Speakers · Review
JBL Go 5
The best small speaker for the money, as long as you accept its short battery life and limited bass.
84
out of 100
Our verdict
The fifth-generation Go is a soap-bar-sized speaker with an IP68 rating, Auracast, tap-to-pair stereo with a second Go 5, and lossless playback over USB-C. What Hi-Fi rated it highly for a full, musical sound with good clarity for its size, helped by a 45mm driver. Battery life is a modest 8 hours, or 10 with Playtime Boost, which strips out most of the bass. Small size means limited volume and low end compared with the Flip 7.
What's good
- Full, clear sound for its size
- IP68 and solidly built
- Auracast and tap-to-pair stereo
- Lossless audio over USB-C
What's not
- 8-hour battery is short
- Limited bass and volume compared with larger speakers
- No USB-C cable included
How it scores
How we rate →Specifications
- Type
- Ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker
- Power
- 4.8W
- Battery life
- 8 hours (10 with Playtime Boost)
- Durability
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast, USB-C wired lossless audio
- Dimensions
- 77 x 101 x 43 mm (hwd)
- Weight
- 230g