The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is a mid-sized portable Bluetooth speaker designed for parties, backyard gatherings, and casual events. As the successor to the original JBL PartyBox Encore Essential, it builds on JBL's signature party-focused design with updated features like Auracast support for speaker chaining and Bluetooth 5.4 for improved wireless stability. It delivers 100W of output power, includes a dynamic light show, and boasts a rugged build with an IPX4 splash-proof rating, making it a versatile option for indoor and outdoor use.
Our Verdict
The JBL Encore 2 is good for listening to music. When using its default 'Signature' EQ presets and with Bass Boost set to 'Deep,' it offers a balanced sound profile that works well for everything from EDM to folk. Despite its small size, it delivers a pleasing amount of thump and punch, making it great for getting a dance party started. And if you prefer a different sound, you can use the EQ in the JBL PartyBox app to customize its output. You'll probably want to have the speaker facing you as it supports stereo playback but doesn't have a 360-degree design, so it sounds different depending on your listening angle. Still, it gets plenty loud enough for karaoke sing-alongs in outdoor spaces, though you'll notice some compression in the bass range at max volume, which can rob basslines of a little warmth.
Superb 12-hour battery life.
Impressively portable.
Well-balanced sound.
Front-facing design, so it sounds different depending on your listening angle.
The JBL PartyBox Encore 2 is built with parties and karaoke in mind, but it does a passable job for watching movies and videos. It supports stereo playback, so epic washes of stereo reverb on Bladerunner-esque synths are rendered suitably present. The speaker puts out enough low-end to ensure effects like explosions feel exciting, while a flat mid-range means instruments and voices sound true-to-life. That said, while the speaker can play loud enough for an outdoor viewing party, there's some compression at max volume, and since it's a front-facing speaker, you won't want to sit behind it. Unfortunately, latency with both iOS and Android is a little high, so you may notice lip-sync issues, although different apps and devices compensate for latency in different ways.
Superb 12-hour battery life.
Well-balanced sound.
Front-facing design, so it sounds different depending on your listening angle.
Mediocre latency performance.
The JBL PartyBox Encore 2 is good for listening to podcasts. You can carry it around with one hand and pair it with two devices at once, making it fairly straightforward to switch from your laptop to phone as an audio source. It offers a balanced sound across the frequencies where voices live, so your favorite hosts will sound just as you expect. The main downside is that this is a front-facing speaker, so you'll want to keep it facing you as much as possible. If you stand behind it, for instance, voices can sound a bit muffled.
Superb 12-hour battery life.
Impressively portable.
Well-balanced sound.
Front-facing design, so it sounds different depending on your listening angle.
The JBL PartyBox Encore 2 doesn't support voice assistants.
The JBL PartyBox Encore 2 is a good choice for outdoor use. With an IPX4 water resistance rating, it can handle light splashes, so you're covered if the party drifts poolside or gets caught in a bit of rain. It's highly portable, thanks to a built-in carrying handle that makes it easy to take on the go. It also delivers impressive bass for its size and gets loud enough to fill open spaces, making it great for fans of bass-driven genres like hip-hop and EDM. Just keep in mind that at maximum volume, some compression kicks in, slightly reducing overall sound quality, and this isn't a 360-degree speaker, so it needs to be facing you if you want the best sound quality. It lasts over 12 hours on battery with the ring light off, which is more than enough for a day at the park, and its superb Bluetooth range means you can wander off from the group without the music coming to a halt.
Superb 12-hour battery life.
Impressively portable.
Well-balanced sound.
Front-facing design, so it sounds different depending on your listening angle.
Changelog
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Updated Aug 20, 2025:
We updated the Battery section of this review to state the speaker will work without a battery so long as it is plugged into a power source, and that it can play audio while charging.
- Updated Jul 16, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Jul 09, 2025: Early access published.
- Updated Jul 02, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 comes in a single color variant: Black. However, you can customize its look using its built-in lights. See the label for the model tested.
If you encounter any other variants of this speaker, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review accordingly.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is a compact party speaker that combines portability and performance. It offers a similar overall audio performance to its predecessor, the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential, with a slightly altered look, improved battery life, and support for Auracast. The Encore Essential series is smaller and more portable than other speakers in the JBL PartyBox lineup, like the JBL PartyBox Club 120 and JBL PartyBox Stage 320, which offer more volume and deeper bass, making them better for larger events, at the cost of being bulkier and harder to transport.
Looking outside JBL's admittedly robust ecosystem of PA-style speakers, the ION Pathfinder 320 gets as loud as the Encore Essential 2, but with less compression. It also lasts a whopping 117 hours off a single charge, but you lose out on mic and guitar inputs, and the ION's sound is very bass-heavy, to the point that some listeners might find it muddy. It's also worth noting that most PA-style Bluetooth speakers are front-facing, so they sound worse from the back. If you'd like a speaker that sounds a bit more uniform regardless of your listening angle, the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is worth considering. It offers a balanced sound and an outstanding 24-hour battery life, but it doesn't provide the same slew of microphone and guitar inputs that the JBL PartyBox speakers do.
See also our recommendations for the best speakers for parties, the best Bluetooth speakers for bass, and the best karaoke speakers.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is a subtle but worthwhile upgrade over the original JBL PartyBox Encore Essential. Both speakers share the same compact design with a front-firing sound profile and a built-in handle, but the Encore 2 adds modern touches like Bluetooth 5.4, support for Auracast speaker pairing, an upgraded RGB light ring that's larger and more prominent, along with a better battery life. Sound-wise, performance remains largely similar across the generations, with punchy bass and a balanced mid-range. If you already own the original Encore, the jump may not feel essential, but for new buyers, the Encore 2 is the better pick.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 is a more portable PA-style speaker than the JBL PartyBox Club 120. They last about as long as each other off a single charge, but the less portable Club 120 delivers a slightly stronger low-end and higher volume ceiling. Still, the Encore Essential 2 is loud for its size. Both speakers offer mic and guitar inputs, too. If you're hosting bigger crowds or want maximum impact, go with the Club 120, but if you want something more compact that still gets the job done, the Encore 2 hits the sweet spot.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 and the JBL Charge 6 are aimed at different users: the Encore 2 is a compact PA-style party speaker with mic and guitar inputs, while the Charge 6 is a lightweight, portable speaker meant for everyday use. The Encore 2 is larger and heavier, and gets significantly louder, while offering a deeper bass. It's a good choice for throwing backyard events, with volume and punch that the Charge 6 can't match. On the other hand, the Charge 6 is much smaller, is more travel-friendly, and has IP67 dust and water resistance, making it better for hiking, camping, or personal listening on the go. It still sounds good for its size and supports Auracast, too, but it lacks the fun party-starting character of the Encore. If portability is your top priority, go with the Charge 6; if you want energy and sound for a gathering, the Encore Essential 2 is the clear winner.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 and the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM are both good speakers for soundtracking indoor and outdoor parties, but they have different strengths. The Ultimate Ears doesn't have a fully 360-degree design, but it still sounds more similar from different angles than the JBL. Its 24-hour battery life also far surpasses the JBL's 12. On the other hand, the JBL offers mic and guitar inputs. If you're a karaoke fan or like to jam along with your favorite tunes, the JBL is the obvious choice, while if you envisage taking this speaker away for a weekend camping trip, the Ultimate Ears is the way to go.
The LG xboom Stage 301 is a bit better for outdoor use than the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2, but the JBL delivers a more accurate frequency response for listening to music. The LG has an extra two hours of playtime and doesn't compress as much at max volume, retaining your music's dynamics. On the other hand, the JBL has a flatter frequency response with a deeper low-frequency extension. It's also a little lighter and smaller. Otherwise, both speakers offer similar mic/guitar and wired options.
Test Results
The JBL Encore 2 has a cuboid design similar to the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential, with a few subtle refinements. Unlike its predecessor, the speaker drivers are angled slightly upward for better sound dispersion, since it's designed to sit vertically on its feet for stable placement. The front features a prominent silver JBL logo set against a larger RGB light ring than the previous model. A white strobe light sits at the top to enhance its party-friendly aesthetic. Despite its medium size, it remains portable thanks to an integrated handle. Overall, it looks a lot like a fun-sized PA system, which is in line with the speaker's intended use case.
The JBL PartyBox Encore 2 is impressively portable for a PA-style sound system. Its built-in battery frees you from wall outlets, and the sturdy top handle—complete with a textured underside for better grip—makes it easy to carry one-handed. It's not too heavy to take to the park with you, though it won't be the best choice for accompanying you on longer hikes.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 has a decent overall build quality, very much in line with the previous generation's. The body is mostly made from durable, hard plastic, with a metal grille up front to protect the drivers. It rests on four rubberized feet that help keep it stable and prevent slipping on smooth surfaces. The main control buttons are located on top, while the rear houses various ports and inputs, including mic volume, mic gain, a guitar switch, and AUX, USB-C, and power ports. These are all sealed behind a thick rubber flap for added protection. There's no noticeable flex in the enclosure, and the speaker is rated IPX4, meaning it can handle light splashes, making it a decent choice for both indoor and outdoor use.
The JBL Encore 2 has a reasonable control scheme. The controls are clearly labeled, mostly illuminated, and easy to remember. On top of the speaker, you'll find play/pause, Bluetooth, Bass Boost, and Auracast (Party/Stereo mode) buttons, along with volume and light mode dials. And on the back, there are mic/guitar input and volume knobs, as well as a switch to select whether the input is a mic or guitar. You can learn about how all these controls work from the manual.
The buttons and dials are clicky and responsive, and the speaker provides chimes for pairing, connecting, and toggling Auracast; this lets you link the unit to other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers as well as the original JBL PartyBox Encore Essential. The LED ring is multifunctional: it shows volume level as you adjust, blinks at max volume, and indicates Bluetooth status. The Bass Boost button also shows different brightness levels to indicate when Deep or Punchy modes are on.
That said, the speaker doesn't play any chimes for Bluetooth disconnection, volume limits, or auto-shutdown, but the presence of such clear lighting cues means those aren't hugely missed.
- JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2
- Power cable (2 m/6.6 ft)
- Quick start guide
- Safety booklet
- Warranty card
The JBL Encore 2 has great frequency response accuracy. We conducted our tests with the speaker placed upright with the JBL logo facing our microphone rig. We used its default Signature EQ preset with Bass Boost set to Deep, as that most closely approximated our target curve. With this setup, the speaker puts out fairly balanced sound from the bass through the treble regions. It's not a huge speaker, so it can't reproduce the lowest rumbles you might hear in a cinema, but there's enough mid-bass punch to keep kick drums feeling immersive. The mid-range is virtually flat, so instruments sound accurate and true-to-life. A small dip in the low-treble can make the upper harmonics of vocals sound a touch veiled, but the mid- and high-treble are balanced, so it's unlikely vocals will sound muffled or dark to you.
We also measured the effect various EQ presets have on the sound, as well as the effect of the different Bass Boost settings. It's important to note that this speaker comes with JBL's 'AI Sound Boost' technology, which the brand says adjusts the speaker's output for optimal performance. But since this feature can't be disabled, we're unable to test its effect on the sound.
The JBL Encore 2 delivers an alright soundstage performance. It supports stereo playback, so wide spatial elements like reverb and delay tails are present in the mix. However, since it's a forward-facing speaker, its soundstage is quite directional, meaning you'll want to position yourself in front of the speaker for the best sound.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 has okay dynamics performance. It gets plenty loud enough to get a party started, but there's a fair bit of compression at its maximum volume, which can rob kick drums of thump and punch. As you might expect, it doesn't get quite as loud as larger speakers in JBL's PartyBox lineup, like the JBL PartyBox Club 120 or JBL PartyBox Stage 320, but it's more portable than those heavier options.
It's worth noting that we run our sound tests on battery wherever possible. If you use this speaker plugged into AC, you can expect a maximum volume that's about 3 dB louder than our measurements.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 has a superb battery life. JBL advertises up to 12 hours of playtime, and we measured close to this at just over 10 hours with the RGB ring light on, and over 12 hours with it off. Charging is quicker than JBL's advertised three hours, taking just over two, using the included power cable. The speaker also plays audio while charging. Of course, actual battery life will vary with use. If you use lots of lighting effects or charge your phone from the speaker, you'll likely shorten the battery life. A built-in auto-off function powers the speaker down after 30 minutes of inactivity to help conserve juice. Happily, the battery is user-replaceable, which should add to the speaker's longevity, provided you can find a compatible replacement. Finally, so long as it's plugged in, this speaker will work even when its battery is removed.
The JBL PartyBox app is very good. Here is a video of how it works. It offers a wide range of customization and control features. From the home screen, you can adjust light effects, apply real-time DJ sound effects via the Effect Lab, and control playback. There's also a Top Panel Settings section that lets you show or hide lighting modes on the physical speaker and lock the top panel knobs so they don't get accidentally knocked or changed. The app also lets you take care of utilitarian features such as device renaming, firmware updates, and factory resets.
For sound customization, in addition to control of the Bass Boost feature, the app includes multiple EQ presets—JBL Signature, Movie, Vocal, and Chill—as well as a Custom preset with a 7-band graphic EQ for users who prefer to fine-tune the sound themselves. You also get control for various mic settings, including bass, treble, and echo.
The app supports Party Mode with other Auracast-compatible JBL speakers, though the pairing process is done manually using the Auracast button on each unit. In testing, we successfully paired the Encore Essential 2 with other Auracast-enabled JBL models like the JBL Charge 6 and JBL Flip 7, though they use the separate JBL Portable app and won't appear in the PartyBox app interface. You can also pair it with the previous-gen JBL PartyBox Encore Essential in Party Mode, but for Stereo Mode, you'll need two PartyBox Encore Essential 2 units.
You can play audio via both the JBL Encore 2's AUX and USB-C ports. The AUX port works as you'd expect, while the USB-C port will let you play audio from your phone, but not from a flash drive (the opposite is true for the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential). The USB-C port can also charge whichever device you plug into it. This speaker also offers a 1/4" input that you can plug a mic or guitar into, so you can sing or jam along to your favorite tunes.
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 delivers impressive Bluetooth performance. It supports multi-device pairing, so you can link two devices at once and switch between them seamlessly: simply hit play on the second device and the first will automatically stop. It offers a superb range, so you can walk away from the party without the music stopping. But latency is higher than it was with the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential, so you may experience lip-sync issues when watching videos. That said, different apps and devices compensate for latency in different ways.