PROS:

  • Four drivers and dual passive radiators deliver powerful, bass-forward sounds.
  • Outdoor-friendly, waterproof design
  • Can be linked to several JBL speakers.

CONS:

  • High-priced
  • No speakerphone function

JBL Extreme 3 Specs

Channels: Stereo   –  Bluetooth: Yes   –  Wi-Fi: No   –  Multi-Room: No   –    Portable: Yes   –  Physical Connections: 3.5mm, USB   –  Water-Resistant: Yes   –  Speakerphone: No   – 
Built-In Voice Assistant: None

As the name JBL Extreme 3 suggests, this $349 Bluetooth speaker is large, powerful, and built for those who want to bring the bass to the party. It has a fully waterproof body, making it an ideal speaker for outdoor gatherings. While its improvements over the Xtreme 2 are small, it’s one of the best outdoor-friendly Bluetooth speaker for bass lovers.

A Big and Tough Speaker

This 4.4-pound JBL Xtreme 3 comes in black, blue, or camouflage and its size is 5.4 by 11.8 by 5.3 inches (HWD). It has a cylindrical design with passive radiators on either end. The front face of the speaker features a huge JBL logo, a wraparound grille, and built-in handles for the supplied removable strap to attach onto. The adjustable strap features rubber grips to keep it from sliding around on your shoulder, and it attaches to the speaker using carabiner-style clips. More rubber strips on the bottom panel help keep the speaker sturdy on flat surfaces.

jbl 3

JBL Xtreme 3 is waterproof and dustproof. The Bluetooth signal cannot survive underwater, but the point is that you can take this speaker poolside, use it in a storm, or on the beach, and it should work without issue—and you can rinse it off afterwards.

Multiple buttons are available on the top and between the handles. These are buttons for power, Bluetooth, volume, play/pause (pressing twice goes forward a track but not backward), and PartyBoost, which connects the Xtreme 3 to other JBL speakers.

Extreme 3 has a cover at its back to protect its connections. When you open this cover, it loses its waterproof feature. Here, you can plug in the power adapter to the USB-C port. There’s also a 3.5mm input, but you need to buy a cable separately. You can also use the USB-A port to charge other devices with the speaker’s battery which is pretty cool.

Inside this speaker, there are two woofers and two tweeters, each with 25 watts of power. They make the sound really strong, helped by two other parts called radiators. This speaker can play sounds from 53.5Hz to 20kHz. You can connect to it using Bluetooth 5.1, and it works with AAC and SBC audio formats.

We’re disappointed that the Xtreme 3 doesn’t have the speakerphone feature like the Xtreme 2 did. It’s not a necessary thing, but being able to answer your calls without touching your phone is definitely a good option.

JBL says the battery should last around 15 hours, but how long it actually lasts depends on how loud you play your music. On a normal sound I think it can last 15 hours which is good.

Powerful Audio for Bass Lovers

When playing songs with heavy bass, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Xtreme 3 gives strong and deep bass sounds. When you turn the volume all the way up, a feature called DSP (digital signal processing) kicks in to stop the sound from getting distorted. This makes the bass a bit lighter, but it still sounds good, just not as deep as when the volume is lower.

In Bill Callahan’s song “Drover,” which doesn’t have a much deep bass, we can really hear how the Xtreme 3 sounds overall. The drums in this song sound stronger and heavier in the bass part than they would on a more accurate sound system. The bass boost isn’t too much—it doesn’t sound fake, and it will definitely make the bass lovers happy. Callahan’s deep voice sounds perfect, with a good mix of richness and crispness. Acoustic guitar sound clear and detailed. So, overall, the sound has been adjusted and boosted: the bass is stronger, but the higher sounds are also more prominent to keep things balanced. 

This speaker might not be the good choice for people who want a very accurate sound, but if you like powerful bass from a portable speaker, you’ll be happy with JBL’s Extreme 3.