Get Them Here:
Soundcore Select 4 Go: https://amzn.to/3zuXkoP
JBL Clip 5: https://amzn.to/3TEfETu
JBL Go 4: https://amzn.to/4dnqRi1
So the Soundcore Select 4 Go is a surprisingly affordable micro speaker that gets immpressily loud for its size, its has great clarity and balance at max volume and it has a very long battery life. Overall, the Select 4 Go is a solid pick up… but today we’re going to see how the Soundcore Select 4 Go compares to both the JBL Clip 5 and the JBL Go 4 which are two other great micro speakers that have recently gotten some big upgrades.
Regarding pricing, this is one of the biggest selling points for the Soundcore Select 4 Go. This speaker has a retail price of $25, which is why I find this speaker so imrpessive. Where as the JBL Go 4 has a retail price of $50 and the JBL Clip 5 has a retail price of $80. Now all of these speakers are good but depending on your needs you’ll be better off with one over the other. But regardless, if you want to pick any of these speakers up they’ll be linked down below, or you can always just press on the YouTube shopping button.
So first theres the design of these speakers. Now all of these speakers are small… but the JBL Go 4 is noticeably smaller than the Soundcore Select 4 Go and then there’s the JBL Clip 5 which I feel is very similar to the Select 4 Go. Now both the Go 4 and Select 4 Go have a built in loop so you can attach these speakers to things… but these loops dont stretch out all that much. Where as with the Clip 5, this speaker has a built in carabeaner. So attaching this speaker to things a little easier by comparison. But nonetheless, all of these speakers are good options to take on the go with you cause they small, they all have a fabric wrapped body so they can stand up to constant abuse from bumps and scrapes and they are all dust and water proof. So a little bit of water isn’t going to hurt any of these speakers.
But when it comes to battery life, these speakers are very different from one another. Now the JBL Go 4 has an advertised battery life 7 hours with this speaker playing at 50% Volume. Where as the JBL Clip 5 has an advertised battery life of 12 hours while its playing at 50% Volume. But then theres the Soundcore Select 4 go which has a monster battery life of 20 hours while its playing at 50% volume… and 50% volume on the Select go is louder than 50% volume on the JBL Go 4 but the JBL Clip 5 is noticeably louder at 50% volume. And with all of these speakers, if you were to use them at higher volumes their battery lives are going to drain faster.
Now when it comes to charging, all of these speakers charge via a USB C port and this is the only port that you’ll find on these speakers. But I do want to point out that the port on the Select 4 Go is covered unlike the exposed ports on the JBL’s. So this means you dont have to wait for your speaker to dry out if you want to charge the Select 4 Go. Now I know this is very niche, but it could matter if you plan on using your speaker at the beach, by the lack or maybe on a boat.
Now with all of these speakers you can only use the wirelessly, but with all of these speakers they can be connected to 2 devices at the same time so you and a friend can both be DJ and latency is not an issue for any of these speakers, so you can use them to watch videos with on your phone.
But with all of that being said, lets talk about sound. Regarding speaker set up, both the JBL Go 4 and Soundcore Select 4 Go have a frontward firing driver and passive radiator, But the JBL Go 4 is a 4.2 watt speaker where as the Soundcore Select 4 Go is a 5 watt speaker. And then theres the JBL Clip 5 which has a single frontward firing driver and it puts out 7 watts. And with all of these speakers you can go into their apps and you can either choose from a few made EQ’s or you can make your own. But now we’re going to jump into the Sound test. Both the JBL Go 4 and Soundcore Select 4 Go are playing at max volume with their stock EQ’s where as the JBL Clip 5 is playing at 75% volume.
Sound test
So first off theres max volume performance on these speakers. Like you may have just seen, the Soundcore Select 4 Go gets a little louder than the JBL Go 4, cause like I mentioned earlier, the JBL Go 4 is a 4.2 watt speaker where as the Soundcore Select 4 Go is a 5 watt speaker. But in general, both of these speakers are going to be good for the shower or if you’re on your bike while at max volume. But since the Soundcore has a larger battery, its going to last longer while at max volume and the JBL Go 4. But also from a sound quality standpoint, I feel that the Soundcore Select 4 Go sounded better than the JBL Go 4 cause its didn’t sound as tinny and it sounded more open. But then theres the JBL Clip 5 which was playing at 75% volume. And again since this is a 7 watt speaker, it is going to get noticeably louder than the Select 4 Go. And when it comes to sound quality, I feel that the Clip 5 sounded more open and it has more bass. So overall, yes the JBL Clip 5 sounds noticeably better and it get louder than the Soundcore Select 4 Go… but the Soundcore sounds and performs much better than the JBL Go 4.
But finally lets talk about paring these speakers up with other speakers. Now with all of these speakers, if you have two of the exact same speakers, then you can wirelessly pair them up and get them to play in left and right stero mode, so you music is going to get louder and its going to sound more open.
But both of JBL’s speakers are using aura cast, so you can pair them up to other aura cast speakers like like lets say another clip 5 or go 4 or to an Xtreme 4 or to even any of JBL’s partybox speakers that are also using aura cast and you can get them to play in sync. Or you can also pair them up to other speakers that are also using aura cast that aren’t JBL speakers.
But just keep in mind, unlike the JBL Xtreme 4 which is also an aura cast speaker, you cant connect the JBL Clip 5 or Go 4 to any of JBL’s older party boost speakers. And I do think that this is unfortunate cause you can with the JBL Xtreme 4. But regardless, if you plan on growing your collection of speakers, than you do want to go with JBL’s speakers cause of Auracast which again which again works with any speaker that is also using aura cast even if they aren’t from JBL.
But with all of that being said, unless you need aura cast, I think the Soundcore Select 4 Go is a better pick up than the JBL Go 4 cause it gets louder, it sounds better and it has a longer lasting battery life while being a lot more affordable. But I still think the JBL Clip 5 is a better pick up and the Soundcore Select 4 Go cause it gets louder and it sounds better, plus it also has Auracast. But regardless, the Soundcore Select 4 go is a very impressive speaker that give you a very bit bang for your buck.