Controlling the jbl charge 2 column. JBL Charge - the sound that is always with you
Appearance
JBL Charge 2 has a cylindrical shape, which is familiar to us from the first model. It is worth noting that the new column is somewhat longer and wider.
It now has 2 full bass speakers visible on the sides of the device.
On the front, there are mid-range and tweeters hidden under a metal mesh.
Above there are additional buttons for controlling the column, which were not in the previous generation.
All connectors are now located at the back. These include a micro-usb connector, a 3.5mm jack and a USB connector.
If we talk about the quality of plastic, then it is at its best here! It is immediately evident that the designers and engineers have tried to create a really high-quality device.
All plastic parts have a rubberized surface.
The buttons are protected from moisture, which makes it possible to operate the device outdoors or, for example, in the bathroom.
The JBL Charge 2 is heavier than the first series speaker. Apparently this is due to the reinforced built-in battery.
Principle of operation
Let's take a look at how this thing works in order. For this we need a speaker and a sound source. This source can be any Bluetooth-enabled device or with a headphone output. The most common option is a smartphone. On the speaker, you must turn on the "Bluetooth" button. The column becomes available to all devices. The smartphone needs to connect to the JBL Charhe 2 device.
After successful pairing, all devices are ready to use. Now all sounds will be transmitted to the speaker.
Functional
In addition to playing sound, the JBL charger 2 is able to charge other devices via a USB socket. Hence the name “Charge” - charge. Thanks to a capacious 10000 mAh battery, the speaker can make sound and charge the device at the same time.
In technical terms, the difference between the first and second model, in addition to size and appearance, is a whole set of new features. Among the main ones, one can single out the reception of a phone call directly from the speaker, i.e. Hands-Free. Plus, in addition to volume control, you can now pause music. Also, it became possible to connect to three devices at once.
Autonomy
There are no complaints about autonomy. Thanks again for the powerful battery. JBL Charge 2 works quietly for 8-10 hours at medium volume. For charging, the complete charger by 2.4 A.
Conclusion
After using the speaker for a long time, I got an ambivalent impression. On the one hand, you are holding a high-quality thing in your hands that makes a great sound. But on the other hand, there is one fat minus to this sound. Dear readers, carefully look at the production date of the column, it is indicated on the box! The fact is that when playing bass, the sound starts to wheeze. All 2014 speakers will be defective!
Agree, it will become very offensive, buying such an expensive thing, to hear the wheezing of the speakers. Therefore, it is worth carefully looking at the date. In the new 2015, this problem was solved, so take the devices released since 2015!
The device I'm reviewing was released in 2014 and it wheezes. There is a lot of information on the Internet about this problem. And if you are faced with this defect, then you should contact service centerwhere everything will be fixed for free.
In conclusion, I want to add, despite this controversial drawback, I was delighted with the JBL Charge 2. I have not heard even better portable sound.
The Charge 2 is a quality, stylish and generally glamorous gadget for portable sound lovers. The latter is always a compromise and mainly between sound quality and portability. In this case, JBL also offers stylish appearanceas well as additional functionality. Which one? We will talk about this in the review.
Equipment
A bright package made of thick cardboard with high-quality printing hides, of course, the speaker itself, as well as an impressive power supply unit (5V, 2.3A), a Micro USB cable one meter long and a bunch of accompanying documentation. Where can we go without it? By the way, all accessories are made to match the gadget. For example, a red speaker comes with adapters and wires of the same color.
In the kit there was another adapter-adapter for English sockets. You never know who can come in handy.
Design
Barrel! This is one word that can describe the appearance of the gadget. Of course, this is almost a standard form factor among similar devices. This is primarily due to the nuances of sound extraction. Therefore, manufacturers can only play with the appearance of their offspring due to body materials, various inserts and ruffles.
Let's start with the materials. The speakers here are covered with a metal mesh, and the rest of the case is made of plastic with the familiar soft-touch coating. The column is pleasant to touch, to hold in hands. You feel the quality thing and the glamor that it exudes.
On the sides are passive radiators that are responsible for the transmission of low frequencies. When playing audio, their vibrations are very noticeable to others and this is especially impressive for everyone. By the way, touching the surface of the radiators is strongly discouraged.
In the video below, you can clearly see how it looks live.
The top plane contains all controls with their own icons. Everything in order (from left to right).
The first is the power button. Like the rest of the keys, it is not touch-sensitive, but simply sags under pressure until it clicks. The move is soft and precise.
Next comes the key to activate the Bluetooth connection. And then minus and plus, of course, are responsible for volume control. Of course, the sound power is regulated either on the Charge 2 itself or on the sound source. Everything is in sync.
There is also a strip of LEDs, which are an indicator of the remaining charge. By default, they glow white, moonlight, and with a minimum remaining charge, the outermost of them is highlighted with a red light.
Next comes the icon of three men. This key is responsible for activating Social Mode. I will tell you more about this feature later.
The last key is responsible for receiving (rejecting) calls. When incoming call to the paired device, the speaker begins to play something like a MIDI melody. Such a cheerful and cheerful anthem.
Kohl started talking about challenges, it is worth talking about the following.
Back to design. Our acoustics turned out to be white and this is not the best color option. Yes, the look is very nice.
Pure white color adds a special charm and airiness, but this is not at all practical. Quite quickly, the body becomes covered with spots of unknown origin.
This is actually normal. Do not keep the gadget under the flask.
On other colors, it will likely be much less noticeable. Actually, the following palette is available: black, white, red, blue and purple.
On the bottom of the acoustics there are connectors: Micro USB-port, standard 3.5 mm audio input, and regular USB. Why is the last output installed here, I will tell in the section about power supply.
The column should be installed either on the rubber edging stand, which is located at the bottom, or vertically. For this purpose, small ribs are provided at one end. The position does not affect the playback quality.
There are various technical information inside the edge-support. It's nice that the manufacturer has taken care of the partial russification of the text here.
JBL Charge 2 specifications:
- 2 x 45mm (1.75 '') speakers
- total power 7.5 W
- frequency range 75 - 20,000 Hz
- signal-to-noise ratio 80 dB
- Bluetooth 3.0 with the following profiles:
- A2DP V 1.3, AVRCP V 1.5, HFP V 1.6, HSP V 1.2
- bluetooth transmitter power is 0 - 4 dB / mW
- battery (lithium polymer)
- dimensions 185.2 mm in length and 79 mm in diameter
- weight 540 g
Pairing
The Bluetooth connection is clear and fast. No additional codes are required to establish a connection. On the column it is enough to hold down the "blue tooth" key, and on a smartphone (tablet) just start searching for devices.
That's not all.
Charge 2 has support for connecting to three devices at once and playing music from each of them in turn (Social Mode).
In fact, it turned out that three devices located in close proximity interfere with each other, therefore, from some devices, playback occurs to noticeable stuttering and interference. Two gadgets in the grid do not exert any mutual influence on each other.
I almost forgot to tell you something else. If a call is connected to one of the connected devices, playback from the other stops and the speaker starts to work in Hands-free mode.
Playback and sound quality
Most important and interesting.
First, the speaker is very loud. It is very difficult to communicate in a room when the volume is turned to maximum - you have to shout.
In addition, such a seemingly miniature contraption can pump a rather impressive apartment.
Secondly, low frequencies are really present here. Moreover, if some similar speakers to extract bass from them must be installed on a resonating surface (wooden shelf, parquet floor), then Charge 2, in principle, does not need this. Acoustics knows how to bass directly from the hands.
However, the speaker is not very well suited for deep and rich music.
For example, the same AC / DC sound pretty good, but with something faster, for example, with Nightwish the acoustics can no longer cope. Instruments merge into a solid viscous audio-box. However, it should be given its due: creaks, whistles and various wheezing do not appear even at the highest volume.
The gadget copes perfectly with the rest, simpler melodies in terms of saturation. Plays, rumbles and does not hurt the ear in any way.
Battery life
The built-in lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh (3.7 V) is responsible for power supply. On the one hand, this is not much, on the other, the manufacturer promises 12 hours of continuous audio playback. Of course, the figure will vary depending on the volume level and the quality of the content.
Practical tests have shown that the device is completely discharged in less than 9 hours of playing music at maximum volume. Of course, the content was streamed to the speaker via Bluetooth. A full charge takes about 3.5 hours at a current of 2.3A.
There is one more nice functionality. The acoustics can recharge third-party devices using any Micro USB cable. I tried this trick with Sony Xperia Z3 (3100mAh battery) The gadget gave its entire charge to the smartphone in less than an hour, while the phone was charged only 67 percent. In theory, the volume of the charge should have been enough for almost two full charging cycles of the Sonya. Most likely, the reason is that the output current power is 2.1A, which provides an uneconomical consumption of the power supply capacity, but a rather fast rate of power supply.
In other words, gadgets charge quickly, but Charge 2 consumes its capacity, so to speak, irresponsibly.
Outcome
At the moment, the official jBL Charge 2 priceestablished at around 6,990 rubles. For this money, you can get a cool, loud and bass sound that will not let go for half a day. And there is also a stylish and pleasant body both to the eye and to the touch.
As a portable battery, the speaker did not perform well. Its capacity will not be enough for a full charge of a modern smartphone, where 3000 - 3500 mAh has already become the norm. However, this functionality will definitely not be superfluous.
It is unlikely that such a thing is bought for a loved one (oops). Again, almost all of these electronics are great and cool gifts. Of course, music lovers will be most happy about the gift. However, you should not give it to fans of hard and rich rock for the reasons I mentioned above. The people are capricious, as they like to distinguish the rhythm from the bass guitar by ear. Or something like that. Do you need it to be then the object of secret insults from the gifted?
This speaker was presented at the IFA, but I have been using a serial sample for about two months now and will be happy to tell you what is the difference between the second version of one of the most popular portable speakers on our market.
Design, construction
Most importantly, there are holes on the left and right, something like bass reflexes, and they are designed in the same way as a number of Harman / Kardon products. The metal circle with the logo is fixed on a movable rubber membrane, the vibration of the speakers makes the membrane vibrate. You can watch this for hours, it looks very cool. Moreover, it also affects the sound quality - everything is just fine with low frequencies.
The speaker is available in five colors: blue, red, white, purple and black. The selection is unusual, white looks great. All colors are matte, as the main body material is very hard rubber, it is pleasant to take in hand. Dust does not accumulate on the surface. The grilles are made of metal, at the bottom there is a rubber stand, even when playing at full volume, the speaker does not slip. On the bottom there are USB connectors, 3.5 mm, microUSB input for charging.
During playback, the speaker is best placed on a stand, but if you want, you can put it on the end, although I would not do that. On the upper part there are control buttons and indicator lights, this is the power button, activating Bluetooth (it is also responsible for pairing), adjusting the volume, answering a call. The hole next to the handset is a microphone, the JBL Charge 2 can be used as a speakerphone. Icon with figures of people - Social Mode, three people can connect their smartphones and tablets and start their tracks in turn. It turns out a kind of mix, one includes Sinatra, the second house, the third Igor Nikolaev. And all of them almost without pauses, stutters, interruptions, without the need for painful pairing - they tried, everything quickly and clearly. For young people and parties, the function is just great.
Column dimensions - 79 x 184 x 75 mm, weight - 540 grams. It does not take up much space in a suitcase and does not particularly affect the weight, if anything, you can put it in your hand luggage. But in the hotel you will have great music, in Berlin it was very important, because you had to sit in your room for a long time and prepare materials - without music it would be completely boring.
On the upper part there are light indicators - dots, they will tell you what is happening with the column battery. Please note that it takes a long time to charge, since a capacious battery is used here.
Connection methods
You can connect any device to JBL Charge 2 via Bluetooth or using a 3.5 mm cable, it's a pity that this is not included in the kit, the user will have to look for a cable on their own. Bluetooth 3.0 profile, no problems with connection.
Features:
This is the already mentioned Social Mode, well, let's not forget that the name itself suggests the purpose of the device, it is charging other gadgets. Take any USB cable, connect the speakers to the connector and charge any smartphones, you can even charge the tablet. The function is very good and will come in handy for a picnic, during gatherings in a hotel room or on the street near the entrance.
Supported protocols A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.5, HFP V1.6, HSP V1.2.
Nutrition
The claimed operating time is about 12 hours in sound playback mode at full volume, in reality these figures are approximately the same as stated. Just keep in mind that if you connect other devices to Charge 2 for charging, the operating time will decrease.
The battery capacity is 6,000 mAh, if you're wondering.
Sound quality
Let me remind you that the column can be used as a speakerphone, the quality of speech transmission is not bad, the interlocutors did not particularly complain, but I spoke in quiet places - I don’t know how it will be in noisy ones.
In terms of music, here are some of the official specs:
- Transducer: 2 x 45mm
- Rated power input: 2 x 7.5W
- Frequency response: 75Hz - 20kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio:\u003e 80dB
In principle, there is no sense from these numbers - the speaker sounds great. JBL put some great speakers here and did some serious work on the internals. Rounds on the ends are needed not only for beauty, low frequencies are perceived completely differently compared to the first generation speaker - in general, the Charge has changed. If you don't see what exactly is playing, you can think of some kind of large column. But in fact, this is the little Charge 2.
Like any other portable device, JBL Charge 2 cannot be called universal, it is more suitable for electronic music - due to the specifics, everything is not bad here with low and high frequencies, but this cannot be said about the middle. However, it doesn't matter for the target audience. The first Charge was chosen for “Oh, how loud it is! It also charges the smartphone. " The second is even louder and can charge even longer.
conclusions
The column is already on sale in Europe, the price is about $ 150, the first version in Russia costs about 4,000 rubles, for JBL Charge 2 they will ask for about 5,500 rubles, while these are just my guesses, the official price tag has not been announced. What to say? The design is better and the movable membranes at the ends look very cool, I think all the owners will periodically throw a glance at them while the music is playing, this is a cool feature. Very good body materials, recognizable design. Anyway, a nice combination, metal and rubber. Convenient management, excellent Social Mode function, built-in microphone, excellent sound quality, the ability to charge any smartphones via the USB port, long operating time, as much as 12 hours of playback.
Contents of delivery
- Column
- USB cable
- Replaceable forks
- Power Supply
- Documentation
It was JBL Charge for many people in Russia that became the first portable speaker. People like that it is inexpensive, it can charge a smartphone and then, as they say, “good bass”. The second version of Charge just got better. And here's the Charge 2 +, water resistant ...
Design, construction
The main difference from Charge 2 is protection from water, I will not torment you with repetitions from the review. Rather, I will, but I'll tell you the main thing right away. The column can be washed under running water, it can easily withstand the rain in the forest if water suddenly gets from the pool or something like that happens. You cannot completely immerse it in water. Such are the strange recommendations. The photos show how I mocked the column. How the contacts in the connectors behave is a good question. It is a pity that the column will be taken from me after the test. Maybe the next journalist will tell about her fate. But for now, she works as expected and does not seem to be going to die. In addition to water, the column is not afraid of dust, sand, and dirt, in principle, too. Then you can wash.
Most importantly, there are holes on the left and right, something like bass reflexes, and they are designed in the same way as a number of Harman / Kardon products. The metal circle with the logo is fixed on a movable rubber membrane, the vibration of the speakers makes the membrane vibrate. You can watch this for hours, it looks very cool. Moreover, it also affects the sound quality - with low frequencies everything is just fine here.
The speaker is available in eight colors: black, blue, gray, orange, pink, red, mint and yellow.
The selection is unusual, orange and yellow look great, there were none before. All colors are matte, as the main body material is very hard rubber, it is pleasant to take in hand. Dust does not accumulate on the surface. The grilles are made of metal, at the bottom there is a rubber stand, even when playing at full volume, the speaker does not slip. On the bottom, there are USB connectors, 3.5 mm, microUSB input for charging.
During playback, the speaker is best placed on a stand, but if you want, you can put it on the end, although I would not do that. On the upper part there are control buttons and light indicators, this is the power button, activation of Bluetooth (it is also responsible for pairing), volume control, and answering a call. The hole next to the handset is a microphone, the JBL Charge 2 can be used as a speakerphone. Icon with figures of people - Social Mode, three people can connect their smartphones and tablets and start their tracks in turn. It turns out a kind of mix, one includes Sinatra, the second house, the third Igor Nikolaev. And all of them almost without pauses, stutters, interruptions, without the need for painful pairing - they tried, everything quickly and clearly. For young people and parties, the function is just great.
Column dimensions - 79 x 184 x 75 mm, weight - 540 grams. It does not take up much space in a suitcase and does not particularly affect the weight, if anything, you can put it in your hand luggage. But in the hotel you will have great music. In the summer, this is true. In general, this is relevant at any time of the year.
On the upper part there are dot indicators, they will tell you what is happening with the column battery. Please note that it takes a long time to charge, since a capacious battery is used here.
Connection methods
JBL Charge 2 can be connected to any device via Bluetooth or 3.5 mm cable. It is a pity that this is not included in the kit, the user will have to look for the cable on their own. Bluetooth 3.0 profile, no problems with connection.
Features:
This is the already mentioned Social Mode, well, let's not forget that the name itself suggests the purpose of the device, it is charging other gadgets. Take any USB cable, connect the speakers to the connector and charge any smartphones, you can even charge the tablet. The function is very good and will come in handy for a picnic, during gatherings in a hotel room or on the street near the entrance. Supported protocols A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.5, HFP V1.6, HSP V1.2.
Nutrition
The claimed operating time is about 12 hours in sound playback mode at full volume, in reality these figures are approximately the same as stated. Just keep in mind that if you connect other devices to Charge 2 for charging, the operating time will decrease. The battery capacity is 6,000 mAh, if you're wondering.
Sound quality
Below I almost completely repeat the chapter from the JBL Charge 2 review, there are no special changes here. What bothered me a little, when used with the iPhone 6 Plus, there were some interruptions in playback after the phone went out of range and then reconnected (auto-reconnect). And I tried different programs for playing music. It seems that the problem is on the speaker's side. Perhaps this is a glitch of my particular sample, after rebooting the column and smartphone, this behavior did not recur. If you are already using Charge 2+ and have encountered a similar problem, please email me. Let me remind you that the column can be used as a speakerphone, the quality of speech transmission is not bad, the interlocutors did not particularly complain, but I spoke in quiet places - I don’t know how it will be in noisy ones. The Charge 2 + has added the SoundClear function, in fact, it is a noise canceling system for using the device as a speakerphone. It seems to me that speaking has become even better now.
In terms of music, here are some of the official specs:
- Transducer: 2 x 45mm
- Rated power input: 2 x 7.5W
- Frequency response: 75Hz - 20kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio:\u003e 80dB
In principle, there is no sense from these numbers - the speaker sounds great. JBL put great speakers here and did some serious work on the internals. Rounds at the ends are needed not only for beauty, low frequencies are perceived completely differently compared to the first generation speaker. In general, Charge has changed. If you don't see what exactly is playing, you can think of some kind of large column. But in fact, this is the little Charge 2.
Like any other portable device, JBL Charge 2 cannot be called universal, it is more suitable for electronic music - due to the specifics, everything is not bad here with low and high frequencies, but this cannot be said about the middle. However, it doesn't matter for the target audience. The first Charge was chosen for “Oh, how loud it is! It also charges the smartphone. " The second is even louder and can charge even longer.
conclusions
with a capacious battery for charging external devices
The JBL brand, created in 1946 by the American James Bullough Lansing, has been part of the Harman International concern for most of its history. JBL products are found in many segments of the audio equipment market, from in-ear headphones to car subwoofers. In 2003, we got acquainted with JBL products using the example of a 2.1 - format speaker system. Today we will turn our attention to the segment of portable solutions and take a closer look at the JBL Charge 2 device.
Specifications
- Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity supporting A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5, HFP 1.6 and HSP 1.2 (up to three devices simultaneously)
- Wired connection via 3.5mm TRS jack
- Wireless headset operation
- Two full-range speakers, two passive radiators
- Declared signal-to-noise ratio:\u003e 80 dB
- Declared frequency range: 75 Hz - 20 kHz
- Built-in battery (3.7 V, 6000 mAh) with the ability to charge external devices via USB connector (5 V, 2.1 A)
- Size: 184 × 76 × 76mm
- Weight: 602 g
Equipment
Only instructions and a power supply unit (5 V, 2.3 A) with a pair of interchangeable plugs are supplied with the speaker system. The box is not weighed down with any additional accessories.
Design
JBL Charge 2 differs from its predecessor only in small details and is still focused on mobile use. Due to its shape similar to a beer can, the acoustics are easy to attach, for example, using a standard holder on the bike frame.
Due to the large battery, the mass of the device exceeded half a kilogram, and this is perhaps the only characteristic that can cause inconvenience.
The main body is made of rubberized plastic. The JBL Charge 2 is shaped so that the speakers are protected: the plastic grilles of the full-range loudspeakers are recessed into the cabinet. They are both placed on the side of the manufacturer's logo, the other grille only maintains symmetry in the design.
The grilles are separated from above by a control panel with illuminated buttons. They are not sensory, but depressed. The lack of prominent parts is definitely an advantage in "extreme" use cases. The buttons are blindly distinguishable by touch, the volume keys are embossed. The hole next to the tube is the microphone.
At the ends of the speaker system, we see passive radiators. There is no additional protection for them, but they are at sufficient depth to minimize the likelihood of physical impact. The emitters vibrate effectively during operation.
To install the column in an upright position, small legs are provided on the right end (they can be seen in one of the photos). An indicator below the volume buttons shows the charge level of the Charge 2 battery.
In a recess under the rear grille, there are three device connectors: Micro-USB for charging, 3.5 mm TRS for wired connection of an audio source and a high-current USB input for charging external devices.
The extended base of the speaker does not provide great stability, the acoustics are easy to overturn. But it hardly hurt her - after a few wiggles, the main speakers will simply be directed upward.
JBL Charge 2 turned out to be both stylish and convenient device, perfect for active use. In addition to black, this speaker is available in white, blue, red and purple.
Measurements
We measured the frequency response of the speaker system on the axis of the main speakers.
The uniformity of the frequency response curve acceptable for this class of acoustics is provided in the range from 75 Hz to 2 kHz and further from 5 kHz to about 12 kHz. These segments are separated by the falloff of the amplitude, which drops below −6 dB for a short interval. On the positive side, we note the early exit of the chart to an acceptable level.
With this review, we begin to measure such an important parameter of portable speaker systems as the maximum sound pressure. Measurements take place in an acoustically isolated room. The device under test is installed on a chipboard table so that its main speakers are directed towards the measuring microphone (unless otherwise specified in the table). The measuring microphone is fixed at the same height at a distance of 1 m from the speaker system and is connected to a sound level meter-spectrum analyzer.
The speaker is then paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth. The speaker system and smartphone are set to maximum volume levels. Through a standard Walkman player with disabled "enhancers", it starts up in repeat mode, and the average value in dBA is recorded in the table for about half a minute of playback.
As you can see, according to measurements, the JBL Charge 2 turns out to be slightly louder than the Sound Blaster Roar. When preparing the article at the right time and in the right place, inexpensive portable Philips acoustics also turned out, and in its main position in terms of sound pressure level, it turned out to be almost identical to our hero (which, by the way, cannot be said about the sound quality, where the difference is significant).
Sound
Comparative listening of JBL Charge 2 and the reference one revealed the competitive advantages of each of the speaker systems. The JBL sounds noticeably more open and in many cases louder than the Sound Blaster Roar. Creative's product responds with better detail in the lower and upper register, which allows the Sound Blaster to better reproduce the nuances of many instruments.
An additional feature of JBL Charge 2 is the ability to simultaneously pair up to three devices. According to our observations, when working together, priority is given to the one that was connected first: until playback on it pauses, other "party participants" will not be able to join. When you press a button on the speaker, priority is given to the device that is currently connected.
JBL Charge 2 has been tested as a wireless headset. The main drawback in this scenario was the low sensitivity of the microphone: for the interlocutor to hear us, you had to move almost close to the speaker. But the timbre of the voice was reproduced practically without distortion, although the maximum volume was low.
Autonomous work
We have connected speaker system to the tablet and play music continuously, varying the volume around the average. In this mode, the column lasted about 18 hours until it was completely discharged. Starting from this review, for convenience, we will summarize the data on the measurements of the autonomous operation of "decorative acoustics" into a single table.
| Acoustic system | Approximate volume | Battery life | Charging time with standard adapter |
| JBL Charge 2 | average |
