observe that JBL changes the speaker signature by reducing the airfoil in the bass to avoid damaging the transducers and/or exceeding the capabilities of the amplifiers. The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi keeps its fine balance up to a sound pressure level of 85 dB – that’s a lot – and also reduces the airfoil profile. At full power it is over 100 dB, in the vocal range even 105 dB. These values ​​are achieved in battery operation and an increase of 1 dB more is possible in mains operation (this is negligible).

As I’m sure you’ll understand, listening to this speaker turns all the lights green, which will surprise many discerning ears with micro detail, regardless of the transmit volume. A tip: If you want even more bass with the Boombox 3, for example in a garden or a large room, place it less than a meter from a corner.

Impeccable dynamic behavior

A beautiful sound signature is a prerequisite for great sound, but good dynamic behavior is essential for the sauce to set. The energy distribution in the three registers seems very balanced to me. In short, whatever you listen to, the balance between the instruments is respected and at no point in my listening have I complained of a triangle sounding louder than a snare drum.

6.7kg, that’s not nothing, but what does the (weight) of the bottle matter while we’re drunk // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi perfectly respects the variations in intensity of the music and often surprises (without frightening) the listener. She is incredibly good at fishing, but does not add anything and does not overdo it.

A remarkably airy soundstage

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is a true front stereo speaker. The sound doesn’t go in all directions; on the contrary, it is consistently positioned. However, the width of the sound stage is limited by the dimensions of the box; There is no question of hoping for the size offered by two speakers several meters apart. However, the sound is significantly fuller than with compact speakers, such as the Xtreme 3 or Charge 5. Since the dynamic behavior of the converters is also very good, the ventilation between the different sound levels is noticeable and we hear many micro-details. Another strength is that the voices are extracted from the music and very impeccably centered.

A pretty awesome Dolby Atmos experience

Tidal subscribers can take advantage of Dolby Atmos support and won’t be disappointed. JBL is rather discreet in supporting this immersive format, although it’s a lot of fun to listen to. The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi manages to position the sound to the side of the listener and even give the music a slightly vertical dimension. What catches the eye most when listening to tracks in Atmos are the centered and generous voices that stand out with ease across the different sound planes. On some titles, the scene suddenly becomes wider or deeper, much more so than a simple stereo broadcast, with sometimes movements of instruments or voices in space. Then we quickly understand the interest in Dolby Atmos on this Boombox 3 Wi-Fi. A delightful dynamic. Heathens of 21 Pilots creates a bubble of sound, again with soaring choirs, synthetic voices that soar and envelop while the singer’s voice remains centered and clear. In the same vein, the superb Atmos mix of Ed Sheeran’s Bad Habits makes the show on the JBL; it blends in all directions and feels good on the ears.

Despite its size, the speaker comes with a fairly compact rubber base, making it easy to install on a small table // Source: Tristan Jacquel for Frandroid

There are many nice surprises with the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi, especially when listening again to Gainsbourg, whose work has benefited from a remix in Dolby Atmos to hear voices and instruments like never before. Wonders too, like Rob Zombie’s “Dragula”, which we imagined a bit doomed to mush due to the compression of the title, but which unfolds its various guitars in space with surprising precision, especially when moving from sides to middle and vice versa move . Another great music classic in Atmos, Psycho Killer by Talking Heads played with a pleasing dynamic – ah! the playing of the bass guitar… – and that carries the listener along; a pure pleasure. There are tracks that we didn’t expect much from because they were initially mixed in mono that we’re rediscovering; Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys or Can’t Take My Eyes Of You by Frankie Vally, for example, invade the space in a rather crazy way. This puts the Boombox not far behind the exceptional soundbar Sennheiser Ambeo Sound Plus, a reference for music in Dolby Atmos, and even ahead of the Sonos Era 300 (less gifted for voices), with an undeniable advantage over these two speakers: the JBL nomadic . Note, however, that the sound is more intense indoors than outdoors.

JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi autonomy

Let’s talk about autonomy. The Boombox 3 Wi-Fi has a larger capacity battery than the Boombox 3 Bluetooth (9600mAh vs. 7200mAh) to compensate for the additional consumption associated with the WiFi controller. The announced autonomy is therefore always 24 hours. At 50% volume on my iPhone in Bluetooth, the speaker lasted just over 26 hours with a playlist that mixed jazz, pop, rock, and rap. At 80% volume, which is a very high volume to “enliven” a natural aperitif with friends, we can certainly count on a battery life of around 10 hours. How to spend the night The charging time is about 4h30 and the power supply then consumes about 20W. If necessary, an external battery.

JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi price and release date

The JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is only available in black, priced at €549. A hefty price tag, but it delivers on the promises of powerful, quality sound, with the added bonus of superb Dolby Atmos playback.

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