I'm Bringing This Portable Jbl Speaker To All My Summer Festivities - Here's Why

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The JBL Charge 6 is disposable for $199 successful Black, Blue, White, Red, Camo, and Purple.
• The Charge 6 offers awesome sound, durability, artillery life, and in-app features.
• Although it's waterproof, constant, untreated vulnerability to brackish and chlorine tin incur soul damage, conscionable for illustration immoderate different Bluetooth speaker.

While location are plentifulness of Bluetooth speakers connected nan market, only a fewer onslaught nan equilibrium of durability and sound quality. Bose's SoundLink Max was 1 of nan first I tested to span nan gap, but JBL's latest Charge 6 is present to compete pinch it - and for $200 less.

Also: Sonos' cheapest smart speaker is besides nan 1 I usage nan most. Here's why

I spent an early outpouring play toting nan JBL Charge 6 to a family cookout astir Atlanta's busiest outdoor abstraction and betwixt rooms while I completed immoderate play chores. If you're looking for a souped-up portable speaker, you'll want to perceive really it went.

The Charge 6 debuts pinch JBL's proprietary AI Sound Boost, which uses an algorithm to analyse your euphony arsenic it plays successful existent clip to tweak nan speaker's EQ. According to JBL, this characteristic delivers maximum acoustics and decreases distortion.

Also: I replaced my JBL speaker for this Bose model, and it'll beryllium difficult to springiness it up

Decreasing distortion is exceptionally important, considering nan Charge 6 packs a dense bass response. At large volumes, nan bass tin origin nan speaker to rumble, muddy nan bass, and overpower nan different frequencies. Although nan Charge 6 isn't the smallest Bluetooth speaker I've tested, its loudness is still awesome for its frame.

If nan bass gets excessively dense for your liking, you tin set nan speaker's EQ settings successful nan JBL Portable app. You tin take from preset EQs aliases create your own. The Charge 6 promises 28 hours of playtime connected a azygous charge, 4 much hours than its predecessor.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Two of those other hours are attributed to a characteristic called Playtime Boost, which decreases nan bass spot to conserve battery. This characteristic was useful astatine my parents' play cookout since I'm perpetually tasked pinch bringing nan latest speaker I'm testing for everyone to hear. However, connected this peculiar weekend, I brought nan speaker erstwhile it was connected 30% battery, and I needed to support nan statement going.

The Charge 6 gets its sanction from its instrumentality charging capabilities; if your aliases your buddy's smartphone has a debased battery, you tin whip retired your USB-C cord and plug your telephone into nan speaker to support it alive.

Also: This Marshall Bluetooth speaker I tested sounds amended than audio systems doubly nan price

JBL trumpets nan Charge 6's IP68 durability standing arsenic it's stronger than nan Bose SoundLink Max, Beats Pill (2024), and Sony ULT Field 1's IP67 ratings. At IP68, nan Charge 6 is afloat protected from particulate and tin past submersion successful almost 5 feet (1.5 meters) of h2o for up to 30 minutes.

Although an IP68 is impressive, each Bluetooth speakers person caveats surrounding their waterproof rating. The manufacture modular is to trial a product's waterproofing capabilities pinch caller water, not brackish aliases chlorinated water. Although your speaker tin withstand bouts successful nan excavation aliases ocean, its dips successful nan excavation should hap by mishap if you tin thief it.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The chemicals successful nan water aliases excavation h2o could erode nan speaker's soul components, coloring, and nan seals holding it together. JBL asserts that nan Charge 6's IP standing applies to brackish and chlorinated water, but users should thoroughly rinse and barren disconnected nan speaker aft contact. It's imperative that nan speaker is barren earlier plugging your telephone into it, truthful nan Charge 6 will blink reddish if nan larboard is still wet.

On nan contrary, nan Bose SoundLink Max besides has reverse charging and a weaker IP rating. However, it will float and orient itself, grille look down, to debar soul h2o harm if you accidentally driblet it successful nan water aliases pool. Still, Bose besides suggests you hold until nan speaker is barren to usage aliases plug your telephone into it.

Also: This mini Bluetooth speaker delivers loud, distortion-free sound

You tin orient nan Charge 6 horizontally aliases vertically; nan added carrying strap provides much portability. Compared to its predecessor, nan Charge 6 offers much continuous playtime, an enhanced Bluetooth type for much unchangeable connections and businesslike powerfulness consumption, Auracast compatibility, and faster reverse charging.

The Charge 6 is simply a worthy upgrade from nan Charge 5, showing that JBL wisely utilized nan Charge lineup's four-year hiatus. It is much affordable than competitors pinch akin features and much precocious than competitors successful nan aforesaid value category.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you want a caller Bluetooth speaker packed pinch features and applicable durability, nan JBL Charge 6 is an fantabulous choice. It sounds great, has a lengthy artillery life, and includes Auracast, which allows you to link nan speaker to an unlimited number of different Auracast-enabled speakers for nan eventual party.

If you want a durable speaker pinch reverse charging and a much stylish and nondescript design, see nan Bose SoundLink Max, but beryllium prepared to salary a premium for it.

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.