Elevate your party vibes with the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi portable wireless speaker
JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi. Pictures: Noel Campion.
A portable Bluetooth speaker is a must-have gadget for music enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. The new JBL Charge 5 WiFi features a compact design and wireless connectivity for unparalleled convenience. You can take your favourite tunes wherever you go, whether it's an outdoor party, a hiking trip, or simply relaxing at home.
The JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi boasts a contemporary design that sets it apart. Its prominent JBL logo at the centre may seem unconventional, but it adds a unique touch to the speaker's aesthetics. The logo is elegantly raised in black, accentuated by eye-catching gold bezels. Below the logo, a vertical light strip illuminates upon powering up the speaker, doubling as a handy battery level indicator.
Despite its round shape, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi features a flat base with eight diagonal rubber feet, ensuring stability and preventing unwanted slips or slides. On the back, you'll find a USB-C charging port with an orange accent, perfectly in sync with the overall design. A sturdy rubber flap next to it locks and shields a USB-A port from the outdoors so you may charge other gadgets in an emergency. A USB-A to USB-C cable is conveniently included in the package, making it a potential lifesaver in various scenarios.
The top of the Charge 5 Wi-Fi hosts a set of user-friendly controls. With volume adjustment buttons, play/pause functionality, and a dedicated JBL Moment button — press to play the set playlist and speakers settings preset in the JBL One App.
The power and Bluetooth buttons, nestled in the centre, light up when activated, adding a touch of tech flair.
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 for efficient power consumption and robust connectivity, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi delivers instant pairing and seamless connectivity. You can connect two Charge 5 Wi-Fi speakers for a stereo pair, but not a Charge 5 and a Charge 5 Wi-Fi.
The standout feature that sets the Charge 5 Wi-Fi apart from the standard version is that it can connect to your Wi-Fi network. This opens up many new features, including streaming audio via Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Spotify Connect. It also supports Alexa and Google Home, which can be activated via the JBL One app. Once I enabled Alexa in the JBL One app, I could use the Charge 5 Wi-Fi in a multi-room speaker group.
It also supports several music services, including Amazon Music, Calm Radio, iHeartRadio, Napster, Qobuz, Tidal and TuneIn. Apparent omissions from the list are Apple Music and Spotify, which isn’t a deal-breaker since you can still stream via Bluetooth, Chromecast and AirPlay. However, you won’t be able to use the ‘Moment’ feature. This is set in the app, where you can create a preset that includes a set volume level, a playlist or a radio station, and then when you press the Moment button on the speaker, it will start playing what you set. I used TuneIn as a test since it didn’t work with Apple Music or Spotify, and it’s a pretty handy feature.
JBL has elevated the audio experience with its 'Original Pro Sound,' incorporating an optimised long-excursion driver, a separate tweeter, and dual JBL bass radiators. The result is a remarkably rich and clear sound performance that will impress. The app has a basic three-band equaliser if you like to fine-tune things, but I found the default sound profile perfect for my listening tastes.
Durability is crucial, with the Charge 5 Wi-Fi boasting IP67 waterproof and dustproof standards. Like your modern smartphone, you can confidently submerge it in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes without any adverse effects. The 14,100mAh mAh battery provides an impressive 20 hours of playback on a single charge, although this may vary when using the power bank feature or playing music at higher volumes. The battery is twice the size of the Charge 5, yet it only manages the same battery life. I can only assume the extra Wi-Fi hardware is why it needs a larger battery capacity, as the rest of the specifications are similar. At six hours, charging the battery takes two hours longer than the Charge 5.
The Charge 5 WiFi excels in two crucial areas: volume and bass. While it thrives at high volumes, making it ideal for indoor and outdoor parties, it also maintains a pleasing sound quality at lower volumes. It's designed to be the life and soul of any gathering, ensuring everyone enjoys the music.
The Charge 5 Wi-Fi supports 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and WiFi 6. The advantages over Bluetooth are the more extended range, lower latency, a more stable connection, and improved sound quality (HD audio performance with 24bit/96kHz playback possible).
The JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi combines style, durability, and exceptional sound quality in a compact package. It's a must-have for those who demand the best portable audio, whether you're out in the wild or simply enjoying music at home. If you don't find the Wi-Fi features appealing, you can always snag the Charge 5 for less.
The Charge 5 Wi-Fi is available at select retailers, including Harvey Norman, priced at €249.
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