#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW DRIVERS#
#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW DRIVER#
#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW FULL#
#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW PORTABLE#
#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW SOFTWARE#

We’ve heard bookshelf speakers that produce less bass than the Charge 5. Bass is impactful and deep, which is surprising for a speaker of this sound. Tonally, the JBL Charge 5 sounds balanced at medium to low volume. There’s an additional tweeter in the Charge 5 that helps with overall clarity, and bass is slightly more impactful than the Charge 4, too. Overall, the sound quality of the JBL Charge 5 hasn’t changed much from the Charge 4. If you’re pushing the speaker at higher volumes or are using it as a battery bank to top off your phone, expect that number to drop. In terms of battery life, the JBL Charge 5, like the Charge 4, is rated for 20 hours of playback, which we had no problem reaching while playing at 50% volume.

#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW SOFTWARE#

JBL offers a nice mobile app that allows you to customize its speakers and to download software updates, though it's worth noting that firmware updates can take upwards of 15 minutes. It’s also nice to get true stereo playback out of a pair of speakers. The feature is great if you want to play music across a large area where multiple speakers can help amplify sound.

#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW PORTABLE#

However, like other JBL portable speakers, the Charge 5 features the “PartyBoost” mode, which allows users to pair a second JBL speaker to either amplify music or use as a stereo pair. In terms of technical specs, the Charge 5 includes Bluetooth 5.1, a 7500 mAh battery capacity, and a frequency response rated 65 Hz - 20k Hz. We preferred the stability of the Charge 4’s square design to allow for easier vertical placement. This difference isn’t a big deal until you want to set the speaker up vertically, allowing the speaker to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One subtle change is that the JBL Charge 5 is shaped like a trapezoid with the sides tilting inward.

#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW DRIVERS#

The drivers are protected by a lip around the speaker, but you’ll still be able to touch the drivers without damaging them. The Charge 5 retains the exposed bass drivers on the left and right of the speaker, which lets you see the woofers moving in and out. The Charge 5 drops support for the 3.5mm aux jack from the JBL Charge 4, which is a bummer for some who have legacy devices they want to hook up. The balance of sound is well handled, nothing drowned out or lost in the overall mix.Around the back, the JBL Charge 5 has a waterproof USB-C charging port as well as a flap hiding the USB-A port that can be used to charge up your smartphone. There's also a dome tweeter to deliver crisp high-end, which was absent before.

#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW DRIVER#

The driver arrangement has been rethought compared to the earlier Charge models, too, upsizing the bass driver ever so slightly, to deliver even more power (40W up from 30W).

If you're into underground bass music, however, you can catch light of that limitation - anything running sub bass in the 40-60Hz spectrum won't have impact, but that's not going to affect most musical genres. JBL claims a low-end frequency of 65Hz, which when you listen might come as a surprise, given the sheer power of basslines it can handle.

We've had tables and floors vibrate from the sheer force of its output. The cylindrical shape means the two ends are 'open', so the bass radiators have freedom to move - and you'll see the ends wobbling about to handle the low-end output, which is where the Charge 5 delivers strong bass. That's a great change for simplicity's sake: you needn't fiddle about with a cover when it comes to recharging, and it doesn't affect the product's dust- and water-resistance.

#JBL CHARGE 5 REVIEW FULL#

There's still a flap to the rear, covering the USB-A port (used for charging external devices, such as plugging your phone in to pinch some of the battery), while the USB-C port for charging the speaker itself is on full display on the back of the unit, no cover. It's not especially missed, as it's an increasingly rare use. There's no 3.5mm port this time around, removing the ability to wire a source device to the speaker. Note, however, that it's Bluetooth or nothing. Most of the time you won't need to though: a synched phone, laptop or other source via Bluetooth will give you remote controls from that source. The cylindrical-shape speaker has button controls up top - on/off, Bluetooth pairing, volume up, volume down, play/pause, and app sync - which are extensive enough for anyone to make quick adjustments.

Jbl charge 5 review