The JBL PartyBox 100 is a large speaker with an eye-catching design thanks to the circular RGB lights. Its sound profile is quite neutral and balanced with a little extra boom in the bass range, so it's suitable for lots of different types of audio content. It can get loud, and there's a Bass Boost feature that can please fans of bass-heavy music genres like EDM. Unfortunately, it's quite large and bulky, and it doesn't support voice assistant technology. However, it has inputs for microphones and guitars, which is suitable for musicians.
Our Verdict
The JBL PartyBox 100 is satisfactory for music. This speaker has a neutral, balanced sound profile with a touch of extra bass, making it suitable for listening to lots of different music genres. It has a good soundstage, and it can get loud, though there are some compression artifacts present at max volume. Unfortunately, there isn't an EQ to customize its sound, but the Bass Boost feature gives you some control over its bass reproduction.
- Gets loud.
- No EQ.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is fair for videos and movies. Its neutral sound profile can reproduce dialogue clearly, and the extra touch of bass helps bring action-packed scenes to life. It gets loud, too, though there's some compression at max volume. While its latency with Android devices is likely too high to be suitable for watching videos, fortunately, it performs a bit better with iOS devices. Also, some apps compensate for latency, so your experience may vary.
- Gets loud.
- High latency, especially with Android devices.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is very good for podcasts. Its sound profile is quite neutral and balanced, especially in the mid and treble ranges where voices are reproduced. It can get very loud, and while there are some compression artifacts present at max volume, you may not notice it while listening to your favorite podcasts.
- Gets loud.
- 10-hour battery life.
- Not very portable.
The JBL PartyBox 100 doesn't support voice assistants.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is satisfactory for outdoor use. It has a solid and durable build, but it isn't water or dust resistant. Its sound profile is quite neutral, and while there's a little extra boom in the bass range, it's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. It can get loud, and its 10-hour battery life should be enough to get you through long days outside.
- Gets loud.
- 10-hour battery life.
- Not dust or water resistant.
- Not very portable.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 21, 2023: Updated the Portability picture for greater clarity and consistency between reviews.
- Updated Mar 01, 2023: Added market comparison with the ION Pathfinder 320 to the Frequency Response Accuracy box.
- Updated Dec 20, 2022: Changed Track Next/Previous to Yes (Physical).
- Updated Dec 08, 2022: Added a market comparison with the Sony SRS-XP500 in the Frequency Response Accuracy box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL Party Box 100 comes in one color variant, 'Black'. You can see the label for the model we tested here. JBL also sells several other party speakers, including the JBL PartyBox 200, the JBL PartyBox 300, and the JBL PartyBox 1000. These speakers have similar designs, but they may not perform similarly.
If you come across another variant of this speaker, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The JBL PartyBox 100 is a speaker with eye-catching RGB lights. It has a similar design to the JBL PartyBox 300, but it's a bit smaller, and its battery life isn't quite as long. It isn't water or dust resistant, so it may not be ideal to use outdoors. It also doesn't support voice assistants, and it isn't Wi-Fi compatible. However, its balanced, neutral sound profile makes it suitable for listening to lots of different audio content.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is a better speaker than the JBL Xtreme 2 overall, though you may prefer one over the other depending on your listening habits. The PartyBox 100 is has a better-balanced sound profile that can produce a more extended low-bass when set to 'Bass Boost 1'. It can also get much louder with less compression at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes. However, the Xtreme 2 is significantly smaller, making it more portable. It's also better built with an IPX7 rating for water resistance, though we don't test for this.
At a similar price point, the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential is a slightly better speaker than the JBL PartyBox 100. The Encore is more feature-packed at a smaller and more portable size. It can produce a more extended low-bass with its Bass Boost feature set to 'Deep'. It's also compatible with the JBL PartyBox app, which features a graphic EQ to customize its sound, party sound effects, and light show effects. That said, since it's larger, the 100 can get louder with much less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volume levels. It has a slightly longer-lasting 10-hour battery life. It also offers a wider and more spacious soundstage and comes with an extra guitar input.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is a better speaker than the JBL PartyBox On-The-Go. The PartyBox 100 has a more balanced sound profile and a wider soundstage. It can also get louder with less compression present at max volume. Its battery lasts around ten hours on a single charge, while the On-The-Go only lasts 4.5 hours. However, some users may prefer the smaller, more portable design of the On-The-Go, and it even has an IPX4 rating for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is a better speaker than the JBL PartyBox 300. The PartyBox 100 is better-built and more portable thanks to its smaller size. It also has a more balanced sound profile and a better soundstage performance. However, the PartyBox 300 has less compression at max volume, and its battery life is longer. It comes with a 'Karaoke Function' as well, but we don't test for this.
Test Results
The JBL PartyBox 100 is a tall, large speaker, though it isn't quite as large as the JBL PartyBox 300. It's mostly made of plastic, and there's a metal grille on the front to help protect the drivers. The circular RGB lights are quite noticeable, and you can choose between three different patterns or turn them off. There are also two stroboscope lights, which you can also turn off. You can position this speaker vertically or horizontally.
The JBL PartyBox 100 is decently portable. It's tall and heavy, so it may not be easy to carry around with you. On the upside, there are two handles to help you carry it, and you don't have to wire it to a power source to make it work. Consider the JBL PartyBox On-The-Go if you want a similar speaker that's smaller and more portable.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has an acceptable build quality. Like the JBL PartyBox 300, it's mostly made of plastic, and there's a metal grille on the front. There are rubber feet on two sides and the bottom of the speaker, and the handles have a rubberized slip-proof coating. Overall, it feels quite solid and durable, but they don't have an IP rating for dust or water resistance, so you should be careful if you're using it outdoors. If you're looking for a more durable outdoor speaker, consider the Sony SRS-XB23, which has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, although we don't currently test for it.
You can play/pause your music, turn the volume up or down, turn the power on/off, control the Bass Boost and Mic Echo settings, control the RGB lights, and activate Bluetooth pairing mode. The Bass Boost has three different settings: Off, Level 1, or Level 2. You can even adjust the volume for the mic and guitar inputs. The LED lights also indicate the battery level for a few seconds after you turn the speaker on or when you click the buttons. The buttons feel solid and clicky, but they don't always register the command immediately after you press it, which can be frustrating. For a speaker with radio capabilities, check out the ION Pathfinder 280.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has a decent frequency response accuracy. When set to 'Bass Boost 1', it has a fairly neutral sound profile that's suitable for lots of different audio content. There's a little extra boom in the bass range, which can please fans of bass-heavy music genres like EDM and hip-hop. Unfortunately, there's no EQ you can use to further customize its sound. If you're looking for a more customizable party speaker, check out the ION Pathfinder 320 or the Sony SRS-XP500.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has a good soundstage performance. It can create a stereo image using its separate speakers for the left and right channels, which creates a wide soundstage. However, its soundstage may be perceived as a bit narrow and directional, which may not sound very natural.
Note:While this speaker has one less tweeter than the JBL PartyBox 300, it can still use its woofers to create a stereo image. You can it use in a vertical or horizontal position and still get stereo sound.
Update 09/08/2021: After retesting the JBL PartyBox 100, we found that its volume noticeably increases by 3dB when the speaker is connected to a power source. That said, there haven't been any changes to the test results as we expect most users to use this speaker wirelessly.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has a superb dynamics performance. It gets very loud, making it suitable to use at large, crowded parties. There's a bit of compression at max volume, but it may not be noticeable with real-life content.
Update 11/15/2021: We updated the text to clarify that the speaker's battery life was tested with its RGB lights turned off.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has an impressive battery performance. The manufacturer advertises 12 hours of playtime, but in our tests, it lasted 10 hours off a single charge and with its RGB lights turned off. It also goes into Sleep Mode after 20 minutes of inactivity and Standby Mode after 20 minutes when disconnected from a Bluetooth source, which can help conserve battery life. If you're looking for a speaker with incredibly long battery life, consider the JBL Boombox 2 or JBL PartyBox 310.
This speaker doesn't support any voice assistant integration.
This speaker doesn't have a companion app, and isn't compatible with the JBL Partybox app like the next generation JBL PartyBox 110. However, you can use True Wireless Stereo to connect up to two-party speakers together using Bluetooth technology. If you want a speaker with more sound customization features, consider the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM.
This speaker has several wired inputs. There's a 1/8" AUX port, so you can plug your phone directly into the speaker. There's also a Mic-in 1/4" port with a volume knob and a Guitar-in 1/4" port with a volume knob. You can use the USB Type-A port to listen to music on a USB drive. Also, you can connect a device to the speaker with this cable to use the speaker as a power bank.
The JBL PartyBox 100 has very good Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with up to two devices, which is ideal for listeners who like to switch their audio sources frequently. There's a bit of latency with Android devices, so it may not be ideal for watching videos. However, it performs a bit better with iOS devices, and some apps compensate for latency, so your experience may vary.