JBL Clip 4 - Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker - Black - JBLCLIP4BLK

Product Information

The build style is similar to that of a lot of JBL’s other Bluetooth speakers, reminiscent of the Ultimate Ears models but with a slightly less tasteful, or at least less minimal, design. Despite being a big fan of some of JBL’s speakers in sound quality terms, I’ve never loved its style that much, which often leads to giant JBL logos and brash external passive radiators. You get a nicely balanced tone. No obvious unnatural skews, no super-harsh treble or stodgy, leaden low-end. I find speakers that try too hard to put out a lot of bass can make spoken-work content like podcasts and audiobooks sound too dark or muggy, but that does not affect the JBL Clip 4 Eco. Sound quality is great too. JBL has established itself as a master of Bluetooth speakers, even ones you might think too small to give music any impact.

The Clip 4 series has been around since 2020, and this new Eco model uses 100% recycled materials for the speaker grille, up to 90% recycled plastics elsewhere, and there’s no clear compromise to the finish. The whole point of this speaker is it’s simple. Unlike JBL’s higher-end Bluetooth speakers like the Charge 5, there’s no companion app to worry about. You’re not going to link two of these up as a stereo pair, or use a bunch in a wireless daisy chain. But would you want to? What’s missing? At this price, it’s hard to complain. An aux input would have been nice, but these wired connections are becoming more and more rare, and the trade-off for having a fully waterproof speaker is arguably worth it. The USB-C port is uncovered, which is of note because the Clip 4 still manages an IP67 rating, meaning that it's fully waterproof and resistant to dust. The speaker can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in a meter of water without issue. Bluetooth signal can’t play underwater, but the point is, you can get the Clip 4 exceedingly wet without harming it. The only included accessory is a USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable. The JBL Clip 4 Eco has a single 40mm active driver, which sits under the top grille. And a passive radiator on the other side of the enclosure.The JBL Clip 4 Eco is a quirky and versatile portable speaker. It’s water resistant, and has a giant carabiner style clip to let it hook into all sort of things. The JBL Clip 4 Eco uses a passive radiator to generate a good bass thump, while tasteful tuning stops it from clouding the sound. As in most JBL speakers, I don’t think the JBL Clip 4 Eco is quite as sleek or cute a design as you might see from arch rival Ultimate Ears. Like I said, it’s quirky. However, it’s the kind of style you grow to appreaciate more as the weeks roll by. A bunch of physical controls sit on its body. They let you play/pause, alter volume and enter pairing mode. Features

Battery life is rated at 10 hours, which is possible if you use moderate volumes. It uses a USB-C to charge, but the charging speed is somewhat slow. It takes around three hours to charge the Eco 4, which seems an age in a world of super-fast charging phones.You also can’t use the USB to plug the speaker into a laptop — I tried with both Windows laptops and a MacBook. This speaker only supports the SBC Bluetooth codec but, again, with such compromised drivers any money spent on licensing higher-spec codes would likely be better spent elsewhere. Sound Quality That being said, the extraordinary sound quality of this system does come with a small catch - it may occasionally provoke a raised eyebrow or two. For individuals who prefer a calmer ambiance at home, the rich and powerful sound might be a bit overwhelming. For individuals who, like myself, have an appreciation for high-quality audio, this JBL speaker is an outstanding option. This is a big part of the JBL Clip 4 Eco’s quirky style, though, and you can hold the speaker by its clip, turning it into a teeny-tiny handbag of sorts. There’s also a series of rubbery feet on its bottom, to make it seem just at home when sat in your bedroom playing tunes. JBL tells you as much. In its spec list JBL says the bass floor of the Clip 4 Eco is 100Hz, compared to a much lower 63Hz in the JBL Flip 6. It’s one of those rare occasions a frequency range actually tells you something useful.Even going by JBL’s own figures, the Clip only serves the upper half of the bass register.

Customer reviews

The Clip 4 is compatible with Bluetooth 5.1, and supports AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, but not AptX. JBL estimates battery life to be roughly 10 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels. Powerful for the Price The JBL Clip 4 Eco is a little different, though. At this scale the JBL style seems more oddball than brash — not a bad thing.