The Charge and Flip series from JBL are perfect for relaxing by the pool or delighting in intimate events. But the Partybox, which we will discuss in this JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review, is best for larger gatherings.
The line offers a heftier speaker with powerful audio but is still a handy product. It also gives off a vibrant light show which is excellent for events. And to add to this collection of excellent speakers, JBL introduced its Partybox Encore Essential.
JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Packaging
The Partybox Encore Essential arrived in a standard-looking yet thick cardboard box that protects all included items. One side of the box has a sticker displaying an image of the speaker. It also features the JBL branding, product name, and some of its features.
Once we unboxed it for our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review, the speaker came with some extras. These include an AC power cord, a quick start guide, and a safety sheet.
JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review – Design and Functionality
After unboxing, we tried the speaker for our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review. From there, we can confirm that it delivers powerful sounds due to being a prominent speaker.
It measures 276 x 327 x 293mm and weighs 5.8kg, which is lighter than the Partybox 110. And because of its build, the Partybox Encore Essential is not a portable product you can toss in the bag and carry around.
It has a sturdy handle moulded at the top, making it easy to carry. Since it is heftier, you will need to clear some space when you plan to set it up.
We cannot consider the speaker discrete, but it has a neat and streamlined appearance, which is excellent. When you are not using it, its all-black exterior and cubic form blends in with a media centre or cabinet.
The orange JBL logo is small enough not to be distracting. However, things get more festive when you switch on the speaker. Here, a circle of light appears behind its grille. That means the Partybox Encore Essential can function as a decorative piece and a device.
The speaker’s top features a control panel where you can find five buttons and a volume knob. These buttons include power, play/skip/pause, Bass Boost, Bluetooth, and lighting control buttons.
Behind the speaker is a panel underneath a rubber flap, including all the necessary input options. The area also has a mic line input for karaoke sessions, a mic volume knob, and a little gain knob.
This area also houses the TWS (True Wireless Stereo) pairing button that lets you link a second Partybox Encore Essential. Doing so will give you a more complex and spacious sound with defined L/R channels.
Key Features of the JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker
We tested the speaker for our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review. Here, we enjoyed the outstanding Original Pro Sound offered by JBL products. Nothing can beat the excellent sounds it produces with deep bass that is powerful and full of impact.
Aside from this, here are other features that the Partybox Encore Essential has to offer.
Synchronised Light Show
The Partybox Encore Essential features a light ring. It offers a dynamic light show that syncs to the beat of your music.
6-hour Play Time of the JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker
The battery life of the Partybox Encore Essential can last up to six hours to keep the party going.
IPX4 Splash Proof
Whether partying by the pool or dancing on the beach, the Partybox Encore Essential is IPX4-rated, making it splash-proof.
Wired Mic Input for Karaoke Parties
Enjoy a karaoke party with the wired mic input of the Partybox Encore Essential.
Pair Your Speakers for Bigger and Bolder Music
TWS or True Wireless Stereo technology allows you to connect the Partybox Encore Essential with two speakers without cables. Pairing multiple Partybox products results in bolder music that will make the party more fun.
Multi-source Playback with the JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker
While writing our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review, we also learned that the speaker offers multi-source playback.
With this feature, you can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth. Another option is to connect an aux cable or USB stick. This speaker is highly versatile for everyone to enjoy music.
Specifications
This part of our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review will focus on the different specifications of the speaker. For its general specs, it has one 5.25-inch woofer transducer and two 1.75-inch tweeters.
It has a 100W RMS output power while its power input is 100-240 Vac/ 50/60Hz. The speaker has a 50Hz to 20kHz @-6dB frequency response with over 80dB signal-to-noise ratio.
JBL uses a li-ion polymer 17.76Wh battery for the speaker, which gets a full charge in 3.5 hours. So, you can enjoy listening to music for up to six hours.
This speaker uses an AC power cable and Bluetooth 5.1 with an A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6 profile. And lastly, the Partybox Encore Essential measures 276 x 327 x 293mm (WxHxD) and weighs 5.9kg.
Hands-on with the JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker
As mentioned earlier, we tested the speaker for our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review. Now, we will share our experience with it to help you determine if it is something you should purchase.
We will first discuss its setup process and see if it was an easy task or not.
Like the other JBL speakers we tried, this speaker is easy to set up and connect. All you have to do is press and hold its Bluetooth pairing button. Next, select Partybox Encore Essential from the available options.
It can work with up to eight paired devices simultaneously. However, the speaker will prioritise Bluetooth connection first when linking wirelessly with a second device connected via aux. As a result, you cannot listen to music wired and wirelessly at the same time.
To customise the look and sounds of your Partybox Encore Essential, you will need to download the Partybox App. It works with other Partybox speaker models and lets you toggle between Stereo and Party modes during TWS pairing. Also, the app lets you tune mic inputs and adjust EQ.
For more fun, the Partybox app offers DJ effect buttons to give an old-school vibe to your music. The feature lets you choose between horn, dog bark, clap, thumbs-up, or three different recorded scratching sounds.
Light Show control is the highlight of this app which you can utilise to move/change the LED light rings. These lights change based on the beat of your music and preferences, and the app offers different modes. You can go for rock, flow, ripple, cross, and flash, or switch it off entirely.
You can toggle between modes using the app or the button on its main control panel. And to get more customised colours, you can utilise the colour-picker wheel on the app for more shades of the rainbow. Additionally, you can trigger preselected shades from a sub-menu, which follows movement patterns.
The Partybox Encore Essential offered excellent frequency response accuracy. It had a neutral sound profile when we set its Bass Boost to Deep. The audio quality of this speaker was ideal for various content.
This speaker produced an extended low bass. It is perfect for fans of bass-heavy music like EDM, hip-hop, and other similar genres.
Since we wanted to boost the bass further, we set the bass boost to punchy for added power.
For the soundstage performance, it fared well since it played stereo content without downplaying it to mono. It allowed us to hear sound effects and instruments shifting from one side of the Partybox Encore Essential to another.
Also, the speaker was capable enough to reach over 100dB, so volume never became an issue during our tests.
The Partybox Encore Essential delivered stable Bluetooth connectivity. It allowed us to simultaneously pair two devices with the speaker for multiple audio sources.
Its wireless range was also outstanding since our paired devices remained connected from a distance. Plus, it had low latency with both Android and iOS.
The audio was also in sync with the visuals when we watched videos and movies.
JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review Summary
The Partybox Encore Essential is an impressive speaker with powerful bass, making it ideal for parties. Its punchy presentation and eye-catching light show will keep the atmosphere lively. Plus, it has unique features like the mic input if you want a karaoke party.
Aside from the main functions, it has a solid construction with IPX4 splash-proof protection rating. These features make the Partybox Encore Essential the best for having fun without worries. We tested it for our JBL Partybox Encore Essential Speaker Review, and the product effectively worked as claimed by JBL.
Because of its excellent build, unique features, audio quality, and stable connectivity, we highly recommend this product.
Learn more about the Partybox Encore Essential Speaker by visiting the official product page of JBL.
