JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: which Bluetooth speaker is better?

One of the best Bluetooth speakers around now has a sequel.

The Award-winning JBL Charge 5 has been riding high in our list ever since launch, earning the coveted spot of 'best overall'. Given the calibre of the competition, that's an impressive feat.

Now a new model has entered the fray: the Charge 6. It's another five-star effort from JBL, with a bigger sound, more bass and a few new features.

But with the outgoing Charge 5 dropping in price, could it be the better buy? Or does the Charge 6 justify its higher price tag?

Let's find out.

JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: price

Bad news: the Charge 6 is pricier than its predecessor. While the Charge 5 cost £160 / $180 / AU$199 at launch, the Charge 6 is priced at £170 / $199 / AU$200.

But there is a silver lining. The Charge 5 regularly goes on sale, so the Charge 6 is likely to do the same (eventually, at least).

Because the Charge 5 is now end of life, even bigger discounts are likely – at time of writing, it sells for around £120 / $120 / AU$200, which is very close to its lowest price ever. Eyes peeled.

** Winner: JBL Charge 5 **

JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: design

The Charge 5 and 6 might look very similar, but there are some subtle differences.

The button layout for starters. The Charge 6 moves the various power/pairing and control buttons across two rows, meaning playback and volume are just a little easier to access.

It also has a new detachable carry strap for lugging it around, complete with clip bits on the top of the speaker. Considering the slightly chunky nature of the compact speaker, this carry strap makes a big difference for its portable credentials, as the Charge is just a little unwieldy to carry in one hand.

Not all the design improvements are purely aesthetic. The Charge 6's rugged nature gets a boost thanks to an IP68 rating, which is up from the IP67 of the Charge 5. That means the 6 is completely dust-tight, and more waterproof than the Charge 5.

But the Charge 6 retains a lot of what made the 5 such a great speaker. Both speakers feel tough and durable and retain the same size. The diagonal antislip lines on the underside of the Charge 5 have been changes to just two lines of support on the Charge 6 – both are fairly stable either way.

The chunky rubberised bumper guards at either end of the speaker have been beefed up on the Charge 6, too, which JBL claims will help it survive a 1m drop onto a concrete floor.

** Winner: JBL Charge 6 **

JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: features

The Charge 6 has some new features, too. You can now play lossless hi-res audio via the USB-C port for the first time, with the wired audio playback supporting up to 24-bit/96kHz quality.

Simply take your phone's USB-C charging cable, connect it to the Charge 6, fire up your hi-res music streaming service (such as Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music) and you'll be able to hear an uptick in sound quality over standard Bluetooth.

The general sound quality has also been improved. That's thanks to JBL's 'AI Sound Boost', which analyses sound waves in real time and optimises the speaker's audio without introducing any distortion – meaning bigger sound and deeper bass.

The Charge 6 has an upgraded subwoofer, which should give a deeper bass response.

And it promises a much longer 28 hours of run time per charge (using the Playtime Boost feature, which reduces bass power), over the Charge 5's 20 hours. Without Playtime Boost, the Charge 6 lasts a still-impressive 24 hours.

Like its predecessor, the Charge 6 doubles up as a powerbank, meaning it can be used to juice up a mobile or tablet on the go. Hence the 'Charge' moniker.

The new audio-sharing protocol Auracast also comes as standard on the Charge 6 alongside Bluetooth 5.4. This lets you daisy chain numerous other Auracast-compatible speakers together wirelessly for a much bigger sound.

The older Charge 5 still has plenty to like about it. The bass driver and 20mm tweeter help create the Award-winning sound, while swift wireless connectivity comes courtesy of Bluetooth 5.1.

There's no Auracast, but the Charge 5 does have the older-generation PartyBoost, which does much the same thing, but uses more power and connects to other (older) PartyBoost-enabled speakers.

Sadly, you can't combine a Charge 5 with a Charge 6 as they use different sharing technologies.

** Winner: JBL Charge 6 **

JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: sound

JBL has promised a better sound for the Charge 6, but does it deliver?

Yes. Resoundingly so.

Its 20mm tweeter and new woofer give a deeper, more powerful bass, while the new 'AI Sound Boost' analyses the sound in real time to ensure the output is always powerful but without distortions.

It's been implemented very skilfully, with muscle and authority throughout the frequency range, not just the lower end.

The audio is clearer and more detailed, the vocals extra present with more texture, and highs have more power and clarity.

It's an altogether more energetic performance than the Charge 5.

"This is a sound that goes far beyond the confines of its portable dimensions; we’re always struck by just how mature the sound balance is, even as you push the volume up," we noted in our review.

The wired lossless audio adds another dimension, with less noise in the background, and a greater degree of subtlety.

The Award-winning Charge 5 still sounds superb, even if it's outdone by its successor.

We praised the Charge 5's agile, energised performance, describing it as "an expansive mix for a portable speaker of this size."

It can do bass oomph as well as any speaker in its category, but it's also skilled at bringing out the more delicate elements of a track.

In a word: brilliant. In seven words: just not as good as its successor.

** Winner: JBL Charge 6 **

JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: verdict

The JBL Charge line has long ranked among the best Bluetooth speakers money can buy, so a new model is very welcome news.

With a tweaked design for greater portability, powerful, clearer and more detailed sound quality plus the option of lossless hi-res over wired USB-C, the Charge 6 is a no-brainer against the outgoing Charge 5 if you're looking for a great portable speaker.

But of course, the newer device is slightly more expensive, especially given the four-year-old Charge 5's recent discounts. So if you can't stretch to the Charge 6, the Charge 5 is the next best thing.

MORE:

Read our full JBL Charge 6 review

And our JBL Charge 5 review

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