On first look, the JBL Go 2 speaker appears like a box of mints and also reminds us of the small plugin radio sets of the early 2000s. The kind of devices that were cheap and offered a chance to browse through FM channels and check the occasional cricket score. However, the speaker is well-designed, sturdy and small enough to easily fit into the pocket of your jeans or backpack. It also looks good, and remained steady on different kinds of surfaces without giving any trouble. A small blue light on top flashes when the device is switched on. We also liked the design elements, like the gently-curved edges.
The power button, Bluetooth switch and volume controls are on the top of the device and are fairly user-friendly. A flap on the right-hand side covers the micro USB charging port and an audio input, presumably as part of the water-resistance function.
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The music test
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The key test for any speaker is good audio quality. On this front, the Go 2 performs much better than average. The audio quality does well for most forms of movies, music and podcasts and worked much better than standard laptop speakers. The vocal quality is clear and can be easily heard in a large room. However, the speaker does not work too well with songs that have a lot of bass, especially at higher volumes. The functional built-in microphone is an added bonus.
On battery life, the device lasts for approximately five to six hours at low and moderate volume levels. It does take three hours to completely recharge. Syncing to devices is smooth and the review device hardly gave us any trouble on that account. The audio cable should help in case of any issues with syncing.
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The verdict
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If you are someone who loves watching movies on tablets or listening to podcasts, this device would be a great companion.
It does its work with ease and does not give the user much reason to complain on the performance front. At ₹2,999, it is affordable as well.