• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
Techaudio

Is JBL Xtreme the best portable speaker on the market?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 30, 2015, 7:51 AM ET
JBL Xtreme
JBL Xtreme is a portable Bluetooth speaker with outstanding sound quality.Courtesy Harman
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The portable speaker market is flooded with devices, ranging from Apple’s Beats line to products from Braven. Each and every audio company claims to offer the best combination of sound quality and usability. However, despite a few quirks, the JBL Xtreme may just be the best on the market.

When evaluating portable speakers, it’s important to consider the market makeup. Just about every audio-focused company in the world offers Bluetooth speakers that promise easy connectivity to smartphones and tablets. The speakers come in a wide range of price tags—from the very cheap, like the $35 DKnight Magicbox II, to the extremely expensive, like the $600 Bang & Olufsen Beolit 15. In general, speakers on the higher-end of the market tend to come with better sound quality, although some (like the Soundcast Melod) can be difficult to carry around.

Convenience is driving the popularity of Bluetooth-based portable speakers. After linking the speaker to a smartphone or tablet, users can wirelessly play songs through the device. The device also offers flexibility: anything that can be played on a smartphone can be played through a speaker.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve tested out the brand-new JBL Xtreme, a Bluetooth-enabled portable speaker. The JBL Xtreme comes with a cylindrical design and rubber feet to reduce its chances of falling off a table. Underneath, users will find a zipper that, once opened, reveals a port for charging the wireless speaker, as well as USB ports that can be used to charge iPhones or Android devices. Atop the Xtreme is a handful of buttons, including volume controls and a Play/Pause key, as well as two rings where a bundled strap can be attached. That strap can be slung around the shoulder so the speaker can be easily carried.

While the JBL Xtreme is on the pricier side—it costs $300—the latest Bluetooth portable speaker from the long-lived audio company owned by Harman (HAR) impresses on all counts when it comes to sound quality and portability.

Setting up the Xtreme was a breeze. After unpacking the device and plugging it in, I quickly found it in my iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and I was off to the races. Though I initially left the speaker plugged in, I quickly unplugged it and relied on its 15-hour battery life to play tracks for several hours outside at a dinner party. Even at somewhat long distances, the Xtreme quickly responded to my commands to change tracks. Every now and then, at the start of a new track, its sound would dip a bit before reverting to its standard volume control. The issue, which was likely a lag between the iPhone and speaker, was a little annoying, but by no means a deal-breaker.

During one of my listening sessions, I found an interesting and useful feature: the Xtreme doubles as a speakerphone. While listening to a song, I received a phone call. The Xtreme immediately silenced my track and played the other person’s audio, effectively acting as a conference phone.

The JBL Xtreme comes in three colors: black, red, and blue. The version I tested is blue, and while it’s not necessarily the best-looking portable speaker on the market (the black version would fit better into most home-entertainment setups), it wasn’t too much of a distraction. It’s perhaps also worth noting that the Xtreme is one of JBL’s Connected speakers, meaning those who own multiple JBL Xtremes can pair them tegether and play songs across the devices. I only had one speaker to test, so I cannot comment on how that feature works.

Ultimately, however, it’s the sound quality that makes or breaks a portable speaker, and out of the many I’ve tested, the JBL Xtreme is top-notch. The Xtreme, which is rather small at just 11 inches wide, pumped out impossibly loud sound. Each time I pressed it for more, the volume went up without a note of missed quality. On the bass side, the Xtreme is nothing short of astounding. Bass is incredibly deep, and the passive radiators on either side of the device visibly tremble with each beat. Those who like a nice, bass sound, will love the JBL Xtreme.

In addition to music, I tried listening to several voice tracks to see how it handled those. As with music, the Xtreme worked exceedingly well, handled voice inflections with ease, and never delivered a “pitchy” note, which is so often heard in competing devices.

Indeed, it’s hard to find fault in the JBL Xtreme. While it has a few annoyances here and there—and quite pricey for a portable speaker—those who are willing to spend the cash and want high-quality sound won’t be disappointed. The JBL Xtreme looks to be one of a handful of truly desirable portable speakers heading into the busy holiday season.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For more about wireless music streaming technology, check out the following Fortune video:

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

t
AIMarkets
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg warns Trump’s AI ownership plan would make ‘George Orwell blush’
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
U.N. reports Southeast Asia’s criminal networks are using tech to build a global illicit economy
AsiaTech
U.N. reports Southeast Asia’s criminal networks are using tech to build a global illicit economy
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
3 hours ago
Anthropic to pay authors $1.5 billion over pirated books used to train Claude in first major AI copyright settlement
LawAnthropic
Anthropic to pay authors $1.5 billion over pirated books used to train Claude in first major AI copyright settlement
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
3 hours ago
kid lying down on phone
PoliticsSocial Media
Lawmakers say they’re protecting kids—but their age checks are quietly building an ID requirement for the entire internet
By Catherina GioinoJuly 21, 2026
3 hours ago
holland
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
‘The audience is telling the industry something’: even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan’s runaway ‘Odyssey’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looking up.
CybersecurityOpenAI
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
Economy
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
By Eleanor PringleJuly 21, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.