JBL Stadium UB4100 Bluetooth UTV Soundbar Review

Who doesn’t like listening to music when they ride? Speaker systems for UTVs range from mild to wild, but many of them require complicated installs and a lot of wiring. The longtime stereo veterans at JBL have come up with a relatively painless way to install a great sound system in your UTV, and they call it the Stadium Soundbar.

The UB4100 comes ready to install, and retails for $799.99. That may seem like a lot of dough, but you’re paying for premium sound quality and weatherproof performance in a tight package. JBL has designed a unique mounting system for this soundbar using two 180-degree slots that house sliding clamps. The clamps can be rotated 360 degrees as well, allowing the UB4100 to mount to nearly any cage angle. The four-bolt-per-clamp design is robust, but take care as to not overwork the brackets until they are bolted down in place. Once installed, JBL claims the mounts can withstand shock loads up to 10 Gs.

The soundbar can be mounted as one whole unit, or separated into two sections. The soundbar features LED interior cargo lighting, as well as four lines of red pulsing LEDs in the front of the speaker grilles. It is a solid piece, and can be powered up using only a power and ground wire. Installation is simple, and the control is even simpler. Tap the large rocker switch on the back of the unit to power it on, and link your phone with an easy, one-time Bluetooth pairing procedure. From there, the bar can be controlled completely from your phone or using JBL’s mobile app. There is even a detachable remote built into the side of the unit, so you can keep it in your pocket and control volume, change tracks, or pause wirelessly. After 400 miles, the remote has never detached from its housing accidentally. The system features Bluetooth or 3.5mm auxiliary input, and an RCA output option if you want to add more speakers or a subwoofer later. It is firmware upgradable using the supplied micro-USB input. We had ours installed in less than 30 minutes and were playing our favorite music shortly after. Low and mid tones are strong and full, but true audiophiles may want to add a subwoofer to fill out the lowest end of the sound spectrum. The JBL Stadium Soundbar responds well to volume changes and does a great job of keeping the levels balanced.

During testing, we took the soundbar to the dunes and desert on board an RZR XP Turbo. The sound clarity is very good, and it produces high volume without distortion. The master power switch on the back of the unit is welcome, as we always like to keep things switched off when the UTV is packed inside our garage. So far, we have experienced no issues with connectivity, sound quality, or durability, even after repeated rides in rain, dust, mud, and splashes with the hose while washing the car.

The Stadium Soundbar also supports something JBL calls “Party Mode,” where up to three Bluetooth devices can be paired at once. This means your passengers can take over the role of DJ during a ride without having to use your phone to do it. Wiring expansion looms come with the kit to allow more speakers to be connected to this amplified soundbar. JBL lists a frequency response range of 50 Hz–20 kHz, driven by twin 120-watt amplifiers. It weighs 22.7 pounds, and is 31.5 inches wide by 6.1 inches deep and 5 inches tall. It features four 4-inch woofers and two 2-inch dome tweeters. If you’re looking for a simple, plug-and-play solution to add a killer-sounding stereo to your UTV, this product is right up your alley. It looks sleek, performs very well, and is very durable.