JBL’s contributions to the world of small, low-cost, portable wireless speakers have helped elevate the category from “why bother” to “worthwhile improvement over your phone.” We’ve enjoyed the various JBL Clip series iterations, and now we’re checking out the even more affordable, even smaller JBL Go 2. Those looking for booming bass should adjust their expectations and spend more money on something larger, but the Go 2 produces impressive volume with a full, rich sound for its size. It’s a significant improvement over any laptop, tablet, or phone speaker, and the price is reasonable.
The JBL GO 2 lacks the typical cloth exterior found on other waterproof speakers. Instead, it has a rubberized housing that feels tough. If you’re worried about looking like everyone else at the beach with a generic black box, the GO 2 comes in a whopping 12 different colors, allowing you to choose the one that best represents your tastes. A large JBL logo and a grille allow the sound to project outward from the speaker. There is no back grille for passive bass radiators, as found on speakers such as the Sony SRS-XB41, but that is to be expected for a speaker of this size.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]The controls are all located on the top of the speaker. Power, pairing, volume, and a multi-function button are all present. The latter serve as playback controls, and a long press brings up your phone’s voice assistant. This also implies the presence of a speakerphone, through which you can control your voice assistant or take calls. The speakerphone, on the other hand, isn’t particularly sensitive, so you’ll have to speak up. A rubber door on the right side of the speaker conceals the microUSB charging port and 3.5mm aux jack for legacy devices.
Don’t be fooled by its small size; the JBL GO 2 can really crank out the tunes. We discovered that listening to music at 50% volume is comfortable, and increasing it to 75% provides a surprisingly full sound for such a small speaker. However, you should exercise caution when going overboard because the sound becomes noticeably harsh near the maximum volume: Music is very harsh and fatiguing at maximum volume. While the bass is virtually non-existent, the mids and highs are tight and smooth.
The sound is quite narrow, which is to be expected from a mono speaker, but other Bluetooth speakers project music more effectively. Furthermore, the JBL GO 2 only fires sound forward, so if you want sound to radiate evenly around the pool deck, you’ll need a 360-degree speaker like the UE Boom 2. In terms of battery life, at 50%, you’ll get about 5 hours of listening time. If you crank it up, expect it to be closer to 4, which is quite short in comparison to other portable speakers, but that’s the trade-off JBL made by designing the GO 2 in such a small form factor.