JBL Charge 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Deep Bass, IP67 Waterproof and Dustproof, 20 Hours of Playtime, Built-In Powerbank, Camo

Very impressive. Bought this for BBQs, holiday hotels, air bnbs etc. Sound quality is great. I have an amp and Bowers Wilkins speakers at home and the clarity from this is easily as good. It's very mid-dominant but the 3 channel equaliser in the app is useful if you want to tweak the sound, but I mostly leave it in neutral. Sounds fuller indoors as most speakers can't move outside air, but in the garden this does still push out strong bass notes, certainly enough for not drowning out your guests! I am snobby about stereo sound but I think this is fine for it's use, and the soundstage is easily enough. It's portable to a point. Think of it as a bottle of wine without the stem in weight and size. I did consider (and trialled) a flip 7 but the bass isn't anywhere near as good. I might think twice about lugging it on a long walk but to a picnic or in hand luggage then no problem. The finish is rugged but I would worry a lighter material might get dirty and so went for the blue. Looks great. Recommended. For travelling and outdoor use it's the best on the market at this price level.

I’ve been using the JBL Charge 5 for a few months now, and it continues to impress me in every aspect. Fit and Size are just right — compact enough to carry around easily, yet heavy and solid enough to feel premium. It fits perfectly in my backpack’s side pocket and doesn’t take up much desk space. The sound quality is outstanding for its size. The bass is deep and punchy without overpowering the mids and highs, which remain clear even at high volume. I’ve used it both indoors and outdoors, and it performs equally well in both environments. Connectivity is also flawless — Bluetooth pairing is fast and stable, and the range easily covers an entire apartment. It reconnects automatically to my phone every time I turn it on, which is super convenient. When it comes to ease of setup, it couldn’t be simpler. You just press the power button and pair it once — no confusing steps or additional apps required unless you want to customize settings. In terms of value for money, I’d say it’s one of the best portable speakers in its price range. The build quality, waterproof design, and excellent battery life make it worth every penny. I’ve tried cheaper brands before, but none of them came close to the reliability and sound performance of JBL. Overall, the JBL Charge 5 is a perfect balance between portability, durability, and rich audio quality. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a powerful Bluetooth speaker that’s easy to use and built to last.

I am a bit into hifi and things, so I have always been sceptical about bluetooth speakers and even more so about boom boxes with lights etc. The hifi is nice, but you wouldn't take it to your bathroom while having a shower, or next to your bed while reading, or to the park. So, I decided to give this speaker a go. I investigated first and a few key points made me go for this option: - no lights and other unecessary things - clean and nice design (related to the above) - has a mid woofer and separate tweeter which should increase clarity and range - long battery life Ok. I got it out of the box and I was impressed. It would be completely stupid to compare it with the hifi sound on Focal floor standers and class B amplifier. So I will be referencing my impressions for what it is,a portable speaker. And man, this thing delivers. My view. The speaker sounds clear, it plays well with many different genres of music, playing rock tunes lovely and clearly (the dedicated tweeter surely helps). The sound signature is V shaped, which means it is slightly equalized to increase the highest and lowest frequencies. This is normal for regular listeners, a flat response would not sound nice on such speaker. Having said that, the bass is not exagerated and the extra bit helps when using it outside, for sure. The sound is directional, so the best sound comes from the front (where the JBL logo is). The speaker maintains a really good sound signature at low volume, which is perfect for when going to a park and you don't want to disturb others, or while reading with some background music. It does have plenty of volume to fill up a room with sound. I haven't tried pairing it with another speaker, something you can apparently do. I do not have another one, I expect the result to be satisfying. But for bigger setups I would always recommend an hifi set, even with bookshelf speakers. Me and my girlfriend used the speaker for a few hours so far and the battery hasn't yet even dropped below 50%. In fact, we haven't yet had to charge it since it came out of the box! The speaker can be updated using the JBL app using the mobile phone. It is rated to be water and dust resistant, but I haven't tried that. I guess it is a bonus for when using it in the misty bathroom while showering, or if it gets a bit wet carrying it in the park. I don't see any point to put it on water on purpose. In short. It is an expensive speaker, no doubt. But if like me you listen to some variety of music that doesn't need just bass, you find rgb and lights to be a minus rather than a bonus, you like sometimes to listen to it at low volume... This speaker is absolutely perfect for that and it is worth the small extra investment. Consider also that bluetooth is a constantly evolving technology, so it lasts less than an analog system. This speaker uses the latest bluetooth standards, so it will last you for a bit longer. You always have your hifi when you want to get the full listening experience, but this thing will get a nice smile on your face :)

I bought 2× JBL Charge 5 speakers from Amazon and used both in our community dance lessons in a village hall less than two hours after they arrived. They worked perfectly — clear, loud and powerful. The company that sent them from Amazon were brilliant and the quality was good. We also ordered cases and silicone handles, and those arrived quickly. I’ve given 5 stars as this is an honest report back.

The best speaker I have ever used, brilliant audio depth and an extremely rich bass. Crisp y quality sound anywhere on the go. Easy to setup and comes with an app which allows you to control the bass, mid and treble which is a nice feature to allow you to do, to get the best out of your speaker. There is a range of colours to chose from I went for red and it does not disappoint in anyway. Great value for your money and really strong build quality which makes it more durable.

The JBL charge 5 really does set the standard for travel friendly speakers under 1kg. I was lucky enough to get the "ND" version, and I've been really happy with the sound I'm already getting out of it. I imagine it will only get better with extended break in. Build quality is second to none. I was able to buy mine on a flash sale, and I highly recommend you wait for a good price on this, because while I think its a good speaker there's NO WAY its worth its RRP. I have a pair of Soundcore motion booms, and I also had a motion+ that I recently got rid of- for the charge 5 actually- so I do feel like I'm in a good position to review and compare this to others. Also have owned others in the past, charge 3 and UE megaboom for example. Compared to the motion boom, its (almost) slaughter. The sound you can get out of that speaker for the money is actually astonishing, with a custom EQ you can get it to sound so dynamic and with real true deep bass down to 45hz. However, I will say the charge 5 holds its own to about 50-60% volume, it's a really nice listen at these volumes because it does have nice bass with excellent clarity. I do prefer the charge 5 for lower listening levels of the two, especially if your sitting in close to the speaker in a small room. At higher levels the motion boom destroys the charge 5, but that is to be expected, its a way bigger speaker! The boom is also a stereo set up compared to the mono setup of the charge, so at higher levels you do miss a bit of the sound stage and instrument separation on certain tracks. At anything over 80% especially, the charge 5 limits bass so the gap widens even further. The charge 5 is also a lot lighter than the motion boom, 970 grams vs 1570 grams! Compared to the motion+, which is something of a cult hit speaker and does offer amazing clarity and stereo separation with the right EQ, the charge and the motion+ trade blows in my opinion. On the one hand, when it comes to deep bass the charge 5 absolutely dominates the upper bass heavy motion+ (until you get to 100% volume, the motion+ does get a lot louder and have more overall bass, however both speakers frankly sound really bad and screechy at 100%, so I don't recommend that lol). On the other hand, you get really immersive stereo separation, and a higher quality Bluetooth codec on the motion+. For my personal tastes, I prefer the sound of the charge 5, I just need the bass the JBL can deliver for the music I listen too. The charge 5 is also surprisingly lighter than the motion+, 970 grams vs 1060 grams. There are some tracks that you notice the mono sound on the JBL more than others, however overall I still think this is a great speaker for all genres. The thing that really holds this speaker back is its ridiculous retail price. At the price I paid (109), I'd say its a solid 4.5 speaker, and best in class travel friendly speaker. At higher prices, it really does get harder to recommend- especially when you consider the value friendly options available from the likes of Soundcore and Tribit. There's also the possibility of a new charge 6 being just around the corner... Hope this review/comparison helped!

Update: March 2024. I have now bought a second Charge 5, to allow stereo pairing. To say the sound blows me away is an understatement. Individually, the Charge 5 is a fantastic speaker, and I raved about it in my original review below. As a stereo pair, the sound is taken up to another level! For around £250 for both speakers, you have room filling separation, fabulous open clarity, rich bass, and of course the total versatility that portable Bluetooth speakers can bring! The pairing process is easy, via the JBL Portable App, and takes seconds. The reward is immense. I urge you to buy one. Then I urge you to buy a second. Original review: I really love this speaker for so many reasons. Mainly of course the sound quality. That’s the most important aspect of any speaker for me. The sound from the Charge 5 is open and clear, I hear so much detail, even in complex musical passages. There was plenty of charge when firing it up for the first time, pairing was immediate, and the JBL portable app was also an immediate success. The unit feels substantial and robust, even though I have no intention of taking it to the beach, submerging it in water, and my pool party days are long gone!! Hang on, I’ve never been to pool party!! From playing my first tracks, I was aware of a wide grin on my face! This unit may be top quality, but it’s also fun! It makes you smile. The opposite was true for me, with a Sony SRS-XG300 that I bought at the same time - tempted by a great Black Friday deal on the Sony. I returned the Sony and will buy a second Charge 5 to have the option of stereo pairing. Back to the Charge 5. I was very happy with the clarity of the sound fresh from the box, and even happier with some mild tweaking of the app equaliser. It didn’t make a huge difference, but a subtle one. I do have various other portable Bluetooth speakers, including a Soundcore motion boom plus, but I can already tell the Charge 5 will become my go-to choice. My Audio Pro Addon C5A has beautiful rich sound, but is of course mains only. I’d read so many reviews of various speakers, and the Charge 5 usually is very favourable reviewed, especially by What Hi-Fi, where it gets many awards. I can now understand why. This is an absolute joy, and will make me listen to even more music than I already do! I’m a very VERY happy buyer.

The sound quality is impressive for a speaker of this size. The bass is punchy without being muddy, and the volume is more than enough for both indoor listening and outdoor use. It feels solid and well made. The rubberised finish gives it a tough, durable feel and I don’t worry about it if it takes the odd knock. Being fully waterproof is a big advantage too, especially around a pool or when caught in the rain. Battery life has also been reliable, lasting a full day of use without needing a charge.