JBL Go 4 Review

Good things come in small packages - and in JBL's case, the Go 4 Bluetooth speaker represents one of the smaller end speakers of their range.

But don't let that put you off - it more than delivers in sound scope and quality, as well as durability.

Measuring a compact 96x78x42 mm, this speaker is small enough to stick in a jacket pocket and pair of trousers and durable enough to get thrown in a bag or the back of a car for journeys or days out at the beach.

With extra silicone packed around the outside of it, the speaker feels like it can handle being turfed around and dropped (not that you should) as it gets used for parties or daily life.

Connectivity is easy, and the Bluetooth capability works impeccably and quickly - its range feels relatively strong, but in truth, moving from one end of the house away from the source caused it occasionally to drop.

Given how small it is, you'd expect it to suffer somewhat in the cadence of what it offers, but there's no loss of quality coming out of the small speaker when compared to the other JBL products like the Xtreme 4. Deeply resonant bass, clear crisp delivery of audio no matter what the volume is ratcheted up to means this ultra-portable speaker works exactly as it should. 

With around 7 hours battery life, this is sturdy enough for weekend daily sessions, and charging it is lightning fast. 

But where the Go 4 benefits is in its portability. It's a speaker that can just be picked up and carried to where best suits your listening needs. It's small enough to fit in a workshop and petite enough to sit somewhere in a room without drawing attention to it from its obnoxious design.

It may not break the mould when it comes to speakers - but the JBL Go4 delivers exactly what you would need from a portable speaker - and may surprise you with how capably it does it.