Once you have as many as 4 predecessors, you have a significant advantage over the competition. This means that your creator has quite a bit of experience in making Bluetooth speakers and has had enough time over the years to listen to user feedback and correct it and add new capabilities with each generation.

After 5 generations, JBL Charge 5 has all the conditions to meet the needs of future users. To make sure this is indeed the case, I tested how well it is tuned, how reliable its design is, which features are convenient, which are missing, and how it performs when playing various audio content.

What is the price of the JBL Charge 5 speaker?

As many as 9 colors are available, my test version was dressed in black. You can get it at Big Bang for €164.99, but it's currently discounted to €149.99.

JBL Charge 5 – not only beautiful, but also durable

The cylindrical design is not unique to JBL speakers. Quite a few, if not the majority, of portable Bluetooth speakers opt for this type of design. It's classic, but for a reason, because it simply works. Due to its round shape, it can be easily carried in the hands and fits into any bag or backpack. The speaker is wrapped in a mesh fabric, but fortunately it doesn't have any additional kitschy accessories. They could have added RGB lighting, as many competitors do, and I'm glad JBL opted for less fanfare. The only lights are actually a thin line under the logo, which automatically turns off after a certain time, and an LED circle around the power and Bluetooth buttons.

The mesh fabric is pleasantly rough, which makes it easy to wear. It is true that dirt accumulates faster on this type of material, but it is also very easy to clean. There are handy rubber feet on the bottom that keep the speaker in place regardless of the surface. Even if you put it on a wet table, it will stay in place. It is charged via the USB-C connector, which is not protected by a rubber cover, which, according to the manufacturer, does not affect the waterproofness of the speaker. In addition, there is a rubber cover under which USB-A is hidden for charging other devices, such as a phone. I would really only recommend charging this way for emergencies. The first reason is the slow speed, and the second is because it wastes precious speaker energy.

The buttons are slightly raised from the body for a better tactile feel. We have buttons for adjusting the speed, a button for turning on and Bluetooth connection, a button for pausing or playing a song, with which we also skip a song with two touches (but we cannot go back to the previous song or rewind the music to a certain moment). The Party Boost button remains, more on that later.

I love the edge aesthetic. Instead of a perfect circle, three spikes have been added to the edges, which in addition to adding a bit of boldness to the classic design, also protect the woofer on each side. If the speaker falls out of your hands, you can rest assured that it won't damage the exposed drivers. The design does not prevent you from touching them with your hand and enjoying relatively strong bass.

The only thing missing is a cable connection and a microphone, so that the speaker could also be used for phone calls at times. Not a critical flaw, just an addition that some might consider.

Since JBL expects that you will often use the speaker outdoors, they have added waterproof and dust resistance to the IP67 standard. So, dust shouldn't wreak havoc on your electronics if it falls into your water, and there's also no immediate cause for alarm. Let it dry and there should be no permanent damage. However, I would advise you to be extra careful near the sea or the pool. Chlorine and salt can cause unwanted damage despite the robustness of the speaker.

JBL Charge 5 – good battery, reliable connection and the ability to connect with other speakers

Compared to the previous generation, they upgraded the Bluetooth connection to version 5.1, which means even better reliability and a slightly longer range. The battery capacity is 7500 mAh, which is enough for about 20 hours of playback, which largely depends on the volume at which you listen to the music. I used it most of the time at 50 % volume because it was quite enough for me. For testing purposes, I wound it up to full capacity, but really thin. In this way, I got about 17-18 hours of use. If you're going to use the speaker as a battery to charge other devices, expect the lifespan to be drastically reduced. It takes about 4 hours to charge.

Its rated power is 40 W, and the frequency range is 60 Hz - 20,000 Hz. JBL says they've widened the woofer a bit, and added a new tweeter.

I mentioned the Party Boost feature earlier. Simply put, it's a feature that allows you to pair the JBL Charge 5 with other speakers, such as the Pulse 4, the Charge 4 and 3 predecessors, and the like.

What does this mean for sound?

While compactness is what we want in portable speakers, this can be a major limitation to sound quality. With the JBL Charge 5, I didn't get the feeling that it was overly restricted due to its size. The sound is indeed very well tuned in most cases. The bass is very pronounced, maybe a little less at full volume, the clarity of the sound is always on point, which I guess I can thank the new tweeter for.

Rock, pop, punk, metal... No matter what I listened to in all my favorite genres, I got the sound I wanted. If maximum volume is important to you, it will not disappoint you in this respect either. Although I myself have been more moderate in its use, when the speaker is wound all the way, it can put out a very powerful sound for its size.

An application is available but not required. It is very basic and easy to use. Most useful for connecting multiple speakers with Party Boost, it also has an equalizer for basic treble, mid and bass adjustments. To test the Party Boost function, I connected an additional JBL Flip 6 speaker, which I am also currently testing. Although they are two different speakers, they complement each other nicely, despite the fact that the JBL Charge 5 delivers a much more penetrating sound in isolation. I can see a scenario where a stereo setup would come in handy, for example at a party where I would want the sound to be present in every room.

The only time the Charge 5 failed for me was while watching movies. I connected it to my TV hoping it would upgrade my sound, but it just lacks the spaciousness you need during a movie. In connection with an additional speaker, the result was a little better, but still in this case I would prefer to opt for a sound bar.

It's hard to criticize him

The JBL Charge 5 is a speaker that will work well in the hands of almost any user. It is portable, robust, attractive, functional and on top of that it delivers very good sound. The flaws I found are very superficial and do not affect my opinion of the speaker. If you are looking for a Bluetooth speaker, the JBL Charge 5 is a very good choice.