I can't get over how perfect JLab's new speakers are for college students — they have LEDs, party mode and literally start from $19

Tom's Guide

3 days ago

JLab has been one of my favorite affordable audio brands since I reviewed its $79 JBuds Lux ANC headphones way back in August. I loved the sound quality for the price, the comfort, and most of all how easy to use the headphones were.
The California-based brand has a huge range of audio gear: earbuds, headphones, mics and more. However, there's been one major absence: Bluetooth speakers.
But that's all about to change with the brand-new lineup of Bluetooth speakers. JLab has just released four speakers: the Epic Party, JBuds Party, GO Party and Pop Party.
I had the privilege of trying out these speakers today, so I'll give you the run-down. Spoiler alert: they're absolute steals. Maybe even some of the best Bluetooth speakers...? I think it's too early to tell.
So there are four brand-new speakers, all with pretty similar-sounding names. Let's do this together, slowly.
The smallest and most affordable is the $19 Pop Party. This super-compact speaker is just 7 ounces and has a 2 inch passive radiator. My favorite part is the fully-customizable RBG LEDs, which dance to the beat of whatever music is playing. While the speaker only has 5W power, it can still go pretty loud. The Pop Party isn't available on Amazon yet, but it's $19 on JLAB U.S..
Next is the JLab GO Party, which is $29 from JLab's website. The GO Party is like the Pop Party's older sibling; bigger, heavier and louder. It has a volume dial, which I find much more fun than volume buttons. Like the Pop Party, the GO Party has customizable LED lights that are delightfully bright. I can imagine this speaker at a party or on a beach trip (and the GO Party is IPX6 rated!).
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Rounding off the small speakers is the JBuds Party, $69 from JLab U.S.. As mentioned earlier, these speakers aren't quite available on Amazon yet. The JBuds Party is a step up from the GO Party, with 30W power and two 2.5-inch passive woofers.
I was actually really surprised by the JBuds Party's bass and clarity — it sounded much more luxurious than its $69 MSRP might suggest.
The GO Party and JBuds Party speakers are clearly intended to be $149 JBL Flip 7 or $67 Tribit StormBox 2 alternatives. I'll review all of these speakers in time, so I'll be able to tell you with confidence which is worth your money.
I saved the biggest for last. The monstrous JLab Epic Party ($159 from JLab) is a huge 16 inches tall, but weighs just 10 pounds. When I say this speaker has bass, I mean it. The Epic Party shook the table. As with all the speakers in JLab's new range, the Epic Party has LED lights and is fully customizable in the JLab app.
But my favorite part of the Epic Party is the omnidirectional drivers: it has four full-range drivers around the circular speaker body, so no matter where you're sitting, the Epic Party will be loud. And even better, the Epic Party has a 1/4-inch mic input, so the speaker effectively doubles up as a portable karaoke machine.
I can see JLab's new speakers being adored by college students. Not only are they loud, fun, and expressive, the entire range is $19-$159. While none of the speakers have massively impressive battery lives (the Epic Party tops out at 16 hours), it's a worthy sacrifice for such affordable products.
I'll be doing full reviews of each speaker, so keep your eyes peeled for those — just in time for back to school. You can get the speakers at JLab now.