Finally, the popular rechargeable speaker JBL Charge is also available as a WiFi version. In this article, I reveal the differences and how it fared in my test.
Why WiFi on the Charge 5?
Until now, most portable JBL speakers could only be connected via Bluetooth. With the additional WiFi connection now come some advantages and additional functions.
WiFi generally has a greater range than Bluetooth. So if the speaker is in the garden and the laptop or cell phone is in the house, the connection can reach up to 100m.
The biggest advantage from my point of view, however, is the multi-room capability. I have a total of six Apple Homepods in my home, so one in every room.
With the Homepod, you can play the same music on all speakers at the same time – or only on a few selected ones. This technology from Apple is called AirPlay.
Now I was looking for another AirPlay speaker for the balcony. And the JBL Charge 5 WiFi fits the bill perfectly. I can place it anywhere and control it together with the HomePods.
In addition to AirPlay, other connection technologies are also integrated: Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multiroom Music and Tidal.
Direct streaming via WLAN also has the advantage of better sound quality, as the compression is not as high as with Bluetooth.
Differences: Charge 5 WiFi vs Charge 5
Perhaps you already know the JBL Charge 5 with Bluetooth and would like to know what the exact differences are? Apart from the WiFi connection, there are actually very few differences.
The dimensions are identical and there are hardly any technical changes. Only the size of the woofer has been increased by a few millimeters in the WLAN version.
If the look plays a role for you: The Charge 5 WiFi is currently only available in black with red and gold accents. The Bluetooth version, on the other hand, is available in nine different colors.
A button on the top has also been changed: On the older Bluetooth version, there is a button for party boost mode on the far left. This allows several identical JBL speakers to be connected.
In the new Charge 5 Wifi, this button has become just a heart. The app can be used to set a specific radio station or playlist to start at a predefined volume.
Connect Charge 5 with WLAN
I’ve tested a lot of speakers, but I have to give JBL credit for one thing: The settings and buttons are very simple and intuitive.
This is also the case with the WiFi connection: For the initial setup, download the JBL One app from the store and tell the speaker which Wi-Fi it should use.
In future, the box will automatically connect to this WLAN when it is switched on. If you want to use Bluetooth instead, you can switch this using the buttons on the top.
Charge 5 WiFi battery life
I can confirm the manufacturer’s stated runtime of around 20 hours from my test. At least if you run the speaker at normal volume. The battery runs out more quickly at higher volumes.
The function of being able to use the Charge 5 as a power bank is also helpful, but unfortunately only with an old USB port.
Sound quality
In an earlier test, I compared the Charge 5 with the much larger Xtreme 3 and was amazed to find that there was hardly any difference in sound.
The JBL Charge 5 simply offers a very good compromise between good sound, decent bass and acceptable weight.
For me, the dimensions are just about right for taking them on trips.
The sound can be controlled via a rudimentary equalizer using the JBL One app.
The maximum volume of the Charge 5 is quite high and is easily sufficient for background music at a small garden party. The louder it gets, the less bass comes out of the speaker.
This is now the case with almost all portable speakers and serves to protect against overloading and to conserve the battery.
If you are looking for a good compromise between sound quality, volume, battery life and Wi-Fi connection, the Charge 5 WiFi is definitely a good choice.
Lars Grudzinski has been working as a sound and lighting technician since the 90s, was a DJ for electronic music, has a large collection of vintage speakers, and has been working for various radio stations in Germany for 20 years. At home, he enjoys high-quality home theater products such as soundbars and projectors and has installed an extensive Sonos system in his own home.