JBL Charge 5

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 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… Read more

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!

Why THIS is the one to get – I LOVE streaming my favourite songs or radio station from my phone or iPad, straight to a Bluetooth speaker. Unfortunately, there lies the problem. There are far too many brands and models on the market! lol. I have tried Bose (good, but little base, overpriced and a bit plain looking), SONOS (a few years ago and it was WIFI connect only, which… Read more

worked well in the house, until the NBN dropped out for a few seconds and the unit had a mic....doesn't Big Brother know enough about us already??? and really I am not that interested talking to my equipment.) Harman Kardon shelf speakers, which were complicated to connect via an APP (and provided distorted sound at high volume and a bluetooth crackling experience, so I sent it back.) and Ultimate Ears WonderBoom, which wasn't loud enough, waterproof yes, but latest 15months, just outside of the warranty. Enter JBL Charge: Perfect Weight and shape to hold in your hand and transport from one room to the next. Battery charge/ Remaining indicator, fastest bluetooth connection ever, and the sound (incl. base) is absolutely superb, even at high volume. WOW. And it is such good value at that price point. If that is your budget, don't even look anywhere else, if you like ease of operation and superb, quality sound.

Great little device – This speaker has great sound for the size and looks great. It charges up quickly and last for hours. Love that it is water proof and can be used anywhere. I couldn't be happier Show details

Excellent sound, well built, great for outdoors and travel – Wanted a portable speaker I could travel with, take some rough and tumble and be resistant to water, dust and the elements at the same time having great sound (for a portable speaker) A lot of speakers are in this crowded market space but after listening to an JBL essential 2 speaker whilst on holiday, the charge 5 jumped off the page – the… Read more ·  1

essential 2 was a good speaker but the charge 5 has a bigger and better sound stage, more bass and the sound is very bright and clear.

It is a mono speaker but that is no handicap to the good sound it produces – the speaker has a 10-watt 20mm tweeter and a 30-watt 52mm x 90mm “long excursion” woofer (total of 40watts power) and very solid passive radiators at each end of the cylindrical form that it the charge 5. The speaker runs with Bluetooth 5.1 and supports SBC Bluetooth codec but not AAC or AptX. The battery is rated at 7500ma and JBL claim it will run up to 20 hours – that would depend on the volume settings, but I have been using mine constantly for days at and end at low to mid volume and I can easily get 15 hours with more to come so in those conditions 20 hours is possible. The charge 5 measure 220mm long x 96mm x 93mm, is covered in nice mesh finish with diagonal rubber ribs on the flattened bottom to stop it rolling around – it weighs approx. 965 grams. Its very outdoor friendly with an IP67 rating (completely protected against dust ingress and rated to being in water at 1m for 30 minutes) – I would probably limit water exposure to being in rainwater as I do not believe the IP67 rating applies necessarily to chlorinated pool water or the ocean so I would not risk it. Good at the beach but not in the water!

The charge 5 is available in Black, Grey, blue, camouflage, red or teal – all nice colours but I went with black – has a nice silver with red background JBL logo on the front.

The simple to use controls are on top of the speaker: Power; Bluetooth pairing; Volume up and down; play / pause; There is also a “party boost” button that enables connection of many JBL speakers with party boost function for a big sound.

On the rear panel there is a weather proof flap that cover the USB-A port which is used for charging mobile devices (this speaker can acta as a power bank for charging phones etc.) – there is an uncovered USB-C port which is used for charging the speaker (comes with good usb c cable supplied)

There are no equalizer or sound settings on the speaker – I would recommend you download the JBL app which then gives you a basic equalizer – can change Bass, Mid and Treble with no other frills for tweaking the sound. The app also enables the connection of multiple speakers via “party boost”, which then enables for example, 2 speakers to be used as a stereo – the app switches the 2 speakers into left and right stereo speakers (can switch left and right as well) – the only downside when in stereo with 2 speakers is that the equalizer then sets itself to “flat” only and is no longer adjustable – switch back to normal non party mode and the equalizer will then work again – its not a deal breaker and the stereo sound with 2 speakers is excellent. I was so pleased with the sound of (1) speaker that I purchased another speaker so I can run them in stereo, which works a treat.

When you have the 2 speakers running for stereo sound you can press and hold the party boost buttons on the speakers to connect them, but I have found this can be a bit tricky sometimes and instead use the “JBL Portable” to switch on party boost and then into stereo – the app is easy to use and work fine.

The charge 5 model currently does not have WIFI but believe the newest model will. That is not a big problem as the Bluetooth version works fine – the new model may have Bluetooth phone calling etc. which this version does not, plus there is no 3.5mm auxiliary plug connector either which is not really an issue.

30 – 40 hours later running in this speaker and enjoying it, the sound quality is very, very good. It can get very loud and it is a powerful, “bass forward” speaker that is also bright and strong. The passive radiators on each end of the speaker do a great job of creating some bass “Thump.” The sounds stage maintains balance very well considering its smaller size and attributes.

One thing I have noticed is using the volume on both the phone and the speaker – If I drive the volume towards the top on the phone it seems to distort more than if I push the phone source output to mid volume and then increase the volume on the speaker closer to maximum, it does not distort anywhere the same as using the phone.

There is no handle on the speaker to carry but its easily picked up and carried in the hand – for travel I bought an aftermarket EVA case and a silicon cover with shoulder strap that enable me to play it whilst walking if I want to.

Pros: Very well built, strong and rugged (smart looking and comes in 6 colours) Simple to use and operate – nothing complicated Waterproof and dustproof Great battery life Powerful, bass strong sound, plenty of volume that defies its size (40-watt total output) ASB-A port for charging mobile devices USB C charging port Bluetooth 5.1 – has good range for transmission Party boost function, ability to link multiple speakers Ability to use 2 speakers for full stereo sound

Cons: Full equalizer not available ("JBL Portable" app does allow bass, mid, treble adjustment though) Bass, mid, treble adjustment not available when using stereo in party boost mode No speakerphone (for phone calls)

Perfect for any outdoor outings – Solid product and easy to connect with. Very clear sound with no distortion. We use ours regularly on all our outdoor outings. The charge last a very long time ( days). I give this a 10/10 for size, quality, durability and ease of use. Show details