JBL Charge 5 Speaker Review

The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the JBL Flip 5. The Charge 5 has a more neutral sound profile, and longer battery life, though the latter can vary depending on your usage habits. It's also better built and is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. 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.

The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. The Ultimate Ears can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and has an outstanding soundstage, thanks to its 360-degree design. That said, the JBL has a more neutral sound profile out of the box. You can connect it to two devices at once, which can come in handy when you need to switch between two audio sources quickly.

The JBL Xtreme 2 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. While the Charge 5 has a more balanced sound profile, the Xtreme 2 can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It can also get louder than the Charge 5, with fewer compression artifacts at max volume, and supports voice assistants through your smartphone.

The Sony SRS-XE300 and the JBL Charge 5 are similar speakers with different strengths. While the JBL offers better overall sound quality, the Sony is more versatile. The JBL has better directivity, resulting in a wider and more open-sounding soundstage, while the Sony's sounds a bit more muffled. It also has a bit less compression present at max volume, so audio sounds cleaner at louder volumes. Its sound profile is also more balanced and a bit smaller, making it easier to transport. However, the Sony can produce slightly deeper bass, and its battery life lasts almost three hours longer. It supports voice assistants through your smartphone too. Also, it can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a richer and fuller sound. However, it's hard to notice the channel separation when passively listening due to the speaker's size.

The JBL Charge 5 and the JBL Pulse 5 are both portable Bluetooth speakers with strengths and weaknesses. The Charge 5 has a better sound quality out of the box, with a more balanced sound and a more extended low-bass. It also has a longer-lasting battery life. However, it doesn't come with RGB lights like the Pulse 5, which you may prefer depending on your tastes.

Depending on your preferences, you may prefer either the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 or the JBL Charge 5. The Ultimate Ears is better built and has a wider and more open-sounding soundstage, thanks to its 360-degree design. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. That said, the JBL has a better-balanced sound profile that can produce more extended low-bass than the Ultimate Ears out of the box. It can also get slightly louder, though there's some compression at max volume that may affect the clarity of your audio at louder volumes.

The Sonos Roam and the JBL Charge 5 are similar speakers, though they have different strengths. The Sonos is smaller and more portable than the JBL. It has outstanding voice assistant performance and comes with bass and treble sliders you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. However, the JBL can get louder than the Sonos with fewer compression artifacts at max volume. It can be paired to two devices at once via Bluetooth and has outstanding battery life, though this can vary depending on your usage habits, so your real-world experience may differ.

The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the Sony SRS-XE200, though they perform similarly. The JBL offers a more balanced sound profile out of the box, suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. It gets as loud as the Sony with less compression at max volume, so audio quality sounds cleaner and clearer when you bump up the volume. It also has better directivity, so you'll perceive its soundstage as more open and spacious than the Sony speaker. The Sony can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It supports voice assistants through your smartphone too.

The JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 4 are similar speakers with different strengths. The Flip 4 is smaller, making it easier to carry around with you when you're on the go. It can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono resulting in a more immersive soundstage. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone. That said, the JBL Charge 5 offers a better-balanced sound profile and has a longer-lasting 14.5-hour battery life. However, battery performance can vary depending on your usage, and your experience may differ. Also, while the Flip 4 is compatible with JBL speakers that support JBL Connect+, the Charge 5 can only be paired to PartyBoost-compatible JBL speakers.

The JBL Charge 5 is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Pulse 4. The Charge 5 is better-built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, certifying it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It can also get louder and offers a better-balanced sound profile that can produce deeper bass than the Pulse 4. That said, the Pulse 4 comes with customizable RGB lights and offers a more natural-sounding soundstage, thanks to its 360-degree design.

The JBL Charge 5 and the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom are similar speakers. The JBL has a more neutral sound profile out of the box that's suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. It's smaller, making it a bit more portable. You can also pair it to up to two devices at once, so you can easily switch between audio sources. That said, the Anker can get louder with less compression at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't great.

You may prefer either the Marshall Emberton or the JBL Charge 5, depending on your preferences. The Marshall is smaller and offers a soundstage that can be perceived as open and spacious. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which sounds more immersive. That said, the JBL can get louder with less compression at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volume levels. It also has a longer battery life, lasting over 14 hours from a single charge, though this can depend on your usage. 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 Sony SRS-XB33 is a slightly better speaker than JBL Charge 5. The JBL has a better-balanced sound profile and slightly longer battery life, though battery life can vary depending on usage, so your experience may differ. However, the Sony comes with a ClearAudio+ feature advertised to automatically adjust its sound according to your audio. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't very good.

Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Marshall Middleton or the JBL Charge 5. The JBL's battery lasts longer, and its graphic EQ makes it a bit more customizable. However, the Marshall can reproduce a slightly more extended low-bass. It has a better soundstage as well.

The Anker Soundcore Motion+ is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. The JBL is better-built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It also has a better-balanced sound profile than the Anker out of the box. However, the Anker can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. 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 Marshall Emberton II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Charge 5, though they have different strengths. The Marshall is smaller, making it more portable. It offers a wider and more immersive-sounding soundstage that can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It has a longer-lasting battery life. It also has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, making it more suitable for watching movies and videos. However, the JBL gets a touch louder than the Marshall, with much less compression present at max volume, so your audio doesn't degrade as much as you bump up the volume. Also, while the Marshall comes with EQ presets to adjust its sound, the JBL comes with a graphic EQ that gives you more control over the speaker's sound.

The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is better than the JBL Charge 5. While the JBL is smaller and better built, it doesn't let you use voice assistants through your paired smartphone like the Anker. Plus, the Anker gets louder and can playback stereo content without downmixing it to mono.

The Sonos Move is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5 overall. The Sonos has a better-balanced sound profile that can produce a more extended low-bass than the JBL. Its sound profile is more customizable, thanks to the bass and treble adjustments featured on its companion app. It even offers outstanding voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. That said, the JBL is smaller than the Sonos, making it easier to transport with you when you're on the go.

The Anker Soundcore Motion X600 is better than the JBL Charge 5. The Anker is a stereo speaker that gets louder than the JBL. Plus, it offers voice assistants through a paired smartphone, which the JBL lacks. There are also more sound modes and presets with the Anker, so you can switch up its sound. That said, the JBL's battery life is a touch longer.

The Sony SRS-XB43 is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Charge 5 though they're similar. The JBL is smaller and has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box. That said, like many Sony speakers we've tested, the Sony has a ClearAudio+ feature advertised to adjust the speaker's sound according to your audio content and can get louder than the JBL. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't great.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. The Bose offers a wider and more natural-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design. It also has a slightly better-balanced sound profile than that of the JBL. Additionally, it supports voice assistants through your smartphone and does an excellent job of understanding you from far and in noisy environments. That said, the JBL is better built and can also get slightly louder than the Bose with less compression at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio.

The JBL Charge 5 is a slightly better speaker than the Sony SRS-XB23. The Sony offers a wider-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't great. However, the JBL offers a better-balanced sound profile out of the box and can produce a more extended low-bass. It can also get a bit louder with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes. Additionally, it has a longer-lasting battery life, though this can depend on your usage.

The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the JBL Clip 4 overall, though you may prefer one over the other depending on your listening habits. The Charge 5 offers a better-balanced sound profile that can produce deeper bass than the Clip 4. It can also get louder and can last over 14 hours from a single charge, though this can depend on your usage. That said, the Clip 4 is smaller and more portable thanks to its built-in carabiner hook. It also offers a wider-sounding soundstage.

You may prefer either the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 or the JBL Charge 5, depending on your listening habits. The JBL has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box that can produce a slightly more extended low-bass than the Anker. It's better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance and can also get a bit louder. That said, the Anker can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and offers a wider-sounding soundstage, thanks to its 360-degree design.

The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 6. 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. It's smaller, more portable, and has a longer-lasting battery life than the Harman, though battery life can depend on your usage habits, and your experience may differ. That said, the Harman can produce a slightly more extended low-bass than the JBL.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. It has a slightly better-balanced sound profile out of the box and offers a wider-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone. That said, the JBL has a longer battery life, though this can vary depending on your usage habits.

The JBL Charge 5 is a slightly better speaker than the Anker Soundcore 3. The JBL offers a better-balanced sound profile that can produce a more extended low-bass than the Anker out of the box. It can also get louder and has a wider-sounding soundstage. That said, the Anker is smaller and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive.

The JBL Boombox 2 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. The Boombox 2 can produce deeper bass and can get louder than the Charge 5. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. The Charge 5 is smaller and more portable than the Boombox 2. It's also 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 Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5, though they have different strengths. The Ultimate Ears is smaller, more portable, and has much better directivity resulting in a more open and natural-sounding soundstage. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and has fewer compression artifacts at max volume. The JBL can produce deeper bass than the Ultimate Ears, and you can pair it to multiple PartyBoost-compatible speakers, which can come in handy when you want your audio to fill a large room.