JBL Xtreme 3 Speaker Review

The JBL Xtreme 3 is a medium-sized cylindrical speaker that can be placed vertically or horizontally. It has two built-in low-profile hooks on its top side so you can attach its carrying strap. The carrying strap also has a built-in bottle opener, so you can enjoy drinks while you're listening to audio. It comes in three colors so you can find a look that suits your style.

This speaker is amazingly portable. You can carry it with one hand, and it has hooks integrated into its design so you can attach a carrying strap to it. Since it's battery-powered, you can also use it outside.

The JBL Xtreme 3's build quality is great. Although we don't currently test for it, it has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which makes it a suitable choice for outdoor use. It has a tight netting wrapped over its speakers, which makes it feel sturdy, and there's also a rubber base on its sides to keep it from slipping if you have it placed vertically. There are also built-in hooks so you can attach its carrying strap. The strap feels sturdy, and it has a built-in bottle opener.

The JBL Xtreme 3 has sub-par controls. While the buttons are easy to press, some features are missing. There are simple music management features like volume control and a play/pause button. You can also press the play button twice to skip to the next track, but unfortunately, you won't be able to go to a previous track. There are no call-related buttons. On the upside, there's a chime when you've reached max volume. The power and Bluetooth buttons light up as well, and there's a small, vertical indicator for battery life under the JBL logo. This speaker has a dedicated 'PartyBoost' button so that you can connect with multiple PartyBoost compatible speakers.

• JBL Xtreme 3 speaker
• Carrying strap
• AC adapter with USB-C connection cable
• User Manual

The JBL Xtreme 3 has acceptable frequency response accuracy. When placed horizontally, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass. That said, it has a warm sound that still delivers a good amount of boom. The treble range is a little underemphasized, though, so the upper harmonics of vocals and instruments can sound dull or veiled. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an EQ to help tweak its sound. For a speaker with a more balanced sound profile, check out the JBL Boombox 2 or the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6.

This speaker has a decent soundstage. Although it has separate speakers for its left and right channels, its soundstage is narrow and small. There's also overemphasis in the treble range, which may make the soundstage seem uneven.

The JBL Xtreme 3 has a passable dynamics performance. It can get fairly loud, which is suitable for large or crowded rooms, but there are a lot of compression artifacts at max volume.

The JBL Xtreme 3 has an outstanding battery performance. It's advertised to last around 15 hours off a single charge, but we measured over 12 hours. Luckily, it turns off after roughly 20 minutes when you're not listening to an audio file to conserve battery life. That said, battery life can vary according to usage, so your experience may differ.

This speaker doesn't offer voice assistant support. For a similar speaker that has voice assistant capabilities, consider the JBL Xtreme 2.

JBL Connect is an alright app. It's compatible with both iOS and Android. You can use it to link two speakers to create a stereo pair or connect it with multiple speakers to play the same audio across a large space. However, it lacks an EQ to help customize its sound to your liking.

The JBL Xtreme 3 has a USB-A and a USB-C port, so you can use the speaker as a power bank to charge other devices. The USB-C port also acts as a charging port. Also, there's an AUX port, so you can use a wired connection between this speaker and your smartphone. However, this cable isn't included in the box.

The JBL Xtreme 3 has a great Bluetooth performance. It can be paired with up to two devices at a time, and it has a wide range. Its latency on iOS and Android is alright, and it can be a suitable choice for watching videos. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary.

This speaker isn't Wi-Fi compatible.