Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.

JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Charge 5

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

JBL Charge 6
JBL Charge 5

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated May 29, 2025 01:54 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated May 22, 2025 04:31 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
JBL Charge 6 Picture
JBL Charge 5 Picture
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. JBL

Our Verdict

JBL Charge 6

JBL Charge 5

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.

0 

Variants

  • 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)
  • 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)

Check Price

Black
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding store
White
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding store
Gray
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding store

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.7
6.5

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.1
6.7

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

JBL Charge 6 Style Photo
JBL Charge 5 Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.1
9.1

Dimensions Photo  

JBL Charge 6 Dimensions Photo
JBL Charge 5 Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

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

Weight 
 

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

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

9.2
8.3

Build Quality Photo  

JBL Charge 6 Build Quality Photo
JBL Charge 5 Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Great

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx8)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

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

Impact Resistance 
 

Yes (IK rating unspecified)
Unspecified

Floats In Water 
 

Yes
Unspecified
Show Text 

Controls 
 

6.9
6.6

Controls Photo  

JBL Charge 6 Controls Photo
JBL Charge 5 Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

JBL Charge 6 Controls Photo 2
JBL Charge 5 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 
 

Yes (Physical)
Forward Only (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

JBL Charge 6 In The Box Photo
JBL Charge 5 In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.1
6.7

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Slope 
 

0.45
0.49

Std. Err. 
 

2.72 dB
3.75 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.8 Hz
59.1 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

18.2 kHz
18.5 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 
 

4.17 dB
4.27 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.3
6.6

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

89.1 dB SPL
90.2 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

3.50 dB
3.15 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.9
8.7

Battery Life 
 

13.7 hrs
14.5 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.5 hrs
3.8 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  

JBL Charge 6 App Picture
JBL Charge 5 App Picture

App Name 
 

JBL Portable
JBL Portable

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

Yes
No

Other Ports 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

7.8
8.5

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.4
5.1

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

204 ms
125 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

195 ms
102 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
Searching
Finding store
White
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding store
Gray
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding store

JBL Charge 6

JBL Charge 5

Comments

  1. Comparison

JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 6: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones