The classic JBL Charge 5 is easily one of our favourite portable products around at the moment, consistently featuring on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers (and quite a few other rundowns) and earning its place as a modern classic of the genre.
You might not have realised it, but the excellent Charge 5 received a rather super spin-off last year in the shape of the Charge 5 Wi-Fi. It features a slightly larger woofer than the original and, as the name suggests, adds wi-fi connectivity to what was already an appealing spec sheet.
Those updates saw JBL slap a £60 premium on the Charge 5 Wi-Fi over the classic iteration, launching it at £230. Happily, that figure has plummeted to just £161 at Amazon thanks to a generous 30 per cent discount, the lowest price we've seen thus far.
As far as bargains go, this really is the real deal.
JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi Bluetooth speaker deal
We didn't think that the JBL Charge 5 could be improved all that much when we tested it a few years back, yet here we are, enamoured by a more sophisticated, premium sibling. The Charge 5 Wi-Fi is indeed an outstanding spin-off of a multi-Award winner, adding wi-fi-boosted features, a cleaner sound and a few aesthetic tweaks to one of our favourite – and one of the most popular – Bluetooth speakers around.
The solidity, ruggedness and durability all remain (this Wi-Fi winner is IP67-rated when it comes to dust and water resistance), yet the true differences are revealed in the name. This 2023 model adds Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Alexa Multiroom to the party, not to mention the bonus of JBL self-tuning which calibrates and optimises the speaker's sound given its location in a given environment. And yes, it can still charge your phone via the provided USB-A port.
Sonically, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi is just a little more refined than its classic counterpart, and while it isn't night and day, that slightly larger woofer gives a little more forthrightness and spark to proceedings when played via standard Bluetooth. Hook up to the speaker via wi-fi and you'll receive more clarity and cleanliness from your tunes, as though they've all been polished and buffed for that extra sonic sparkle.
While we await the arrival of a sequel to the 'standard' Charge (the next-gen JBL Charge 6 is surely coming soon), the Wi-Fi update is sure to stand the test of time as a premium variant. Check it out at Amazon if you're keen on a bargain.
MORE:
Read our original JBL Charge 5 review
And check out the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi review
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JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi: which five-star JBL speaker should you buy?
