Majority Move M4 review: an underwhelming JBL Xtreme competitor | Tech Radar

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I tested majority's biggest Bluetooth party speaker and while it aces the rugged and durable part, it's no JBL Xtreme 5 — here’s why

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The Majority Move M4 may have a fairly durable exterior and wide range of connectivity options, but its underwhelming audio quality makes it impossible to recommend — especially when the competition in its price and size class is pretty hot.

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The Majority Move M4 is a huge Bluetooth speaker boasting a mighty 70W power output, a rugged design, and plentiful battery life, making it very much reminiscent of JBL’s Xtreme range.

Yes, it's clear that the Cambridge-based audio brand is coming for JBL with its Move speakers — and this model I tested is the most powerful in its line. But can Majority compete with the likes of JBL with this release? Here’s what I think after many hours of listening with the Majority Move M4.

On the face of it, the Majority Move M4 has a lot of the features you’d expect from the best Bluetooth speakers. It has Bluetooth 6.0 for long-range connectivity, IP67 dust and waterproofing enabling it to survive a good dunking underwater, and a high power output for blasting tunes at parties or gatherings.

But this model struggles to keep up with the competition in a number of regards. And crucially, that’s mostly evident in its sound quality.

I started assessing the M4’s audio quality by playing KOLTER’s What a Day. This house tune just didn’t sound as I’d hoped — I was instantly struck by compressed audio, with tinny percussion that sounded grating, even at middling volume levels. Bass also lacked the authority and punch I was looking for, and the low-end sounded distorted at higher listening levels.

It was a similar story with I’ll Be Your by RUZE. Bass lacked dynamism, meaning that drops were anti-climactic. Mids also didn’t sound very well separated or rich, and the track just lacked that full-bodied, energetic quality necessary to replicate its excitement and vibrancy.

Even with a more stripped back track like 78 Rotações by Jards Macalé, I wasn’t a big lover of the M4. It definitely handled the less demanding nature of the track more effectively, with relatively clear vocals and decent enough balance across the frequency range. However, the tonality of acoustic guitars wasn’t the most accurate or expressive, and the finer details didn’t jump out at me.

Even though the M4 can get relatively loud, in part thanks to its 70W output power, it often sounds more shouty than regimented and impactful. Bass lacks the dynamism and drive you may expect. And with compressed-sounding treble that can err on the harsh side of things, this speaker struggles to compete, sonically speaking.

I experienced underwhelming sound while streaming over Bluetooth, but also when I was using a wired connection via a 3.5mm cable. However, you can also use the speaker with a USB flash drive or micro SD card if you’d prefer. Both of these listening methods are admittedly on the niche side of things, but hey, they’re here.

There are a few more interesting features onboard, including customizable RGB lights. You can press the light button on the speaker and personalize the color and pattern to your liking, and although I prefer the classier lights of the JBL Xtreme 5, it looks fine. You can also turn the lights off if you’d prefer, which can conserve battery life.

Speaking of battery life, you get a pretty commendable 30 hours here, which is better than budget rivals like the Tribit Stormbox Lava. Other features include a built-in mic for hands-free calling and multi-speaker pairing… though I’m not sure why anyone would want two of these.

The fatal flaw in the features department is the M4’s lack of a companion app. That means there are no EQ options — a big miss — and no way to remotely alter lighting or other useful settings. This is a basic inclusion for a lot of Bluetooth speakers at this point, and was disappointing to see.

Before we wrap up, I want to speak about design. This thing is definitely reminiscent of the JBL Xtreme 4, with a pseudo-cylindrical build, fabric exterior, and rubber buttons. However, it looks like a far less appealing alternative. I wasn’t a fan of the flimsy-feeling handle, the blue and gray color scheme, or the cheap-looking radiators on each side. This sort of thing is subjective, of course, but the look of the M4 definitely didn’t do it for me.

With that said, the speaker feels fairly durable, and its IP67 rating means it's well protected against dust ingress, and can be submerged under a meter of water for as long as 30 minutes — a very solid level of protection.

OK, the Majority Move M4 is hardly the most expensive model on the market. It comes in at £119.95 (about

160 / AU

225). However, rivals such as the Tribit Stormbox Lava are available for less — and while that model is a little heavy-handed in the low-end, it certainly sounds better than this Majority speaker. The JBL Xtreme 4 is also available discounted regularly for as little as

250 / £199 (about AU

350), and although that’s a decent amount more, the jump in quality is outrageous.

Would I recommend the Majority Move M4? The answer is no, sadly. Despite its relatively rugged build and commendable battery life, it offers poor, unrefined audio that lacks energy in the low-end and control in the highs. There’s a generally compressed quality here, which means that your favorite songs just don’t sound as they could. Instead, I’d recommend scooping up an on-sale Xtreme 4 if this is the kind of speaker size you're after (and the budget you've set aside for it).

The Majority Move M4 released in January 2026 in the UK, although at the time of writing, the speaker — alongside its sibling models, including the Move M1, M2, and M3 — are yet to land in the US or Australia. The Move M4 is priced at £119.95 (about

160 / AU

225), making it a lot cheaper than rivals like the JBL Xtreme line, and although it's the largest in its line, it remains pretty budget-friendly.

Customizable lights, number of connectivity methods, but lack of an app is restrictive.

Decent durability and waterproofing, but design lacks flair and appeal.

It may not be the most expensive, but it’s significantly outperformed by similarly priced rivals.

You want a wide array of playback options One of the benefits of this speaker is its broad connectivity options. There’s Bluetooth, USB flash drive support, micro SD playback, and even 3.5mm. That’s a pretty good line-up if you ask me.

You want a cheap large-sized speaker If you don’t need the best sound out there, and just want a relatively powerful speaker to bring anywhere, then the Move M4 could still fit the bill. It’s fairly cheap for its size, and is highly waterproof, making it ideal for taking anywhere you go.

You want great audio quality The Majority Move M4’s biggest downfall is its sound quality, which is below average, in my view. Ideally, you’d be able to grab an on-sale JBL Xtreme 4 (or even better the new JBL Xtreme 5), but there are other budget options I’d pick over this, including the below Tribit model and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2.

You want something stylish I’m not a fan of how the Move M4 looks. Its bright blue detailing and greyish color don’t have the most cohesive look. If you want something stylish, I’d recommend checking out the Bose Sound Link Plus, or the smaller Bose Sound Link Flex Gen 2 if you don’t need massive power.

JBL Xtreme 4 This one’s successor came out recently, so you can expect to see some price dips on the regular. I even spotted this model selling for less than £200 in the UK while writing this review, and that’s a truly exceptional price for this speaker. With phenomenal bass, great build quality, and a wide range of features, this model has everything you need. Read my full JBL Xtreme 4 review.

Tribit Stormbox Lava Look, the Stormbox Lava isn’t perfect — it isn’t the most exciting-looking speaker, for instance. But for its incredibly low cost, it delivers very decent quality, with big bass output, relatively clean mids, and — with some tuning — controlled treble. It’s pretty powerful and has an IP67 waterproof rating, so it’s a nice pick for parties — both indoor and outdoor. Read my full Tribit Stormbox Lava review.

I spent hours testing the Majority Move M4 across a week-long period, and tested it in our dedicate music testing space at Future Labs.

For the most part, I streamed tunes using Tidal, but I dipped into Spotify from time to time as well. To begin with, I sifted through tracks in our Tech Radar reference playlist, which features songs from a wide range of genres, but I also made sure to listen to a ton of tunes from my personal library as well.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at Tech Radar, including a huge number of portable speakers — I even curated our guide to the very best Bluetooth speakers. I compared the M4 to rivals like the JBL Xtreme 4 and Tribit Stormbox Lava, which I personally tested, so I knew exactly how Majority’s speaker stacked up against the competition.

Harry is a Senior Reviews Writer for Tech Radar. He reviews everything from party speakers to wall chargers and has a particular interest in the worlds of audio and gaming. Harry has a background in business tech journalism, particularly around the telecoms industry.

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I tested majority's biggest Bluetooth party speaker and while it aces the rugged and durable part, it's no JBL Xtreme 5 — here’s why
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission