JBL is undoubtedly one of the best manufacturers of Bluetooth speakers. It has released two wonders, the Charge 5 and the Flip 5. These two speakers are each suitable for different situations, here’s how to make the choice between one or the other.
The JBL Flip 5 is a very simple, waterproof speaker that gives you good sound quality without too many complex options such as multi-room audio. It also doesn’t have the voice assist feature like on the Sonos Roam and the Bose Portable Home Speaker 500.
The JBL Charge 5 isn’t too complicated either, but it does offer a few useful options as well. For example, it can help charge your phone. It also offers more modern Bluetooth technology than the Flip 5. And of course, it’s slightly more expensive.
JBL is without a doubt one of the best manufacturers of Bluetooth speakers. It has released two wonders, the Charge 5 and the Flip 5. Both of these speakers are suitable for different situations, here’s how to choose between one and the other.
The JBL Flip 5 is a very simple waterproof speaker that offers good sound quality without too many complex options such as multiroom audio. It also lacks the voice assist feature like the Sonos Roam and the Bose Portable Home Speaker 500.
| JBL Flip 5 | JBL Charge 5 | |
|---|---|---|
 | $99.95 | $149.95 |
The JBL Charge 5 isn’t too complicated either, but it does offer some useful options. For example, it can help charge your phone. It also offers more modern Bluetooth technology than the Flip 5. And of course, it’s slightly more expensive.
JBL Flip 5 vs JBL Charge 5: price and availability
The JBL Flip 5 was launched in August 2019 and today it is officially sold at € 129,00 At JBL.
The JBL Charge 5 was launched in 2021 and it is sold at the official price of €179.00 also at JBL.
As far as price is concerned, the JBL Charge 5 is at a bit of a disadvantage because it costs the same as the Sonor Roam, which is better than it. That said, if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find retailers who offer great deals on these speakers.
Don’t hesitate to go to several online stores before deciding.
JBL Flip 5 vs. JBL Charge 5: Which is better looking and more durable
The JBL Flip 5 and JBL Charge 5 are all cylindrical shaped speakers, featuring heavy duty rubber tips to protect them from drops. You also have buttons placed on top to manipulate music playback.
The Flip 5 is smaller than the Charge 5, however. It has a mass of 0.54 kg and looks like a small water bottle. You can easily carry the Flip 5 without experiencing too much discomfort.
The Charge 5 is about twice as big as the Flip 5. It weighs 0.96 kg and unlike the Flip 5 which can be placed vertically without any problems, it is made to be placed horizontally.
At each end of the two speakers is an exposed passive bass radiator, designed to move a lot of air to create a powerful bass. You may be able to see them moving back and forth, but these radiators are slightly recessed into the main body of the speakers, protecting them from bumps and scratches.
As is often the case, these two speakers have a good IPX7 rating. This ensures that they can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes without failing.
Again, the JBL Charge 5 adds a layer of protection by offering IP6X protection against sand or gravel.
Both speakers are available in a wide range of colors, though you have more choices with the Flip 5. You can even customize the Flip 5’s design to match your exact taste.
So in the end if you want a heavy duty JBL speaker, get the Charge 5. But if you want a speaker that’s easy to carry, get the Flip 5.
JBL Flip 5 vs JBL Charge 5: Which one sounds better?
The JBL Charge 5 offers the most powerful sound, with deep bass frequencies, clear mids and well-rounded highs for a warm soundstage. But as soon as you turn up the volume too much, the sound gets a little distorted. So keep it in the 50-60% range.
Despite the fact that the speakers are cylindrical, they don’t offer 360-degree sound. Because of its front-firing tweeters and woofers, the Charge 5 offers directional sound.
The JBL Flip 5 also offers directional sound. Except that it occupies the room better. It’s a surprisingly wide and powerful sound. In fact, you wouldn’t expect it from a speaker this small.
The most amazing thing about the Flip 5 is certainly that it doesn’t suffer from distortion at high volumes the way the Charge 5 does. It even offers enough clarity to extract all the details from your songs.
In terms of sound quality, the Charge 5, despite being more expensive, is no better than the Flip 5. In fact, if you want to liven up a small room, the Flip 5 is even better.
JBL Flip 5 vs JBL Charge 5: Battery life and connectivity
The JBL Flip 5 offers 12 hours of playback on a single charge. That charge takes about two and a half hours.
The Charge 5 offers a respectable 20 hours of autonomy.
To charge both speakers, you’ll need a USB-C charger.
Of course you can connect both speakers to your devices via Bluetooth. But on top of that, JBL offers you Party Boost via the JBL Connect app. This feature allows you to pair these two speakers with another JBL speaker in stereo, or with up to 100 other speakers in mono for crazy parties.
And as said above, the Charge 5 has Bluetooth 5, which is more advanced than the Flip 5’s Bluetooth 4.2. The difference between the two is in transmission speeds and ranges (240m for the Charge 5 and about 60m for the Flip 5).
You can’t connect these speakers to a device via cable because there are no 3.5mm audio jacks.
| JBL Flip 5 | JBL Charge 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| $99.95 | $149.95 |
The Charge 5 has a bonus USB-A port that allows you to charge your phone while listening to music.
In the end, while the Flip 5 is cheaper while offering almost equal sound quality to the Charge 5, it should be noted that the latter has 4 times the Bluetooth and on top of that, it also acts as a charger for your laptop and other devices.
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