JBL Pulse 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Black)

JBL’s new Pulse 4 bluetooth speaker may have excellent 360 sound to match its mesmerising built-in LED light show, but this wireless, waterproof device isn’t quite as smart as some of the competition. Pros Unique light effect Satisfying, well-balanced sound IPX7 waterproof rating Cons Slippery when wet No voice-assistant support No built-in speaker or 3.5mm aux input Comparatively expensive While the wrap-around speaker cloth grille has gone, the excellent, room-filling 360 sound of its predecessor is maintained. The device delivers an impressively loud and surprisingly well-balanced output that isn’t overtly dominated by bass – so often the case with devices of this type. There’s a payoff for that full-length light show, however: the 3.5mm auxiliary-in input and ... MoreJBL’s new Pulse 4 bluetooth speaker may have excellent 360 sound to match its mesmerising built-in LED light show, but this wireless, waterproof device isn’t quite as smart as some of the competition. Pros Unique light effect Satisfying, well-balanced sound IPX7 waterproof rating Cons Slippery when wet No voice-assistant support No built-in speaker or 3.5mm aux input Comparatively expensive While the wrap-around speaker cloth grille has gone, the excellent, room-filling 360 sound of its predecessor is maintained. The device delivers an impressively loud and surprisingly well-balanced output that isn’t overtly dominated by bass – so often the case with devices of this type. There’s a payoff for that full-length light show, however: the 3.5mm auxiliary-in input and built-in microphone have both been sacrificed. This means you can no longer take calls with the device, nor use the speaker with a non-Bluetooth-capable sound source. Weighing in at 1.2kg, it’s a fairly hefty device for a speaker of this form factor. The glass-like casing, while prone to fingerprint smudges, has a major advantage over many of its rivals: it has a fairly comprehensive IPX7 waterproof rating. Should you buy the JBL Pulse 4? While JBL will likely claim that a youth-orientated speaker such as this doesn’t call for voice-assistant compatibility, it nevertheless seems a pity that you can’t at least piggyback to services such as Alexa due to the omission of a built-in microphone. This is the biggest disappointment of the Pulse 4, particularly at this price. With its better than expected sound quality, it would have rounded off an otherwise excellent device. The Pulse 4’s light show needs to be seen to be fully appreciated – and while it adds to the price and won’t be for everyone, it’s a unique feature that provides more than just a talking point for a speaker that punches well above its weight.

Another Quality, Feature-Laden, JBL Product

I received this feature-laden headset about 3 weeks ago from JBL and have been using them extensively while working from home, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inside the box JBL included every cable I needed to charge, connect, and subsequently set up the headset for a Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz, and a direct connection. All the cables were braided and sturdy, with a quality feel to them, as was the quality of the entire headset in general. I’ve always really enjoyed JBL products, and this was no exception.My work laptop is a Windows 10 Lenovo ThinkPad E480 and unfortunately, the set up wasn’t as straight forward and clear as I would have liked. However, once I had the headset and microphone completely set up and configured the way I wanted, using the downloadable JBL ... MoreI received this feature-laden headset about 3 weeks ago from JBL and have been using them extensively while working from home, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inside the box JBL included every cable I needed to charge, connect, and subsequently set up the headset for a Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz, and a direct connection. All the cables were braided and sturdy, with a quality feel to them, as was the quality of the entire headset in general. I’ve always really enjoyed JBL products, and this was no exception.My work laptop is a Windows 10 Lenovo ThinkPad E480 and unfortunately, the set up wasn’t as straight forward and clear as I would have liked. However, once I had the headset and microphone completely set up and configured the way I wanted, using the downloadable JBL Quantum Engine software, they sounded fantastic. I was especially impressed with the 7.1 surround sound. When listening to a video, movie, or game that has been recorded in that format, you can definitely tell where the sound/voice/explosion/etc is coming from. Video and voice conference calls were clear and the headset was very comfortable to wear for long periods of time with thick memory foam on the ear-cups, and on the headband. I primarily used them wirelessly, with the included 2.4GHz USB dongle, and after using them for a very short while, the controls on the left ear cup were easy to find and adjust. The Active Noise Cancelling is a great feature to have and it worked well, as did the Talk-Thru functionality…for talking to others nearby without having to remove the headset.In my opinion, the LED lighting on the headset is probably a little overkill. Because, unless you’re sitting next to others, or on a video call where other people can see you, nobody is going to even notice the nice color changing LED lights on the headset…not even the person who’s wearing them, unless he looks in a mirror. So, I went ahead and toggled that setting off, to help save a little battery life.

Cool light show with great sound

I love JBL speakers. You just can’t beat them. I truly bought this one for the light features- it’s a bit pricey but the quality is amazing. For some reason though when I synced it with my tv the battery drained quickly, which is why the 4 stars. I don’t know if it’s because of using a higher volume or if the tv did in fact drain it quickly but it works great for just streaming music. You can also change the light patterns. So I don’t know on the tv battery usage of it but the sound is amazing and the lights are cool

Do not buy these headphones

Read some bad reviews but thought maybe they had singularly bad experience and decided to take the plunge. Had them for around 4 months and these are without a doubt the worst gaming headphones I have ever had. If you buy it for all the bells and whistles expect to be recharging them a lot. They drain their power quickly, and you can forget charging them whilst you play. If you turn everything that you probably bought them for off you get a reasonable time per charge, but then why spend this much for these headphones when you can get more for the money elsewhere. The reviews that warned me talked about crackling in the headset. Within 3 months I had started to get a crackle in the right ear that got progressively worse and for no apparent reason. It comes and goes ... MoreRead some bad reviews but thought maybe they had singularly bad experience and decided to take the plunge. Had them for around 4 months and these are without a doubt the worst gaming headphones I have ever had. If you buy it for all the bells and whistles expect to be recharging them a lot. They drain their power quickly, and you can forget charging them whilst you play. If you turn everything that you probably bought them for off you get a reasonable time per charge, but then why spend this much for these headphones when you can get more for the money elsewhere. The reviews that warned me talked about crackling in the headset. Within 3 months I had started to get a crackle in the right ear that got progressively worse and for no apparent reason. It comes and goes regardless of if you have adjusted any settings. Emailed the company and was told to just 'wiggle the volume control a bit when it happens' (that doesn't work and also who talks about their products like that??). This crackling was something that came up in the other reviews I read at the time. Another issue is that these headphones continually lose connection so you get to listen to them dropping in and out as you play. The only positive to that is that sometimes the crackle stops if they reconnect and you don't have to do it manually, or restart your computer. Add to this numerous updates causing issues and you have a real winner... Don't do what I did and ignore the reviews. You can buy something much better for the same price.

Good speaker, but poor quality control…

I bought the JBL Pulse 4 to use the party boost feature with my Extreme3. The combination provides better ambient sound and increased volume. The lights are a nice add and look great! The light bar is covered by a thick plastic-glass cover and there are smudges on the inside of the plastic-glass that cannot be cleaned. This is quite disappointing if you care about the small details. Especially for a speaker that is grossly overpriced at $249. Granted I purchased on Cyber Monday for $149, but this was a bummer nonetheless. I would never have purchased this for $249. So, I guess I shouldn’t complain since I was able to get a rare bargain on the Pulse 4.

Great Sound but just missed the top marks

Was really excited to get my hands on this gaming headset, the features looked great and JBL are known for great sound quality and for the most part I am not disappointed. PROS: Sound quality is awesome Combining the 7.1 with noise cancelling means that nothing can sneak up on you even with the washing machine going and the kids screaming in the background. The ability to easily adjust the chat to game sound ratio with the dial controls on the headset mean I can drown out the chatter and focus on that crucial point in the game or vice versa. Versatility/Battery I am using the headset to run conference meetings in the day and game in the night and the battery is still going when I decide its bed time but only once I turned off the flashing LED’s on the sides. ... MoreWas really excited to get my hands on this gaming headset, the features looked great and JBL are known for great sound quality and for the most part I am not disappointed. PROS: Sound quality is awesome Combining the 7.1 with noise cancelling means that nothing can sneak up on you even with the washing machine going and the kids screaming in the background. The ability to easily adjust the chat to game sound ratio with the dial controls on the headset mean I can drown out the chatter and focus on that crucial point in the game or vice versa. Versatility/Battery I am using the headset to run conference meetings in the day and game in the night and the battery is still going when I decide its bed time but only once I turned off the flashing LED’s on the sides. Colleagues and friends have commented on how clear my voice is in comparison to my old Plantronics RIG 800 gaming headset or my Sony WH1000XM3’s. Ease of setup/use Simply plugging in the wireless dongle asks you to install the software, updating the headset was a bit of a pain though. I didn’t struggle with using Bluetooth on my laptop either although without the software installed the features are limited but the sound is still awesome. Ove being able list the mic arm and it muting, the light showing you that its safe to let off steam The range is really good, I am able to wander the house making a tea, grabbing the washing whilst still chatting away. CONS: Charging if I forget to charge the headset overnight then inevitably the headset starts warning me that the battery is almost gone, not so great when halfway through a presentation and you ask the audience to bear with you while you change headsets or try find the 3.5mm cable. It would have been great if you could charge and use at the same time as you can with a lot of gaming headsets. Unfortunately, this is the main reason for only giving 4 stars. Weight One the one hand the weight of the headset is reassuring as they are very robust. However, as I so frequently get animated when I lose or when my in-game character is assassinated I found that throwing my head back means the headset ends up on the floor. Don’t get me wrong so far they have survived a hammering but it scares my team mates when they hear the loud bang. Hot Ears The ear cups are really comfortable but after wearing them most of the day my ears get a little sweaty, something I didn’t really get with my older headset but noise cancelling isn’t as good as the JBL’s so I can live with the compromise.

JBL Pulse 4 Bluetooth Speaker by Lakitu Bro

Party tiime!! Turn down the lights and turn up the fun with the JBL Pulse Bluetooth Speaker! Offers portable music and party lights on the go! Have your way with programmable lighting effects to pump up or smooth out the mood for some goodtimes with friends and family during birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, you name it! Use the built-in JBL party mode to link up to 100 JBL Pulse 4 speakers anywhere anytime! This blue tooth party speaker is water proof so you can listen to your favorite tunes while at the pool, in the shower, or just catching up on some dishes with no worries! (A must have for those who love lava lamps!) Certainly a one of kind product with the quality that JBL always delivers. Good punch. Loud sound. Great times.

Love it!

I'm really liking this speaker, it sounds good, looks gorgeous, gets many compliments from others. Great little outdoor patio/backyard speaker. Gives you some ambient lighting for nights outdoors hanging with friends.Notes: The sound is a tad underwhelming with mids and highs when listening to music specifically with guitars and such compared to other great high end portable speakers (only an audiophile would notice it tbh) BUTSound is great for electronic music such as house or drum and bass or anything like that.Battery: lasts very long, pretty impressive tbh.

One of my favorite purchases

I've had this speaker for nearly a year and I'm absolutely in love with it. Sound is incredible for the size and it has great bass (sometimes too great - have to set it on something soft so it doesn't vibrate the whole table). I bought it for the light show and use it all the time for the lights even when I'm not using the speaker. It gets toted around the house with me like a portable electronic lava lamp. It is a bit heavy and isn't as portable as some of JBL's other speakers, but that's the only downside. This product is one of my favorite purchases, and I plan on getting another one at some point.

Solid Sound with Lots of Connectivity Options

Top Features: 1) Connectivity Options - Bluetooth, and dongles, and aux jacks oh my! By far the coolest thing about these headphones is the range of connectivity options and how easy it is to set up them up and switch between them. I was even able to connect the USB 2.4GHz to my television to binge Netflix at night without disturbing the roommates. 2) Comfort - The 800s are super comfortable thanks to some of the softest foam I've ever felt lining the earcups and headband. Despite being relatively heavy for headphones, I've been able to wear these for long stretches without any discomfort. 3) Sound Details - Sound quality in general is great as always with JBL, but I've been particularly impressed with how clear and nuanced the sounds are in a video game context. I ... MoreTop Features: 1) Connectivity Options - Bluetooth, and dongles, and aux jacks oh my! By far the coolest thing about these headphones is the range of connectivity options and how easy it is to set up them up and switch between them. I was even able to connect the USB 2.4GHz to my television to binge Netflix at night without disturbing the roommates. 2) Comfort - The 800s are super comfortable thanks to some of the softest foam I've ever felt lining the earcups and headband. Despite being relatively heavy for headphones, I've been able to wear these for long stretches without any discomfort. 3) Sound Details - Sound quality in general is great as always with JBL, but I've been particularly impressed with how clear and nuanced the sounds are in a video game context. I feel like video games are often packed with smaller sound details that are easy to miss, but the Quantum 800s really make those details stand out. Biggest Bummers: 1) PC Only for Customizations - My personal computer is a Mac so I don't have any way of accessing the customization features from QuantumEngine. This is a huge bummer as there are definitely times when I really wish I could turn off the lights. Would have been nice if at least some features could be accessed/updated via an app on my phone. 2) Weight / Bulk - relative to other wireless over-ear headphones that I've owned in the past, the Quantum 800s are definitely on the heavier side. They're also pretty bulky and don't really fold or collapse in any way that would make them a good choice for portable headphones. Like I mentioned before, they're super comfortable so the weight isn't really a negative in that regard, just something to keep in mind if you plan on hauling these around with you. Overall very happy with these headphones and would definitely recommend to any PC owners looking for solid sound quality with lots of connectivity options.