The JBL Go 4 is a palm-sized speaker meant to go with you anywhere. As the update to the previous JBL Go 3, it adds a companion app to expand its utility and sonic possibilities with EQ. A longer battery life and a greater Bluetooth range come as welcome upgrades. You can also pair it with other JBL speakers with Auracast to expand your audio experience.
Our Verdict
The JBL Go4 is sub-par for listening to music. Due to its small size, its frequency response rolls off bass frequencies, so your audio doesn't have as much low-end oomph. It also downmixes stereo to mono, meaning you won't get to enjoy channel separation unless you pair it with a second compatible speaker. That said, its companion app has an EQ to help out with the tuning, but it can't overcome the speaker's inherent limitations that prevent it from reproducing the full frequency spectrum.
- Incredibly portable.
- Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
Doesn't get very loud due to the small size.
The JBL Go4 is disappointing for videos and movies. It downmixes everything to mono and lacks low-end (because of its small size), so action scenes with explosions don't sound immersive. Plus, the latency is high enough to notice lip-sync mismatch, though this can vary with different devices and apps.
- Incredibly portable.
- Latency can cause audio/visual mismatch.
- Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
The JBL Go 4 is a decent podcast speaker. Its small size means you can tote it from room to room or take it with you to tune in to your favorite show on the balcony over a morning coffee. It reproduces the human voice's frequency range well, and, if necessary, you can adjust the EQ in the companion app. You can also pair it to a second device if you want to seamlessly switch from your PC to your phone. However, if you're trying to blast your podcast so it'll project to the other end of a hallway, it doesn't get exceedingly loud.
- Incredibly portable.
Doesn't get very loud due to the small size.
The JBL Go4 doesn't have a microphone, so it can't support a voice assistant.
The JBL Go 4 is a pocket-sized speaker that's decent for outdoor use. Its durable build quality, with an IP67 rating against dust and water, and floating design mean you can take it with you on adventures. Its battery lasts just shy of seven hours, which is enough for an afternoon at the beach, but the battery life is still limited by its size, though 'Playtime Boost' is meant to extend it. With a long Bluetooth range and dual-device connectivity, along with app support featuring EQ, you can customize the outdoor experience and share DJ duties with a friend. You can also add another of the same model to create a stereo pair or group it with other JBL Auracast-compatible speakers. That said, it can't produce full-sounding bass because of its size.
- IP67 rating against dust and water.
Doesn't get very loud due to the small size.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 28, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 1.0, which includes new results for all of our Sound tests: Frequency Response Accuracy, Raw Frequency Response, Directivity, and Loudness. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons, to match these results. You can read more about these changes in our changelog.
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Updated Jan 30, 2026:
The Portability section was updated to mention the JBL Grip.
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Updated Nov 15, 2024:
We added a reference to the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go in the Build Quality box.
- Updated Oct 07, 2024: The Battery section has been updated to mention the Anker Soundcore Select 2S.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL Go 4 comes in nine different color variants. We expect each colorway to perform the same as our 'Purple' unit (see label). The other colors are 'White,' 'Black,' 'Pink,' 'Squad,' 'Black and Orange,' 'Red,' 'Blue,' and 'Sand.' If you come across another variant, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The JBL Go 3 is the previous-generation model, and it's a bit more basic, lacking a companion app and features like EQ. The sound hasn't changed too much between the last generation and the JBL Go 4, but you can use the added Auracast feature to pair the Go 4 with other Auracast-compatible speakers. That said, the Go 4 isn't backward-compatible, so you can't pair it with a previous model. You get an extra couple of hours of battery life from the Go 4, which is a worthwhile top-up.
The slightly bigger JBL Clip 5 is also very portable and comes with an arguably more useful built-in clip to secure it to your bag. The main differences are that the Clip 5 can reproduce a bit more bass and is engineered for better directivity than the Go 4. However, the Go 4 is lighter and will fit more easily in a pocket, which is nice for taking your music with you, and it can float if it falls into a lake or pool. Still, if you can forego EQ, the Sony SRS-XB100 boasts a much longer battery life than the Go 4, letting you leave the charger at home.
Check out the best portable Bluetooth speakers and the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers for your outdoor adventures. Consider the best Bluetooth speakers under $100 to get the most for your cash.
The JBL Go 5 is the next generation of the JBL Go 4. While the design is mostly unchanged between generations, the newer version introduces some quality-of-life upgrades. The IP rating has been bumped up to IP68 for full water submersion, and LC3 codec support has been added, along with Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility. Given that neither speaker can playback stereo audio without downmixing to mono, the new AirTouch feature (which stereo pairs two JBL Go 5 speakers if you touch them together) can be useful, and there's now support for wired USB-C playback, too. Still, performance is largely unchanged between the two generations, as they have similar frequency responses and peak volumes. The newer generation does have a slightly longer battery life, though, clocking in at 9 hours, compared to the last gen's 6.9 hours.
Both the JBL Go 4 and JBL Clip 5 are very portable IP67-rated speakers with app support and Auracast. Which is better depends on how you want to use them because the Go 4 is a bit smaller and easier to pocket, but the carabiner on the Clip 5 offers a secure attachment to bags. The Go 4 can also float, and its battery life is a bit longer. That said, the Clip 5 has a more consistent sound across angles and slightly better bass extension.
The JBL Go 4 is better than the JBL Go 3, though they're quite similar. The Go 4 offers longer battery life and adds companion app support, alongside Auracast, to connect to multiple compatible speakers at once.
Both the JBL Go 4 and JBL Clip 4 can be a better choice for you, but it depends on your needs. The Go 4 is a bit smaller and lighter, and it floats if you drop it. Of the two, it's the only one with a companion app that lets you EQ it, and it offers a bit more battery life. However, the Clip 4's integrated carabiner clip might be more helpful than the small fabric loop on the Go 4.
Test Results
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