JBL Boombox 1 Battery Life, How Much Play Time

Front view of the JBL Boombox BT speaker, showing the battery level gauge, which is reading full charge in this picture.

The battery life on the JBL Boombox 1 Bluetooth speaker we discuss in terms of either how long the speaker will play after a full charge, before going dead again. Or, how long the battery will last before a battery replacement is necessary.

The red light glowing on the JBL Boombox 1 battery gauge.

JBL Boombox 1 Battery Life Per Charge

How long should the battery last? The built in lithium ion battery lasts up to twenty-four (24) hours per full charge. Note that this time varies depending on how loud you play the speaker, the temperature of the unit, and the type of audio you’re listening to.

The speaker all connected up and, recharging.

JBL Boombox 1 Battery Life Before Replacement

How Many Full Charges Should the Battery Take ?

The JBL Boombox 1 battery should provide at least 500 charge-discharge cycles before it loses much ability to hold power. But if you take care not to store the unit in other than typical room temperatures, and you avoid leaving the boombox in the dead state or leaving the charger connected for days or weeks on end, you’ll likely get many more cycles than this.

Signs of a Bad Battery

The JBL Boombox 1 Takes Too Long to Charge

Using the charging cable that comes with the speaker, the battery should fully charge in around 6.5 hours. It may take longer if your AC adapter provides less than eighty (80) watts (20 volts at 4 amps). But if the battery takes longer than eight hours to fully charge, it may be going bad.

The JBL Boombox 1 Doesn’t Play as Long as it Should

You may also notice that your speaker doesn’t play as long as it did before running down from a full charge to a completely dead state. This is another sign of a battery that is nearing the end of its useful life.

The JBL Boombox 1 Distorts or Shuts Off at Higher Volumes

When you raise the volume, particularly on music that has lots of bass, you may hear crackling or other distortion. Or, the speaker may cut out or power down when a deep bass drum thump occurs in the music. This could mean that the battery, even when fully charged, can no longer provide sufficient current for the speaker drivers to play these sounds. Again, this may indicate a need to replace the battery.

The Battery Meter Gives Incorrect Readings

The gauge may show that the speaker has full, or nearly full charge. But yet, it goes dead within minutes of reading the indicator. This is a common symptom when lithium ion battery life is fading.

How to Get the Most Battery Life on the JBL Boombox 1

Exercise the battery ! That is, charge it all the way, and discharge it all the way. The power management system in this speaker appears robust and well protects the battery from over charging or completely draining, as both of these extremes are very hard on the lithium ion batteries in the Boombox.

However, we suggest that you do not leave the speaker connected to the charger once the battery gauge shows a full change (all lamps lit). Also, when the battery does run low, do not leave it in this deadened state for very long. We suggest that you recharge your speaker as soon as possible, as these batteries hate being dead. A dead battery for too long often results in a ruined battery.

Conclusion

Replacing the battery in the JBL Boombox 1 usually fixes the above detailed issues. However, only replace with a battery of similar type — preferably the same make and part number as the original.

Finally, you can often avoid ever having to replace the battery due to shortened battery life, by doing what we suggested above. I.e. Keeping your speaker battery charged, but exercised as well. This provides the most deep charge-discharge cycles from it in our experience.