JBL Go 4 is the Tiny Speaker That Punches Back, Here’s How

Too many pocket-sized Bluetooth speakers provide music that is faint and distant, requiring way too much effort to hear. Then there’s the JBL Go 4, priced at $39.95 (was $49.95), a small brick-sized device aiming to turn that notion on its head. At less than half a pound and small enough to fit in a coat pocket, it not only provides, but truly delivers, clear, powerful audio that makes you grab for the volume dial rather than throw your hands up in the air in disgust.

It’s tiny, but the Go 4 has the surprising ability to fill space with depth. The vocals are clean, and the bass notes have just enough wallop to anchor everything without overpowering it. Plus, the frequency response only dips to 90Hz, ensuring that the bass does not get muddy as it does with some of its smaller competitors. Wirecutter staff examined it and were satisfied, describing the output as “satisfying and full” despite its small size. As for the loudness, while it won’t blow out any windows, it does reach a reasonable 80 dB at full blast, which is adequate to handle a solo trek or a small gathering without distortion.

Durability-wise, the Go 4 has evolved into a rock-solid sidekick that you don’t have to think about. The rubber edges wrap around the fabric cover, protecting it from drops as low as waist height. An IP67 classification seals it tight against dust and water, making it ideal for days at the beach when sand goes everywhere or poolside when electronics are eventually carried away. SoundGuys put one through its paces, subjecting it to six days of hard use, everything from being thrown around on a hike to being knocked off the table for a laugh, and it still looked brand new (including the Go 4’s extra silicone protection on top, a significant improvement over the Go 3).

Battery life holds up just as well over time; one full charge from a USB-C port provides seven hours of continuous listening at a moderate volume, and if you turn on the Playtime Boost option, that increases to nine hours, with the sole drawback being that the low-end bass is slightly reduced. This is genuine real-world runtime. It will only take slightly more than two hours to recharge, and with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, you can get reliable connections of up to 60 feet even through walls, while its multipoint pairing technology allows you to simply switch between your phone and tablet while your music is still streaming.

The controls are just where your thumb expects them: three raised buttons sit on top to control play, stop, and volume with a nice click, while the power, Bluetooth, and Auracast pairing buttons are neatly tucked away on the side so you don’t have to look for them in the dark. As an extra benefit, the JBL portable app has a five-band equalizer that allows you to tailor the sound to your preferences, such as increasing the highs to hear podcasts more clearly or warming up the mids for a more acoustic sound.