When I reviewed JBL ’s monster flagship party verbaliser — the 1,100 - wattPartyBox Ultimate – last year , I had my hair thoroughly blown back by its sheer power and pristine clarity . But as telling as it is for pro DJs and other full-grown - elbow room party - ceramicist , I wondered about JBL ’s smallerPartyBox verbalizer , which are more manageable in size of it and Mary Leontyne Price . Luckily , the new year has brought a new crop . And JBL ’s new PartyBox Stage 320 scratches that itch perfectly .
A whomp 240 - watt rollable party , the Stage 320 is half the weight , close to a third of the price , and offer many of the same lineament as the Ultimate , such as an light-emitting diode lightshow , karaoke and DJ fun , and multispeaker linking . The Stage 320 also has a few footprint - up surprises that have total with JBL ’s upgrade 2024 card that includes the portableJBL Xtreme 4and small party verbalizer , thePartyBox Club 120 . These features admit the company ’s AI - driven Sound Boost tuning , better Auracast Bluetooth connectivity for linking an unlimited number of compatible speakers , and an 18 - time of day battery that ’s ( ! ) replaceable .
The phase 320 is still big , make no mistake . And it ’s still $ 600 . But if you ’re a bud DJ or just someone who likes to roll up to a party with the force and playfulness features take to get citizenry out of their seats , then the JBL stagecoach 320 is going to do it for you , if the damage does n’t dash you off . After about a week with the PartyBox Stage 320 , here ’s what I like and did n’t .
Design
On a recent trip to New York City , I was intrigue by the number ofparty speakersI spotted in the wilderness , bury inI Heart NYmerch in Times Square storefronts , mounted on the side of food carts covered in grease and hot sauce , and peculiarly hang off the backs of lit - up , pink - feathered pedicab blastingEmpire State of Mind . I get why . It ’s unvoiced to contend with the sounds and blinding lights of the city that never catch some Z’s . But these apparently bulletproof party speaker unit have the power and the eye - trance dazzle to cut through the insanity and take a trouncing while doing it .
OK , so maybe you ’re not planning on mark up a souvlaki pushcart in Times Square anytime presently . But if you ’re look for a party loudspeaker system designed to take it , the Stage 320 ( which is the successor to 2020 ’s PartyBox 310 ) would be an fantabulous pick . Like all JBL ’s PartyBox speakers , the Stage 320 is a big , rollable speaker on sturdy wheels that count just over 36 pounds and standard 13.3 by 26.3 by 15.2 inches ( D x H x W ) , to be precise , or about the same as a medium - sized traveling bag . And , luckily , it has a helpful bag - panache telescopic handle that extends so you’re able to pull it around like one , or you’re able to transfix it by the wide back handle to lift it up ( but be sure to lift with the legs , please ) .
Its consistence is made of a thick , square shaping plate that domiciliate two 6.5 - inch woofer and two 1 - in tweeter that are well protected behind a alloy mesh grille . The woofers ’ rims are ring by LED lights that make a cool - look eternity symbolization when light up . The cheek of the speaker is also dust by six strobe lights on the left over and proper front edges , and the top and bottom edge each have an light-emitting diode strip .
The back of the JBL PartyBox Stage 320.Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
The back panel has a flake more going on than usual with JBL ’s company speaker unit , due to the accession of a panel that houses the removable battery . Above that is another gore that conceals all the comment and control for the talker ( which we ’ll get into below ) , and on the bottom - rear of the loudspeaker system is a passive bass larboard and a pocket-sized cover for the AC might cable port .
Everything , of course , is well sealed and rugged to abide by with the Stage 320 ’s IPX4 water - resistance paygrade , which means that I wo n’t be throwing it in the lake like I did with its much smaller cousin-german , theJBL Xtreme 4.Butit does entail that the Stage 320 will withstand splash , rainfall , and various beverages spilled on it .
Controls
In addition to being solidly built , The PartyBox Stage 320 can be curb several ways , depending on your uses , and has a decent range of inputs .
The top of the stagecoach 320 is where all the buttons and dial are mounted , which intend you could manipulate a lot of what the speaker can do from here rather of always ingest to catch your phone . On it you ’ll find the multifunction play push that does just that when it ’s click once . fall into place twice to pass over track and three times to go back . The bulk telephone dial wraps around it , relieve oneself it sluttish to goose things up when the political party acquire raucous .
On the opposite side you get lightsome control for cycling through the various presets that you may represent to the dial from the JBL PartyBox app , or you may turn the lights off altogether . Between the two dial are the Bluetooth pairing clitoris , theAuracastbutton ( more on this in a sec ) , and the Bass Boost button that has two levels : Deep and Punchy .
Fast and easy battery change.Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
In the middle dustup are three “ Party Buttons ” that can be easy map through the app to a selection of ( I guess ) political party sounds that any self - respect wedding disk jockey is sure to get tons of use out of . They include cheesy favourite such as clapping , phonograph recording scraping , horns , and a smattering of company slogans .
The back row of boss is entirely for control the volume , canonic EQing , and echo sound force of the microphones you stop up in at the back of the speaker .
Connectivity
Speaking of plugging things in , behind that back dialog box there ’s a lot going on in terms of input signal , admit a 3.5 mm AUX port for connecting analog sources like CD players and smartphones ( with the right adapters ) , and USB - A for charging devices and/or port in a USB joystick full of tunes . There are two quarter - inch inputs — one for a mike and one that you may utilize for either a mic or a guitar ( with a on/off switch switch for each ) , and each has its own tiny gain dial underneath for boosting and balancing grade . last , there are two 3.5 mm porthole ( in and out ) for physically daisy - chain several speakers together with a wire .
As far as wireless connectivity go , though , the Stage 320 is , first and firstly , a Bluetooth 5.4 speaker that can connect to your smartphone , laptop , or whatever you wish , for cyclosis from your favorite steaming military service . Unlike the PartyBox Ultimate , however , there is no Wi - Fi connectivity . So unless you want to run a equipment via the AUX input , you wo n’t be capable to well out any hi - res music .
Connecting to your devices is just like any other Bluetooth speaker , and it features multipoint so you’re able to connect two devices at the same time so you and your friend can take turns selecting song . But the biggest Bluetooth distinction that the Stage 320 and a few other newer JBL loudspeaker system have is the inclusion body of Auracast , a more efficient , low - latency Bluetooth engineering that we will be find out a pot more of .
Rugged, smooth wheels.Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
Auracast permit the stagecoach 320 to stereo pair with another Stage 320 . But more broadly it allows multispeaker connectivity with an straight-out number of JBL PartyBox speakers and other Auracast - enabled JBL speakers , like the novel Xtreme 4 , Clip 5 , and Go 4 .
Connecting to other Auracast speakers can well be done by pressing the Auracast button on each speaker . I did this with the Xtreme 4 , and it just link up up to the leg 320 and begin playing . Volume can then be controlled on the speakers themselves , through the author gimmick ( like your smartphone ’s volume push ) , or the PartyBox app .
However , one affair to take note is that unlike JBL ’s Auracast portable that are rearwards compatible with the aged PartyBoost multispeaker feature , JBL ’s PartyBox parentage traditionally has not had this feature film . And as such , neither does the Stage 320 . That means if you have some of those onetime JBL PartyBoost speakers , you wo n’t be able to add together them to the Stage 320 ’s sound circle . I do n’t see that as a deal - circuit breaker . But if adding , say , a smaller speaker to the mix so you could draw out your Stage 320 ’s music in to the kitchen or the bathrooms for your Guest and you do n’t want to dole out the $ 380 for the Xtreme 4 , theClip 5 is just $ 80 , and theGo 4 is only $ 50 .
JBL PartyBox app
JBL has been doing a self-colored job with the familiar apps for its portable , Wi - Fi - enabled speakers like the Ultimate and Charge 5 , and in this case , Bluetooth - only political party speakers . The Stage 320 uses the consecrate JBL PartyBox app , which is well pose out and easy to use , and give you more detailed control over the speaker ’s sound , lighting , and DJ feature .
For strait , you get playback and volume dominance , as well as more precise EQ controls with five presets that let in : JBL key signature that offers punchy depressed - closing tuning with slightly elevate high gear ; Movie that take the low down a moment but elevates the mids for decipherable dialog if you ’re connect the speaker with your TV or projector ; Vocal that cranks the mid - highs even more so lyric and vocals really cut through ; Chill , which tempers the highs for a smoother , less abrasive sound ; and Custom that throw you full control with a five - ring equalizer . Additionally , the app also gives you a toggle switch for the Bass Boost , and ascendancy of the mike effects when plugged in , too .
The PartyBox app also gives you tons of control over the light-emitting diode light . Choose from six presets , people of color , and what lights you want on and off , as well as the function features I mention above where you may delegate those presets to the loudspeaker ’s physical buttons for fast memory access .
sound can also be mapped to the “ Party Buttons ” on the top jury through the app as well , and there are warhead of options . But if you need the full breadth of the Effects Lab , it ’s all done through the app where there are all form of yellow-bellied terrapin and pads that let you go nuts with uncanny filter , sound benders , and trippy echo result .
The PartyBox app is also where you’re able to setup stereo pair , control the Auracast PartyTogether speaker conjugation , and update software and other knickknacks .
Sound and performance
If you ’ve never heard a party speaker for yourself , especially ones in the average - to - large range of a function like the Stage 320 or the Club 120 , it ’s shocking how much sound comes out of these relatively modest boxes and the clarity at which it ’s delivered . It ’s gobsmacking . And when you consider that the Stage 320 is only a couple hundred dollars more than some premium portable Bluetooth utterer , such as JBL ’s own $ 500 Boombox 3 for example , I ’m surprised that more people do n’t have them . Well , sort of surprised ; they ’re weighed down and not super portable , and I get that too .
For its $ 600 price tag , the JBL PartyBox Stage 320 is an dead beast of a verbaliser , sound - smart . Its 240 - watts of power is ample volume to keep up withSweet Carolinesingalongs from the dance base while remain superbly clear . Much of this limpidity may be come by path of JBL ’s unexampled AI Sound Boost lineament that ’s in some of its 2024 speakers as well . JBL says that the feature “ take apart sound recording in existent time with an AI algorithm to optimize the acoustical output spirit level , leading to more powerful and less distorted sound . ” This seems to be working , but I ’d have to put it next to a PartyBox without the feature to see for sure . At any rate , the speech sound is in spades balanced and active and straining free .
sea bass and mids are degraded and punchy as hell , depending on the Bass Boost setting you opt , but both carry a huge , wall - rattling impact . I only pushed the speaker system past 50 % once or twice while examine it inside my home , leaving loads of headroom for outdoor spaces and even wedding response dance palace . Auracast - connect a stereo duet or make a multispeaker configuration , and a working DJ would have it made in the tint .
cycle through my well - trodden talker testing playlists is always a goody on party loudspeaker , and the Stage 320 did not disappoint . There ’s no signified owning a speaker like this unless you ’re look to diddle it loud , and the Stage 320 added club - point wallop to everything from New Order’sBizarre Love Triangle , with its gnarly synth bass intro and ceiling - strike ascent / descend keyboard running game , to wedding anthems like Journey’sDon’t Stop Believin’,because let ’s face it , if it does n’t handle Steve Perry ’s eminent - tenor plaint then why bother .
There ’s also great sound separation , too , peculiarly from a speaker that , mostly , stands vertically . ( you could also lay it on its side . ) The point 320 also go really well with picture show when apparatus with a projector , and its Bluetooth or AUX stimulation association allow for this with ease , although an ocular , RCA , or even an HDMI comment might be a overnice touch .
I only did a basic test of the Stage 320 ’s microphone and guitar inputs , but I can confirm that they both go as upright as you ’d have a bun in the oven : loud and unmortgaged with sizeable gain to rise above whatever tracks you ’re play / vocalizing along with . The EQ boast on the top of the verbaliser help dial in the auditory sensation , and the echo effects add together some fun atmosphere .
Battery
The JBL PartyBox Stage 320 features a removeable , replaceable 9,444mAh electric battery that JBL says fork out up to 18 hours of playtime , depend on the intensity you ’re crank it at . I find this just about to be true , as I logged just under that before having to plug it in , and the speaker came out of the box almost fully charged . The battery will fully charge in three hours and a 10 - minute straightaway charge can net two hours of playback time in a pinch . It ’s also passing easy to remove quickly by just opening the back panel and pulling it out , unlike the rainproof Xtreme 4 , which call for a screwdriver to access it .
Should you buy it?
I should n’t have to say this , but the JBL PartyBox Stage 320 is a political party speaker that is very specifically geared toward , yep , party . It ’s pectus - thud , foot - stomping loud , and designed to get people on their infantry and belt out choruses ofMony Monytill they get asked to leave .
Butit ’s also an excellent - sound , all - around speaker that ’s clear as day at high and humble volumes , has decent EQ choice to accommodate your taste , and sounds good with just about any sort of medicine , especially euphony with big bass . Every metre I review a big political party speaker like this , even thoughI knowit ’s overkill in my home as a regular Bluetooth talker ( and really hard to find a space for ) , the way it so effortlessly and cleanly sounds always make me miss it when it ’s die .
If , you occur to be a budding DJ or someone who has a mess of magnanimous assemblage or runs a Times Square solid food cart , the Stage 320 is a no - brainer for $ 600 . It ’s also not a bad deal if you have the quad for it , do n’t project on tote it around too much , and just require an all - in - one Bluetooth speaker that offers huge sound when you desire it , without all the components you ’d need otherwise .
Are there comparables ? Of course . LG ’s XBoom XL7is similarly price , just as powerful , and has good karaoke feature , if that ’s more your priority . The Stage 320 ’s JBL tuning go comfortably though , so points there . Sony also make beautiful looking at and vocalize party speakers in its X - Series speakers ( the$650 SRS XV800is the good comparison ) that swash 360 - level auditory sensation , long battery life-time , and an optical input , perhaps make it a better picking if using it for watch out movies is your affair .
The bottom line is for $ 600 , yes , get the PartyBox Stage 320 if you need loads of clean volume for company , big gathering , or if you want to stand out in Times Square .
