JBL Go 3 Review — The Best Waterproof Speaker?

It’s a rare occurrence these days when I unearth a product from its packaging and stand back in amazement, but that’s exactly what happened with the JBL Go 3.

This tiny, rugged, waterproof Bluetooth speaker is bloody amazing. And these words come from someone who has experienced the “boundary-pushing computational audio” of the HomePod mini.

Let’s just quickly confirm that for all the computational wizardry that’s going on inside Apple’s diminutive smart home speaker, it just sounds like any small speaker should. It’s ok — completely to be expected.

But the JBL Go 3 is another story — and not just because of how fabulous it sounds. There’s much more to it than that, and, for me, it has filled a significant gap in my life (which I’ll get onto later).

Who is the JBL Go 3 for?

I should start this review by confirming that the JBL Go 3 isn’t a direct competitor for the HomePod mini, Google Nest Audio or any of the Alexa devices. They include a smart assistant and other home-oriented features.

This doesn’t. It’s just a Bluetooth speaker you can confidently throw around and not worry about getting wet. But, sometimes, the simplest jobs are the hardest to perform.

As the name implies, the Go 3 is designed to be taken with you, wherever you’re going. The product photography by JBL features people working out, relaxing in their garden and chilling out at the beach.

The fact it is IP67 water- and dustproof make it ideally suited to all of these tasks. Although, I haven’t tested it in any of those situations yet — because they’re not the reason I bought this speaker. Again, we’ll come to that later.

The price

I bought my JBL Go 3 for £39.99 during a sale event at Amazon, but it retails normally for around £50.

Its nearest competitor is the Sony SRS-XB12 which is around the same price. I’m yet to test the Sony, but an initial scan of Amazon reviews suggests it might stack up well against the Go 3.

In my opinion, £50 for a speaker of this quality is an absolute bargain. JBL has priced this perfectly and there isn’t a hint of brand tax anywhere.

The design

Boy, is this a rugged little thing.

Made of tight, meshed fabric, plastic and rubber, there’s no flex, zero creaks and it’s reassuringly heavy without being a burden. A little loop for dangling on your finger or from a stationary object of your choice completes a great little package.

As noted, I’ve not put this through any particularly meaningful or rugged use, but it boasts the kind of design which exudes confidence. “Throw me around,” the Go 3 appears to be saying. “Go on — see what I’m made of.” JBL doesn’t include a case (there are plenty of aftermarket options available for that), but I’m not convinced it would ever need one.

The Go 3 also comes in a boatload of colours if you’re that way inclined, and there’s no-messing branding from JBL, with their logo the most prominent mark on the speaker.

It has tonnes of personality. It’s playful, proud of its roots and doesn’t look out of place anywhere. It even makes a cool guitar sound effect when you turn it on and off.

Special mention must also be made for the presence of proper, physical buttons (play/pause, volume up, volume down, power and Bluetooth, to be exact). I’m not a fan at all of the touch-sensitive ‘buttons’ the likes of Apple, Google and countless others seem so intent on using for their devices. I want tactile feedback and buttons which are difficult to accidentally press, and JBL’s decision to use real buttons on the Go 3 is so refreshing.

Sound

I’m not exaggerating when I say I literally stood back, mouth aghast on first hearing the Go 3.

I suspect this might be due to the “meh, they’re ok” reaction I’ve had recently to products from Apple, Amazon and Google, and the sound generated by the Go 3 certainly won’t be for everyone.

It seems to be tuned particularly well for rock music, but I’ve also tried it out with electronic and pop, and for me, it reproduces those genres fantastically, too.

The best way to describe it is “live-sounding”, which is no surprise, given JBL’s roots in pro audio. Indeed, they even quote the device’s use of “JBL Pro Sound Tech” on the official product page — whatever that is.

The Go 3 is also loud. Seriously loud. And without any noticeable distortion. The same goes if you’re a podcast fan — it deals with voice content incredibly well, no matter the volume.

For such a small driver (and, these days, a small number of drivers), the Go 3 produces a rich, full-bodied sound which can fill any room. It’s immediately impressive without any EQing.

There’s no boundary-pushing computational audio, zero 3D effects and not a whiff of multi-core processing. Yet it sounds superb.

Funny that, eh?

Battery life

The Go 3 is rated at five hours “depending on audio content and volume level”. As always, I have zero interest in running detailed tests on this, as I’d far rather put it to test in day-to-day settings.

For me, those five hours are easily met. However, I’d love a bit of extra headroom, and I’m not entirely sure why JBL can’t achieve a longer battery life when compared against products like the Sony WH-1000xm4 wireless headphones, which enjoy over 20 hours of battery life.

Five hours is plenty acceptable, though. The only worry I’d have is how practical that is for extended use outside during the summer or while away camping, therefore if that’s your intended use, it’d be wise to keep a portable charger handy.

On the subject of charging, the Go 3 goes from zero to one-hundred percent in 2.5 hours. It also uses USB C, which is now a must for any device I have in my life. I ramble on about it far too often, but having one charging standard across all of your devices has a genuinely positive impact on your digital life.

One last small grumble with the battery life is the fact that you can’t easily tell how much juice is left. The Go 3 warns of low battery life via a flashing LED, but that won’t give you much forewarning. It also means you have to regularly err on the side of caution and give it a charge before any extended use.

Ok, so what have you bought it for?

I fully intend to put the Go 3 to the test in its natural habitat (outside). The problem I have is that I live in the UK, and the weather at this time of the year doesn’t really encourage BBQing or beach visits.

So why did I buy it in the dead of winter? For one simple reason: that IP67 waterproof rating. That feature alone means I can place it in the bathroom while I shower without any fear of damaging it. The fact that it delivers a rich, voluminous sound is the icing on the cake.

For me, the JBL Go 3 is the perfect shower companion and I’ve not stopped using it for that reason since it arrived. To be honest, if this is all I use it for, I’ll still consider it money very well spent.

Should you buy the JBL Go 3?

I think the answer to this question comes down to the following considerations:

• If you want a portable, loud, superb-sounding Bluetooth speaker you can take anywhere and never worry about — buy it.
• If you’re after an intelligent home assistant — don’t buy it.

Equally, if you fancy a great sounding speaker which can happily be used while showering or taking a bath, the Go 3 will be just the tonic.

Well done, JBL — you’ve put a real smile on my face during these last, fading moments of 2020.

Originally published at https://markellisreviews.com on December 29, 2020.

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