Review of the JBL Clip 4 portable speaker and two devices with a similar design - A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock and CGBox Clip

The similarities between the JBL Clip 4 portable speaker and A4Tech's Bloody S5 Lock have come under scrutiny after significant similarities between the two were discovered. Both speakers have a distinctive carabiner that allows them to be easily attached to various surfaces. What aroused interest was that the price of the Bloody S5 Lock was comparable, and sometimes even higher, than that of the JBL Clip 4. Despite the fact that JBL products are not officially supplied to Russia, they are still available on the market. So in this review, we'll focus on the technical specifications of each speaker to see if there are any significant differences that justify choosing one over the other. Also included in the review was the CGBox Clip speaker, which is a more affordable pendant alternative.

* The average cost in Russian stores at the time of preparation of the review is indicated.

The JBL Clip 4 and A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock start their similarities right from the packaging, despite the different logos. However, the shape of the box is the same for both speakers. Additionally, key design elements are also the same, including the «wave» box at the bottom and the icon layout. Although the design of the JBL Clip 4 looks more sophisticated and pleasing, the S5 Lock is still not inferior to it in many ways.

The CGBox Clip is packaged in a simple white cardboard box with an image of the device and its main characteristics. Not without the proud inscription “Created in Tyumen”.

The JBL Clip 4 kit includes minimalist components: the speaker itself, documentation and a 30 cm long USB-A to USB-C charging cable, with orange internal connectors, well known to fans of the brand.

The A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock comes with the same thing: the speaker itself, documentation and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, but the cable is a little more pleasing. Firstly, it is much longer than the standard one, amounting to 130 cm, which allows you to use it with greater comfort. In addition, the cable has a fabric braid, which increases its reliability and makes operation more pleasant.

In the CGBox Clip kit we found instructions, a carabiner for hanging and a medium-quality USB-A — USB-C cable with the same length of 30 cm.

The carabiner, frankly, leaves much to be desired: it looks untidy and causes some disappointment in use — it is loose, opens with excessive force… But, fortunately, it can be easily replaced.

Let's compare the design of the JBL Clip 4 and the A4Tech Bloody S5, and look at the CGBox Clip later and separately. In general, all the key features are the same — from the shape of the case to the design of the carabiner latch. The dimensions are also identical — 135x86x46 mm. Of course, the inscriptions and logos are different, as well as the color of the carbine arc: for the A4Tech device it is closer to bronze, and for JBL it is closer to silver. Clip 4 has more than ten color modifications, plus it is possible to order a custom version on the manufacturer’s official website. As for the A4Tech Bloody S5, it is available in black, blue and pink colors. For testing, we chose the most universal and common color option — black.

The mesh on the front panels is practically the same, but the buttons on the Bloody S5 Lock are slightly smaller.

The rear panels of both speakers feature silicone elements designed to ensure stable placement on a horizontal surface and absorb some of the unwanted vibrations when the speakers are operated at high volumes. The JBL Clip 4 has several small diagonal stripes, while the Bloody S5 Lock has two large vertical stripes.

On the side of the base of the carabiner are the names of the devices. On JBL they are highlighted in contrasting white, while on S5 Lock they are highlighted in black. To be honest, we like the second option better, as it looks more strict and concise. But, as they say, everyone has different tastes.

But on the other hand there is an important difference. The JBL Clip 4 has two buttons there — power and Bluetooth pairing. The Bloody S5 Lock has power management on the top panel, which we will talk about in detail later.

At the bottom end of the case there are USB Type C ports for charging; JBL — again with orange insides. It’s impossible not to note how much neater the device looks without unnecessary inscriptions, of course.

The JBL Clip 4 is generally very rich in inscriptions around the perimeter, and there are also some on top. It can be seen that the Bloody S5 Lock legs raise the speaker above the table much more noticeably, but the Clip 4 silicone pad does a better job of absorbing vibrations.

The design of the CGBox Clip is simple and generally pleasant — without unnecessary details or decorative elements. The only thing that spoils the impression a little is the not-so-pretty and high-quality complete carabiner, which doesn’t look very harmonious with the speaker. There is only one color available — black.

The speaker is not at all similar to the JBL Clip 4, but the source of inspiration here can also be easily assumed — the previous Clip 3. However, in this case the design is as simplified as possible, there is no built-in carabiner, and the shape of the case is different. So, of course, we cannot talk about direct borrowing.

The front and back of the CGBox Clip is covered with a fabric mesh. There are five control buttons on the front panel, and three small legs on the back panel.

There is nothing particularly interesting on the sides — just an element made of matte black plastic that connects the halves of the case.

On the box we saw the proud inscription “created in Tyumen”. But judging by the information on the device itself, it was created in Tyumen, but still made in China. Although there is nothing to be surprised here, of course.

On the top panel, behind a protective silicone cap, there is a USB Type C port for charging, a microSD card slot, a small status indicator and two crude screw heads.

Due to low-quality plugs, a simple logo print, protruding fastening elements and other small details, the speaker looks quite cheap, which is clearly different from the two models discussed above. At the same time, it costs a little less.

All three speakers in question connect to the sound source via Bluetooth. The JBL Clip 4 has a dedicated button to activate pairing mode, making the process easier. In the case of the other two, you will have to turn on the device and wait a bit while it tries to connect to a familiar source. If this does not happen, pairing mode is activated. Then you need to find the speaker in the corresponding menu on your smartphone and connect it.

We obtained a complete list of supported codecs and their modes using the Bluetooth Tweaker utility. For JBL Clip 4, everything is simple: only the SBC codec is used, the Bitpool parameter is set to 52, which is slightly higher than the recommended value in the High Quality profile. This is quite enough for ultra-compact portable acoustics.

A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock was found to not only use the SBC codec, but also AAC. Codec settings are set to maximum. However, AAC's bitrate is surprisingly high and likely exceeds Bluetooth capabilities. The SBC's Bitpool setting is also set well above the recommended level. Overall, this suggests that codecs will not be the limiting factor for the sound quality of this device.

CGBox only supports the SBC codec, with the maximum Bitpool set to 38, which is lower than the recommended value for the High Quality profile. However, this is unlikely to limit the sound quality of this speaker.

The playback control buttons on the JBL Clip 4 and A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock are located on the front panel. The most noticeable difference is that the Clip 4 has the volume buttons in a familiar order, while the Bloody S5 Lock has them in an unusual order, with the plus and minus switches reversed. But a more significant factor is that the buttons on the JBL Clip 4 are pressed softly, easily and with a noticeable click, while the buttons on the A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock require more effort, their textured surface causes discomfort when pressed, and the click is inaudible. This is probably the main drawback of the A4Tech device.

The power and pairing buttons on the JBL Clip 4 are located on the side panel. Pressing them is as easy and pleasant as the other buttons. Although most JBL speakers support configuration using the proprietary JBL Portable application, in the case of this model the manufacturer decided not to add this function.

The A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock only has a power button, located on the top panel next to a small status indicator.

The CGBox Clip has all the buttons on the front panel. They press a little harder than average, the click is harsh, but overall you can use them.

All three speakers in question are protected from moisture. The JBL Clip 4 is rated IP67, which means it is completely dustproof and can withstand immersion in water up to a depth of 1 meter for no more than 1 minute. The A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock has a little more modest protection — IP66, capable of withstanding powerful jets of water. As for the CGBox Clip, it has IPX7 protection, which means it can be submerged in water, but not dustproof. The only one of the three CGBox Clip speakers is equipped with a built-in microphone, allowing you to answer calls. However, the quality of the conversation may leave much to be desired. To measure the frequency response of microphones, we use a special room and a monitor acoustic system, which allows us to obtain correct data on the sound characteristics.

An adult male's voice typically has a fundamental frequency of 85 to 155 Hz, while a woman's voice ranges from 165 to 255 Hz. However, voice transmission typically uses frequencies from 300 to 3400 Hz, which are called “voice” frequencies because they contain formants that are responsible for speech intelligibility. Low frequencies are often cut off due to the presence of unwanted sounds, such as the hum of engines or low-frequency crowd noise.

Despite the logical setup of the microphone, the voice recorded by it may sound somewhat unnatural due to the emphasis on the high-frequency range and the “pipe effect”, probably caused by the peculiarities of its placement inside the body.

Obviously, the recorder coped with the task much better, but the speech readability of the voice recorded through the CGBox Clip microphone remains high enough to be used to answer a call. Another difference between the CGBox Clip and other speakers in the review is the built-in player that can play audio files from microSD cards. Only two formats are supported — MP3 and WAV, but in this case this is enough, and you probably shouldn't expect anything more.

Let's return to the first two speakers, equipped with snap carabiners for fastening. On the JBL Clip 4 it presses a little harder and for some reason rustles a little, touching the sides of the case. A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock does not have this problem. As for the reliability of fastening, there is no doubt about it in both cases.

Let's start talking about the sound of the speakers with the volume mentioned earlier. The JBL Clip 4 and A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock are surprisingly loud—enough to fill a small room with sound, or listen to music on the move while clipping the speaker to your backpack or bike. Of course, you should first make sure that the music will not disturb others. While the CGBox Clip does not reach the same sound level even at maximum volume, its capabilities may not be enough outdoors.

The JBL Clip 4 impresses with its sound, especially given its compact size. Even the low-frequency range from 100 Hz declared by the manufacturer sounds quite good, with a slight accent that makes the sound more impressive. The speaker is ideal for listening to music in the background: the sound is pleasant and balanced, although somewhat lacking in depth. For example, the JBL Flip 6 offers more interesting sound, but the Clip 4 stands out for its combination of compactness and sound quality. For clarity, we will present frequency response graphs.

The A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock also impresses with its sound quality. There's less emphasis on the low frequencies here, and overall the sound is a little more balanced, although the mids sound a little brighter. Therefore, the overall impression is not as impressive as that of the JBL Clip 4, but the sound quality is still high, and the declared bass from 100 Hz is felt.

The sound graphs of both speakers in certain ranges are even surprisingly similar, and although the reasons for this similarity may be different, we can only guess about them. In a direct comparison, the JBL Clip 4 clearly stands out, but the sound of the A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock also deserves recognition as good for an ultra-compact speaker.

As for CGBox Clip, the situation here is somewhat different. The description states a wide frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but in practice the speaker begins to sound not even from 100 Hz, as in previous cases, but from about 200 Hz. In addition, the upper mids are heavily accentuated, which makes the sound rather unpleasantly “noisy” and extremely tiring to listen to. As a result, listening to the speaker for a long time becomes difficult and unpleasant.

Well, against the general background it looks so-so, but it costs only 1000 rubles cheaper, so it’s unlikely that such savings will be justified.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the sound of the JBL Clip 4. Despite its extremely compact size, the speaker amazes with its spectacular sound, which even includes a balanced low-frequency range. Overall, it's very easy to use and ideal for scenarios where compactness and the ability to attach to anything from a bag or backpack to a bike frame are important. The built-in carabiner, the control system — everything works flawlessly and is a lot of fun.

A4Tech Bloody S5 Lock, very similar to the Clip 4, also surprises with pleasant sound, although a little less impressive. However, the speaker would be even better if not for the terrible buttons on the front panel and slightly less battery life. Also, the price at the time of review made it less attractive compared to the Clip 4. But if the cost comes down, it will be a great alternative to the JBL product.

As for the possibility of saving, it is better not to save here. Lack of basic characteristics, poor sound, low autonomy… Perhaps the only salvation for this speaker is the presence of a microphone, but other models also have similar functions. If you want to save a lot of money, stores selling Chinese goods are full of cheap alternatives with similar characteristics. However, if you are looking for a high-quality and compact speaker with the ability to mount, it is best to opt for the JBL Clip 4.