Aiwa vs JBL

Aiwa Exos 9 vs JBL Boombox & JBL Partybox – Which one is better?

Summary

To cut the long story short, the Aiwa Exos 9 is a much more powerful speaker compared to the JBL Boombox and JBL Partybox. The Exos 9 has a power rating of 200 watts compared to the JBL Boombox (40 watts) and JBL Partybox 300 (120 watts). In terms of absolute sound output, the Aiwa Exos 9 is definitely the speaker you should go for.

That being said, the Aiwa Exos 9 is not as portable as the JBL Boombox due to its weight and size. It’s also not IPX7 waterproof rated like the JBL Boombox, which means you cannot use it under wet environments with exposure to water. The JBL Boombox is a really good speaker to have for outdoor and rainy environments.

The JBL Partybox 300, on the other hand, functions more like a portable PA speaker system and comes with party lights for an ambient effect. It’s a really powerful speaker to have with good bass, although it loses out to the Aiwa Exos 9 in terms of absolute volume output.

Be sure to also check out our list of loudest Bluetooth speakers and see how they compare to the Aiwa Exos 9 and JBL Boombox & Partybox.

Comparing the Specs

Aiwa Exos 9

When we first reviewed the Aiwa Exos-9 Bluetooth speaker, we were shocked at how much power and volume this speakers could produce. The Exos-9 can pump out a massive 200Ws of power with its 5 high performance acoustic drivers, and includes a 6.5” dual-voice coil subwoofer which delivers incredible stereo sound.

You can optimize the sound performance by adjusting the bass, mids or highs with the 5-band graphic equalizer or use one of the pre-set EQ settings that suits your sound preference. Apart from the intricate customization options, the Exos-9 is capable of producing distortion free sound with the deepest bass that you will hear from a set of Bluetooth speakers. It also features the latest wireless connectivity technology with aptX and A2DP support and android NFC streaming, and also supports a 3.5mm audio jack for direct connection with non-wireless sources.

The battery on the Exos-9 is a massive 57.2Wh lithium ion rechargeable battery which provides an incredible 9 hours of continuous music playback. If you are looking for a monster speaker that can provide enough volume for large gatherings or events, the Aiwa Exos-9 is definitely your best bet and is a really good investment.

JBL Boombox

The JBL Boombox is hands down one of the loudest Bluetooth speakers you can find with extreme sound output. 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 speaker 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.

JBL Partybox 300 Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Partybox 300

The JBL PartyBox 300 is a semi-portable PA system made especially for large parties and outdoor gatherings. It is a large wireless speaker from JBL that streams high-quality sound from your smartphone or Bluetooth devices at a touch of a button, with roaring acoustic drivers that pump out deafening sound quality.

We liked the fact that you can pre-program your party or event with your favorite playlist from a USB thumb drive while connected to the PartyBox 300. Furthermore, the speaker supports wireless connection via TWS (True Wireless Stereo) using Bluetooth connection for up to 2 speakers, or wired via RCA output to another speaker. We particularly liked the fact that the JBL PartyBox comes with a USB port which allows you to charge other USB devices straight from the speaker, so you do not require an extra charger to keep your smartphone devices powered up.

The PartyBox 300 speaker provides JBL signature sound with an immersive audio experience at home that brings to live audio experiences with extremely loud sound. If you are looking for one of the loudest Bluetooth speakers that can produce a tonne of volume for party events, the JBL PartyBox 300 is a great choice.

Sound Performance

Aiwa Exos 9

The sound from the Exos-9 is exceptionally loud and hard to believe. This Bluetooth speaker is designed to literally rock a party with a massive 200W of pure audio authority. The bass is rich, powerful and clear, and never muddy. The midrange is present and crisp, and the highs are not overbearing. At maximum volume, the Exos-9 can literally shake your house and the sound does not distort even in the slightest, which is truly impressive for a battery powered speaker. The music separation on this speaker is fantastic and you can really hear the instruments and subtle notes in the music. The bass output is quite insane – the bass is tight and punchy and stays where it should be at the low-end without bleeding over into the midrange. Listening to rock and pop songs on the Exos-9 was one of the most enjoyable experiences we had in audio listening.

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.

JBL Partybox 300

The sound performance of the JBL PartyBox 300 is extremely loud and even surpasses the JBL Boombox in terms of absolute sound output. This Bluetooth speaker is equipped with 2 x 6.5” woofers and 3 x 2.25” tweeters with true wireless stereo compatibility. It also features a bass boost function to increase the bass on the speaker for deeper beats and lower frequency response. The frequency range on the PartyBox 300 speaker is a wide 45 Hz to 20 kHz, and can blast music for up to 18 hours with its massive 10400mAh battery life. The volume output on the JBL PartyBox 300 is incredibly loud, and is best suited for large outdoor gatherings or parties where you can blast music at full power. The highs and midranges on the PartyBox 300 are crisp and crystal clear, and the bass hits hard and punchy without muddying into the midrange frequencies. Music genres such as rock, hip-hop and electronic dance music sounded particularly good on the JBL PartyBox speaker, and can really start a party with incredibly detailed and punchy beats. Furthermore, the volume on the PartyBox 300 gets so loud that you may have to place the speaker at a distance to project the sound. This speaker can pump out tremendous volume and does not have a hint of distortion at maximum volume levels.

The Verdict?

In terms of absolute volume output, the Aiwa Exos 9 is definitely the clear winner. It has 200 watts of power and can rock an entire concert hall with powerful music performance. The JBL Boombox, on the other hand, is more suited for outdoor parties and events with a full IPX7 waterproof design. It delivers some pretty good bass performance and deep notes, making it great for bass-heavy and EDM music genres.

The JBL Partybox works more like a portable PA speaker system with the ability to plug in microphones and music instruments. It has a power rating of 120 watts which is pretty massive, although nowhere close to the Aiwa Exos 9. Do note that JBL has released a newer JBL Partybox version (JBL Partybox 1000) which has 1000 watts of output power, and you can read more about it in our loudest Bluetooth speakers review article.

The Winner: Aiwa Exos 9 Speaker