JBL Go 5 Review: Very Close to the Perfect Portable Speaker

Conventional wisdom says that when it comes to speakers, bigger is always better.

Not so. Can a big speaker fit in your backpack? Your gym bag? What about your glove compartment, or even your pocket? Such places require a small-fry, something that’s compact and portable but still loud enough to get the job done.

I’ve tested a ton of small speakers over the years; the JBL Go 5 is arguably the best one to date. It can stow just about anywhere, it’s tough enough to withstand just about anything, it sounds surprisingly good given its size, and it’s actually priced below its predecessor — at least for the moment. (More on that below.) Here’s my JBL Go 5 review.

Is the JBL Go 5 easy to set up?

There’s nothing difficult or unusual about setting up the speaker; you simply turn it on and head to your phone’s Bluetooth settings for pairing. JBL supplies a tiny two-step diagram to reflect that, along with a QR code you can scan to get more detailed instructions.

Those instructions include a walkthrough video (helpful) and a PDF (confusing, because it’s a jumble of cryptic images and icons).

Available in around 10 different colors, the Go 5 is built like a tank, covered in a plastic mesh with rubberized elements on the top, bottom, and sides. It has an IP68 rating against dust and water, meaning you can use it at the beach, in the pool, or wherever and it’ll come through unscathed. (Note, however, that it doesn’t actually float.)

Whatever color you choose, complimentary LED light strips span the top and bottom. You can’t choose the color — there’s just one, designed to match the color of the casing — but JBL does give you a choice of a few lighting modes. These are accessible within JBL’s companion app, and of course there’s also the option to turn the LEDs off and extend battery life.

Do you have to use the app to toggle the lighting? As far as I can tell, yes; there’s no button for that on the speaker itself, and I couldn’t find anything related in the instructions.

How does the JBL Go 5 sound?

Good. Really, really good. I listened to everything from Michael Jackson to the Chicago movie soundtrack and was impressed by the volume and clarity of this little speaker. There’s even some decent bass.

For a proper outdoor test, I brought the Go 5 to my local pickleball court and carabiner-clipped it to the fence. (Carabiner not included.) My playlist came through loud and clear, again defying expectations for what a small speaker can manage.

Not everything sounded perfect. Katy Perry’s Firework, for example, came out a little shrill, especially at higher volumes. You can fine-tune the audio in the JBL app, which includes four equalizer presets and an 8-band custom equalizer.

If you’re planning to use the speaker while watching video (for louder, clearer sound than you can get from your phone or tablet), take note that the audio might be slightly out of sync. This was definitely the case with TikTok, though things like YouTube and Netflix synced just fine. Some speakers compensate for this with a gaming or video mode toggle; JBL doesn’t offer one here.

One thing you can do is pair with another JBL speaker, great if you want true stereo sound. This has long been an easy operation thanks to Auracast, which simplifies the pairing process, but it’s even simpler here: Just tap another GO 5 and presto, they’re connected. (I wasn’t able to test this firsthand; JBL supplied only the one speaker for my review.)

Does the JBL Go 5 have good battery life?

With every iteration of the Go speaker, JBL has boosted battery life — a good thing, because it’s always been a bit on the low side. The Go 5 is rated to last for up to eight hours on a charge, a solid improvement over the Go 4’s five hours. And once again you can engage something called Playtime Boost, which promises to get you closer to 10.

However, you need the app to do this; there’s no button for it. And you’ll notice the downside right away: Playtime Boost disables the equalizer and all but eliminates bass, resulting in inferior sound quality. It’s tolerable, just decidedly worse. I think if I was going to need 10 hours with the speaker, I’d just plan ahead and be prepared to charge it after eight.

Should you buy the JBL Go 5?

That little oddity aside, this is a great speaker. And let’s talk about cost: It lists for $54.95 but has been on sale for $39.95 for well over a month — a discount that will hopefully continue as Black Friday and the holidays get nearer.

At that price, this is a slam-dunk, no-brainer buy. It sounds better than most other speakers in the same price range and is equipped to withstand the rigors of the outdoors. The JBL Go 5 now goes just about everywhere I do.

JBL Go 5

PROS:

• Loud, clean sound from a small package
• Improved battery life
• Built like a tank
• One tap pairs a second Go 5 for stereo sound

CONS:

• Accent lighting is just one color (and you don’t get to choose it)
• Zero print instructions and confusing online PDF
• Doesn’t always sync well with video

💡 VERDICT: This robust little speaker punches well above its weight class, delivering big, boisterous sound from a super-rugged enclosure — all for a very reasonable price.