JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Charge 5

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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Charge 3 compared with Charge 5

	JBLCharge 3	JBLCharge 5
Overview
Released
Released	2016	April 2021
Sound
Type
Type	Portable speaker	Portable speaker
Channels
Channels	stereo	–
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Drivers
Drivers	Two 50 mm drivers and two external passive radiators	52 × 90 mm racetrack woofer, 20 mm tweeter and dual passive radiators
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	2 × 10 W	30 W RMS for the woofer, 10 W RMS for the tweeter
Frequency response
Frequency response	65 Hz – 20 kHz; signal-to-noise ratio over 80 dB	60 Hz – 20 kHz; signal-to-noise ratio over 80 dB
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	No	No
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.1; A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5, HFP 1.6 and HSP 1.2; up to three phones or tablets can connect and take turns	Bluetooth 5.1; A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6; two phones or tablets can connect and take turns
Ports
Ports	Micro-USB charging, USB power-bank output (5 V / 2 A) and 3.5 mm audio input (port types from SoundGuys)	USB-C for charging; USB-A out to charge a phone (5 V, 2 A maximum; port type from What Hi-Fi)
Multi-room
Multi-room	JBL Connect at launch; the maker offers a firmware upgrade to Connect+, after which it cannot link with original Connect speakers	PartyBoost stereo pairing, or linking several PartyBoost speakers
App
App	A later firmware update enables Siri or Google Now through a connected phone, rather than a built-in assistant	–
Design
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 20 hours	Up to 20 hours
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	IPX7	IP67
Weight
Weight	0.8 kg (better)	0.96 kg
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 20 hours depending on volume and content; 6,000 mAh / 22.2 Wh lithium-ion polymer battery; 4.5 hours to charge; included 5 V / 2.3 A adaptor. The final specification sheet supersedes the CES announcement's 15-hour claim.	Up to 20 hours; 27 Wh (3.6 V, 7,500 mAh) lithium-ion polymer battery; 4 hours to charge at 5 V / 3 A
Microphones
Microphones	Noise- and echo-cancelling speakerphone	–
Size
Size	213 × 88.5 × 87 mm (W × H × D); 800 g, from the maker's specification sheet rather than SoundGuys' conflicting table	223 × 96.5 × 94 mm (W × H × D)
Colours
Colours	–	Black, Blue, Grey, Red, Teal and Squad at launch; JBL Singapore also lists Forest Green and Pink
In the box
In the box	Charge 3, 5 V / 2.3 A USB adaptor, micro-USB cable, quick start guide, safety sheet and warranty card	Charge 5, USB-C cable, quick start guide, safety sheet, warranty card