A Tiny Solution to Be Huge Loud

There are lots of methods to be loud and annoying. For instance, there’s snoring—a timeless basic that’s not 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 exterior of the Swiss Alps, seems like extra of a cry for consideration than anything.

However these are nothing once you enter Bluetooth speakers into the equation. Within the 12 months of our lord, 2025, because of Bluetooth connectivity and LTE, there are tons of of how to be loud and annoying, and lots of them will value you. You’ve received premium choices like Bose’s SoundLink Plus, which carry model and finesse to the Bluetooth speaker sport, after which there are extra rugged choices just like the Soundcore Boom 3i which you could actually throw in a pool. However what if model, sturdiness, and even sound aren’t your high precedence? What in the event you’re searching for a small technique to sound actually large? Effectively, if that’s your jam, JBL’s $100 Grip may need simply what you want.

The tall boy of Bluetooth audio system

Once 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 keeping with JBL, or in the event 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. Right here’s the Grip subsequent to a Narragansett to your viewing pleasure:

Whereas the Grip resembles a tall boy in dimension, it really weighs much less—this speaker is simply 385g, which makes it each light-weight and compact, which is nice 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’ll be able to strap the Grip to a belt, or a bag, or possibly 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 dimensions and portability idiot you, although; the Grip is not any slouch within the quantity division. The very first thing I seen after 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 after I say it holds its personal. Whereas 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 sincere, 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 greater transportable speaker like JBL’s Cost 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 adequate, 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 exterior, and it didn’t sound bereft of low finish. General, 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 could range.

For sure, this isn’t the speaker you need in the event you’re attempting to fill a room with sound, however in the event you’re simply attempting to seize a speaker to carry on a hike, or a picnic, or to the seaside/park for an off-the-cuff dangle, there’s no cause to not seize a Grip—particularly in the event 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 depend 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%. Clearly, 50% quantity is a little bit decrease than what most individuals can be listening to out within the wild, however it’s nonetheless a good exhibiting from a small speaker. Should you’re blaring this factor, you’ll be able to clearly anticipate much less.

The Grip has some character exterior of the portability, too. There’s (in fact) a companion app that you need to use to fine-adjust EQ (seven complete bands) and swap between EQ presets. It’s also possible to monitor battery life utilizing the JBL Moveable app and use your cellphone to decide on the colour of the LED on the again of the speaker. One good contact is with the ability to set the LED element to have totally different lighting results by way of the app. There’s nothing tremendous sensible about with the ability to do any of that, however I suppose in the event you have been fearful about shedding your speaker at nighttime, it would really turn out to be useful. I might have liked to see that function become a battery indicator so you’ll be able to inform how a lot juice you may have left within the Grip at a look, however utilizing it for a little bit additional personalization is okay. I like with the ability to toggle lighting results specifically, to provide it some additional aptitude.

One other nice-to-have function is an IP68 water and dirt score, which suggests this speaker is mainly as waterproof as an precise can of beer. To check that out, I gave the Grip a pleasant little bathe within the sink, working it below water for a few minutes. Fortunately, the Grip survived my check and got here out a little bit soggy, however totally practical and capable of play music simply in addition to earlier than. It doesn’t float or something like Soundcore’s Increase 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 house concerning the button choice right here. On the entrance, there’s a play/pause button and a quantity up and down. On high, 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 considering.

Must you get a Grip?

JBL’s Grip isn’t for everybody. Should you’re an audiophile searching for the absolute best sound, this isn’t your choose. Neither is this the most effective choose in the event you’re searching for the most of a lot of issues, together with options, battery, and even use in water. That being mentioned, it does strike a stable stability of all of these arenas that needs to be on the radar in the event you’re searching for a speaker that’s very transportable.

I do want the value was a little bit decrease than $100, contemplating audio system just like the Soundcore Increase 3i, which do a number of issues very properly and solely value $30 extra. Positive, possibly Soundcore’s floatable speaker isn’t fairly as small, however it’s nonetheless fairly rattling transportable, much more sturdy, and comes with extra options than you’ll ever anticipate in that value vary. I’m left questioning after testing the JBL Grip if the distinction in dimension is actually all that particular. Should you’re carrying a backpack round with sufficient room, will you actually need the house? Should you’re climbing, and each gram counts, that’s a distinct story.

So, in the event you’re emphasizing dimension above all else and also you need one thing that sounds respectable and gained’t be overpowered by environmental noise, then you definately would possibly wish to look JBL’s manner 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 possibly none fairly as beer-like.

See JBL Grip at Amazon