Two of JBL’s best Bluetooth speakers have received a major upgrade, adding a host of Wi-Fi capabilities and improved connectivity features, as well as JBL’s first-ever implementation of Dolby Atmos technology in a portable speaker.
The Boombox 3 and Charge 5 speaker systems are reliable and popular options for portable Bluetooth speakers, but now they’ve reached a new level of convenience in their new forms: the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi and the JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi.
The compact speaker JBL Charge 5 , which was presented in 2021, has balanced sound quality, 20 hours of battery life and powerful sound at a high level. The new Charge 5 Wi-Fi has Bluetooth, updated to the latest 5.3 standard, and also supports Wi-Fi, allowing for higher quality music streaming via music streaming services such as Apple Music.
In addition, both speakers have improved connection functions that provide a more stable and faster connection to the sound source. Also, they support pairing with other JBL speakers to create a wireless sound network.
The new JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi and JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi also have built-in microphones that allow you to make voice calls and use them as speakerphones for conference calls.
All these updates make JBL speakers even more attractive to those looking for portable audio systems with high-quality sound and advanced connectivity options.
Both models get tons of Wi-Fi capabilities, including Apple AirPlay 2 for iOS users, Alexa’s Multi-Room Music extension that lets you control speakers throughout the home, and Chromecast support. But they also got increased Wi-Fi connection bandwidth compared to Bluetooth. This puts the Charge 5 Wi-Fi even more in line with the wildly popular Sonos Roam speaker , and the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi closer to the Sonos Move speaker .
The bigger and better-equipped JBL Boombox 3 has Dolby Atmos support – a first for a JBL portable speaker (but the company knows the technology well from its soundbars, such as the very impressive JBL Bar 1300 ). Atmos sound is currently limited to the Tidal streaming service, which must be connected via the JBL One app.
Both models have a robust construction and reliable water protection, making them ideal for trips outside the home, to nature, the beach or for lounging by the pools, as well as a long battery life (20-24 hours), which means that they don’t have to be constantly plugged into an outlet in your living room.
Wi-Fi support is aimed at improving sound quality at home. Thus, you get portable speakers that can be used as acoustics during travels and in multi-room music systems.
While Sonos is usually associated with sound quality, in the portable speaker segment, some JBL models may be more interesting, have a richer sound and perform better outdoors. In addition, the Atmos-enabled Boombox 3 has a slight price advantage “on paper” compared to the Sonos Move – and we’re sure it will be less vulnerable to drops.
