Furthermore, the new speaker weighs the same at 2 lbs (960 grams) and the dimensions have barely changed with just a few additional millimeters. It is now much easier to grip and also looks good (even though you probably won’t see it very often). The new Charge is also equipped with a redesigned base to prevent the round box from rolling away. There is also a regular USB port next to it, protected by a rubber strap, which you can use to charge your smartphone or tablet, for example. They keep their usual place on the top of the box.Ī USB-C port for charging the 7500 mAh battery is located on the back with the included cable. Controls, such as the buttons, remain in the same style as the predecessor. The battery indicator is now placed more precisely and nicely on the front in the form of a bar. For instance, a new battery display is also on board. Still, they managed to give the newcomer an interesting new touch and differentiate it significantly from the predecessor’s design. JBL does not start a design revolution with the JBL Charge 5 compared to its predecessor. We also liked several other new design elements in the test, such as the slightly different passive bass radiators and the rubber lip that frames the ends of the speaker. The new generation has become more belly-shaped, the logo emblazoned on the front has become bigger and is a direct eye-catcher. When you take the new JBL Charge 5 out of the box for the first time, the new facelift is the first big eye-catcher. Does an upgrade to the Charge 5 make sense for owners of the Charge 4? Is the JBL Charge 5 the right entry-level device for the world of Bluetooth speakers? JBL Charge 5 test: New case, same shape Even at full price, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed in the Charge 5.In our review, we take a closer look and show you whether the new generation is worth buying and what it does better than its predecessor. I still think it’s priced just a little too high, and PartyBoost has only continued to confuse me since venturing back out into society. Overall, I’m quite pleased with JBL’s latest portable speaker. Still, it was frustrating to search my house for where I had placed the correct cable. Once I switched back to the cable included in the box, everything worked fine. I tried to use the USB-C charger bundled with the Nintendo Switch to power it up, but the battery indicator flashed on and off instead of delivering power to the unit. I also found a new annoyance with the Charge 5 I hadn’t expected: it’s really picky about what cable you’re using to charge. The guy hosting that cookout I went to a couple of weeks ago had an older JBL speaker of his own, but because it used either JBL Connect or Connect+ and not PartyBoost, they were incompatible with each other. However, I still find JBL’s fragmentation of its stereo sync feature frustrating. Considering the Charge 4 has been kept around at a lower price, it's disappointing that these speakers can't communicate with each other. JBL's lack of commitment to keeping these standards inoperable makes me worry that this won't be the last time they change it. If you're the owner of a Charge 4 hoping to pair it with a new Charge 5, you're out of luck. PartyBoost replaces JBL Connect+, which replaced JBL Connect, and these various wireless modes aren't compatible with each other. Although, I'd be more excited if this weren't the third iteration of this feature. JBL is promoting PartyBoost stereo pairing pretty heavily here - it even has its own button on the speaker. A quick restart seemed to iron out the problems, but anything that gets in the way of jamming out at a party is certainly something to note. While JBL does offer an app for its audio gear, it's limited to controlling PartyBoost and updating firmware - no EQ settings to be found.Īlthough the range on the Charge 5 is pretty solid, I did have a couple of connection issues while playing music from Spotify. Unfortunately, if the default sound settings don't match what you want for your music, there's not much you can do.
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