JLab Audio's Crasher XL: A bluetooth speaker that is rugged, portable, and sounds good..

I received the Crasher XL Splashproof Bluetooth Speaker from JLab Audio a couple of weeks ago and have since been putting it through its' paces. After opening the box I was struck by how well built the speaker seemed, with a metal housing and rubberized buttons on the top.

Appearance\Features:

The Crasher XL is constructed of metal giving making it feel well built and substantial without being heavy or cumbersome to carry. It comes with a nicely made paracord and clip that you can attach to the top to take on hikes or if you want to take it somewhere. I took this speaker on a hike, using the supplied paracord and clip and attached it to my Lowepro camera backpack. It was surprisingly light and was rugged enough that I was not worried that it would get damaged.

I have included a pic here of the speaker by a small stream.

It also has an AUX in so you can connect another source like DAP or mp3 player and have music play through the speaker.

The speaker is IPX6 rated meaning that it is splashproof, and meant to be taken to the beach, on hikes, and other activity, and it can be rinsed off. The Crasher XL has three drivers and two passive subwoofers that deliver utilizing JLab's C3™ (Crystal Clear Clarity) to ensure that everything sounds good. The speakers are powered by a 30 watt amplifier. The speaker is also Bluetooth 4.0, allowing for streaming from 30ft. The total play time is 13 hours on a full charge. As an added bonus, the speaker can take and receive phone calls because it has a built in mic and speaker. And last but not least, the speaker has a built in universal ¼”-20 screw-in for tripods and other mounts.

Controls:

The controls are raised rubberized buttons running across the top of the speaker. You can skip tracks, play\pause and turn the speaker on and off.

Sound:

For testing this speaker, I used both my Samsung Galaxy 7 and my wife's Iphone 7 plus, and this speaker worked well with both Android and IOS(Apple). I listened to several different genres of music while putting the Crasher XL through its' paces. I found that it had a decent sound stage and had decent highs. There was ample bass and for those who would listen to something like EDM or rap, I am sure they would be happy with this speaker. Of course bluetooth is still not as good as a wired speaker but you cannot deny the convenience of being able to use this speaker anywhere you want to enjoy listening to music. I also wanted to tested out the AUX, so I also hooked up my Xduoo X3 dap and listened to some flac music tracks. The speaker seemed to open up more, the bass was tighter and more focused. Either way I was happy how the speaker performed.

Compared to the others:

It seems that every company has a bluetooth speaker out, so I included a comparison chart that I got from JLab's site showing this speakers' specs compared to the other companies:

It seems that the Crasher XL has more power to fill a room with sound, has comparable battery life, along with an IPX6 rating.

Conclusion:

Overall I really enjoyed listening to the Crasher XL. I generally listen to music with my various headphones because my family does not like my musical tastes. But, this speaker allowed me to take a break from wearing headphones and take my music on the go. Now, I have another option when I want to listen to music, be it at work or when hiking in the mountains.

Here is a shot of the speaker while being used in my connection.