Like most smaller speakers, however, there isn't much rumble in the low-bass to bring bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop to life. Do not expose the JBL Charge 5 to liquids without removing cable connection. Ive always loved JBLs portable Bluetooth speaker design, and thats no different for the Charge 5. Get that big room sound, even when outdoors. In this article, we compare the new JBL Flip 6 to the Flip 5. I'm going to say I doubt it by almost 100%. Additionally, it supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though it doesn't do a good job of hearing you from far and in noisy settings. The JBL Charge 5 has an optimized long excursion driver, a separate tweeter, and dual JBL bass radiators, all delivering impressively rich and clear audio. Toyota Audio Multimedia, six speakers, with wireless Apple CarPlay [carplay_wireless] & Android Auto [android_auto_wireless]compatible, SiriusXM [siriusxm]with 3-month Platinum Plan trial subscription. Though there are no buttons to skip backward on the JBL Charge 5, it has pretty much all the other controls youd need. It features a long-excursion driver, a separate tweeter, and each side houses a passive bass radiator. In addition, the speaker has received some minor cosmetic changes. The Charge 4 is still a good speaker, even with the advent of the Charge 5. The JBL Charge 5 gets the job done if you need something that's very loud, and quite portable. On songs like the Byrds Mr. However, the Sony can produce slightly deeper bass, and its battery life lasts almost three hours longer. Additionally, you can connect the JBL to other PartyBoost-compatible speakers to create a stereo pair or when you want your audio to fill a large room. The Flip 4 is smaller, making it easier to carry around with you when you're on the go. However, the Anker can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. Vocals are clear thanks to the driver setup inside the speaker. Sound effects. Keep in mind if you use it this way, it will not be waterproof. Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. JBL Charge 5. The JBL Charge 5 and the Bose SoundLink Flex perform similarly. It isnt jaw-dropping, shelf speaker quality, but for a portable speaker that doubles as a charging bank, its darn good. Its available for $379.95 at Amazon. While they both have very similar designs, the Charge 5 is smaller, lighter, and more portable. That gives the speaker a bit more visual flair, but also causes it to lean like the Tower of Pisa if you want to stand it on one end instead of laying it flat. We also recommend checking out the UE MEGABOOM 3. This may also have been a result of the chlorinated water, since JBL does not ensure that its speakers can withstand saltwater or chlorinated water. JBL Flip 5 JBL Charge 5 JBL Pulse 4 JBL Go 3 JBL link 20. Monoprice DT-4BT 60-Watt Multimedia Desktop . Verdict. Find great local deals on second-hand audio & stereo equipment for sale in E105JP Shop hassle-free with Gumtree, your local buying & selling community. The JBL Charge 5 will set you back 160 and is available in a vast array of colours, including red, blue, white and great. The Charge 5 has an official IP67 rating, which means it can withstand dust and handle submersion in up to 1 meter of tap water for up to 30 minutesthis squares with our experience. It also has a bit less compression present at max volume, so audio sounds cleaner at louder volumes. Below the large JBL logo is a single light that shows the amount of battery power left. You're all set to get the latest from Reviewed. The JBL Charge 5 delivers a durable, intuitive design with all of its control buttons arranged neatly in a row on top. I've tried a Xiaomi phone and any adapter (like the one you showed in the picture) can play the music because the Xiaomi phone already has the DAC. There are plenty of very good speakers that dont offer the same fit, finish or volume that you get from the JBL Charge 5, and many of those cost a lot less. On the top, youll find buttons for power, Bluetooth and volume up/down. Broaden your spectrum with JBL's signature sound. Still, if youre a fan of the JBL sound, want that power bank functionality or simply prefer its looks, the Charge 5 is a solid choice for a portable (and waterproof) Bluetooth speaker. It wont interface with any of your smart home gear either. The Marshall is smaller and offers a soundstage that can be perceived as open and spacious. They have similar designs, though the JBL logo on the Charge 5 is much larger and looks more like the one on the JBL Xtreme 3. The back of the Charge 5 has a charging port for juicing up the speaker and another one for charging your smartphone. The data pins on the USB-C go straight to the SoC and are used for servicing/firmware AND they actually do work with audio data, In JBL Displays in stores there is a special JBL USB-A+3.5mm to USB-C adapter that sends audio data to the speaker via the usb-c cable. The JBL is better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning it's dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The JBL Charge 5 is a very good Bluetooth speaker. Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available. There are no racing lights, no speakerphone, and you cant plug in another audio source. The Charge 5 has a more neutral sound profile than its predecessor and is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it's certified to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. There's a graphic EQ you can use to customize the speaker's sound profile to your liking. Were still ironing out our standardized speaker tests with the appropriate support equipment to update our testing and data collection. This should trigger a flashing light when it's in pairing mode and a solid blue light once it's paired. You can connect it to two devices at once, which can come in handy when you need to switch between audio sources quickly. The speaker is IP67-rated, meaning its essentially dustproof and can be submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes, and it also floats so you won't have to rescue it from the bottom of the pool. Perfectly Fine sounds great through the Charge 5, with her vocals ringing out clearly during the bridge at 3:32, but it doesnt mask the quieter guitar parts. Its durable fabric material and rugged rubber housing keep the Flip 5 safe while you let loose in the great outdoors. When you plug the Charge 5 in, the indicator light will blink, showing you how full the battery is. That said, as a smaller speaker, it doesn't bring a lot of rumble in the low-bass. Despite all this, the Charge 5 is relatively light at a little over two pounds. Aux input for non-Bluetooth(R) devices, 1/4 in. It has an IP67 rating, can be paired to another MEGABOOM 3 for a more powerful sound, and has a strong bass response. The Charge 5 drops support. It also has a power-saving feature that shuts the speaker off after it's left inactive for a while, which is nice. If you just connect two compatible speakers together, you can listen to music in stereo. Along the rubberized panel, there's a power button and a JBL Connect+ button that allows you to link up to four Flip 4 speakers, paired to a single sound source. Download the JBL Portable app to access JBL PartyBoost and firmware updates. However, while the Charge 5 can get louder with slightly fewer compression artifacts at max volume, the Flip 5 has a somewhat wider-sounding soundstage. Unfortunately, JBL stopped adding aux inputs to their portable speakers a few years ago, so the newest JBL Charge 5 only carries Bluetooth. Still, you probably shouldn't bathe with itthat's just weird, right? This speaker gets loud enough for average-sized rooms, but it struggles to fill larger and more open spaces with sound. F ck zero lag. The latest in the Charge lineup offers great sound and battery-life, with added durability to boot. The only way to play music over this speaker is Bluetoothyou. New York, It has outstanding voice assistant performance and comes with bass and treble sliders you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. The JBL Charge 5 (available at Amazon for $179.95) is the latest poolside- and outdoors-ready Bluetooth speaker from the portable audio maestros at JBL. Ive been using the Charge 5 as a general-purpose speaker over the past few weeks, streaming baseball games via the MLB app, audiobooks via Audible, my college radio airchecks that someone posted on YouTube, and playlists on Apple Music. The JBL Charge 5 adds a silicone foot on the bottom of the speaker, which is nice and helps it stay put on flat surfaces. That said, the Clip 4 is smaller and more portable thanks to its built-in carabiner hook. So they do exist outside of the OEM accessories. The JBL Charge 5 is a portable Bluetooth speaker similar to the JBL Charge 4. This small, lightweight speaker can be carried in one hand, making it easy to take when you're on the move. If you opt for Stereo Mode, the next time you play music from the primary speaker, it will play music in stereo through both speakers. Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. A subreddit dedicated to everything USB-C. Press J to jump to the feed. On the front, it has a big and impressive JBL logo. However, both songs sounded much fuller and richer on the Megaboom 3, although the vocals werent as far forward in the mix. Even after a firm dunk in a bucket of water, the Charge 5 sounds just as good as when its dryjust make sure the charging port flap is securely closed. Depending on your preferences, you may prefer either the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 or the JBL Charge 5. But generally, the approach here seems to be the age-old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory. JBLs Flip 5 is one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers ever, primarily due to its well-rounded, warm, robust sound qualityand the Charge 5 captures that same efficacy. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. In fact, SoundGuys Executive Editor Chris Thomas once DJd a small wedding with a pair of JBL Charge 3 speakersthe Charge 5 could certainly pull that off. It also has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, making it more suitable for watching movies and videos. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone. It can also get louder than the Charge 5, with fewer compression artifacts at max volume, and supports voice assistants through your smartphone. It uses Bluetooth 5.1, which means its slightly more energy efficient than Bluetooth 5.0. The JBL Portable app allows a user to tweak the equalization or alter the settings when the speaker is in PartyBoost mode. This approach is bad design, and only suitable for backward compatibility. In addition, it only makes minimal improvements over the more affordable Charge 4, so if you want this functionality at a bit of a discount, that's worthy of consideration. Built-in USB port plays music stored on a thumb drive. The Charge 5 also has Bluetooth multipoint functionality, so if you and a friend want to take turns playing music through your speaker, you wont have to switch source devices each time. Sorry bois im a bit late to the party. There's also a AUX-IN port for connecting your device via a 3.5mm audio cable which isn't included. Thats it. The Boom 3 is rated at 15 hours. It supports voice assistants through your smartphone too. Its always nice to open up a new audio gadget to see that it has at least a bit of battery charge in it, and the Charge 5 lets you dive right into music listening. It has an IP67 rating and sounds great, and if you want to integrate it into your Sonos ecosystem you can. The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 4. So, it is an ideal choice for home and outdoor entertainment. This review is part of TechHives coverage of thebest Bluetooth speakers, where youll find reviews of the competitions offerings, plus a buyers guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product. Find out more about how we test. The Charge 5 paired quickly with my phone. If the Nano does not have bluetooth, the answer is still yes. In my case, I'm sending the audio signal to the speaker from a DAC with a line level output (this is a weaker signal than you get from a headphone output).