JBL Charge 5 vs Charge 6

Which Speaker Is Better?

Products

JBL Charge 5
JBL Charge 6

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 08, 2025 05:04 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Oct 23, 2025 01:32 PM

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Amazon.com
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. JBL

Our Verdict

JBL Charge 5

JBL Charge 6

The JBL Charge 6 is a worthwhile improvement on the popular JBL Charge 5. The Charge 6 offers improved waterproofing, a handy carrying strap, and extra silicone feet around the passive radiators at each end of the speaker. It also supports Auracast, so you can link it with other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers for parties or larger gatherings. The Charge 6 also has a more even and punchy bass performance. That said, the differences in sound and battery life are minor, so if you have a Charge 5 already, the upgrade might not be worth it, and if you can find a Charge 5 on a great deal, it's well worth considering. Still, the Charge 6 is the better speaker, all things considered.

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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)
  • Charge 6 (Black)
  • Charge 6 (Blue)
  • Charge 6 (Funky)
  • Charge 6 (Pink)
  • Charge 6 (Purple)
  • Charge 6 (Red)
  • Charge 6 (Sand)
  • Charge 6 (Squad)
  • Charge 6 (White)

Check Price

Black
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Blue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Pink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Pink
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Red
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Camo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Funky
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Gray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Purple
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sand
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Teal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Squad
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.5
6.7

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.7
7.1

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.1
9.1

Dimensions Photo  

Volume 
 

121 in³ (1,982 cm³)
113 in³ (1,848 cm³)

Weight 
 

2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)
2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.3
9.2

Build Quality Photo  

Material Quality 
 

Great
Great

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx8)

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
6.9

Controls Photo  

Controls Photo 2  

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Great

Feedback 
 

Good
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

No
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.7
7.1

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Slope 
 

0.49
0.45

Std. Err. 
 

3.75 dB
2.72 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

59.1 Hz
55.8 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

18.5 kHz
18.2 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

5.8
5.8

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details

Directivity Index 
 

4.27 dB
4.17 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.6
6.3

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

90.2 dB SPL
89.1 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

3.15 dB
3.50 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.7
8.9

Battery Life 
 

14.5 hrs
13.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.8 hrs
2.5 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

0.0
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

No
No

Siri 
 

No
No

Voice Assistant 
 

No
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
7.9

App Picture  

App Name 
 

JBL Portable
JBL Portable

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic
Graphic + Presets

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

No
Yes

Other Ports 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.5
7.8

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.1
5.4

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

125 ms
204 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

102 ms
195 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

328.1 ft (100.0 m)
328.1 ft (100.0 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
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Blue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Pink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Pink
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Red
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Camo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Funky
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Gray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Purple
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sand
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Teal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Squad
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

JBL Charge 5

JBL Charge 6

Comments

  1. Comparison

JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 6: Main Discussion

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