Goodbye JBL PartyBoost, hello Auracast: What this means for you

If you’ve owned a JBL speaker in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: every new generation brings a completely new way to connect speakers and leaves your old ones behind. What started as JBL Connect became Connect+, which then transformed into PartyBoost, and now we’re saying goodbye to PartyBoost in favor of Auracast.

But before you roll your eyes and brace for yet another JBL connection standard that only works with this year’s models, this time is different. Auracast isn’t just another branding exercise—it’s a game-changer for how we share audio. And for once, it’s bigger than JBL.

JBL’s speaker pairing has always been a moving target

JBL has been refining its multi-speaker connectivity for years. The ability to link multiple speakers wasn’t just a party trick—it genuinely improved the listening experience, allowing for true stereo separation and bigger, room-filling sound.

Each update brought slight improvements. Connect+ let compatible models like the Xtreme 2, Charge 4, and Boombox sync together. Then came PartyBoost, which extended range and improved performance in newer models like the Flip 5 and Pulse 5—but at the cost of not working with Connect+ speakers.

For a while, PartyBoost seemed like it was here to stay, locking users into JBL’s ecosystem. If you already owned multiple JBL speakers, it made little sense to buy anything from Bose, Sonos, or UE, since they wouldn’t sync with your setup.

But if you’ve been shopping for a new JBL speaker recently, you’ve likely noticed a shift. Models like the Go 4, Clip 5, Xtreme 4, Charge 6, and Flip 7 now feature Auracast instead of PartyBoost.

Auracast: The Bluetooth revolution we actually needed

At first glance, Auracast might seem like just another proprietary JBL update that strands your old speakers in Bluetooth purgatory. But this time is different because Auracast isn’t a JBL-exclusive feature.

Introduced in 2022 and showcased at CES 2024, Auracast is part of the Bluetooth LE Audio standard and is supported by devices running Bluetooth 5.2 or higher. Unlike traditional Bluetooth, which requires one-to-one pairing, Auracast allows for one-to-many broadcasting—think of it like a private radio station where multiple devices can tune in at the same time.

And here’s the major difference: it’s not locked to JBL. This means that, in theory, your new JBL speaker will be able to sync with Auracast-enabled speakers, headphones, or earbuds from different brands—something JBL’s previous tech never allowed.

The Xtreme exception

Of course, with any JBL connection update, there’s a catch: Auracast isn’t backwards compatible with PartyBoost—that is, oddly enough, except for the Xtreme 4.

For some reason, the Xtreme 4 can still pair with the older PartyBoost speakers and newer Auracast speakers, while models like the Charge 6 and Flip 7 cannot. This was confirmed both in our hands-on testing and by JBL’s own marketing.

This raises an obvious question: if JBL could make the Xtreme 4 work with both PartyBoost and Auracast, why didn’t they do the same for the Flip 7 and Charge 6? It suggests that JBL chose not to, rather than being technically unable to.

This is frustrating for JBL users who have spent years buying into the PartyBoost ecosystem. It didn’t have to be this way.

Should you upgrade?

If you already have PartyBoost-enabled JBL speakers, they’ll still work together just fine—so there’s no urgent need to replace them. But if you’re buying a new JBL speaker or expanding your collection, Auracast models like the Go 4, Clip 5, Flip 7, Charge 6, and Xtreme 4 are the smarter long-term investments.

That said, if you still have PartyBoost speakers and want a bridge between the old and new, the Xtreme 4 is your only option.

A step forward with an unnecessary setback

Unlike past JBL connection changes, this one isn’t just about forcing an upgrade—it’s about joining a broader Bluetooth ecosystem that will make wireless audio more universal. But the fact that JBL could have included backward compatibility across all Auracast speakers and didn’t? That stings.

For now, if you’re sticking with JBL, your decision comes down to this:

• If you already own PartyBoost speakers, keep them—or grab an Xtreme 4 as a bridge to the future.
• If you’re starting fresh, go for an Auracast-enabled speaker and enjoy the future of universal wireless audio.

In the end, I think JBL’s shift to Auracast is ultimately a win for the industry, even if it leaves some longtime users behind—again.