Upon arrival I quickly opened the JBL Party Box Encore Essential. I found the product to be very well packaged and protected by large styrofoam pieces and a protective plastic type bag. The unit has good documentation and a simple yet informative startup guide. The package comes with the Party Box itself, a charging cable, and detailed setup instructions. The unit is shown on the box and some websites with a microphone (for PA or karaoke type activites) but it must be purchased separately as the ESSENTIAL model does not include the microphone but I believe the regular Party Box Encore does comes with a wireless microphone. The unit comes partially charged but I removed the weatherproof/splash proof cover to reveal the charging port and gave it a full charge. The ... MoreUpon arrival I quickly opened the JBL Party Box Encore Essential. I found the product to be very well packaged and protected by large styrofoam pieces and a protective plastic type bag. The unit has good documentation and a simple yet informative startup guide. The package comes with the Party Box itself, a charging cable, and detailed setup instructions. The unit is shown on the box and some websites with a microphone (for PA or karaoke type activites) but it must be purchased separately as the ESSENTIAL model does not include the microphone but I believe the regular Party Box Encore does comes with a wireless microphone. The unit comes partially charged but I removed the weatherproof/splash proof cover to reveal the charging port and gave it a full charge. The full charge took around 2 hours but this charge easily gives you a full 6 hours PLUS of playback at any volume or light show setting! The Party Box includes the Bluetooth Quick Connect feature so it quickly detects any 'area' active Bluetooth connection for input and mates effortlessly! Upon connection to an audio source either wireless (or wired port in rear/USB or Aux In) the unit comes alive with the famous sound quality that JBL is so famous for producing! I love the JBL Powerful Bass Boost feature which easily takes any party or boat outing/swim party to the next level. The Pro Sound (full 100W) has very crisp highs and amazingly LOW bass for such a small unit. The unit also has an active light show that syncs to the music and has several settings from a solid type show to a flashy party style multi color mode. Unit is also Splash Proof for those boating or poolside activities that get wild... no it will not withstand being thrown IN the POOL but is not phased by an occasional splash. The ports in the rear (pictured) that are vulnerable even have nice weatherproof covers to keep the moisture and sand out of the unit! Another great feature which I have not utilized is the ability to 'bridge' 2 of these units together. If you should happen to have 2 of the units you can connect them for a truly incredible sound experience in stereo so to speak. The unit is portable and lightweight with a rubber gripped handle for easy transportation. The top control panel offers the ON/OFF Button, Light Show Customization Setting Button, Bass Boost button, Blue Tooth pairing button and a convenient rotary type volume control. You can control volume either on the unit or from whatever source you have connected! In summary this JBL unit lives up to the reputation for famous sound quality and reliable fun for any occasion. Our family has enjoyed the unit for a month and absolutely love it! We have not really found any 'cons' to the unit. It charges, booms, and just works for all the activities we have used it for! We even use it in our basement or around the house to make our time at home more enjoyable as well. One of the best products we have purchased that JBL produces!

Requested this because I wanted decent music player to use outside by the pool. I've used other JBL wireless speakers for this purpose and I've always felt that I wanted a little bit more volume and bass than they were able to provide. When the party box arrived, I was immediately impressed by how substantial it was. It appeared solidly-built and had a good weight to it. Not too heavy, but it let you know that there was a serious speaker inside. I couldn't wait to turn it on. It quickly paired with my phone via Bluetooth and the music started pouring out. This thing really blew me away. All the volume you could ask for along with tight bass. To raise the bar a little bit more, the front of the speaker lights up with an adjustable array of light that circles the ... MoreRequested this because I wanted decent music player to use outside by the pool. I've used other JBL wireless speakers for this purpose and I've always felt that I wanted a little bit more volume and bass than they were able to provide. When the party box arrived, I was immediately impressed by how substantial it was. It appeared solidly-built and had a good weight to it. Not too heavy, but it let you know that there was a serious speaker inside. I couldn't wait to turn it on. It quickly paired with my phone via Bluetooth and the music started pouring out. This thing really blew me away. All the volume you could ask for along with tight bass. To raise the bar a little bit more, the front of the speaker lights up with an adjustable array of light that circles the speaker cone. Very cool Extra Touch in my opinion. I took it outside play sit next to the pool and walked across the yard to hear how loud it was. As I turned the volume up I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to max this thing out without having the police called. This thing was stylish and a monster at the same time. I found myself playing all different types of music just to hear how good this thing really was.. and it is that good. If you're looking for a Wireless speaker to take you to the next level, this is for you. I failed to mention it has a nice carry handle integrated into the top of the speaker making it very easy to pick up and move around. This thing would be great for tailgates, the beach, the pool or any other outdoor activity. In fact I use it in my house quite a bit as my main music source because I like the lights so much. No going wrong with this one. JBL continues to impress me with it's audio products. I would definitely recommend this highly to just about anyone looking for a substantial boombox.

I bought jbl encore essential 3 months ago in 20k. This is my one of the best decisions I've ever made. ❤️ I wanna discuss some things with you guys Pros- -very portable. Easy to carry here and there. (It would be awesome if JBL provides a carry box too to keep it safe from scratches, dust etc. I didn't get anywhere online though i wanna purchase it.) -very powerful sound. Impressive bass and impressive vocal clarity. Whether you watch movies or listen music, it feels completely different experience with this speaker put at your side. -enough battery backup . It gives me 4-5 hours if i listen with 40-50% volume which is quite loud. (Provided lights, bass and equalizer settings stay off) Purchase it and you guys won't feel sorry even for a single day. It looks ... MoreI bought jbl encore essential 3 months ago in 20k. This is my one of the best decisions I've ever made. ❤️ I wanna discuss some things with you guys Pros- -very portable. Easy to carry here and there. (It would be awesome if JBL provides a carry box too to keep it safe from scratches, dust etc. I didn't get anywhere online though i wanna purchase it.) -very powerful sound. Impressive bass and impressive vocal clarity. Whether you watch movies or listen music, it feels completely different experience with this speaker put at your side. -enough battery backup . It gives me 4-5 hours if i listen with 40-50% volume which is quite loud. (Provided lights, bass and equalizer settings stay off) Purchase it and you guys won't feel sorry even for a single day. It looks beautiful, sounds powerful. I am planning to buy another unit too to setup a stereo sound system. 👉jbl team, please send me the link where i can purchase a carry box for it.