We were amazed when Amazon dropped the price of JBL's five-star rated Charge 5 Wi-Fi speaker last month. The price then was a couple of pounds under £150. Quite incredibly Amazon have now slashed the price even further with a drop all the way down to £119. That's £60 off and two thirds of the original retail price.
Don't let the low price make you think you're not getting an excellent piece of kit. The Charge 5 Wi-Fi is up there with some of the best Bluetooth speakers around thanks to both its sound and durability.
Building on the foundation of the standard Bluetooth-only Charge 5, the addition of Wi-Fi brings support for AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Chromecast functionality – all welcome enhancements that open up all manner of music streaming possibilities. Get it now for less than ever before.
In our JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi review, our testing revealed a confident, well-organised sound that’s even better over wi-fi compared to Bluetooth. We also clocked a more refined sound with welcome flourishes of dynamic musicality, making the Charge 5 Wi-Fi the better option for those looking to squeeze as much sound quality out as possible, compared to its Bluetooth-only sibling.
The speaker retains JBL's signature rugged construction with its IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, letting it shrug off any mishaps life may happen to throw its way. Battery life stands at approximately 20 hours of playback (though charging time increases to six hours from the standard model's four), and it also retains the practical ability to charge your phone via its USB-A port – particularly useful during extended outdoor excursions/woodland raves.
Other technical upgrades over the standard Charge 5 include Bluetooth 5.3 (versus 5.1), and a slightly larger sub, delivering subtle but appreciable sonic improvements. It also uses the improved JBL One App rather than the JBL Portable app used by the standard model.
While the lack of JBL's PartyBoost feature for linking with other JBL speakers remains a curious omission compared with the standard model, the comprehensive connectivity options and excellent sound quality more than make up for it, especially at the temptingly low price of only £119 at Amazon.
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Read our full JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi review
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