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JBL Charge 5 vs Bose SoundLink Flex

Which Speaker Is Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Design
      PicturesStylePortabilityBuild QualityControlsIn The Box
    Sound
      Frequency Response AccuracyRaw Frequency ResponseSoundstageDynamics
    Active Features
      BatteryVoice AssistantApp
    Connectivity
      WiredBluetoothWi-Fi
    Comments

Products

JBL Charge 5
Bose SoundLink Flex

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 08, 2025 05:04 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Oct 31, 2024 02:49 PM

SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
JBL Charge 5 Picture
Bose SoundLink Flex Picture
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
Yes
Voice Assistant
Yes
Battery Powered
Yes
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. JBL

Our Verdict

JBL Charge 5

Bose SoundLink Flex

The JBL Charge 5 and the Bose SoundLink Flex perform similarly. They both offer neutral sound profiles and are well-built with IP67 ratings for dust and water resistance. The JBL's battery lasts longer than the Bose, though this can vary depending on your usage. However, the Bose is a bit smaller in size and supports voice assistants through your smartphone.

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Variants

  • JBL Charge 5 (Black)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Blue)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Camo)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Gray)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Green)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Pink)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Red)
  • JBL Charge 5 (Teal)
  • JBL Charge 5 (White)
  • SoundLink Flex (Black)
  • SoundLink Flex (Carmine Red)
  • SoundLink Flex (Chilled Lilac)
  • SoundLink Flex (Cypress Green)
  • SoundLink Flex (Stone Blue)
  • SoundLink Flex (White Smoke)

Review

See JBL Charge 5 Review
See Bose SoundLink Flex Review
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Check Price

Black
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Blue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carmine Red
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Camo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Chilled Lilac
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Gray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Cypress Green
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Green
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Stone Blue
SoundLink Flex
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Pink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White Smoke
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Red
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Teal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
White
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.5
6.3

EQ 
 

Graphic
No

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.7
6.9

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

JBL Charge 5 Style Photo
Bose SoundLink Flex Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.1
9.2

Dimensions Photo  

JBL Charge 5 Dimensions Photo
Bose SoundLink Flex Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

121 in³ (1,982 cm³)
57 in³ (942 cm³)

Weight 
 

2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.3
8.7

Build Quality Photo  

JBL Charge 5 Build Quality Photo
Bose SoundLink Flex Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Good

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Yes (IK rating unspecified)

Floats In Water 
 

Unspecified
Yes
Show Text 

Controls 
 

6.6
8.4

Controls Photo  

JBL Charge 5 Controls Photo
Bose SoundLink Flex Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

JBL Charge 5 Controls Photo 2
Bose SoundLink Flex Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Okay

Feedback 
 

Good
Decent

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

No
Yes (Physical)

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
Yes (Physical)

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

JBL Charge 5 In The Box Photo
Bose SoundLink Flex In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.7
6.9

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Slope 
 

0.49
0.22

Std. Err. 
 

3.75 dB
2.85 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

59.1 Hz
60.8 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

18.5 kHz
15.6 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

5.8
5.5

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Directivity Index 
 

4.27 dB
4.59 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.6
6.4

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

90.2 dB SPL
87.5 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

3.15 dB
3.02 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.7
6.7

Battery Life 
 

14.5 hrs
7.2 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.8 hrs
2.7 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

0.0
5.7

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
Yes (Requires Smartphone)

Speakerphone 
 

No
Yes

Siri 
 

No
Yes (Requires Smartphone)

Voice Assistant 
 

No
Yes

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

No Microphone
Excellent

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

No Microphone
Excellent
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
6.6

App Picture  

JBL Charge 5 App Picture
Bose SoundLink Flex App Picture

App Name 
 

JBL Portable
Bose Connect

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic
No

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.5
8.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.1
4.2

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

125 ms
236 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

102 ms
109 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

328.1 ft (100.0 m)
255.9 ft (78.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

0.0
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Check Price

Black
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Blue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Carmine Red
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Camo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Chilled Lilac
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Gray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Cypress Green
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Green
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Stone Blue
SoundLink Flex
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Pink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White Smoke
SoundLink Flex
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Red
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Teal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
White
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Back to Top

JBL Charge 5

Bose SoundLink Flex

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

JBL Charge 5 vs Bose SoundLink Flex: Main Discussion

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