JBL Pulse 5 review 2024: great bluetooth speaker

The JBL Pulse 4 was succeeded by the JBL Pulse 5, which is currently available. The additional features that come with this speaker help it stand out from the competition significantly. You are able to transform its eye-catching RGB lights into a variety of colours and patterns to suit your whims thanks to its design that encompasses the entire room.

In addition, the JBL Portable app provides you with access to a variety of different ambient noise settings, such as the sounds of a campfire or a rushing river, to assist you in drifting off to sleep at night. Because of the graphic equaliser that is included in its companion app, it offers a greater degree of personalization than its predecessor.

JBL Pulse 5 Specifications

JBL Pulse 5: Design and Battery

The circular Pulse 5 speaker is about 8.5 inches tall, 4.2 inches wide, and 5.2 inches deep. It weighs about 3.3 pounds. It stands up straight on three rubber feet that leave a small room for the down-firing 2.5-inch 30W woofer and LEDs. The 0.6-inch, 10W tweeter on top is protected by a plastic cover with the JBL exclamation point logo. We like that it looks like a modern take on a lava lamp, but the shiny outside shell makes it hard to keep clean. These smudges are easy to see when the speaker is off, but some colours also make them stand out. You can buy this speaker from its official website

Controls and connectivity

The only physical buttons on the back of the Pulse 5 speaker are for pairing it with Bluetooth, turning on and off lights, and PartyBoost, which connects it to other JBL speakers. There is a USB-C port for charging, and an LED strip shows how much power is left in the battery. There are no extra jacks or ports, so the only way to link is through Bluetooth.

Users can choose from different light effects using a button on the back of the speaker that cycles through several preset choices. For full light display support, you’ll need to download the JBL Portable control app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. Once the app is paired with Pulse 5, the main lights around the body of the speaker and the lights around the bottom of the speaker can be turned on and off separately.

Sound quality and performance

JBL has sold its “JBL Original Pro Sound” sound effect in the past, and the JBL Pulse 5 is the same. The sound is full and powerful, with a round, rich sound. Because the JBL Pulse 5 has a separate low-frequency unit, the low-frequency power feels greater. If you want to be picky, the JBL Pulse 5 is always a single-channel device. Instead of stereo positioning, the 360-degree sound spread gives you a feeling of space.

JBL Pulse 5: Price and availability

The two drivers produce mono sound with a range of frequencies from 58Hz to 20KHz. The Pulse 5 works with Bluetooth 5.3, but it only supports the SBC codec. It doesn’t work with AAC or AptX. For the price, that’s not the best, but it’s okay for a small speaker. If you want to hear more details in your songs, you can pay more for the Sony SRS-XG300 ($349.99), which has the LDAC codec that can handle high-resolution audio. Since it works with the AAC codec.

Final words

In the case of the JBL Pulse 5, it’s fine to be distracted by all the pretty lights and not worry so much about the sound. Because, dammit, this thing looks really cool, it can make a great lava lamp or party atmosphere, and the sound is good and loud enough to impress. Are there compact speakers with better sound quality that cost less than $250? There are, and we’ve talked about a few of them in this review.

You can also check out our list of the best porable Bluetooth speakers to see more. But if you don’t care as much about high-resolution music or better Bluetooth codecs and want a fun, unique, portable sound and light show that works as well by the pool (or in the pool) as it does in your chill-out room, the Pulse 5 might be worth the extra money.

JBL Pulse 5 review: The good and The bad

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