JBL PartyBox 520

Introduction

JBL is the brand to beat when it comes to party speakers. It offers one of the most robust lineups of flashy boomboxes around. With the addition of the PartyBox 520, there are more options than ever, but this might just be the sweet spot for a lot of people.

The latest PartyBox slots into the lineup between the popular PartyBox Stage 320 and the massive PartyBox 710. From size to features and power output, it’s right in between the two. So, for anyone who felt like the 320 wasn’t enough, and the 710 was too much, the 520 is here to save the day.

The JBL PartyBox 520 has been soundtracking my summer for the last week or so, and after many hours of listening, here’s what I think.

Design

• Pull-out handle and roller wheels
• Multi-zone reactive RGB lighting
• IPX4 splash resistance

The JBL PartyBox 520 shares the same iconic design as its other PartyBox siblings. Aesthetically, there’s barely any difference between this and the 320, aside from size. It has the same rugged-feeling black plastic construction and metal speaker grille, and the same subtle orange accents too.

One thing that is new, is the carry handle. Rather than featuring a sculpted grip on the rear, along with a pull-out telescoping handle, the new handle does both. It sits a few inches proud of the top panel, and can be used to lift the speaker or wheel it about, but pressing a button on the underside means the handle can slide out by about 9 inches or so.

The handle only extends to one fixed position, but it was comfortable for me to drag around, and I’m 6 ft 2. If you’re significantly shorter, you’ll probably find that you can wheel it along without extending the handle.

The JBL PartyBox 520 has integrated suitcase-style wheels on the rear, and they look identical to the ones on the PartyBox Ultimate. On the plus side, they’re quite large, so they roll over uneven surfaces reasonably well. However, they’re much harder than the wheels on the Tronsmart Halo 300, and that makes it a bit of a bumpy ride.

The PartyBox 520 is a relatively compact unit, by party speaker standards, and only stands about 2.5 feet tall. However, it’s an incredibly dense speaker, and it weighs a whopping 25.5kg. This means that, if you need to carry it up stairs or put it in a car, you’ll probably want a second set of hands on your side.

Most of the controls are on the top panel, and again, the design and layout match the other speakers in the PartyBox lineup. There are four knobs to control the sound of the microphone input, three programmable sound effect buttons, two knobs to control the lighting and volume, and buttons for Bluetooth pairing, Auracast, Bass Boost and power.

On the rear, a thick rubber flap covers the inputs. Opening it reveals twin XLR / 1/4-inch combo inputs, a USB-C port and a 3.5mm auxiliary input. There are also two 3.5mm sockets that can be used to daisy chain speakers.

Towards the base, there’s a figure-8 AC input for charging, also covered by a rubber flap. Then, in the centre, you’ll find a massive bass port, and a door that allows you to quickly remove and replace the battery. I’m a big fan of this. It means you can buy a spare battery if you need to keep the speaker running for longer, or you can replace it if the capacity starts to degrade a few years down the line.

Unfortunately, though, as far as I’m aware, it’s not the same size as the removable battery for speakers like the Stage 320 – so you can’t mix and match batteries if you have multiple PartyBox speakers.

The speaker is IPX4 splash resistant. This means a spilt drink or two shouldn’t do any harm, but you’ll only want to take this speaker outside when the weather is nice.

Of course, the PartyBox 520 also features JBL’s signature reactive lighting, with a large diffused figure-8 light bar that encircles the woofers. It’s hard to overstate how impressive these effects look. In my opinion, JBL’s lighting effects are easily the best in the business.

The PartyBox 520 also features white strobes and reactive strips along the top and the bottom of the speaker grille. We’ll discuss the specific effects in the next section; for now, I’ll just say that the diffusion, gradient smoothness and vibrancy of these LEDs are unmatched by rival party speaker brands.

Features

• JBL PartyBox companion app
• Auracast and daisy chaining
• Dual mic/guitar inputs

One of the big advantages of the PartyBox 520, compared to the Stage 320, is that it has dual XLR inputs, rather than just 1/4-inch sockets. This means it’s super easy to hook this up to a mixing desk, some microphones or even a guitar.

JBL is clearly targeting karaoke fans and performers with this product, and it’s great for that purpose. My review unit came with JBL’s PartyBox Wireless Mic Kit, which is an excellent, hassle-free way to get a karaoke party started.

The mics sound great, especially when you add some reverb, and pairing them up to the receiver is as simple as pushing a couple of buttons. They’re a pretty pricey addition, at around £119, but if you fancy yourself a sing-along, the kit could be worth the cost.

The PartyBox 520 works with JBL’s PartyBox app for Android and iOS. In this app, you’ll find controls for the lighting effects, and an “Effects Lab” which allows you to apply various DJ-style effects to the playback. There are also options to change how the top panel buttons and knobs behave, EQ options, Bass Boost settings and a variety of wireless pairing modes.

It’s a pretty feature packed application, and it’s well designed, too. The app almost instantly recognises that there’s a PartyBox speaker nearby, and you can start tweaking things to your heart’s content.

I love how much customisation the app gives you with the lighting effects. There are six animation styles to choose from, and an almost infinite number of colours. You can also individually toggle on and off each of the four different lighting zones to suit your preferences.

If you find that one PartyBox isn’t enough (which is quite unlikely, unless you’re trying to run a festival), then you’ll want to explore the numerous wireless pairing options. Two PartyBox 520s can be configured in a wireless stereo pair, for a seriously rocking sound system, while Aurcast allows you to broadcast your tunes to a variety of other Auracast-compatible speakers, whether they were made by JBL or not.

One limitation of this Auracast implementation, though, is that while the PartyBox 520 can broadcast Auracast signals to any device, it will only receive Auracast signals from other JBL speakers. However, in most scenarios, I can’t see that being too much of an issue.

Of course, if you prefer, you can use the daisy chain connections to wire up this speaker to just about anything.

Sound Quality

• 2x 7.5-inch woofers, 2x 1-inch tweeters
• Super powerful
• Bassy impactful sound

As the sheer size and weight of the PartyBox 520 suggest, this speaker is a powerful beast. Of course, it’s not on the same level as the brand’s top-of-the-line PartyBox Ultimate, but it’s still excessively powerful for use around the home.

I found that around 15% volume was more than loud enough around the house, and that extra power is only really necessary outdoors, or with a large crowd. If you like it loud and crave that big nightclub atmosphere, this speaker is sure to delight.

While the looks and the marketing might lead you to expect a boisterous bass cannon, I was pleasantly surprised by how well balanced the sound is. It’s a slightly V-shaped signature, but mids and vocals are clean and well represented, and the high is detailed on well-controlled, too. It’s exactly what I found when I tested the PartyBox Ultimate.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not likely to satisfy the most discerning audiophiles, but I consider myself quite picky, and it sounds excellent to my ears. Compared to competing party speakers, I think JBL’s default tuning leads the pack.

Of course, the bass is big and booming, too. It doesn’t extend deep into subwoofer territory, but that can be remedied by selecting the “Deep” Bass boost preset in the app, which adds some extra rumble to the low end.

With this on, you can feel the music as much as you can hear it, and for most genres, it was my preferred way to listen. It can be too much, at times, but thankfully, it’s easy to toggle it on and off either with the app or with the dedicated Bass boost button on the top panel.

There’s also a “Punchy” preset, which adds some extra oomph to the lower mids. That often sounds great with kick drums, creating a sound that’s more akin to a live performance.

As mentioned, I love the default sound of the PartyBox 520, but if you want to tweak it, there are numerous options available in the companion app. There’s a Movie setting, if you have the speaker hooked up to your TV, a Vocal mode, for podcasts and audiobooks, and a Chill setting, which reduces the bass for late-night listening.

If none of the above are hitting the spot, there’s a custom 7-band equaliser that you can fiddle with until you find your perfect signature.

No matter what kind of music I threw at this speaker, it sounded superb. As you might expect, the bass-heavy electronic tracks were the most impactful, but even low-fi shoegaze, rock and acoustic sounds great. It may not have the fidelity of high-end hi-fi separates, but it emulates the live experience well.

Should you buy it?

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