JBL PartyBox Encore 2 and JBL PartyBox 520 - Create Your Own Light and Sound Extravaganza

The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means... Party time. House party. Deck party. Pool party. Street party. Beach party.

Whatever kind of party you're planning, you're going to need music and you're going to need lights.

Oh, and karaoke. There might be karaoke.

And somebody might also bring a guitar.

Basically, you need to be prepared for any eventuality.

Don't worry, JBL has got you covered. Take one PartyBox Encore 2, then upsize it with the PartyBox 520. Party success, guaranteed.

I know I've reviewed a few of these sorts of JBL speakers before, but I don't think I've ever specifically tried an Encore and I've certainly never brought home anything as large as the 520.

Even the Encore 2 is a hefty wee beastie - weighing in over 6kgs. Its size and shape kind of remind me of the 14-inch CRT TV a friend gave us for a wedding present nearly 30 years ago.

Unlike that TV though, the Encore 2 has a convenient retractable carry handle on top, so it's easy enough to move from place to place.

Meanwhile, at 26kgs, the 520 is one of the heaviest non-car devices I've ever reviewed. Luckily, it has a suitcase-style, telescopic handle and two hard-wearing, easy-rolling wheels at the base, so it too is reasonably portable.

This is good news because there's no reason not to take your party on the road - both these PartyBoxes boast an (up to) 15 hour battery life and both have easily accessible battery compartments, so if you really want to go bush, you can purchase spare battery packs and swap them out as required.

Functionally, in many ways, these speakers have similar features. A play/pause button in the middle of a volume knob on one side, a lights on/off button in a lighting theme selector knob on the other. You'll also find JBL's obligatory Bass Boost button, a bluetooth pairing button and a set of silly sound effect buttons nobody has ever used on any speaker at any party ever.

What is of much more use is the Auracast button. As we've seen on pretty much every other recent JBL speaker, Auracast lets you link any enabled speakers you have, regardless of model or size. Not only does this mean you can combine the Encore 2's decent output with the 520's MIGHTY blast, it's also a clever hack that means you can use the 2 digital mics that come with the Encore 2 through its much more powerful, bigger brother.

Those wireless mics are pre-paired with the Encore 2 by the way - all you have to do is charge them up via USB-C, switch them on and you're good to go. There are separate mic controls for volume and echo and they also come with convenient stretchy holders that clip into the back of the speaker. Now you have karaoke and can travel.

Apart from the 400W vs 100W sheer power differential, the other major difference between these speakers is the number of I/O ports around the back. Both let you plug in a guitar or an external music source via 3.5mm AUX jack or USB-C. But the 520 reveals itself to be a genuine P.A. system with two hybrid standard/XLR (canon) inputs so you can plug in mics, instruments or perhaps even a turntable deck. There's even a pair of In and Out ports if you choose to daisy chain via hardline with other speakers - although, as we've established, Auracast essentially makes that unsightly cable business obsolete.

Right, let's talk lights. Personally, I've never really got the whole "lights built into your speaker" thing. I've always considered it a bit of a token add-on. And with JBL, I find it even more confusing because the built-in lights don't really seem to have changed that much over the years. I mean, if you want lights, get some lights. Even JBL has its own range of PartyLights. They're really good.

In saying that, yes, there are lights built into both the Encore 2 and the 520. It seems to be a three-way combination of the traditional RGB LED shape, top and bottom RGB bars and very bright, white strobe-like lights dotted throughout. As usual, these can play various different preset themes at random, or there might be one you particularly like. The JBL PartyBox app also lets you customise your own lighting design, which could be handy if your party was themed around a specific colour.

Despite my "meh" feelings towards them, other people seem to like the lights and there's a fairly new aspect to them that does actually make me happy. Again, it's that Auracast thing. Just like the JBL PartyLights I have reviewed before, when speakers are connected via Auracast, their light shows will eventually sync up too. You can watch this happen in the video below. Don't ask me why it doesn't happen straight away but the fact it happens at all is pretty cool - even I have to admit it.

There's a world of speakers - of all shapes and sizes - out there. But thanks to Auracast, I keep coming back to JBL. Some makes of smart speaker allow you to play from multiple units simultaneously but it usually requires a drawn-out setup process in an app - which you then have to alter if you want to use a different mix of speakers. It can get pretty complicated pretty fast. With Auracast, it's as easy as a press of a button, no Wi-Fi required. Tell your friends to bring their JBLs and add them to the party. Why not? Get the special features of one speaker (like the wireless digital mics paired with the Encore 2) on all your speakers.

That's the kind of user-friendly connectivity that means your party can carry on everywhere - inside or out - even beside the pool. After all, both the Encore 2 and 520 are IPX4 splash-proof. The 15-hour battery life means the party never stops and synced-up lighting from every speaker is bound to please the crowds... and maybe even me.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyBox 520.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyBox Encore 2.