With all this talk of Black Friday, you might not want to hear the dreaded 'C' word. Still, Christmas is coming, whether you like it or not, so you'd better start thinking about present ideas before it's December 23rd and you're down at the all-night garage buying your cousin a pack of firelighters and some barbecue coals.
Instead, think smart and grab a JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for just £30 at Amazon. This isn't the record-low of £25 seen last Black Friday, but it's still a pretty stellar figure for a speaker that we think is nigh-on unbeatable at this level.
We really genuinely like the JBL Go 4. While we were keen on its four-star predecessor, the JBL Go 3, we found its poor battery life and small stable of features to be limiting factors that ultimately robbed it of that crucial fifth star.
Thankfully, the fourth-gen follow-up is the real deal, impressing us deeply with the level of performance it offers from such a small, affordable unit. And look at it, it's so cute!
The Go 4 may be adorable, but boy is it rugged. Sporting a similar form and dimensions to a large deck of cards or a chunky bar of soap, the pocket-sized portable is set up for handling the strains of the outdoors.
Whether it was spraying it with a hose or dropping it from various surfaces, our review sample showed no signs of damage or wear across its attractive fabric jacket. Like almost all of JBL's portable designs, it's built to last.
The feature set is also impressive. Battery life is a solid seven hours, rising to 9 if you use Playtime Boost, whereas Auracast compatibility lets you pair two Go 4s together in stereo or hook up multiple compatible JBL units. You even get Bluetooth Multipoint for pairing one of your speakers to two sources simultaneously.
Most importantly, the Go 4 sounds the business. Temper your expectations slightly (he's only small!) and you'll be rewarded with a sound that trounces the feeble, tinny effort of your phone's built-in speakers.
As our review enthused: "Rather than merely giving us a rough outline of instruments, the Go 4 wows us with its ability to fill in the gaps, providing a comprehensive mix of structure and body to the music it conveys".
It's fun, feisty and front-footed, all characteristics you want in a speaker designed for outdoor rambling and small-scale festive partying.
All in all, another triumph from JBL, baggable now for just £30 at Amazon or Argos. Stocking filler, anyone?
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Get personalised Black Friday buying advice from the What Hi-Fi? reviews team right here!
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- Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
- B&W speakers: save £200
- Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
- Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
- Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
- Denon AV receiver: save £500
- Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
- ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
- Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
- LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
- JBL soundbar: now better than half price
- John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
- Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
- Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
- Sony headphones: now just £29
- TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
- Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
- Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75
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