JBL Pulse 4 Portable Speaker

JBL Pulse 4 Portable Speaker

The JBL Pulse 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker whose whole body is a light show. A high-resolution 360-degree LED display wraps the speaker and pulses, swirls and changes colour in time with the music, while a 360-degree speaker array sends 20 W of JBL sound in every direction. It is IPX7 waterproof, runs for up to 12 hours on a charge, and links with other PartyBoost speakers when one is not enough. On a shelf it looks like a glowing lamp.

Key features

• 360-degree LED light show that follows the music
• 20 W RMS output with sound in every direction
• Up to 12 hours of playtime on a single charge
• IPX7 waterproof, submersible to 1 m for 30 minutes
• JBL PartyBoost linking for stereo pairs and multi-speaker setups
• Light themes customisable in the JBL Connect app
• Bluetooth 4.2 wireless streaming
• Charges over USB-C in about 3.5 hours

Sound you can see

The light show is the reason the Pulse 4 exists. Its LED surface renders smooth, high-resolution patterns that react to the beat in real time, and the JBL Connect app lets you choose from preset themes, design your own colour patterns, or calm the speaker down into an ambient light that glows whether or not music is playing. Shaking the speaker can sync its light pattern with other Pulse 4 units nearby. Because the display wraps the full body, the effect reads from every seat in the room and from across a terrace, .

360-degree JBL sound

Under the light surface, a 2.25 inch driver fires sound outward in all directions, supported by a passive radiator for low-end weight, with a signal to noise ratio above 80 dB and a frequency response of 70 Hz to 20 kHz. Sound in every direction suits the way this speaker is actually used: people sit around it, not in front of it. Output is rated at 20 W RMS, enough for a living room, balcony or poolside group without the distortion that comes from pushing a smaller speaker past its comfort zone.

Battery, water and the outdoors

The built-in lithium-ion polymer battery is rated at 7260 mAh and 3.6 V, giving up to 12 hours of playtime depending on volume and how hard the light show is working, and it recharges over USB-C in about 3.5 hours. The IPX7 rating means the Pulse 4 can be submerged in 1 metre of water for 30 minutes, so pool splashes, rain at a picnic and a knocked-over drink are non-events; rinse it and keep playing. At 96 x 96 x 207 mm and 1.26 kg it is sized like a large water bottle and travels in a bag or car boot without complaint.

PartyBoost and everyday control

PartyBoost lets two compatible JBL speakers play as a stereo pair, or many speakers link together so a bigger space gets even coverage of both sound and light. Bluetooth 4.2 with A2DP and AVRCP profiles pairs quickly with phones and tablets, and playback is controlled from the source device or the app. There is no 3.5 mm input and no speakerphone function; this is a wireless music and light device, and it keeps that job simple. Auto power off conserves the battery when the music stops.

Choose the Pulse 4 if your speaker needs to be part of the occasion, not just background to it. The combination of a full-body light show, waterproofing, 12-hour battery and expandable PartyBoost linking makes it as much a piece of atmosphere as an audio product, and it remains a capable 20 W portable speaker when the lights are turned down.