JBL Charge 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker | Black

I bought this speaker at Target before it closed, getting a decent discount (it was on sale plus I got a coupon for it). I wanted something more convenient for listening to music while studying, as using headphones can be a bit distracting and tedious to put on and off.
 
Design
The Charge 2 looks a bit like a giant soda can or battery (that's what it is), the build quality of the speaker itself is quite durable. Unfortunately there is no carrying case and the bass radiators appear vulnerable. The speaker is also rather prone to rolling around. The rubber ring on one side of the speaker is vulnerable to coming off, but I could just glue it back.
 
Battery life is excellent (I get around 10-12 hours) and it can also be used as a 6000 mAh power bank. (I haven't used it often enough to give a good impression though) You can also use the speaker wired (you will need to buy an auxiliary cable yourself), but it still uses the battery and can't be charged by USB fast enough to work continuously. 
 
Sound
These have a bassy yet mid-forward sound, and can be quite loud for a small room. The sub-bass is quite powerful, though it is sometimes a bit "bouncy" and seems rolled off at the very lowest region. One problem I have noticed is sometimes the sub-bass seems to fade or mute out - this is noticeable in some tracks where it is relatively low. A good example of this is Daft Punk's Doin' It Right, when the synth comes in during the middle of the song - the sub-bass should be there but instead it fades out relatively quickly. The mids are quite forward and sound very crisp and refined- something I did not expect with a bluetooth speaker like this. Therefore, vocals sound excellent with the Charge 2. The highs are a bit splashy and thick, but not sibilant. Stereo separation is present but quite narrow, though given the size and portability of these speakers, that's to be expected. Unfortunately the Charge 2 can't be paired with a second unit for better stereo like the UE Boom.
 
Overall the Charge 2 has a fun, bassy sound signature that still works great with vocals. It is quite versatile but shines the most with more upbeat tracks.
 
The UE Boom is the closest competitor I can think of. I don't own it or have head it enough to give a good impression, but trying it out at the Apple Store and listening to some demo videos online (which compared it to the Charge 2), it seems to be lacking in bass and has a more treble-forward sound. The advantages it has over the Charge 2 are that it is louder, splashproof and can be paired with a second unit for wider stereo. The JBL Charge 2+, which was released last month, is splashproof.
 
Potential issues
Unfortunately, one issue to look out for with the Charge 2 is sound distortion at low volumes. There's a tad bit of buzzing sound and the highs sound distorted. Some reviewers have noted it is especially bad in early units of the Charge 2 and later users claimed that this was rectified to some extent. Later units have volume buttons that are synchronized to that of a connected iOS device (no difference on Android or other devices). I can confirm I have the later version. On my laptop I notice a bit of DSP distortion even at higher volumes, but it isn't as present when I use my phone or iPad (both fine at mid to high volumes), so I believe it may also depend on the device hardware and/or software. Another downside is that after a long period of silence, the Charge 2 sometimes doesn't play the first second or so of music - you need to keep it constantly "active". It also seems to lag a split-second after prolonged use on my laptop.
 
Final impressions
For a mid-100$ Bluetooth speaker, the Charge 2 is well-built speaker that has a relatively versatile sound signature. However, a few potential issues, such as the DSP distortion could be dealbreakers.
 
UPDATE: Sadly, the microUSB port broke in about a year and a half from purchase. Unless I bend the cable slightly and let it stay in that position, the device can't charge. As this problem has been reported in the original JBL Charge and Flip series it suggests they did not address the problem. For this I am taking off half a star...