A Tiny Option to Be Huge Loud

There are loads of methods to be loud and annoying. For instance, there’s loud night breathing—a timeless basic that isn’t solely loud, but additionally deprives you and others of sleep, killing two very miserable birds with one stone. Then there are extra vestigial and area of interest types of being obnoxious, like yodeling, which, if accomplished outdoors of the Swiss Alps, seems like extra of a cry for consideration than anything.

But these are nothing once you enter Bluetooth audio system into the equation. In the yr of our lord, 2025, because of Bluetooth connectivity and LTE, there are tons of of how to be loud and annoying, and loads of them will price you. You’ve bought premium choices like Bose’s SoundHyperlink Plus, which deliver fashion and finesse to the Bluetooth speaker sport, after which there are extra rugged choices just like the Soundcore Boom 3i that you would be able to actually throw in a pool. But what if fashion, sturdiness, and even sound aren’t your prime precedence? What in case you’re in search of a small technique to sound actually large? Well, if that’s your jam, JBL’s $100 Grip may need simply what you want.

The tall boy of Bluetooth audio system

When I first noticed JBL’s Grip, I dubbed it the “tall boy of Bluetooth speakers,” and now, having held the Grip in my hand and having laid eyes on it for myself… I stand by that declare. The Grip is all concerning the dimension, which on this case, is just like a “can of seltzer” in response to JBL, or in case you’re a hoodlum like me, then a tall boy. For proof of its tall boy-ness, I put the Grip side-by-side with a can that equals one pint. Here’s the Grip subsequent to a Narragansett to your viewing pleasure:

While the Grip resembles a tall boy in dimension, it really weighs much less—this speaker is barely 385g, which makes it each light-weight and compact, which is sweet as a result of portability is what JBL goes for right here. That’s additionally why there’s a loop on the highest of the speaker so you possibly can strap the Grip to a belt, or a bag, or perhaps clip it to your bike to blast tunes when you get some cardio in. I didn’t strap the Grip to something for my testing, however I did carry it round Manhattan and might affirm that it’s not very burdensome.

See JBL Grip at Amazon

Don’t let the scale and portability idiot you, although; the Grip isn’t any slouch within the quantity division. The very first thing I observed once I performed the Grip out loud in my workplace was that it actually cranks. There’s 16W of energy on this tiny speaker, which doesn’t sound like a ton, however imagine me once I say it holds its personal. While utilizing the Grip within the park, I used to be capable of drown out music from some stay jazz being performed within the neighborhood. To be trustworthy, I didn’t even know there was stay music occurring close to me till I made a decision to pause the Grip momentarily.

Sound-wise, you’re not going to get the identical nuance as a much bigger Bluetooth speaker from Bose or perhaps a larger transportable speaker like JBL’s Charge 5 (which I additionally personal), however that’s probably not the purpose of a speaker this dimension. What you need out of a speaker just like the Grip is portability with a sound that’s ok, and I’d say that’s precisely what the Grip brings to the desk. It does a good job with treble (vocals are clear), although you gained’t catch a lot complexity within the midrange the place guitars stay. Bass isn’t significantly booming, clearly, however I performed some Daft Punk whereas strolling round outdoors, and it didn’t sound bereft of low finish. Overall, I’d say this speaker did higher in a rock style (I performed a number of of my favourite tracks by Geese), however your mileage might differ.

Needless to say, this isn’t the speaker you need in case you’re attempting to fill a room with sound, however in case you’re simply attempting to seize a speaker to deliver on a hike, or a picnic, or to the seaside/park for an informal dangle, there’s no purpose to not seize a Grip—particularly in case you’re low on house.

Tall boy, smaller battery

As is the case with any gadget that emphasizes portability, battery life is all the time in query. The JBL Grip is rated for 14 hours of battery, although that may rely upon the quantity. I wasn’t capable of check the Grip battery life extensively, however in my utilization, the Grip appears to carry up as marketed, if not higher. I examined the Grip, utilizing the speaker at about 50% quantity for an hour. I began my check at 40% battery, and by the point I used to be accomplished listening, I used to be solely at about 37%. Obviously, 50% quantity is somewhat decrease than what most individuals will likely be listening to out within the wild, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a good exhibiting from a small speaker. If you’re blaring this factor, you possibly can clearly count on much less.

The Grip has some character outdoors of the portability, too. There’s (in fact) a companion app that you need to use to fine-adjust EQ (seven entire bands) and swap between EQ presets. You may monitor battery life utilizing the JBL Portable app and use your telephone to decide on the colour of the LED on the again of the speaker. One good contact is having the ability to set the LED part to have totally different lighting results by way of the app. There’s nothing tremendous sensible about having the ability to do any of that, however I assume in case you have been nervous about shedding your speaker at midnight, it would really come in useful. I’d have beloved to see that characteristic was a battery indicator so you possibly can inform how a lot juice you’ve got left within the Grip at a look, however utilizing it for somewhat further personalization is okay. I like having the ability to toggle lighting results particularly, to provide it some further aptitude.

Another nice-to-have characteristic is an IP68 water and dirt ranking, which implies this speaker is principally as water resistant as an precise can of beer. To check that out, I gave the Grip a pleasant little bathe within the sink, operating it beneath water for a few minutes. Luckily, the Grip survived my check and got here out somewhat soggy, however absolutely purposeful and capable of play music simply in addition to earlier than. It doesn’t float or something like Soundcore’s Boom 3i speaker, which I examined not way back, however you undoubtedly don’t have to fret about dropping the Grip in a pool or leaving it out within the rain by chance.

Nothing to jot down dwelling concerning the button choice right here. On the entrance, there’s a play/pause button and a quantity up and down. On prime, there’s a Bluetooth button for pairing, an influence button, and a button for Auracast, which helps you to pair a number of audio system collectively, if that’s one thing you’re curious about.

Should you get a Grip?

JBL’s Grip isn’t for everybody. If you’re an audiophile in search of the very best sound, this isn’t your decide. Nor is that this the perfect decide in case you’re in search of the most of a lot of issues, together with options, battery, and even use in water. That being mentioned, it does strike a strong stability of all of these arenas that must be on the radar in case you’re in search of a speaker that’s very transportable.

I do want the worth was somewhat decrease than $100, contemplating audio system just like the Soundcore Boom 3i, which do a number of issues very effectively and solely price $30 extra. Sure, perhaps Soundcore’s floatable speaker isn’t fairly as small, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly rattling transportable, much more sturdy, and comes with extra options than you’d ever count on in that value vary. I’m left questioning after testing the JBL Grip if the distinction in dimension is absolutely all that particular. If you’re carrying a backpack round with sufficient room, will you really want the house? If you’re mountaineering, and each gram counts, that’s a special story.

So, in case you’re emphasizing dimension above all else and also you need one thing that sounds first rate and gained’t be overpowered by environmental noise, then you definitely would possibly wish to look JBL’s method and seize a pleasant tall glass of Bluetooth audio. And if dimension doesn’t matter to you, then there are tons of different choices on the market, although perhaps none fairly as beer-like.

See JBL Grip at Amazon