Back at CES we got to see JBL’s portfolio of portable speakers ranging from upgrades to their Clip series to the next iteration of the “Go”. Go is a slightly different take on their Clip coming in a slightly different form factor and different setup of buttons. Is the Go 2 ready for your daily travels at a fraction of the cost of other speakers?
Style
The JBL Go 2 is a squarish portable speaker with rounded edges. On the front JBL has their logo embossed in a bright white color on the speaker grill and there is also an indicator light to advise you the speaker is on. Buttons are etched out on top giving you volume controls, bluetooth syncing, play/pause and of course power. Flip over to the right is an enclosure for microUSB charging and a 3.5mm audio jack if Bluetooth isn’t available to you.
Its outfitted in this plastic feeling material which feels like its prone to scratches or I just haven’t done so yet. There are little notches on the bottom that are supposed to keep the Go 2 at bay as well. Go 2 comes in at 184g and for its small size does feel slightly heavy compared to some other speakers its size and price point.
Feature
JBL has made the Go 2 IPX7 so you can take it to the beach or bring it to the bathtub. Maybe accidently drop it in the sink while cooking in the kitchen. I did get it wet a couple of times. I feel like because of its design it can take a bit to drain out water. But once that’s done it sounds good as new. Just make sure you keep that compartment closed and sealed. Battery life is slated to be about 5 hrs and that’s about on par.
Sound
For its size JBL pumps some nice clean sound out of the Go 2. They manage to push out some decent bass and is in sync while watching videos from the ones I watched on YouTube and other platforms. It’s a nice companion to have for your smartphone to give it extra thump deskside.
Verdict
Go 2 isn’t a bad companion speaker for your smartphone while traveling and can’t get the best sound out your device. It’s nice for listening to music too as it gives some nice bass and sound.
JBL Go 2 is available now for $39.95 and surprisingly in 12 different colorways
