Sometimes you need a Bluetooth speaker that’s going to knock people’s socks off, not necessarily in terms of audio quality (though that’s nice too), but in pure, unadulterated volume. For JBL fans, there’s one wireless speaker that delivers on that promise in a package that’s not a total pain in the ass to cart around, and that’s the Boombox, which just got its fourth version and some significant upgrades to boot at IFA 2025.
The highlight here, according to JBL, is that the Boombox 4 is giving you more for less, at least in the weight department. While JBL shaved two pounds off the Boombox 4 compared to the last generation, it also has 50% more output than its predecessor. Coupled with JBL’s AI Sound Boost, the company says the speaker should deliver more output while minimizing distortion, too.
You should know that this speaker is still 13 pounds, though, so it’s not something you’re going to want to carry around for long periods. JBL says the Boombox 4 has two additional woofers and three passive radiators this time around for a total of 210W of power. The Boombox 3, for reference, has 180W of total power when plugged in, but 136W when running on battery power.
See JBL Boombox 3 at Amazon
Even with that boost in power, JBL says the Boombox 4 should deliver solid battery life, with 28 hours of juice regularly and 34 hours if JBL’s Playtime Boost feature is activated. One thing that I love here is that the battery is replaceable now, which is great for longevity. More replaceable batteries in gadgets, please! Two other nice touches include the ability to connect to an external device via USB-C for lossless audio (a big deal for the audiophiles among us) and a light-up JBL logo that lets you know when the speaker’s bass boost is activated. JBL’s Boombox 4 is available for preorder now and debuts at $549.95. The speaker is slated for a full release on Sept. 28.
If you’re looking for even more power, JBL is also introducing a new edition of its JBL PartyBox. The PartyBox 720—a big-boy party speaker that makes the Boombox 4 look cute—has a whole 800W of power. That’s the same wattage as the PartyBox 710 speaker, but the PartyBox 720 woofers are 9 inches compared to the 8-inch woofers on the 710. The biggest shift here is that the PartyBox can now run on a battery as opposed to having to be plugged in. Altogether, JBL says that its PartyBox 720 can last for up to 15 hours on its own. Oh, there are also wider wheels this time around, which should make lugging around a house-shaking Bluetooth speaker a lot easier. JBL’s PartyBox 720 is available for preorder now at a debut price of $1,099 and will be released broadly on Sept. 21.
See JBL Party Box 710 at Best Buy
