Rated 5 out of
5
by
Nitrobob from
Awesome purchase in stereo!
Purchased a couple to use for backing tracks while practicing guitar. They sound amazing!!!!
Date published: 2025-08-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
kitkatt611 from
Lightweight, powerful audio
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve been really happy with this speaker so far. It's surprisingly light, and the sound quality is better than I expected. It's loud, clear, and the bass has a nice kick without sounding muddy. I’ve used it both indoors and outside, and it projects really well, even in open spaces.
The controls are straightforward, which I appreciate - no weird settings or confusing menus. Just power it on, pair it, and you’re good to go. The battery life has held up well during longer hangouts too. Especially now that it's summer, I'm always excited to bring it to the park or beach when we're having a larger group get together.
One of the coolest things is the LED lights. They really add to the vibe, especially at night. It’s definitely a nice bonus.
Overall, this is a solid portable speaker if you want great sound, strong bass, and a little extra personality with the lights. Would definitely recommend.
Date published: 2025-07-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Byron_1985 from
10/10 performance
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] JBL delivers again! I have multiple JBL speakers from portable flips to large format and this one is no exception when it comes to performance.
Great sound, powerful bass and exceptional battery performance.
Date published: 2025-06-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Johanna87r from
Love it!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I fell in love with this speaker. As soon as I pulled it out of the box it made an impact, because it's so lightweight. The sound is incredible, and there are so many options you can choose from in the lighting. The bass boost option is good. It also has a slot in the back to connect instruments and microphones. The slot has a light that turns on for you to see better.
Date published: 2025-06-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
avid music lover from
All in one home jam system/party box
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is my new go to in my home for jamming. It might be overkill but the quality incomparable. The battery also lasts so long I rarely have to charge it. I can't wait to use this at my next party, the lights are going to add to the atmosphere perfectly. And if the song really needs it, that bass boost really brings the music the bump I want to hear. I really can't see myself needing any other speaker in the future. This one even had a microphone I can buy to do karaoke which sounds SO fun and I can't wait to try that.
Date published: 2025-06-13
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Dave1602 from
Great addition to my speaker family!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I used it on my deck for a bbq. I like that’s it doesn’t weigh much and easy to carry with the handle. The sound is great for its weight and size and the JBL PartyBox app was great letting me control the equalizers and the lights and the Dj sound effects are a great addition but can be made possibly better with more customization packages but fun to play with. I tried the connection of older or more modern JBL products partyplay. I like you guys are allowing to connect to your other JBL Speakers. it’s true to the water resistance because I left it on the deck and it rained over night. I just dried it and it was good to go no problems. The battery life is nice for it size and weight I know I prolly got 6 hours of 1/3 or half it’s full power and plugged in it sounds really great.
Date published: 2025-06-12
Rated 5 out of
5
by
jbarnr from
Clean, quality sound where you need it
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] As usual - JBL creates a thought out product from packaging to build..I own a few JBL speakers now, and every time I buy anything that comes in a box and I have to fight to open it or remove the item from the box - I think of all the times I was able to easily remove my JBL speaker from its box, and start on a positive note from the beginning.
Easy to handle packaging aside - what you get is a speaker that looks and feels well built - it's a mix of hard plastic (the type you can drop and beat on and it'll be fine) and metal (front grate, etc.). I have no issue picking up and carrying it around - I have fairly weak hands from decades on computers, sports, injuries, you name it - so sometimes I am not able to grip objects very well and my hands tire - I can pick this up and walk around with it comfortably.
Changing volume and other similar settings is about as easy as it can get on the top front of the speaker - the dials feel nice with feedback as you turn them - just about what you'd hope for - the buttons feel robust when you press them so I don't feel worried about issues with them down the road (kinda rubbery, I guess as part of the splash proof construction).
Bass boost does exactly what it implies and this speaker while not physically large - will thump the area around it if you play something with any sort of bass - and it's a clean bass as well, unlike cheaper speakers where things sound muddy.
For me the main appeal is the portability, and battery life (the battery being completely replaceable is a nice extra - lots of products you are stuck with what you have, or if you are persistent like myself you end up having to do some electronic engineering down the road to replace the built in one lol). I am always in different areas of my house between my work from home - and working on fixing my home - so it's nice to be able to bring a quality speaker along with me as I work on different areas of the house and keep music with me to maintain my sanity.
If I decide to work outside on the house - speaker comes with. If I decide to work on the car, speaker comes with. It's nice to not need an extension cord!
Personally I am not huge on LEDs and lightshows all the time (nothing against them!) - but connecting to the app was very simple, and controlling the lightshow is about as straight forward as it can be with different options to tweak. Can also tweak the equalizer settings and other odds and ends (what you would expect as far as options to tweak on a speaker).
At some point I hope to try connecting it with another JBL speaker I have, to test the Auracast functionality (connect multiple speakers) but have not just yet. Will also pick up a microphone so I can do my best William Hung 'She Bangs' at some point to annoy my friends :) - the ports for this on the back are behind a beefy feeling rubber 'plug' with a few settings / buttons you can change.
Sound quality wise - I have nothing to complain about. Volume can get well more than loud enough for the size of the speaker - and the source does not get degraded as the volume goes up - music or otherwise stays nice and clear as you'd hope from a quality speaker.
All in all, I recommend this speaker if you need portable clean sound you can bring with you without your arm falling off, and spruce things up with a lightshow and karaoke or a guitar solo if that sort of thing appeals to you. If your drunk uncle happens to splash out of the pool you can rest assured the speaker isn't going to mind :)
Date published: 2025-06-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
aidan12 from
time for a party
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This speaker is awesome. The design makes you want to host a party as soon as you take it out of the box. Its matte finish looks fantastic and the lighting is really cool, though I wish this part of it wasn’t so dependent on the app so that I could edit its functions manually. At just under 15 pounds it’s light enough to carry around, but won’t be easily knocked over. It truly feels durable and robust.
Using the speaker is simple and has customization built in with the app. The sound quality is perfect; amazing at a low volume yet built for a party volume. Every genre of music I have thrown at it has been taken very well.
I was a little scared when I first connected to the speaker as it randomly shut off twice. The power was fine and everything, it just shut down out of nowhere. However, it hasn’t done so since so I think it just needed to warm up or something. Other than that and its dependency on the app, it is my new favorite speaker and I’m begging for opportunities to pull it out! I highly recommend!
Date published: 2025-06-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
reded from
Massive step up in bass and volume
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I use this on my large deck when I have friends round. I have smaller JBL's that I used to use and this is a massive step up in bass quality and overall loudness. As with my other JBL's its all controllable through their App, including the light show, which at night is amazing and still bright in the day. Theres even a strobe light, that's not only in time to the music but also comes on at the right parts of the song! I thought I would have to have it plugged in to mains most of the time, but so far the battery has outlasted any gathering I've had so that's really convenient. I think I might need to get another to complete the set for Stereo.
Date published: 2025-06-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
danngarsvt46 from
Sweet JBL sound in a small portable design
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is a party speaker that delivers exceptional sound quality, far surpassing its compact size. Its portability makes it ideal for any event requiring superior audio. The speaker boasts impressive battery life, ensuring uninterrupted music throughout the party. Charging is also quick and easy.
The sound from the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is exceptional. It features clear, smooth highs, full mids, and enough bass to fill the room with energy. The ample amount of bass produced by this speaker is surprising considering its size. Whether indoors or outdoors, the sound remains clear and full across the entire sound spectrum. Place the speaker in a corner for an extra bump in bass output. I paired the speaker with a projector at a pool party for a movie night and was not disappointed.
The speaker comes with convenient connections on the rear, allowing you to add a microphone or other instrument easily. You can also adjust the sound and effects through the JBL PartyBox App. Bluetooth connectivity is quick, while the aux and USB connections provide additional options to suit various needs. There’s even a light on the rear that illuminates the connections in low light conditions.
The top of the speaker features simple controls for volume and lighting, making quick adjustments easy. The JBL PartyBox App is a must-have for this speaker, offering extended functionality that sets it apart. You can customize the sound to your preferences, adjust the lighting to match the mood, and even mix up the music using the built-in DJ effects and sounds. The ability to pair multiple speakers using the Auracast feature opens up possibilities for covering larger areas. I successfully paired the speaker with an older Partybox to cover two areas with a single source. Unfortunately, the lighting effects didn’t pair with the older Partybox, but the ability to link speakers is still a great feature.
The lighting on the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is incredibly responsive and complements various music types. The strobe light is bright, and the color ring at the center provides multiple presets and fully customizable looks. The visual appeal compliments the great sound quality.
In summary, the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is an exceptional party speaker that delivers superb full sound, great visuals, and a comprehensive set of features and control options to suit almost any application. It definitely stands out as one of the best speakers I’ve used from JBL.
Date published: 2025-06-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Regman from
Awesome portable party speaker
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When I first took the speaker I was amazed with the build quality. It is a perfect size for taking to the beach, camping or backyard. I downloaded the app first. Bluetooth connection was simple and fast thanks to a large button on top. The app gives you control over the lights, sound and party effects. I kept the sound on signature JBL sound because it is my favorite. You can select from several presets or adjust the eq yourself. My kids had a lot of fun with the party effects. The sound was exactly what I expected from JBL. Clear highs and great bass. I played many different kinds of music thru it and they sounded amazing. I also hooked it up to our outside projector for movie night and wow did it sound great. I can’t recommend this product enough. I am very happy I got one.
Date published: 2025-06-05
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Bane13 from
It’s Portable,sounds amazing and looks great
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Jbl Encore essential 2 is simply awesome!!! I love that’s it’s rechargeable. The Bass Boost feature adds a ton of Bass. The sound quality is amazing, it’s very clear and loud, it’s very easy to connect to Bluetooth. My grandkids love the light show. They spent quite awhile watching it and switching colors,
This will be out new lake and beach speaker.
I highly recommend this speaker its amazing and easy to take on the go.
Date published: 2025-06-02
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Shika from
Good!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This party box is nice. It works well. It's bigger than I expected, but it's lightweight. The sound is pretty clear and it has a fairly long range. I also like feature of being able to change the disco colors : )
Date published: 2025-06-09
