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The JBL Go 5 is a pocket Bluetooth speaker for the moments when your phone’s speaker falls short. It weighs 230g, has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and costs £39.99 at JBL’s recommended UK price. The appeal is easy to see if you want music while you’re getting ready, cooking or sitting outside, and need something small enough to take with you afterwards.
This JBL Go 5 review draws on the manufacturer’s specifications and independent listening tests. The buying decision comes down to how often you’ll carry it. Around £35, it makes sense as a personal speaker you can use in different places throughout the week. If you mostly want to play music for a group or fill a room, put the money towards a bigger speaker.
What fits into a 230g speaker?
The case measures 10.1cm wide, 7.74cm high and 4.3cm deep. There’s a carry loop for moving it between rooms or attaching it to a bag with your own clip. That size is the reason to choose the Go 5. It can go in a small day bag alongside a water bottle and a charger without having to plan around it. At home, it needs very little space on a bedside table or a crowded kitchen worktop.
JBL rates the Go 5 IP68 and describes the case as drop-proof. For everyday use, that makes it a more practical choice for a dusty bag or an unexpected shower than a speaker you need to keep indoors. The little strips of edge lighting also show pairing and battery cues. You can change their appearance or switch them off through the JBL Portable app, which also provides a seven-band equaliser. See JBL’s UK specifications and feature guide.
Sound quality and the limits of a single speaker
JBL uses a single 45mm driver rated at 4.8W RMS. In its side-by-side listening tests, What Hi-Fi? found the Go 5 sounded fuller and had more bass depth than the Go 4. Its reviewers also found the midrange clear on simpler tracks, while denser arrangements had less room to breathe. That makes the Go 5 an appealing step up for anyone who regularly streams radio or playlists through a phone speaker.
Think of the Go 5 as a speaker to keep near you. On a desk or a picnic table, the convenience matters more than hearing every layer of a recording. If you want a strong bass line across a garden or enough volume to compete with a room full of people, a larger model is a better use of your money. Even a well-tuned speaker of this size has limited room for a driver and enclosure.
For ordinary listening, Bluetooth 6.0 is the simplest connection. The USB-C port also accepts wired audio from a compatible device, with support for lossless playback when your source provides it. It’s a useful option if you already keep a data cable at your desk. JBL includes neither a USB-C cable nor a charger, so factor those in if you’re buying it as a gift.
How long does the battery last?
JBL rates standard playback at up to eight hours and lists a three-hour recharge time. The advertised ten-hour figure includes Playtime Boost. In What Hi-Fi?’s testing, that mode made the sound thinner by cutting bass. For a day out, work from the eight-hour ceiling and expect the volume and what you’re playing to affect how close you get. The extra mode is useful if you’d rather keep a podcast going for the last stretch home than stop listening altogether.
Battery replacement is another consideration if you expect to keep the speaker for years. Which? lists the battery as non-replaceable by the user. If you already have a working Go 4, the extra hour of rated standard playback alone is a modest reason to upgrade.
Is the JBL Go 5 good value?
JBL’s UK Black Friday page listed the Go 5 at £34.99 when checked on 11 November, against a £39.99 recommended price. Around £35, the combination of a small case, weather protection and wired audio makes a good case for it as a first portable speaker. Prices vary by shop and colour. See JBL’s UK offers.
You can pair two Go 5s in stereo using AirTouch, and Auracast lets you link compatible JBL speakers. Stereo is a handy bonus if two people in the household already own one. If you’re buying both at once, the total is close to £70 even at the promotional price. At that budget, decide whether you actually want separate left and right speakers or whether a single larger model would suit where you listen.
There’s also a case for the JBL Clip 5 if you want a speaker that clips directly to a bag. It has a built-in carabiner and JBL gives it a UK recommended price of £59.99. The Go 5’s loop and lower price make more sense if you expect to set it down wherever you listen.
Verdict
The JBL Go 5 is worth buying around £35 if you want a speaker for a bedside table, a weekend bag or a quiet afternoon outside. Its low weight and independent listening results are stronger reasons to buy than the lighting or the ten-hour headline. Keep a working Go 4 if it already covers those jobs. Spend more on a larger speaker if you regularly need louder playback for a group.
Check the JBL Go 5 on Amazon UK.
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