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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
JBL Charge 5 vs Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
JBL Charge 5
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Oct 31, 2024 02:51 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Nov 28, 2024 05:10 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneYes
Voice AssistantYes
Battery PoweredYes
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)
- SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Alpine Sage)
- SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Black)
- SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Blue Dusk)
- SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Sandstone)
Our Verdict
JBL Charge 5
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and the JBL Charge 5 are very comparable portable speakers with different strengths. Both speakers have IP67 ratings for dust and water resistance, and both have flat mid-ranges that render instruments and dialogue alike with accuracy and detail. In our tests, the JBL's battery lasted a lot longer than the Bose's, but battery life varies with usage. If voice assistants are important to you, you'll want the Bose, as it does an excellent job supporting voice assistants through your smartphone.
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Black
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeBlack
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeAlpine Sage
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeCamo
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeBlue Dusk
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeSandstone
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeGreen
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storePink
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeRed
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeTeal
JBL Charge 5
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JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeMain Differences forMusic
Music
Threshold
Music
6.5
6.6
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.7
7.1
Soundstage
5.8
5.3
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
9.1
9.3
Dimensions Photo
Volume
121 in³ (1,982 cm³)
56 in³ (919 cm³)
Weight
2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
Power Source
Battery & USB
Battery & USB
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
8.3
8.7
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Great
Good
Water Resistance
Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)
Dust Resistance
Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Yes (IK rating unspecified)
Floats In Water
Unspecified
Yes
Controls
6.6
8.6
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Okay
Feedback
Good
Great
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Call Answer/End
No
Yes (Tactile)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Track Next/Previous
Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Microphone On/Off
No
Yes (Tactile)
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.7
7.1
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
0.29
0.49
Std. Err.
3.90 dB
1.97 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
58.2 Hz
64.4 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
18.5 kHz
17.5 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
5.8
5.3
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
4.27 dB
5.05 dB
Stereo
No (mono)
No (mono)
Dynamics
6.5
6.2
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
88.9 dB SPL
84.5 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
3.16 dB
2.73 dB
Active Features
Battery
8.7
6.4
Battery Life
14.5 hrs
6.6 hrs
Charge Time
3.8 hrs
2.4 hrs
Power Saving
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
Battery Powered
Yes
Yes
Voice Assistant
0.0
5.7
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
No
Yes (Requires Smartphone)
Speakerphone
No
Yes
Siri
No
Yes (Requires Smartphone)
Voice Assistant
No
Yes
Voice Activation
No
No
Microphone Mute
No
No
Far-Field Performance
No Microphone
Excellent
Ambient Noise Performance
No Microphone
Excellent
App
7.9
7.9
App Picture
App Name
JBL Portable
Bose
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
EQ
Graphic
Graphic + Presets
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Yes
Multi-Room
No
No
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
No
No
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
Yes
No
Bluetooth
8.5
8.3
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.1
5.3
Bluetooth iOS Latency
125 ms
119 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
102 ms
135 ms
Bluetooth Range
328.1 ft (100.0 m)
275.6 ft (84.0 m)
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
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
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SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeBlue
JBL Charge 5
Searching
Finding storeAlpine Sage
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeCamo
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeBlue Dusk
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeGray
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeSandstone
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
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Finding storeGreen
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storePink
JBL Charge 5
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JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeTeal
JBL Charge 5
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Finding storeWhite
JBL Charge 5
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Finding store
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JBL Charge 5
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Comments
JBL Charge 5 vs Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen): Main Discussion
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