The Charge 4 also doesn’t have a built-in microphone so if you tend to use your speaker for phone calls you might be annoyed. The playback controls work great and the buttons are nice and clicky, though I do wish the buttons were made of white plastic or were all lit up like the power button, as it’s hard to see which one is which when it’s dark.
#SONY XB33 VS JBL CHARGE 4 BLUETOOTH#
The Charge 4 has all of your bases covered with a strong connection up to around 30 feet just like most Bluetooth speakers. It’s an iteration on an iteration, but connectivity is where things to start to split. If you can’t tell yet, the JBL Charge 4 isn’t too different than the previous model. From there, simply locate the device in your Bluetooth settings in order to connect to it. As soon as you turn it on all you have to do is press the Bluetooth button that’s located next to the power button in order to enter pairing mode. The Charge 4 has the playback buttons up top with the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons lit up.Ĭonnecting to the speaker might not be as simple as your AirPods, but it’s still pretty easy. Considering JBL is a company whose big selling point is their waterproofing, this was disappointing. JBL customer support stated that the one year warranty had passed, and defective products out of warranty could not be replaced for free.
![sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4 sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/TJDqtboTaFQYoTx9-DoU9yFw3HE=/1200x675/2020/05/11/6423f883-3723-485e-8bdd-7368e22b2eef/sony-line-party-connect.jpg)
![sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4 sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LtmUgNNOTtg/sddefault.jpg)
The speaker still produced sound, but the sound was shrouded by a loud crackling.
![sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4 sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4](https://images.versus.io/objects/jbl-charge.front.master.1576684641045.jpg)
These also have the characteristic exposed dual passive radiators on either end just like most of the new JBL speakers over the last few years.Įditor’s note: Sara tested a JBL Flip 4’s IPX7 rating by submerging it in a pool for about 10 seconds, and it came out broken. It also floats for a bit if you do drop it in the water so you don’t have to worry about losing it if it falls off of a boat or a deck. Yes, the tough waterproof fabric makes a comeback along with the IPX7 certification that lets you submerge it for up to 30 minutes in a meter of water. Besides that, the Charge 4 still keeps most of the features that made the Charge 3 so great. JBL also upgraded the battery from 6000mAh on the Charge 3 to around 7500mAh on the Charge 4. I do like the sound of my Sony wf-1000xm3 earphones without extra bass.On either end of the speaker the Charge 4 is still rocking dual exposed passive radiators. I like that the JBL sounds brighter, but it also sounds a bit harsh and it's mono.īetter sound than my link 20 (as in clearer, more defined, bigger soundstage - slightly stronger bass would be nice but I'm not a bass head. Sometimes I think the XB33 sounds a bit muddy, but maybe that's the extra bass feature, which I probably wouldn't use.
![sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4 sony xb33 vs jbl charge 4](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IH27-A2bJRk/maxresdefault.jpg)
My main issue is that I can't go and listen in a store, and I can't find a comparison video without "extra bass" the XB33. You guys seem to know your stuff so maybe you can help me. I've narrowed it down to the Charge 4 or XB-33, but I'm open to other recommendations around the same price or a little more expensive (200USD/£150). (I'm mad that I need to replace it! The stupid design of the waterproof flap pushes down on the micro usb charging cable, which has slowly busted the charging port.) I'm looking to replace my JBL Link 20 from 2017, which is my only speaker for now. ETA: looks like I should consider the Denon envaya 250 and Soundcore motion+ too.