The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential is the smallest PartyBox speaker to date, but it’s still got some heft to it, weighing in at 13 pounds (5.9 kg). Nearly a cube, it’s 12.87 inches on its longest side and has a color-changing ring of light over the driver that pulsates and syncs to the beat of your music. The Encore Essential is IPX4 splash-proof and has an integrated handle for easy toting.
Rated for 100 watts of power (though we always take power ratings with a grain of salt), the speaker doesn’t have quite the volume or sound quality of the step-up PartyBox 110 (see below). But it has a 5.25-inch woofer, two 1.75-inch tweeters and plenty of kick, and it’s easier to carry around. In that sense, it offers a nice balance between size and power.
Battery life is rated at six hours at moderate volume levels, and this speaker charges with an included AC adapter. It also has a charge-out port on the back along with a microphone port if you want to talk or sing (microphone not included).
To be clear, this is a mono speaker designed to put out a lot of sound (there’s a bass-boost mode) from a reasonably sized design. You can also wirelessly pair two of these speakers and get significantly better sound in stereo, but that would get a little pricey.