JBL Go 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

To fulfil the desire for music companionship anytime and anywhere, the world-renowned audio brand JBL introduced the portable JBL GO Music Bluetooth Speaker series in 2015. With its compact size, vibrant colours, affordable price, and superior sound performance compared to others in its price range, it has received unanimous praise.

After five years of development and two generations of iteration, the JBL GO3 has undergone innovative upgrades in its appearance and materials compared to the GO2. It is more portable and features an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, allowing it to be played even in bathrooms, pools, or beaches.

The authentic JBL legendary sound ensures pure and delightful audio quality, while its impressive battery life of up to 5 hours is sufficient to meet the listening needs throughout the day. Today, let’s take a closer look at the JBL GO3.

Unboxing

The JBL GO3 comes in a compact and transparent packaging box, allowing users to see the colour of the GO3 inside, making it convenient for offline purchases. The packaging box provides brief information, such as the GO3’s 5-hour continuous playback performance, IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, and support for Bluetooth 5.1.

Upon opening the packaging, the JBL GO3 is securely wrapped in plastic film, eliminating concerns about potential damage during transportation. It also has a complimentary Type-C data cable featuring the JBL logo, an instruction manual and relevant product documents. Adding Type-C enhances the portability of the JBL GO3 compared to its predecessor, as it reduces the risk of losing a cable while travelling.

Design

The previous generation JBL GO2 featured a more rugged design, while the GO3 has undergone adjustments in its appearance, incorporating soft curves for a more rounded body. The front showcases the prominent JBL logo, which is clear and eye-catching. The front and back are covered in a soft and smooth woven material, enhancing the tactile feel and providing a slip-resistant, wear-resistant, and dustproof effect.

Regarding colour options, the JBL GO3 offers up to 10 different colours for consumers to choose from, gradually being released in the market. Inspired by street fashion trends, JBL introduces popular colour schemes and new combinations, making the JBL GO3 attention-grabbing no matter where it is placed. Users can choose different colours based on their moods and preferences.

The JBL GO3 departs from the square design of the previous two generations and adopts a more rounded edge, giving it a cuter overall look. The front of the device features a prominently displayed JBL silicone logo, ensuring high recognizability. The special woven material covering the JBL GO3 enhances the music playback experience while optimizing the handheld feel.

The volume up/down and play buttons are designed on the top of the device, with only three raised silicone buttons, making them more eye-catching. From right to left, they are volume down, play/pause/next track, and volume up. A single press of the play button pauses the music, while a double press skips to the next track.

All three buttons are made of rubber material that protrudes from the surface, providing a tactile feel similar to embossing. They can be easily distinguished by touch without the need to look at them. The bottom features a non-slip rubber strip, reducing vibrations during playback and improving stability and slip resistance.

The power button, indicator light, and Bluetooth pairing button are located on the right side of the device, while the left side houses the built-in USB Type-C port. There is no need for a waterproof plug as the interior has been waterproofed, with a waterproof coating on the surface.

It can be taken out of the water and shaken dry. For easy portability, the JBL GO3 features an anti-slip lanyard. The interior is made of highly elastic rubber material wrapped in woven material. The length is moderate, and the central gap accommodates a finger. It can be easily held by hooking a finger through it, and the 209g weight is effortlessly manageable.

The back of the JBL GO3 is made of a rubber material with excellent anti-slip properties. This reduces vibrations during playback and, when placed flat, prevents the woven material casing from touching the surface, providing anti-slip and anti-dust effects. The rubber material on the back of the GO3 also has a similar embossed texture, offering a warm and smooth feel.

The JBL GO3 can be placed flat or in an upright position. To ensure a more secure standing position and stable playback, it features seven elastic and highly slip-resistant strips, five long and two short, arranged evenly to provide a larger contact area, ensuring better grip and superior anti-slip performance.

There are dynamic and lively sound prompts for powering on and off. The indicator light is red during charging and displays white light when connected to digital devices such as smartphones via Bluetooth. After powering on, the JBL GO3 automatically enters Bluetooth pairing mode.

If the phone’s Bluetooth is turned on, you can find the JBL GO3 in the list and click to connect. The JBL GO3 supports automatic connection, and the Bluetooth function button is only used when connecting to a new digital device. Pressing it for a long time activates the search mode to search for Bluetooth signals. Once connected to a phone, you can enjoy wonderful music. The JBL GO3 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.1, which offers faster search speed and more stable connections.

Thanks to its clever weaving process, the JBL GO3 possesses IP67 dust and water resistance, effectively preventing dust intrusion. It can be submerged in water at a depth of 0.15m to 1m for up to 30 minutes without being affected or leaking.

This greatly expands the usage scenarios of the JBL GO3, allowing it to be used with confidence by the pool, at the beach, and even for outdoor activities like hiking. The rubber body and woven material are coated with a water-repellent layer, ensuring they remain dry. When taken out of the water, the device automatically drains, and if the entire body is submerged, it can be easily shaken dry.

The function buttons of the JBL GO3 are sensitive to touch and do not require hard pressing. When released, there is clear tactile feedback, providing distinct feedback and smooth control without delay or lag. It can be easily operated using the index finger to press the buttons. The JBL GO3 weighs only 209g, making it truly lightweight, and even when carried for a long time, it does not cause fatigue.

Its compact size allows it to be easily stored in pockets and suitcases without occupying much space. Its built-in high-quality 4.2W full-range speaker makes the sound clear and loud, suitable for personal listening or sharing with friends.

Sound Performance

When it comes to a Bluetooth speaker, the most important aspect is to ensure that you can hear the sound before pursuing the quality of the sound. The JBL GO3 utilizes advanced Bluetooth 5.1 technology, a significant upgrade from the Bluetooth 4.2 used by mainstream products in the same price range. It has optimized directional signal searching capabilities.

Testing has proven that the JBL GO3 can maintain smooth and uninterrupted sound even when the signal source is 15 meters away, and multiple electronic devices are causing signal interference. This demonstrates the reliable connectivity performance of the JBL GO3.

Now that the connectivity is ensured let’s experience the sound quality of the JBL GO3. Thanks to its 4.2W full-range audio driver, which is a 35% improvement from the JBL GO2, and the Harman Algorithm DSP data processing module, along with the newly added JBL PRO SOUND legendary audio system, the JBL GO3 delivers sound quality that ranks among the top performers in its class. It maximizes the output volume and enhances the bass audio output capability.

During my listening experience, I found that the JBL GO3 excels in reproducing clear and transparent vocals, especially in pop music. Despite its compact size, the JBL GO3’s bass output is comparable to larger players. The bass is solid and powerful, with precise control, agility, cleanliness, and a crisp response. It delivers strong energy from its small form factor. The high frequencies are surprisingly smooth and delicate, particularly for certain orchestral instruments, where the JBL GO3 can reproduce the original tonality, preserving the music’s authenticity.

Although the JBL GO3 is a small speaker and cannot be considered Hi-Fi sound quality, its impressive sound performance makes it difficult to find a Bluetooth speaker in the same price range that sounds better than the JBL GO3. The bass is deep and powerful, and you can even feel the vibrations of the JBL GO3 when holding it in your hand. When playing dynamic electronic music, you might even feel a tingling sensation in your palm. The mid-range is full-bodied, and the high frequencies are bright, making it suitable for playing pop, rock, and electronic music.

Conclusion

After a period of use, the JBL GO3 inherits the compact and portable design of the JBL GO series while addressing the shortcomings in sound quality from its previous generations. The woven material body and anti-slip strap enhance its portability, while the simplified raised silicone buttons improve the daily user experience.

Adding Type-C and IP67 ratings expands the application scenarios, making the JBL GO3 a reliable “music companion” whether you’re in the sky, underwater, or exploring mountains.

With its larger speaker and JBL sound technology, the GO3 can deliver satisfying music anytime and anywhere, making your journeys more relaxing and enjoyable. If you desire music to accompany you on your travels, take advantage of the JBL GO3. It is sure to surprise you with its performance.

Customer Reviews of JBL Go 3

This is my second speaker from the JBL Go series. I’m still using the first one, but wanted a second for my bathroom. Aesthetics is very important for my purposes. So the 4 stars vs 5, comes from the “white” really being more of a grey. Other than that, this speaker has loads of good sound.

I loved this enough to buy a second one! I keep one in the shower and one in my car! They are a perfect size and the sound quality is fantastic! It’s a nice boost for the speaker of my iPhone!

The sound from this compact speaker is far better than expected. + It’s waterproof and charges from a USBC. Additionally it always connects to my Pixel without any problems. I like it so much I bought a 2nd one for my wife and she loves it as well.

You just can’t go wrong with JBL. For a speaker of this size the sound engineers must have had fun because she sounds great listening to music. The fabrication and build of the instrument is solid. I just got this in and I have been swinging this Lil’ speaker around in my pocket jamming around the apartment Super Kool and Sounds Great I will Buy Another!

The speaker is very cool visually I was afraid that it won’t be heard very loud since I needed it for exhibitions, but its power surprised me, it sounds excellent, loud and good for what I needed, even as if to play music in small meetings, JBL is always a synonym of quality, that’s for sure.

---

Specifications of JBL Go 3

• Output Power: 4.2 Watts
• Dynamic Frequency Response Range: 110 Hz – 20 kHz
• Dimensions (in): 3.4 x 2.7 x 1.6
• Dimensions (cm): 8.6 x 6.9 x 4.0
• Weight (kgs): 0.209
• Weight (lbs): 0.46

Bluetooth:

• Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6
• Bluetooth Frequency: 2402 MHz – 2480 MHz
• Bluetooth Transmitted Modulation: GFSK, π/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK
• Bluetooth Transmitter Power: ≤ 8 dBm (EIRP)
• Bluetooth Version: 5.1

Battery:

• Charging Time: 2.5 hours
• Maximum Music Playing Time: 5 hours

Additional Features:

• Charging Cable: Yes
• Waterproof: Yes (IP67)
• Wireless: Yes
• Rechargeable Battery: Yes