I tested the JBL Xtreme 4 speaker for a week and fell in love — there's just one problem

close up photograph of a big outdoor bluetooth speaker by JBL Xtreme 4

(Image credit: Future)

I’m a self-professed music nerd. I take finding new songs with glistening vocals and thumping bass as seriously as I take finding a speaker that can do my music justice. With so many speakers out there — with varying degrees of audio quality — it can be overwhelming to find one that suits my particularities. But is the JBL Xtreme 4 one of the best bluetooth speakers out there?

Oh, yes.

EQ? E-Z!

I take customizable EQ seriously, and I don’t just mean EQ presets. I mean the EQ settings where you can adjust sliders for each frequency setting. I’ve tried good speakers from prestigious audio brands (*cough* Bose *cough*) that were utterly let down by their lack of customizable EQ. What if I want to have a bedroom dance party with bass powerful enough to vibrate through the floorboards?

In comes the Xtreme 4. Whomping bass made only more formidable by a custom EQ setting… melodic, evocative treble that doesn’t pinch your ears… crystal-clear mid-range sections that balance everything perfectly. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this kind of love for an audio product. Not since I got my first Bose SoundTrue around-ear headphones when I was 18 — a horribly long time ago now.

Music to my ears

Every song I play through the Xtreme 4 is… well, it is, quite literally, like music to my ears. The dominating, sometimes even overpowering bass of ‘flight fm’ by Joy Orbison transcends the capabilities of the human ear. Grimes’ ‘shinigami eyes’ is piercing, abrupt, and effortless through the Xtreme 4.

Regardless of if I play music at home, at the park, or at a social gathering, it all sounds phenomenal through the Xtreme 4’s more-than-capable woofers. No clarity is lost even when an airplane flies overhead. Which might not be so fun for the people sitting next to me, but what can I say, I love being a public nuisance. (That is clearly a joke.)

But… I must confess. I will not be purchasing the Xtreme 4. I know, I know, it’s heartbreaking. But let me tell you why.

It's a 10, but...

It's a 10, but it's expensive.

This speaker is a whopping $379. Yes, you heard me right. $379. Whereas the JBL Flip 6 is only $169, the Xtreme 4 will set you back over double that. The Flip 6 does lack the power and volume of its big brother, don’t get me wrong, but I find parting with $169 far easier than almost $400.

It’s common knowledge that if you want a super powerful speaker, you’re going to have to spend a lot of money. The Sonos Move 2 is $449. The Bose SoundLink Max is $399. Unfortunately, the speakers I drool over in my spare time are just a little out of reach right now. And when I already have something that is half the price, and almost as loud, I can’t fathom forking over that much cash.

For now, I’ll have to hold my Flip 6 much closer.

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Erin Bashford is a senior writer at Tom's Guide, focusing on reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista, she knows her way around a coffee machine, and as a music lover, she's constantly chipping away at her dream of having a multi-room home sound system. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.