Distinctions - JBL shines in the simplicity and effectiveness of the features offered within the JBL Go 2. Bluetooth connectivity is built on with JBLs feature suite to connect multiple of their speakers with a single press of a dedicated button, making creating an environment more specific to your needs incredibly easy. The Go 2 is concise, providing an Aux port, volume controls, pause/play, skip and replay all within five buttons, functionality that is even more impressive given the small size. Audio quality is solid for the price as well, with bass not blown out at the highest volume, and highs crispy at any level.

Criticisms - JBL does not give the Go 2 any mounting points, leaving that feature to be provided by additional purchases of cases with keyring or carabiner clips. While the audio quality is alright for the price, JBL focuses on the extremes in provisions, so while audio will be loud, highs and lows are most distinct, with subtleties, especially in the mids, lost to ambient or operating noise.

Distinctions - JBL’s raised buttons and matte plastic housing make the Go 2 textured, but not overly intricate. Machining of edges is smooth and tight, with rounded edges giving a more subdued natural shape to the speaker, while also serving to deflect direct hits on edges. Sound quality is alright, providing surprising volume and clarity for cost, but still lacks the dynamic range and dimensionality of larger speakers, but to reiterate, for the price, is a solid deal.

Criticisms - Lack of mounting points means the JBL will move freely unless held by hand or a separate case purchased for it, combined with smooth plastic means slips and drops are possible and likely. While the plastic housing is more rugged than some peers, damage on the front valence is possible due to pre-existing flex and relatively thin design. Speakers, as mentioned above, are solid for the price, but not satisfying for those wanting a more distinct and true-to-sound experience from their media.

Distinctions - The Go 2 is understated, but it works to the advantage of the larger experience. Smooth and sleek flat black finish coupled with a contrasting logo and complementary in-palette raised buttons gives a very simple but aesthetically pleasing experience.

Criticisms - Color fading happens much quicker than other competitors as a result of the less saturated colors offered from new. Blue and red options, while at least not obnoxiously unique, suffer even worse from sun-fading. Primary colors do offer more compatibility with a larger number of environments, but does limit the appeal to those content with more ‘fun’ than ‘professional’ colors.

Criticisms - The JBL Go 2 is not particularly durable, does not have battery life that survive natural decay, and lacks the raw build strength to make it a rugged option for outdoor applications. The unibody design of the plastic housing is a decent feat of engineering, no doubt saving time with assembly, but also leads to a lack of replaceability within individual components. Similarly, when separating components for disposal or recycling, removing electronic components from the far easier to recycle plastic case becomes an undertaking that will most likely daunt users into just throwing it away. No components of the Go 2 are especially useful on their own either, with bespoke electronics designed to fit the shape of the Go 2 providing minimal or lackluster use elsewhere.

Distinctions - As a bluetooth speaker with interconnectivity, albeit within the JBL ecosystem, the Go 2 stuns for functionality for price. Not having to buy thousand dollar set-ups with subscriptions or app-integrations to provide multi-room or surround sound experiences is unheard of.

Criticisms - Many other comparably priced peers, including the Go 3, have stronger builds and/or included clip mounting points to aid in portability. To many who consider themselves ‘audiophiles,’ the Go 2 will be not the experience they were looking for, while those looking for a background speaker will also find that the range, unless at the uncomfortably bass-heavy highest volume setting, is mediocre at best, best used in close proximity to a single user or group of users.