Two of the most famous speaker series in the speaker industry are the JBL Charge and JBL Flip series, and ever since then, JBL continues to impress audiophiles around the world with these two JBL speaker series.
Just last year, in 2021, JBL released the two latest speakers from this series: the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6.
There is no question that both these speakers sound amazing. However, it can be difficult to choose which one best suits you.
To find out the differences between both speakers, here are the elements that you should know:
Table of Contents
Charge 5 vs. Flip 6 Overview
| Pros of the JBL Charge 5 | Cons of the JBL Charge 5 |
|---|---|
| New and Improved Design | Bigger |
| Louder | Only One Sound Signature |
| More Bass | |
| Excellent Highs | |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | |
| IP67 Waterproof Rating | |
| 30 Watts | |
| Wider Sound Stage | |
| It comes with a USB A port for Charging Other Devices. |
| Pros of the JBL Flip 6 | Cons of the JBL Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| New and Improved Design | Lacks Volume |
| Easier to Carry Around | No USB A Output for Charging Other Devices |
| It comes with a Carrying Strap | |
| Excellent Highs | |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | |
| IP67 Waterproof Rating | |
| Has EQ Settings |
Get the JBL Flip 6 if budget and small size are your Priorities.
View JBL Flip 6 Price on:
Get the JBL Charge 5 if sound and battery are your priorities. The JBL Flip 6 is suitable for audiophiles who prefer a smaller speaker with excellent sound. Both the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 have similar features since both speakers were released in 2021.
Get the JBL Charge 5 if Sound quality and a long-lasting battery are your priorities.
View JBL Charge 5 Price on:
Specs Compared
| Charge 5 | Flip 6 | |
| Woofer Size | 52mm x 90mm | 45 x 80mm |
| Tweeter Size | 20mm | 16mm |
| Woofer Power | 30W | 20W |
| Tweeter Power | 10W | 10W |
| Frequency response | 60Hz – 20kHz | 63Hz – 20kHz |
| SNR | >80dB | >80dB |
| Battery type | 27 Wh | 17.28Wh |
| Battery charge time | 4 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Music playtime | up to 20 hours | up to 12 hours |
| USB Charging Type | USB – C | USB – C |
| Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth Power | ≤20dBm | ≤10dBm |
| Speaker Dimensions | 8.7 x 3.76 x 3.67″ | 7.0 x 2.6 x 2.8″ |
| Speaker Weight | 2.11 lbs | 1.21 lbs |
| Waterproof Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
Price
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✖ $180 | ✔ $130 |
For starters, both speakers have a major difference in price, and since the JBL Charge 5 belongs to the category of medium speakers while the JBL Flip 6 belongs to the group of small speakers, the JBL Charge 5 is obviously the expensive option.
The JBL Flip 6 is currently priced at $130 while the JBL Charge 5 costs $180.
Both speakers routinely go on sale on JBL.COM so if you want to get a discount on either of these speakers, it is recommended that you wait for sale day or sale event to get a better deal.
Colors
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✔ 6 Color Options | ✖ 5 Color Options |
In terms of the color variants of both speakers, the JBL Charge 5 has more colors than the JBL Flip 6.
The colors of the JBL Charge 5 have 6 colors which are red, gray, blue, teal, camouflage, and black.
Whereas the JBL Flip 6 has 5 colors which are teal, red, gray, black, and blue.
Regardless, you can choose plenty of color options from both speakers.
Design
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✖ Bigger | ✔ Easier To Carry |
| ✖ No Carrying Strap | ✔ Comes with a Carrying Strap |
When it comes to the design of both these speakers, the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 are portable and easy to carry around.
The JBL Flip 6 is more portable and lightweight due to its small size so you can definitely store it almost anywhere conveniently. In addition to that, the JBL Flip 6 has a durable strap like all of the JBL Flip speakers for you to easily attach or hang the speaker onto something.
Although the JBL Charge 5 is also portable, it is significantly heavier and bigger than the JBL Flip 6. The JBL Charge 5 however does not have a strap for you to be able to hang it.
Both speakers are rugged and durable so they can definitely stand constant abuse thanks to their strong fabric. Whether it is scrapes, accidental drops, or bumps these speakers will have no problem withstanding those.
Battery
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✔ 20 Hours of Playtime | ✖ 12 Hours of Playtime |
| ✔ Has a USB A Port for Charging Other Devices | ✖ No USB A Output for Charging Other Devices |
There is no doubt that the JBL Charge 5 lasts longer than the JBL Flip 6 simply because it has a bigger battery. The JBL Charge 5 can play for 20 hours while the JBL Flip 6 can only play for 12 hours.
If you want a speaker that has a better battery life, the JBL Charge 5 is the best option.
However, this does not mean the JBL Flip 6 is not worth considering as this speaker can definitely last long enough for regular use or even at high volumes.
For charging, both the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 utilize a type C port for fast charging. However, the JBL Flip 6 does not have a USB A output for external charging unlike the JBL Charge 5 which has one and this can be used as a power bank for other devices.
Bluetooth Version
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| = Bluetooth 5.1 | = Bluetooth 5.1 |
| = JBL Pary Boost Enabled | = JBL Pary Boost Enabled |
Both the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 have the same Bluetooth 5.1 version which means there is no latency for these speakers no matter what device you are using.
These speakers are also using the same JBL Party Boost which means you can connect these speakers to one another for a stereo setup.
On top of that, these speakers can also connect with other latest JBL speakers like the JBL Boombox 2, JBL Xtreme 3, JBL Flip 5, and the JBL Pulse 4.
You cannot pair the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 to JBL speakers that are using JBL Connect Plus.
JBL Party Boost speakers like the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 can only connect with other JBL Party Boost speakers, not JBL Connect Plus speakers (e.g., JBL Boombox 1, JBL Charge 4, JBL Xtreme 2, JBL Flip 4, and JBL Pulse 3).
If you wonder what is the difference between the two pairing modes, the JBL Party Boost connectivity has a better range than JBL Connect Plus.
Waterproof Rating
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| = IP67 Waterproof Rating | = IP67 Waterproof Rating |
The JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 have the same IP67 waterproof rating. This means that you can submerge both speakers into waters of 1-meter depth for 30 minutes.
This shows that rain would definitely be not a problem and accidentally dropping these speakers into the pool.
Furthermore, the IP67 rating also comes with dust and sand protection so you won’t have to worry about going to the beach with any of these speakers!
Software
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✖ Only One Sound Signature | ✔ Has a Customizable EQ |
When it comes to the software of these speakers, only the JBL Flip 6 has a customizable EQ whereas the JBL Charge 5 does not have one and is stuck with one sound signature only.
But just like the JBL Xtreme 3, it did not have a customizable EQ when it was released but was later added through a firmware update which audiophiles expect the same for the JBL Charge 5 as well.
Speaker Specifications
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✔ 30 Watts | ✖ 20 Watts |
| ✔ Bigger Passive Radiators | ✖ Smaller Passive Radiators |
The JBL Flip 6 consists of a 20-watt single oval frontward firing transducer speaker, 10-watt tweeter, and dual passive radiators that are shooting from the sides.
The JBL Charge 5 also has one single oval frontward firing transducer speaker but it is rated at 30 watts.
Both speakers have the same 10-watt tweeter but the JBL Charge 5 has bigger passive radiators at the sides
Both the tweeters from these speakers help the speaker sound more open since this enhances the mids and highs of the music you will be playing.
Sound
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Flip 6 |
| ✔ Louder | ✖ Lacks Volume |
| ✔ More Bass | ✖ Average Bass |
From a performance standpoint, you can definitely tell that the JBL Charge 5 is louder and has better bass, but they sound just as open since they have the same tweeter.
Nonetheless, both the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 does an excellent job at emphasizing the vocals and bass of your music.
Final Thoughts
Get the JBL Flip 6 if: Budget and small size are your Priorities.
View JBL Flip 6 Price on:
Get the JBL Charge 5 if sound and battery are your priorities. The JBL Flip 6 is suitable for audiophiles who prefer a smaller speaker with excellent sound. Both the JBL Charge 5 and JBL Flip 6 have similar features since both speakers were released in 2021.
Get the JBL Charge 5 if: Sound quality and a long-lasting battery are your priorities.
View JBL Charge 5 Price on:
The JBL Charge 5 simply has a better overall sound quality since it has a bigger transducer speaker and passive radiators. In addition to that, it also has a better battery compared to the JBL Flip 6.
However, due to the lacking EQ customization of the JBL Charge 5, the JBL Flip 6 is more versatile in terms of tweaking its music output. Moreover, the JBL Flip 6 is easier to carry around and it can be attached to almost everything thanks to its durable strap.
Regardless of the specifications, both speakers sound incredible and it all comes down to preference and budget to make a purchase decision.
Keep in mind that the JBL Charge 5 is more expensive, but it is definitely worth the upgrade.
The JBL Flip 6 is the cheaper option, but it absolutely does an excellent job since it sounds just as open as the JBL Charge 5 since they both have the same tweeter. Both speakers are excellent, but the JBL Charge 5 wins overall.
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