So recently we have had a lot of excitement because there have been a lot of Box speakers to hit the market. We got the JBL Partybox 320 and 120. A few months ago we got the Partybox Ultimate, And we also got some great options from Sony like the ULT Tower 10 and the Sony ULT field 7 which can all be used with a microphone for karaoke.
Now in my videos you usually just see me use a standard wired microphone cause these speakers have quarter inch inputs. However, JBL along side their Partybox 320 and 120 also announced their Partybox wireless microphone. So today we’re going to check out this wireless microphone and we’re going to see if its worth it.
Now regarding pricing, this system retails for $150… and you get two wireless microphones and the receiver that goes into your speaker. But in this video we’re going to be compering the sound of this microphone to this $20 wired microphone that I have been using for a few years. Nonetheless, if you want to pick any of these speakers or microphones up they’ll be linked down below.
So first off this system comes included with two wireless microphones and theres a transmitter that you plug into your speakers quarter inch input. Which means, if you were to get 2 of these systems then you can use a total of 4 microphones for karaoke… or more realistically, you can have 2 wireless microphones and a wired microphone.
Now when it comes to battery life the microphone themselves have an advertised battery life of 20 hours and the reciver has a battery life of 12 hours. However, both the microphones and the reciver can be used while they are charging. And all of these things charge via a USB C port. And since these party boxes have a built in USB A port, you can use the included USB A to USB C cable to charge these things. So overall, I feel that battery life isn’t an issue for these wireless microphones. And also, with the microphones a fast charge of 10 minutes will get you 2 hours of use.
Now when it comes to the range of the microphones, JBL claims that these microphones are going to be good for up to 90 feet. Now realistically I doubt that anyone is actually going to need 90 feet of range… but more importantly connectivity on these microphones is solid, it never drops out and since its 2.4 gigahertz, a few walls in between isn’t an issue. And also connecting these microphones to the transmitter is very easy you literally just turn them on and they connect.
But then theres the sound of these microphones… now I feel that these microphones give you a very neutral sound signature… Now you can’t directly adjust the EQ on these microphones… however, if you’re using these microphones with a JBL Partybox, then you will be able to adjust the sound of this microphone through your partybox.
But if we were to compare the sound of the wireless microphone to this wired microphone that I usually use… I feel that this wired microphone gives you a more pleasant warmer sound signature… but also the wired microphone gets louder than the wireless microphone. Cause yes, you can adjust the gain on these microphones through your speaker… but when the gain on your speaker is all the way up, the wired microphone gets noticeably louder than the wireless microphone.
So overall, I feel that the sound of the wireless microphone is good and through your speaker you can adjust the sound of your microphone to your liking… and just having a wireless microphone is super convientne… however, the wired microphone is going to give you a warmer sound and its going to get louder.
But also, I want to compare the wireless microphone that comes included with the Sony ULT Tower ten. Now I feel that this microphone also gives you a neutral sound… but more importantly, you can actually adjust the gain of this microphone directly from the microphone itself… this is something the JBL’s mic cant do. And also, this microphone is Double A battery powered… So if you’re in the middle of a presentation, or karaoke, you don't have to tether this microphone to your charger. You just screw of the bottom cap and throw in a new battery. The only problem is, you can only use the ULT Tower 10 with a total of one wireless microphone.
So overall, I feel the JBL Partybox Wireless microphone is a big luxury. Being able to walk around freely and easily pass the microphone around is great for karaoke. Plus the long battery life on both the microphones and transmitter is good and its very easy to charge these microphones while you use them. However, if you dont mind using a wired microphone… I actually prefer the sound and performance that you get out of a standard wired mic. But again, no wire is very nice and I will be using these wireless microphones the next time that the family is going to do karaoke.