The back has a USB-C port (the increasingly familiar oval) for recharging the battery-a charging cable is included in the box though you’ll need to provide the power block. Under the logo is an LED light bar that displays battery supply: at full power, it will be completely lit up and will then drain over time, flashing red when the battery is almost dead. I picked up on the vibe that JBL wants to say its Bluetooth waterproof speakers are exciting and it aligns with the speaker’s overall bold look, though the punctuation is a little too flashy for my taste. At the ends of the rubberized cylinder are two passive bass radiators, which have traded the JBL logo for more exclamation points. It’s still got a 27-watt lithium-ion battery, but that’s now pushing two 2-inch bass drivers (up from 1.9 inches) plus a new 20mm tweeter. But as soon as you see the bold, blown-up JBL logo with its prominent exclamation points stamped on the front grille, you know the Charge 5 is about being a little extra.

– PartyBoost cannot pair with some older modelsĪt first glance, the JBL Charge 4 and Charge 5 are similar in size, measuring around 8.7 inches by 3.8 inches by 3.7 inches and about 2.1 pounds. So is the Charge 5 still the best portable Bluetooth speaker for long weekends? Let’s read this JBL Charge 5 review and find out. Comparable in size to a heartily stuffed burrito, the latest version of the Charge is now dustproof, has more drivers, has updated Bluetooth-all without sacrificing its impressive 20-hour battery life-but at $179 it also costs more than the $149 Charge 4, as well as similarly sized speakers. And with each iteration, JBL Bluetooth speakers are made a little more durable and dynamic. The JBL Charge 5 speaker is, as the name suggests, the fifth generation of a regularly refreshed speaker known for both its big sound and substantial battery. Other than leaning on history in energetic live sound, however, JBL doesn’t look to the past for its party speakers. JBL started manufacturing loudspeakers in 1946, so by the time the company decided to get into portable Bluetooth speakers it had plenty of engineering knowledge to draw on. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.