Summary
The Bose S1 Pro is a much louder and more powerful speaker with a total wattage of 160W RMS compared to the JBL Boombox’s 40 watts. The S1 Pro is built as a portable PA system and is designed to power large concerts or public speaking events with connectable microphones. That being said, the Bose S1 Pro is not water-resistant and cannot be exposed to rain or water.
By contrast, the JBL Boombox is designed as a portable Bluetooth speaker for outdoor beach and pool parties. The speaker is IPX7 waterproof which completely protects it from rain and splashes of water, making it ideal for blasting music for outdoor activities and events.
Comparing the Specs
Bose S1 Pro
The Bose S1 Pro is designed primarily as a portable PA speaker system. This PA system delivers big sound from a rugged and durable design, and is ideal for parties and outdoor gatherings for massive sound output. Furthermore, this speaker supports wireless Bluetooth pairing and multiple inputs for microphone or music instruments such as a keyboard or guitar.
The S1 Pro comes with built-in sensors and multiple aiming positions for optimized sound performance in any position. We liked the fact that this PA speaker system provides up to 11 hours of playtime with a rechargeable battery. It also has an auto-EQ setting which automatically adjusts the system’s tone and soundstage for you to get the best listening experience. If you are looking to get a powerful and quality PA speaker system, go for the Bose S1 Pro.
JBL Boombox
The JBL Boombox is a portable Bluetooth speaker that’s fully waterproof and delivers plenty of volume and bass. It’s built to be one of the most powerful portable Bluetooth speakers that deliver high volume sound output with powerful bass response without any distortion.
The speaker is capable of delivering a massive 40 watts of power while on battery and up to 60 watts of power while connected to a power source. The speaker is built like a tank and comes with a 20,000mAh battery that can deliver a whopping 24 hours of continuous music playtime so you never have to miss a beat. It also doubles as a power bank for you to charge your external devices on the go.
The JBL Boombox is designed to be tough and rugged and is rated IPX7 waterproof, which means that you can bring it outdoors under the rain without any issues. This massive speaker comes with four active transducers and two JBL bass radiators that enhance the lower end bass response. If you are looking for one of the loudest Bluetooth speakers on the market, the JBL Boombox is definitely comes highly recommended.
Sound Performance
Bose S1 Pro
We were very impressed by the sound performance of the Bose S1 Pro. This portable PA system has massive sound performance with deep bass – the highs and midranges are crisp and very well-defined. They produce plenty of sound for outdoor use and you can use this speaker to blast music for large parties and events.
The bass from this speaker punches deep and you get lots of beats and punchy tones; the sonic low-end boom can be heard while playing EDM or bass-heavy music genres. Furthermore, you can crank up the volume on the Bose S1 Pro and expect to hear virtually no distortion – the sound remains consistent and clear.
JBL Boombox
We were blown away by how loud the JBL Boombox sounded straight out of the box. The sound quality is crystal clear with crisp highs, very detailed midranges and bass that goes very deep. The bass from this speaker feels almost as though it is coming from a dedicated subwoofer and hits hard with great impact; the bass feels deep without muddying into the midrange frequencies. In terms of sound output, the JBL Boombox is truly a monster – you can crank up the volume on this speaker up to maximum and it will not produce any distortion with crystal clear sound clarity.
The speaker really shines with bass heavy music genres such as electronic dance music and rock – vocal performances are reproduced accurately and the beats are well-defined. Instrumental music and country folk music genres also sounded great with the JBL Boombox. The bass on this speaker goes very deep and has great impact. If you are looking for a speaker that can deliver excellent sound performance and is powerful enough to blast music outdoors, the JBL Boombox is probably your best bet next to a portable PA music system.
The Verdict?
The Bose S1 Pro is designed as a portable PA speaker and delivers impressive sound performance with a power output of 160 watts RMS. It has plenty of bass output and can be used as a PA system for music or public speaking. We really liked how crystal clear the sound from this system sounded – it can be used for large scale events and gatherings and you can crank up the volume without any distortion. The only downside to the Bose S1 Pro is that it is not water-resistant, so you might want to consider if you can take this speaker outdoors.
The JBL Boombox is more suitable as a party Bluetooth speaker. Although it only delivers 40 RMS in battery mode and 60 watts in wired mode, this speaker is IPX7 waterproof and is designed like a tank. You can practically bring this speaker anywhere with you and play music on the go. We also liked that it comes with a convenient carry handle at the top for easy transportation.
The bottom line: if you are going for absolute volume output then go for the Bose S1 Pro, but if you are going for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker for large parties, go for the JBL Boombox speaker.