Whether it’s a house party, garden party or summer festival: if you want to fill a large group with music, a handy Bluetooth speaker is no longer enough. Then you need a party speaker. That’s exactly what the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is, with RGB lighting, rich bass and AI-supported sound enhancement. Just marketing blah-blah or does the Partbox really bring a club feeling to your home? Find out in our test report.
Technical data
| The product | PartyBox Club 120 |
| Audio power | 160 W |
| Drivers | 2x tweeters 2x woofer |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Connections | USB-A; AUX; guitar/microphone input (1x/2x) |
| Battery capacity | 34 Wh |
| Battery life | up to 12 hours |
| Special features | IPX4 certification; Bass Boost (2 levels); AI Sound Boost; Auracast; Multipoint; RGB lighting; foldable handle; party buttons |
| Dimensions | 570 mm x 288 mm x 297 mm |
| weight | 11.05 kg |
| Colors | black |
| Included in delivery | JBL PartyBox Club 120; instructions, mains cable |
| price | € 369.00 * |
JBL PartyBox Club 120 test: 11-kilo party grenade
- pleasantly handy despite its size and weight
- fold-out carrying handle
- cool, customizable RGB lighting
Harman Kardon subsidiary JBL now offers Bluetooth speakers in all colors, shapes and sizes. In the handy range, the Flip models in particular are among the most popular representatives of their guild. The larger party speakers have also been at the forefront since the PartyBox 710.
The new JBL PartyBox Club 120 is significantly smaller than the 710 model and, with dimensions of 288 mm x 570 mm x 297 mm (width x height x depth), is just handy enough to take with you.
The weight of 11.05 kg also makes the speaker reasonably mobile, although a comparably sized Sony Ult Field 7 (our test) is much more manageable at 6.3 kg. The JBL model also has a lot more to offer, but more on that later.
Basically, the design is quite restrained to begin with. A rubberized surface with a good grip, a huge metal grille on the front and a JBL logo in the middle of the front with the typical orange details.
Practical: The JBL PartyBox Club 120 has a fold-out carrying handle on the top that allows the speaker to be transported comfortably and safely. The fact that the speaker is designed to stand vertically can be seen from the four rubberized feet on the underside.
Here you will also find a cover with which the box can optionally be mounted on a pole. The simple design is of course complemented by extensive RGB lighting, which the manufacturer describes as a “futuristic light show”.
There are a number of effects to choose from, which can be customized and adapted using the accompanying app. The Club 120 also offers additional light strips on the top and bottom of the front section, which can also be adjusted in terms of color and effects.
A number of effects are possible here, which move to the rhythm of the music or enable different designs. The effects can also be adjusted using the button and the rotary wheel on the top.
Connections & controls of the JBL PartyBox Club 120
- USB-A and AUX connection
- Two microphones, guitar connection
- Removable battery
As the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is unfortunately only splash-proof to IPX4, most of the connections are safely hidden under a rubber cover. These are mainly located on the back.
At the top is the connection panel, which is conveniently illuminated. Two microphones (or a microphone and a guitar) can be connected here to use the speaker for karaoke. Both mics offer individual gain adjustment. You will also find a USB-A and an AUX In connection as well as a connection to link several speakers together via daisy chain.
JBL speakers can also be paired with the JBL PartyBox Club 120 wirelessly via Auracast, which can actually be found in all of the manufacturer’s more recent devices. A corresponding button in the shape of a triangle can be found on the top between the Bluetooth and Bass Boost buttons.
Below this, you will find a compartment in which the removable battery pack is located. It offers a runtime of up to 12 hours, and additional batteries can easily be purchased at a price of around 60 euros. Very practical.
The power connection is located at the bottom, under the woofer, if you want to supply the PartyBox with power or charge the battery.
Operation and battery life
- Clearly arranged controls
- 12 hours battery life
- 3 party buttons… with rather dubious use
As already mentioned, the battery life of the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is a good 12 hours. Not the best value, but this should come as no surprise given the sheer power and lighting.
It is operated via the panel on the top. Playback can be started or paused here, and the volume can be adjusted using the right-hand dial. There is also a power button, Bluetooth pairing button and a bass boost button.
The RGB lighting can also be adjusted here. Above this are three buttons with emojis. The so-called party buttons. Three sound effects can be played here, thanks to which you can… feel a bit like a DJ.
By default, these are assigned annoying sounds such as “Leeeeet’s party”, a “Like” and a scratch sound, but this can be customized within the companion app. There are various sound effects to choose from, from a “boooo” to an 8-bit gaming sound and various scratches. Do you need that? No. But good.
Keyword app: The JBL Partbox app is used here, while the manufacturer’s smaller speakers, as well as the wireless speakers, each use other applications. The app offers a tidy interface, while the start page displays the most important information at a glance.
These include the playback controls or an equalizer, where the sound can be personalized using a custom EQ in addition to the presets. The bass boost (called bass amplification in the app) can be activated in two stages (low and full) or switched off.
In the lighting control area, it is possible to customize the RGB lighting. Here you can choose between different effects, while the colors and areas of the lighting can also be adjusted.
If you want to feel more like a DJ, you can play around with the Effects Lab and, for example, play sound effects, shouts such as “Let’s Go”, “Hands Up” or “Heyyy” or change parts of the music using repeaters, filters, gater, echo and wipeout.
In practice, however, this only works to a limited extent, which is mainly due to the latency of the Bluetooth connection. Inputs are implemented with a slight or noticeable delay, which often results in multiple triggers because you think the input has not been executed.
Sound quality of the JBL PartyBox Club 120
- Full, detailed sound
- 160 watts of power; powerful bass
- high maximum volume; but tends to distort at high volumes
With an output power of 160 watts, the JBL PartyBox Club 120 packs a powerful punch and outperforms the Sony ULT Field 7 by a whopping 60 watts. Hidden under the grille are two mid-tweeters and two woofers that cover a frequency response of 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
In terms of sound, the PartyBox makes quite an impression and scores points even without bass boost with a rich, detailed and pleasantly spatial sound image. The speaker not only shows its strengths with bass-heavy electronic or pop music, but also scores with a convincing sound in the folk, rock or metal segment.
However, even without amplification, the PartyBox Club 120 noticeably brings the bass to the fore, which doesn’t necessarily have much to do with a neutral sound. But the sound backdrop is certainly pleasing, especially as it doesn’t allow itself any serious flaws in the mids and highs.
When the two bass boost levels are switched on, the sound shifts further towards the low frequencies, which is particularly effective with electronic music. In pop music, however, this is not necessarily an advantage, as the bass quickly overpowers the instrumentalization and pushes it into the background, which noticeably changes the sound (for the worse).
What I personally particularly like, however, is that the sound always remains pleasing – especially in neutral mode. Listening to music with the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is simply a pleasure.
I consulted my test playlist, which combines music from a wide variety of genres. From Deadmau5 to Queen, Metallica and Dua Lipa to the Beatles and Hannah Parrott, everything is included. The PartyBox doesn’t slip up with any of the tracks, they are all fun. The speaker has an advantage over many of its rivals, which have a less than neutral sound image – this can quickly spoil the listening experience. Not so with the PartyBox Club 120.
In terms of volume, the JBL PartyBox Club 120 also offers decent reserves. Around 30-4ß percent is enough to fill a large room with music. Only at higher volumes above 74 percent does the sound tend to distort unpleasantly.
JBL PartyBox Club 120 test: Conclusion
The JBL PartyBox Club 120 lives up to its name and presents itself as an elegant, well-designed and thoroughly durable Bluetooth speaker that is still very easy to transport despite its high weight.
The speaker combines this with appealing and elegant RGB lighting and a really pleasing sound with plenty of oomph and harmonious details, as well as a maximum volume at which the entire interior dances to the beat of the music.
I really like the fact that the battery is replaceable and the runtime can be easily extended with spare batteries. The sound is not really neutral and the IPX4 certification is also a slight disappointment. A light splash protection, while the competition in the price range is really waterproof thanks to IP67? Too bad.
The party buttons and DJ effects are nice, but not really useful, especially as the effects suffer from latency via Bluetooth. But if you’re looking for a powerful and good-sounding Bluetooth speaker for your next (indoor) party, the JBL PartyBox Club 120 is undoubtedly very exciting.
JBL PartyBox Club 120
Workmanship
Usability
Sound quality
Features
Value For Money
91/100
High-quality PartyBox with chic RGB lighting, rich, detailed sound and impressive battery life. There are nice additional functions on top, but unfortunately only IPX4 splash protection.
