JBL Home Audio Products

Durability and quality wise, I'd give this JBL speaker a strong 5. Highly recommend

BOOM; loud, proud, compact and easy to use, truly pulsating bass and crystal clear vocals make the JBL Charge 5 a real hit. Astounding value, this… Read more

Bluetooth speaker is also waterproof, dust proof and runs for up to 20 hours; there's even a built in powerbank! While the days of JBL traditional floorstanding loudspeakers maybe in the past, the Charge 5 is here to reignite the glory days in a nice, neat little bundle. Yes, of course we aren't genuinely comparing it to old school speakers; JBL have of course modernised their range. But for $200 dollars? Oh behave, darling-- you simply shouldn't sound so good. Party on dear, and let us get better acquainted :)

Feature review JBL (owned by US company Harman, parent company of brands including Bang and Olufsen & AKG) have a rich history in audio, making hi-fidelity loudspeakers when they were still a thing. How times have changed, but the memory still very much remains and with products like this, JBL continue to stun. One of the best presents I've ever received, but if I had a choice, I would have had a Bose; I'm not here to praise for the sake of it. Although if the truth be told, the listening experience was nothing short of a musical revelation. But don't just take my word for it; upon finding the box earlier, I noticed a 5 star review from What Hi Fi? which is high praise indeed. They are a UK based (popular but critical) Hi Fi magazine that I always used to buy but haven't read in years! A simple, $175 Bluetooth speaker, but nothing simple about the sound; super loud and proud, bass has a low end thud, vocals have great clarity and there's remarkable detail in the sound; take my word for it, I guarantee that you will be hearing parts in songs you've never even heard before! Before delving into a few of the finer details, don't forget where possible to listen to this speaker at ear level; which if you are sitting down on the sofa will be different from if you are walking around the house or in the kitchen. Who cares? some may say, but if sound matters to you, you'll know this basic audio rule will enhance your listening experience (even on a $175 dollar Bluetooth speaker). Ideal for parties, it's waterproof and dust proof, has up to 20 hours play time and has a built in power bank for charging.

Where the JBL excels is with modern pop - try a bit of Bieber such as Hold On / Friends, Zayn with There You Are or Dua Lupa with Let Me Be The One / Cool. It really brings out the vocals and the atmospheric melodies of these songs. To highlight the bass, give Charlie Puth ( Attention) or Miley Cyrus (Midnight Sky) a whirl. To highlight all out groove, fire up Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand or Young Blood by 5 Seconds of Summer.

We also found it packed serious punch with dance pop / trance such as Encore Une Fois (Sash); showcasing those archetypical programmed beats so well you feel you are being catapulted back into some 90s festival, party or club.

From a similar era, rap such as Revolution by Kirk Franklin also highlights the beats, gospel and R'n'B vibes impressively. Switching grooves, the JBL is equally at home with the searing vocals and colossal violins of Shatter Me (Lindsey Stirling Featuring Lzzy Hale) or the more alternative Beautiful Things by Benson Boone, or Lights Out by Royal Blood. On an ultra critical note, did find that piano didn't have the sort of impact I was expecting (keyboards certainly did.) Shifting ears to something heavier, and the all out rasp and thrill of Metallica's Enter Sandman is simply emphatic, the intro drum kicks stealing the limelight before everything chugs into gear and takes your breath away. Simple to use, you can launch the JBL by a quick click on the Bluetooth function and then by holding down for a few seconds on the switch. You then open Bluetooth and search for devices on your device, and click on the JBL. There's also a volume and a pause button. It comes in multiple colours. Unfortunately, it's not going to work everywhere as it's dependent on Bluetooth and Wi Fi etc, but that's not going to affect the rating as we are judging on ease of use and sound quality. Also, a night mode would be good for toning down that sublime low end rumble. Overall, this puts the boom into box and absolutely smashes it; a fantastic gift for someone special, this shouldn't sound this good!

Disappointed – Great little speaker when it worked, however it has stopped working, it just emits a tinny squeak and it is less than two years old. I have googled… Read more

to see if can be repaired however I haven't been able to get an answer. I'm disappointed with this purchase.

Garbage – Issues with power connector in first month, after half year lost part of characters. Unreadable. So sad what jbl becomed in decade or so. Show details

Price is LOW, but pretty poor sound especially for watching TV and movies. Ongoing compability problem with new TCL Smart Pro TV. Very poor… Read more

technology support. I would like to return and buy something better. I would not recommend this product. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

great sound from small speakers – The sound from these speakers is way better than you would expect from something that plugs into a PC. They sound better than the small Logitech 2:1… Read more

system with external power I used previously, as although there is less bass response the Pebbles have better balance overall. On the first few listens they had a slightly 'processed' sound, but I don't notice that anymore. They can not match a proper stereo system, but I often find myself using them at the computer because they are so convenient and the sound is more than good enough. I expect the only way to get better sound from something that sits on your desk is through good quality headphones.

The USB plug set up is great advantage. They switch on/off when you switch on/off your PC and no mucking around trying to connect (and reconnect) a bluetooth speaker. They also have a stereoscopic effect which most Bluetooth speakers seem to loose by putting bother speakers in the same body.

The only disadvantage is they are hard to buy. Mine came from a lucky 2nd hand sale, but could not find them locally for sale new. The cables could be a bit longer as well.

Fantastic full bodied rich sound signature that easily filled your living room with music you loved. More than enough for a bedroom. It feels like a pocket rocket of sound. Got the pink one for my daughter and she loves it. Show details

This Bluetooth speaker is awesome it has good sound and good lights Show details

Awesome speaker – This is an awesome speaker ! Loud and the base is spot on. Have only used connected up to power so unsure how long it would last fully charged but it’s a great party speaker. Show details

The JBL go 4 Bluetooth speakers have good sound quality and it’s good for listening to all types of music Show details

Works a treat – This soundbar delivers perfect sound for a smart TV that had poor sound. The boost it gives and sound quality is ideal and it comes with built-In Wi-Fi with AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music and Chromecast capabilities.

Terrible for audiobooks, not much better for music – Unlike other Bluetooth speakers I've used, when I play an audiobook through this speaker, the sound connection cuts out at any point if there's a… Read more

pause for longer than a moment. As a result, audiobooks constantly have the first syllable of a sentence dropped and your brain has to focus on filling in the gaps instead of listening to the book. The same thing happens for breaks between songs.

Volume is very low, even at max volume and the sound quality is lacking.

The JBL Boombox 4 delivers seriously powerful sound with booming bass - perfect for outdoor parties or backyard hangouts. The battery life is… Read more

excellent, easily lasting all day. It feels tough and waterproof, so I’m not afraid to take it near the pool. Only downside is it’s a bit heavy to carry around, and the bass can overpower mids sometimes. Still, great value if you want loud, portable sound that lasts.

Horrific audio – Piece of cloudy-muddy shït. Bought this for my partner for Christmas to go with her new computer screens. We replaced a Logitech Z623 (google it) … Read more

While the item is simple and small I found it impossible to find either on the JBL website, the good guys, or JB pretty much anywhere the "RMS ratings" of the bar and the sub.

Without this very valuable information it is near impossible to get something decent without hearing it in person (if they have it set up) which in this case they didn't (marketing tactics my guess)

Anywho, has an underwhelming (smaller than my palm) subwoofer 20w power usage (it's horrid). sub - about 15wrms output (minusing 5w for the wireless and loss) The Logitech was a 6.5" 80wrms wired sub Much much more full and powerful massively noticeable when watching movies

The sound quality on the sb550 is muddy not clear and as good as a 15 year old Panasonic plasma.

Honestly this was $300aud The Logitech was $300aud Go the Logitech hands down This sb550 is an embarrassment to the JBL brand. Total trash!!

Don't do it, don't buy it, it's only "worth" $30.

Just the Job – Hi. I bought one of these Flip 5s at Christmas 2021 to use around my home. I have other superior sound systems (they should be a the price!), but I… Read more

thought this would be the easiest way to listen to music/podcasts. And I liked the portability. BTW, my daughter already had one and she suggested I buy one. It appears to be of sound quality and was well packaged. The sound is not as good as my other systems; however, it's not bad at all - quite good actually. The strength is that I can very quickly connect to my mobile phone and take the speaker with me - anywhere. It's that simple. The Bluetooth range is extremely good. I have now used it for just on 3 months and I am still satisfied with my purchase. The rechargeable battery seems to last forever! Forever! My daughter connected my speaker to her device along with her Flip 5. She was so impressed with the improvement in the quality that she bought another two (one for her partner) that day. She mostly uses one and connects an additional one (maybe two) when she wants more than good background sound. On my experience, I would highly recommend the speaker ... or two. Cheers, Bill.

Sound is always dropping out and by always I mean every two days guaranteed. I have to keep resetting the soundbar to get the sound back. I've had… Read more

the soundbar for about 4 weeks and have reset it so many times. The sound will drop out when turning it on, when changing channel or just when it's been on for a while. It's a piece of rubbish and I regret purchasing it.

Great sound, bad electronics – When looking at the reviews before I bought this I thought it would be great and I was right the sound quality is superb for such a cheap sound bar… Read more

of its size but i ran into multiple problems already. The first one I had bought after using it a couple of times the bluetooth feature on the soundbar had completely dissapeared, you could turn it on bluetooth mode but there would be no connection for any device. Tried all problem shooting methods and it still wouldn't work so I tookit back and had it exchanged for a new one. The problem was solved I thought it was just a dud but then with my new one I ran into another problem. I went to turn it on using the remote and the light stayed red, so I went over and turned it on by hand but it still stayed in sleep mode. Unplugged it and gave it a minute then plugged it back in but still no response.