A superb Bluetooth speaker boosted by wi-fi powers
Portable speaker | £230| whf.cm/Charge5_wifi
JBL rarely getsit wrong when it comes to portable speakers. The excellent Flip 5 and Flip 6, the booming Xtreme 3, the adorable little Go 3 and, of course, the Award-winning Charge 5 – this is a brand that gets audio-on-the-go like few others. With such pedigree, the new JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi has a lot to live up to.
Instinctively, many of JBL’s large roster of portable speakers revolve around outdoor use via the convenience of Bluetooth, with most of the brand’s models sold as free-roaming units that don’t require tethering to a stable wi-fi connection. As long as you have a phone or other music source that can handle basic Bluetooth, you’re sorted as far as your JBL unit is concerned.
This new model adds wi-fi to the Charge 5's talents, and there’s a lot to be said for such an addition. A wi-fi connection offers greater versatility and flexibility to your listening experience, and while many do take their portable speakers up mountainsides or down ravines, an equal number likely use them as party speakers or domestic stalwarts for use in the home or garden. As the Charge 5 Wi-Fi retains both Bluetooth and internet streaming options, you are hardly stuck for choice.
The ability to use features such as Chromecast and AirPlay, not to mention access to Alexa voice control, could elevate the Charge to the next level, and with some boosted specs and new ways to listen, this could in fact represent a major upgrade.
Hold the speaker in your hands and you will immediately get that reassuring feeling of weight and solidity for which JBL is so well known. It isn’t much of a design overhaul when compared with the standard Charge 5, with roughly the same shape, profile and embellishments as the classic model. In fact, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi is a fraction heavier than the Charge 5, tipping the scale at 40g more than the standard 5's 960g. It’s a stocky and handsome unit, still, and we like that solid black finish punctuated by hints of gold on the main logo and at the sides.
It’s wi-fi that sets the new model apart, and what that wi-fi compatibility gives you is greater freedom when using your source player. This burly Bluetooth speaker obviously lets you stream music over wi-fi in addition to Bluetooth, but crucially you can continue using your phone to take calls or use social media without it interrupting or affecting your music. Co
