Review: JBL Charge 5 Speaker – Power and Passion

For a 75-year-old company founded in Los Angeles, JBL sure knows how to harness youthful exuberance.

However, James B. Lansing Sound, Inc came perilously close to being another failed start-up when its founder died within 3 years of shipping their first products – the D101 15-inch loudspeaker and the D175 high-frequency driver (which remained in the JBL catalogue through the 1970s).

Fast-forward to today and the JBL range of almost any type of audio hardware is synonymous with unique form factors and really, really full sound that would doubtless get the approval of a ‘Roadie’ for Midnight Oil.

The newest member of the JBL family arrived recently and in a nod to the needs of today’s customers, the Charge 5 Bluetooth Speaker is the second speaker in the range to offer the Powerbank featureto keep all your devices charged.

Packed with a 30W RMS woofer, 10W RMS tweeter that together delivers super-impressive audio clarity and seriously deep bass – as well as Bluetooth 5.1 – the Charge 5 gives you up to 20 hours of playback time wherever the mood takes you.

The Charge 5 differs from its older brother, the Xtreme 3 in that it’s smaller (22cm x 9.6cm x 9.3cm) and weighs less than 1kg. The battery is also smaller (27Wh) with a recharge time of just 4 hours. So on a (battery) power to weight ratio, the Charge 5 is exceptional value with 28Wh/kg as opposed to the larger and heavier Xtreme 3 with 18Wh/kg.

Other great features of the Charge 5 include PartyBoost where you can connect multiple compatible speakers to massively amplify your sound. Then there’s the IP67 waterproof rating, and multi-device pairing so you can share the love and epic sound.

Available in seven colours and priced at $199.95, the Charge 5 slots into the JBL family perfectly and like a beloved family pet, will be just as eternally reliable and devoted to filling your world with goose-bump inducing sound – whenever you want it.

Get your Charge 5 now from JBL.com.au