JBL Party Box 110 Review: An XXL Portable Speaker to Brighten Your Evenings

In JBL, like small speakers Go to 3 There are also XXL speakers like the Party Box 110. As its name suggests, the latter is part of a larger family of “festive” speakers made by American manufacturer Party Box, models suitable for indoor or outdoor evenings. Launched at 380 at July 2021, the Party Box 110 is one of the entry points in this range, with the Party Box ODG.

On paper, the Party Box 110 packs all the essentials to keep its promises: 160W RMS declared amplification, increased protection against water spray (IPX4 certification in support), battery integrated 12-hour autonomy, custom light sets, microphones for wired karaoke sessions and more Links or enhanced intimate concert …

Tested with Party Box 110 firmware version 1.28.0.

At 57 x 30 x 29 cm and weighing almost 11 kg, the Party Box 110 is one of the largest “traffic” speakers in our laboratory, along with its older sister. Party Box 300. Although it is not cast, the speaker is easy to handle due to its two large integrated handles. Its rubber skates provide minimal stability even when placed vertically or horizontally.

The speakers are protected by dense plastic elements, with the exception of the large front metal grille and light play (four RGB light circles + two strobes) placed in front of the speakers. The whole thing seems solid to us and can undoubtedly withstand many manipulations and various blows throughout its life – even if the face on which the speaker rests is easily scratched, especially on asphalt or pebbles. Unlike the previous Party Box generation, the Party Box 110 has increased resistance to water splashes, IPX4 certification in support … but with one conditionThe speaker should be placed upright and vertical“The manufacturer notes.

The Party Box 110 is easy to control thanks to its superior “dashboard”. There are three mechanical buttons in the center to turn on the speaker, Bluetooth connectivity and the “bass boost” option. Two large potentiometers, each surrounded by a mechanical button, are placed at each end. You can easily manage the sound control, different lighting modes and music background. The manipulation is childish and responsive to every command correctly. Some actions, such as merging or resizing, are very practical with audible and visual signals. We appreciate the fact that there is a battery indicator visible directly on the top face, even when it has to press one of the flashing buttons.

With all the essential commands enabled (except for the power button of course) the speaker can be controlled by a dedicated mobile app (available on iOS and Android). The application goes even further by providing an accurate display of the battery level and the possibility of activating the sound effects “to the environment” in the evening. Customizable via lighting interface.

As shown in our description in the “Connections” section, several potentiometers are placed on the back of the speaker to manage the gain and size of each input jack; Some are too “sensible” to avoid risky manipulation. The “TWS” button is used to trigger the connection of the second party box 110 speaker to create the wireless stereo pair.

One thing is for sure, the listening experience provided by this Party Box 110 is in line with its festive philosophy. The speaker gives the bass pride of place and has a good power reserve … although it does mean that it is not very subtle.

From the first moments of listening, it’s hard to deny the generosity of this speaker in the bass. The Party Box 110 actually supports the full extreme bass / bass zone, while the treble is very scary, which makes general rendering a pass and especially hot feature. Bass reproduction is well mastered: the cabinet is not very precise at this level – intense bass / bass overflow often occurs, especially when pushing to the level of already generously listening songs or tense – but the reproduction is uniform enough and thanks to the bass-reflex design, especially deep and We enjoy the deep pass. Taking this into account, we will be very careful to stay away from “pass post” mode under the penalty of ubiquitous and completely aggressive pass. Implementing the first step of this mode may be appropriate in songs with a low hearing set, with a highly sculpted composition (Get lucky Taft Punk or Frankenstein By Marcus Miller, for example), but in most cases it is better to leave it unattended.

The Party Box 110 is particularly instructive, especially triple, and this emphasis on the boss is very clear when you are not in the best listening position (appropriately named). Sweetspot), I.e., on the axis of the speakers and at a distance of a few meters. At this point, the sound reproduction is rich, uniform, and one can feel the appearance of stereophony – only if the speaker is “standing” vertically. When you distract, you lose a lot of sound balance: the second part of the spectrum gradually fades and the rendering is a little more closed, the treble is often in a very small area (on the direct axis) Tweeters, At 45)) before fading considerably. Since the latter are not reproduced with high accuracy they may show an aggressive touch as they pass through this area.

As we already mentioned in the Party Box 300 test it is necessary to pay attention to the position of the speaker to enjoy the best listening experience. In view of the specific sound structure of the block – The Tweeters In the center, near the left and right sides – we also recommend using a loudspeaker in a vertical position to improve sound distribution – further facilitating access to the controls.

The Party Box 110 has the power to escape and, to a generous degree, shows good control over decay. Even with the last levels of awareness of decay – and the contraction of the dynamics in the bass, which can occur earlier in the “bass boost” mode – the power reserve is enough for one evening in a large living room or outdoor garden.