What's up, everyone. I'm Max Dalton and in this video I'll compare the JBL Charge 4 to the JBL
Charge 5 to help you determine which JBL Bluetooth speaker is right for you. While there are a lot of
similarities between the two portable Bluetooth speakers, there are some major differences that
may affect which one best meets your needs. In this video we'll look at build and form factor,
button access and features, power and ports, and I'll also do a sound comparison.
And a quick note before we get into the description that if you do want to purchase either
the JBL Charge 5 or the JBL Charge 4, I'll include links you can do that through in the description.
First let's look at the build and form factor of each device.
The JBL Charge 4 and the JBL Charge 5 have almost the exact same size dimensions,
with both measuring in around 8.7-inches wide, 3.7-inches tall and 3.7 inches deep,
and weighing in at just a little over two pounds. It shouldn't be enough to affect your decision,
but the JBL Charge 5 is the slightly smaller of the two Bluetooth speakers.
Both the Charge 4 and the Charge 5 feature the same wire mesh covering that gives JBL's line of
portable Bluetooth speakers its distinct look while keeping all of the internal parts safe
and helping it hold up under tough conditions. The rubber end caps on the end of the speaker on the
JBL Charge 5 stick out from the speaker unlike on the JBL Charge 4, which means that if you stand it
vertically the Charge 5 will lean to one side. Additionally, the end caps on the Charge 5 have
much more of a rubbery feel to them, whereas on the Charge 4 they feel more like plastic,
and therefore I'd assume they have a higher likelihood of cracking. While the external passive
radiators on both speakers have the same look and shape, the passive radiators on the JBL Charge 5
feel a bit more sturdy and like they have less give than those on the JBL Charge 4. Both feel
tough, it's just that the external passive radiators on the JBL Charge 5 feel tougher.
One of the bigger differences on the outside between the Charge 5 and the Charge 4
is the stand. The JBL Charge 4 has a flat base that's roughly four inches wide that sits at the
bottom of the speaker. Alternatively the Charge 5 features ridged rubber lines that run diagonal
across that same location. It's not a huge deal, but I did find it to
make the Charge 5 a little less stable and more subject to being knocked over.
And lastly, the JBL Charge 5 is IP67 rated while the JBL Charge 4
is just IPX7 rated. This means that the Charge 4 is just dustproof,
while the Charge 5 is both waterproof and dustproof. Specifically, the Charge
5 can be submerged in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes and operate just fine.
Now let's take a look at the button access on each device.
The button location and layout on JBL Charge speakers has historically been very well done,
so it's good to see no major changes with the Charge 5. Both speakers have a button that lets
them connect to other JBL speakers on the far left (the Charge 5 uses PartyBoost while the Charge 4
uses JBL Connect+, and I'll discuss that more in a moment), with the Volume Down button sitting
inside of that. The Power and Bluetooth buttons sit on a rubber pad in the middle of the row,
and the Volume up and Play/Pause buttons sit on the right side of the row. The biggest difference
here is obviously the technology that JBL uses for each speaker to connect to other
JBL speakers. Both JBL Connect+ and PartyBoost let you connect up to 100 other JBL speakers together,
so there's no difference there. The difference, and the only reason it appears JBL made the
move away from JBL Connect+ to PartyBoost is the range that can be between connected speakers. JBL
speakers connected through JBL Connect+ can hold a connection over roughly 40 yards, while speakers
using JBL PartyBoost can hold a connection while up to roughly 80 yards away from each other.
These distances are obviously with a clean line of sight and if other obstacles are in the way the
range will decrease for either, but you're looking to get two new speakers to connect to each other,
you'll probably want to go with the JBL Charge 5. It's also important to note that
JBL's different connection technologies don't work with each other, so you can't
connect a JBL Charge 4 with Connect+ to a JBL Charge 5 with PartyBoost. Said differently,
you can only connect a JBL Connect+ speaker with another JBL Bluetooth speaker that uses Connect+,
and a JBL PartyBoost speaker with another JBL Bluetooth speaker that uses PartyBoost.
It's also worth saying the Play button on both speakers lets you start,
stop and skip songs -- and that's it. Older JBL portable Bluetooth speakers
let you configure the Play button to activate either Apple's Siri or Google's Assistant,
but you can't do that on either the JBL Charge 4 or the JBL Charge 5.
And one final note here. The button clickiness on both the JBL Charge 5 and the JBL Charge 4
is comparable, even though I did feel like the Charge 5 buttons were slightly easier to press.
Next, let's do a sound comparison between the JBL Charge 4
and the JBL Charge 5 and test the audio quality.
For this sound comparison between the Charge 4 and the Charge 5 I'll play samples from two songs
on each speaker. One sample will be heavier on bass, and the other sample will be heavier on mid
and high tones. To be clear, both samples were played at fifty percent audio under
the exact same conditions and the audio files weren't manipulated in any way
and they were inserted into the audio track for this video after all of my editing was done.
Let's start by listening to the audio clip that's heavier on bass on the JBL Charge 4.
Now let's listen to the same bass-heavy clip on the JBL Charge 5.
Next let's listen to the clip that's heavier on higher tones on the JBL Charge 4.
Now let's listen to the same clip that's heavier on higher tones on the JBL Charge 5.
The Charge 4 and the Charge 5 are very close in terms of sound quality, but I think the audio
overall sounds cleaner on the Charge 5. When you have the volume cranked up to over 80 percent,
both speakers will start to distort a little. It's worth noting that the output power for
both speakers is the same at 30-watts RMS, the frequency response for both speakers
is the same at between 60 and 20 hertz, and the signal-to-noise ratio is the same at 80 decibels.
Also, one other audio test I did was to take the speakers outside into a large
open space to see how the sound carried. In that scenario the JBL Charge 5 really shined,
pumping out audio that sounded great even from modest distances.
But as a reminder speaker audio is experienced differently by everyone, so you'll want to listen
to the JBL Charge 5 or JBL Charge 4 in a store to make sure the audio quality is something
you're comfortable with as it relates to any other Bluetooth speakers you're considering.
Next let's discuss power and ports.
One of the biggest changes from the JBL Charge 4 to the JBL Charge 5 is the removal of the
3.5-millimeter audio cable input port. That may be a deal breaker for some people, so it's important
to be aware of. And while use of a USB Type C input to charge the JBL Charge 5 didn't change,
where that port is located did. The USC C port on the Charge 4 is located under the port cover on
the back of the device, while the USB C port on the Charge 5 is located next to the port cover.
Next, both devices feature a USB Type A port located under the port cover that's sole purpose
is to let you charge other devices. You should note that any devices connected to either the
Charge 4 or the Charge 5 via the USB Type A port for charging will still need to be connected to
your speaker via Bluetooth if you want to play audio from your device through the speaker.
And with regard to the USB Type A port it's important to note that while both the Charge 4
and the Charge 5 offer 20 hours of music playback from a full charge, using the Bluetooth speaker to
charge other devices pulls from the same battery and will reduce your overall playback time.
The time for both devices to achieve a full charge is also the same, at roughly four hours.
The final item to discuss in this section is how each Bluetooth speaker's battery life is
presented. The JBL Charge 4 features five dots on the front of the base at the bottom of the
speaker. As your battery's power decreases, the number of dots that are lit up also decreases
until the final dot starts blinking red. Alternatively, the JBL Charge 5 features a
vertical LED light bar on the front of the speaker directly beneath the logo
that will be fully lit up when the speaker is fully charged, and will decrease as the
speaker's battery power goes down. It will flash red when the battery is close to drained.
Some other final things you'll want to take into consideration. Neither the JBL Charge 4 or the
JBL Charge 5 offer Apple Siri or Google Assistant integration. Neither speaker features a microphone
that can be used to take phone calls directly on the device. The Charge 5 does use Bluetooth 5.1,
which offers better data transfer rates and a stronger wireless range than Bluetooth 4.2,
which is used by the Charge 4. And finally, the price. Because the JBL Charge 5 is new it retails
for $180 US dollars, while you should be able to snag the JBL Charge 4 for around $130 US dollars.
In conclusion, and given that the audio quality of both the JBL Charge 5 and the JBL Charge 4
is so similar, I'd say the speaker I'd recommend really comes down to what specific features you
care about. If you have to be able to connect to other devices using a 3.5-millimeter audio cable
or you've got an older JBL Bluetooth speaker you'll want to connect to with JBL Connect+ and
not PartyBoost, I'd recommend getting the JBL Charge 4. If toughness and durability
are important to you, or if you plan on exposing your speaker to a lot of water, I'd recommend
the JBL Charge 5. If price is your driver, you can save a few bucks on the JBL Charge 4 and still not
be missing out on a lot. And finally, if you feel like either the JBL Charge 5 or the JBL Charge 4
are right for you, you can find links to purchase those speaker's in the video description below.
Let me know if this video helped you out in the comments below. If you liked what you saw here,
click the video links on the right side of the screen to check out another video, or click the
logo on the left side of the screen to check out my tutorial website at www.maxdalton.how.
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