JBL Go+ review: Best in class audio with a lightweight design

The speaker carries a price tag of Rs 1,799 for the Indian market and can be purchased from online retail stores including Flipkart and others.

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JBL, a company which is known for its top-of-the-line audio products, extended its portfolio with the launch of GO+ speakers. The latest speaker comes with a slightly bigger size as compared to its precursor; and claims to deliver a rich audio experience. The speaker carries a price tag of Rs 1,799 for the Indian market and can be purchased from online retail stores including Flipkart and others.

 

Rating:
4.0/5

JBL Go+ review: Best in class audio with a lightweight design

We got to use the speaker for a while and here's what we feel about the product:

Lightweight old-school design

Lightweight old-school design

Design-wise, the JBL Go+ is made out of plastic encased within a rubberized exterior. The speaker features a basic box shaped design; nothing fancy but suitable for all surroundings. The JBL logo is embedded both at the front speaker grille as well as the rear. The company has used a good quality plastic to design the speaker and it feels rugged to hold, so it wouldn't be a problem if you accidentally drop your Go+.

The media control keys are placed on the top including the power key, Bluetooth pairing key, volume adjusters, and the play/pause key. The left edge of the speaker houses the AUX port along with a microUSB port. While the right edge has an outlet with which you can connect straps making it easy to carry them. Overall, the speaker features a decent form factor with light weight design adding to its portability.

Specifications and audio performance
 

Specifications and audio performance

The latest JBL entrant packs a single 40mm transducer to deliver a loud sound output. Even with an output of 3W, the speaker gets satisfyingly loud providing a rich music listening experience. There is an inbuilt microphone using which one can answer calls. The speaker uses Bluetooth v4.1 for wireless connectivity.
The JBL Go+ delivers an impressive audio output with thumping bass and performs well with every genre of music.

The vocals are clear and the instruments in a song are easily distinguishable. The speaker produces balanced mids and highs. The punchy bass enhances the overall audio quality. What we really liked about the speaker is that the audio does not muffle or distort at maximum volume levels. This makes the speaker optimum for house parties and small gatherings. The loud audio also makes it suitable for outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. We were also impressed by the performance while streaming media online. We also didn't experience any issues with the audio playback while playing shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos and Hotstar and others.

Pairing and battery

Pairing and battery

As mentioned earlier, the JBL Go+ comes with Bluetooth connectivity support. It is compatible with various devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, etc. Pairing the speaker with other devices is simple and you will not face any challenges while doing so. To connect a new device, you will need to press the pairing key placed next to the power button. The device will go into the pairing mode once you press the pairing button. The notification LED placed inside the speaker grill at the front will blink rapidly when the device is in paring mode. The speaker has a good connectivity range and there is no noticeable audio break-up with up to 10m distance.

The speaker is fuelled by a 730mAh Li-Ion battery reservoir that can be charged using a standard microUSB port. It takes around three hours for the speakers to charge from zero to 100 percent. With full charge we got up to 4-5 hours of backup with the media playing at 50-75 percent. The backup reduces when the speaker plays audio at maximum levels. Overall, the battery backup of the speaker is good and you will be able enjoy your favorite music without the battery draining out fast.

Verdict

Verdict

The portable speaker market in India has a wide range of options to choose from, especially, the budget speaker segment. The competition amongst the brands is stiff as everyone is coming up with top-end products. The JBL Go has been one of the most successful speakers in the budget segment. The latest entrant, the JBL GO+ is no different. It not only offers amazing audio quality, it is lightweight and delivers a longer battery backup. Besides, the sub 2K price point along with the brand value, makes it one of the sweetest deal out there. If high-resolution audio and brand value is what you are looking for, then the JBL GO+ is worth the buy.

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