If you’ve been eyeing JBL’s rugged outdoor speakers but flinched at the price, now’s your moment. The JBL Xtreme 4 has dropped to its all-time lowest price of £179 at Richer Sounds — a full £100 saving from its usual £279, available to members of the free-to-join Richer Sounds VIP Club. Its newer sibling, the Xtreme 5, is also on offer, but the Xtreme 4 remains the sweet spot for anyone who wants five-star sound without stretching the budget.
Both speakers earned five stars at review, and the Xtreme 4 in particular has always punched above its weight. It keeps the familiar cylindrical silhouette of the Xtreme range, wrapped in a tough grille made from a mix of recycled plastic and fabric. True to its name, it’s fully waterproof and dustproof (IP67), so a splash by the pool or a dusty festival field won’t faze it.
Power sits at 100W when mains-connected, dropping to 70W on battery. We noticed the extra scale and heft when plugged in, but crucially the speaker’s sonic character stayed consistent whether tethered or running free — no dramatic personality change when you unplug it for the garden.
Sound-wise, we described the Xtreme 4 as “wonderfully clear and consistent”, with low frequencies that are “poised and punchy” without losing weight, and highs that stay crisp. Spinning Declan McKenna’s Brazil, we said: “The JBL entertains us from the off. It captures the playful electric guitar and percussion, and delivers the song with plenty of energy. When the bassline kicks in it sounds weighty and goes deep, but there’s detail and texture and you can hear the difference in weight between each note.”
On features, you get Bluetooth 5.3 and Auracast, so you can pair it with other compatible JBL units for a bigger multi-speaker setup. If you want Bluetooth 6, that’s reserved for the pricier Xtreme 5 — but Auracast means the Xtreme 4 still plays nicely with newer models.
Battery life is a generous 24 hours, stretchable to 30 hours via the Playtime Boost feature, so running dry mid-party is unlikely. There’s also AI sound boost, which keeps things clean at high volume. When we cranked it hard in testing, the JBL stayed “composed and controlled” even pushed past 11.
- Power: 100W (mains) / 70W (battery)
- Battery: 24 hours, up to 30 with Playtime Boost
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast
- Durability: waterproof and dustproof
At £179 for VIP Club members, the Xtreme 4 is the easiest way into JBL’s outdoor lineup right now — and a hard bargain to argue with.
