All > JBL Charge 5
JBL Charge 5
Retail Price
$179.95
Lowest Price
$179.95
Release Date
April 2021
The JBL Charge 5 is a quality portable Bluetooth speaker. It also has a solid overall performance, powerful volume output, long lasting battery, reliable wireless connection and impressive sound quality. The JBL Charge 5 is suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content, has IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, PartyBoost button to connect to other compatible JBL speakers, graphic EQ, low Bluetooth latency, remarkable portability and long battery life.
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Overview
- Conclusion
- Features
- Sound Quality
- Hardware Upgrade
- Purpose
- Positive
- Negative
Conclusion - JBL Charge 5 is a quality portable Bluetooth speaker. It also has a solid overall performance, powerful volume output, long lasting battery, reliable wireless connection and impressive sound quality. The JBL Charge 5 is suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content, has IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, PartyBoost button to connect to other compatible JBL speakers, graphic EQ, low Bluetooth latency, remarkable portability and long battery life.
Features - JBL’s latest update to its successful lineup of portable, outdoor-friendly Bluetooth speakers, the $179.95 Charge 5, gets just enough improvements to keep it at the head of the pack, with water and dust resistance, slight driver power boost, and hours of audio time.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
Sound Quality - A portable speaker with good sound quality with a little bit of nice and bass in there has decent battery life at 20 hours and is water resistant.
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
Hardware Upgrade - Thanks to the addition of a new tweeter this speaker does sound more open and has better instrument separation because it now has a dedicated driver for the mids and a dedicated driver for the highs and slightly brighter sound signature which does put an emphasis on the vocals.
GYMCADDY
04/23/2021
Purpose - The JBL Charge 5 gets the job done if you need something that's very loud, and quite portable.
SOUNDGUYS - Sara Carbone
12/22/2021
Sources
Tags
- Conclusion
- Features
- Sound Quality
- Hardware Upgrade
- Purpose
Sources
- YouTube
- RTINGS.com
- PCMag
- SOUNDGUYS
See All Sources
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Positive
- Negative
See All Sources
Build & Design
- Build
- Buttons
- Design
- Positive
- Negative
Build - It's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it's certified to be fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It’s made durable fabric with rubbers on each side and at the bottom making it grippy, while adding stability and impact resistance. Build-wise, it has 2 bass radiators on each side, a USB-A port and a USB-C for charging. Its dimensions are 8.7-by-3.8-by-3.7-inch (HWD), 2.1-pounds, and it’s available in black, blue, camouflage, gray, red, and teal. Overall, it’s a small, lightweight speaker that can be carried in one hand, making it easy to take on the move as it’s also battery-powered, allowing you to take it outdoors without needing to connect it to an outlet.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
2.
“Is wrapped in a durable mesh fabric that provides an impressive ip67 water resistance rating so you can safely use it poolside or at the beach.”
SOUNDGUYS - Sara Carbone
12/22/2021
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
Buttons - There’s a power and Bluetooth button in the middle, volume buttons on each side, pause or play button on the far right, and PartyBoost button on the far left. Build-wise, it has an intuitive control layout at the top to navigate the device. Usage-wise, the + and - buttons are for adjusting the volume with an audible feedback to indicate max volume, but none for minimum volume. The play and pause button can be double-pressed to skip to next track, but there’s no way to skip to previous track. Pairing via Bluetooth has a designated button to be pressed, which triggers a flashing light when in pairing mode and a solid blue light when paired. The PartyBoost button is pressed when connecting to other PartyBoost-compatible speakers, and it can be controlled in the companion app. Also, the 5-point indicator horizontal dots at the bottom of the speaker indicates the battery level.
Design - It comes in a compact cylindrical design that weighs 2 pounds, and can easily fit into a bag or backpack for better portability with its ends kind of angled making it lean when placed upright. Build-wise, it has passive bass radiators at either end and the JBL logo emblazoned over the front grille area. Overall, it looks like a shrunken down version of the JBL Xtreme 3 with its new oversized logo, but has an updated look and design from its predecessor JBL Charge 4. Material-wise, everything is wrapped in a woven fabric cover with smooth silicone accents at the foot on the bottom of the speaker to help it stay put on flat surfaces.
Sources
Tags
- Build
- Buttons
- Design
Sources
- PCMag
- YouTube
- SOUNDGUYS
- RTINGS.com
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
“Is wrapped in a durable mesh fabric that provides an impressive ip67 water resistance rating so you can safely use it poolside or at the beach.”
SOUNDGUYS - Sara Carbone
12/22/2021
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
GYMCADDY
04/23/2021
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
See All Sources
Performance
- Bass
- Drover
- Silent Shout
- Sound Profile
- Soundstage
- Tweeter & Woofer
- Vocals
- Volume
- Positive
- Negative
Bass - It produces a clear and balanced sound with plenty of low-end for bass heavy genres, a bright and punchy treble for vocals and lead instruments, and a solid mid-range response to round out the audio for added texture, but it occasionally produces compression artifacts at higher volumes. Build-wise, its passive bass radiators enhances its low end frequencies, which are decently deep with good quality. Overall, it’s a small speaker with a bit of bass packed into it. In comparison to Bose SoundLink Mini and Bose SoundLink Flex, JBL’s bass response is more powerful considering it’s larger.
Drover - On Bill Callahan’s Drover, a track with less deep bass in the mix, gives a better sense of the Charge 5’s general sound signature with the drums having added bass presence, as Callahan's baritone vocals with fuller, and richer sound than on a flatter response speaker, while the high-mids and highs are sculpted and dialed up with added crispness on the vocals, acoustic strum, and higher-register percussive hits.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
Silent Shout - On The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” a track with intense sub-bass content, the Charge 5 delivers a palpable low-frequency depth, which the drivers may be unable to reach all the way to the deepest lows, but the passive radiators did a laudable job of recreating the thump, while the tweeters added a touch of extra high-frequency clarity to the mix, with no distortion at top volumes, nor the DSP thinning the bass out.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
Sound Profile - It has a fairly neutral sound profile that make the vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, making it suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. However, it lacks low-bass, so the thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like hip-hop and EDM can’t be felt, but the sound can be customized via the graphic EQ featured in the companion app.
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
Soundstage - Its soundstage performance is sub-par with decent directivity with the audio heard clearly from most angles, but the overemphasis in the treble range makes the soundstage feel uneven, and it needs to be paired to another unit to play stereo sound and has to downmix stereo content to mono when using it alone, which doesn't sound as immersive.
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
Tweeter & Woofer - It utilizes a single high quality 20mm 10W tweeter and 90mm 30W woofer to deliver a powerful audio despite its compact size, which is suitable for larger spaces or outdoor gatherings.
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
Vocals - Despite its size, it sounds good and vocals are clear due to the driver setup.
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
Volume - It has fair dynamics, but doesn't get very loud and isn't suitable for large parties as there’s also some compression at max volume, which affects the quality of the audio when it’s pushed at louder volume levels, although it does get loud for its size. Its audio quality is also good, so if you want a portable speaker, check out the JBL Flip 5m which is essentially a shrunken version of the Charge 5.
Sources
Tags
- Bass
- Drover
- Silent Shout
- Sound Profile
- Soundstage
- Tweeter & Woofer
- Vocals
- Volume
Sources
- YouTube
- SOUNDGUYS
- PCMag
- RTINGS.com
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
SOUNDGUYS - Sara Carbone
12/22/2021
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
See All Sources
Hardware
- Battery
- Charging
- Drivers
- Light Indicator
- Tweeter & Woofer
- Positive
- Negative
Battery - Although it is advertised to have 20-hour battery life, its battery life depends on how it is used. If it is used continuously with maximum volume, expect the battery to drain faster. The battery consumption also depends on the type or genre of song you’ve been listening to.
Charging - There is a usbc port on the back of the speaker for charging. There is also a regular usb input that allows you to charge your other devices directly from the speaker.
Modern Accessory Review
07/27/2021
Drivers - Despite arguably having room for stereo drivers, the Charge 5 is mono, though two Charge 5 speakers can become a stereo pair via the PartyBoost feature.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
Light Indicator - The speaker has an indicator light that glows white anytime it’s in use.
SOUNDGUYS - Sara Carbone
12/22/2021
Tweeter & Woofer - The speaker contains a single 20mm 10-watt tweeter and a racetrack-style 52mm-by-90mm 30-watt woofer.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
Sources
Tags
- Battery
- Charging
- Drivers
- Light Indicator
- Tweeter & Woofer
Sources
- YouTube
- SOUNDGUYS
- PCMag
See All Sources
Connectivity
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- Positive
- Negative
Bluetooth - The speakers support bluetooth 5.1 protocols which is pretty solid considering the sub 200 price and provides a more stable and efficient wireless connection than previous models.
Wi-Fi - It has no Wi-Fi.
RTINGS.com - Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Becca Fischer, and Yannick Khong
01/31/2022
See All Sources
Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Clip 4 vs Sony XB13 vs JBL Flip 5 vs Sony XB33
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound vs JBL Flip 5 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB43
- JBL Charge 5 & JBL Charge 4
- Positive
- Negative
JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Clip 4 vs Sony XB13 vs JBL Flip 5 vs Sony XB33 - 250 for a bathroom speaker is expensive. The Clip 4 or XB13 is best if you only intend to use it in the bathroom, while the Flip 5, XB33, or Charge 5 are the best options if you’re also interested in using it in the bedroom.
BabaYaga293
09/04/2021
JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound vs JBL Flip 5 vs Soundcore Motion Boom - Flip is good for the size and weight, while $30 Tribit Xsound is also a decent bathroom speaker with neutral sound profile as the highs on JBL can be zinggy in a bright room. The $30 Tribit Maxsound Plus refurbs are also available on eBay. A Motion Boom is recommended for for rooftop parties and smaller speaker for around the house listening.
mrdoom
09/04/2021
JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB43 - Charge 5 is available on Walmart for 140, while the XB43 is for 250 on Amazon making Sony’s more expensive. Also, other users recommend Sony over JBL, which make it seem like Sony is better.
brownpoetPK
09/04/2021
JBL Charge 5 & JBL Charge 4 - The JBL charge 4 offers similar functionality for a bit cheaper price. Size wise the charge 5 isn’t all that different. Battery life: the Charge 5 has an advertised battery life of 20 hours. It has no audio jack, has a new tweeter, slightly brighter EQ, has better sound, but is 2x the price. The Charge 5 is still water proof but this time it has an IP67 ratting rather than just your IPX7 rating found on the Charge 4 and Charge 3.
Sources
Tags
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Clip 4 vs Sony XB13 vs JBL Flip 5 vs Sony XB33
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound vs JBL Flip 5 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB43
- JBL Charge 5 & JBL Charge 4
Sources
- YouTube
See All Sources
Pricing
- Price
- Value
- Positive
- Negative
Price - The new charge 5 has a retail price $180.
GYMCADDY
04/23/2021
Value - For a price of $100 to $200 for a portable waterproof speaker, it has no accurate sound signature, although they’re seldom about accuracy, and more about bringing a sense of bass depth without distorting, thus, the Charge 5, a bass-forward, bright speaker that delivers plenty of power without sacrificing balance is a steal.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
See All Sources
Miscellaneous
- Setup
- Compatibility
- PartyBoost
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Setup - JBL charge 5 is easy to use and offers an intuitive setup process you can quickly and easily pair the speaker to your phone or tablet.
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
Compatibility - The speaker is compatible with the JBL portable companion app which allows you to enable the party boost function to connect additional speakers, control the audio feedback sounds, and download firmware updates.
The Product Lab
02/26/2022
PartyBoost - PartyBoost is JBL’s tool that allows you to connect multiple speakers together for a louder sound. You can connect two of the same speakers together to listen in Stereo Mode, or you can connect up to 100 of any compatible speakers together for Party Mode. The JBL Flip 5, Pulse 4, Boombox 2, Xtreme 3, and Charge 5 are all compatible with JBL PartyBoost.
Recommendation - The Charge 5 your best bet for the price, even if little has changed.
PCMag - Tim Gideon
04/28/2021
See All Sources
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