JBL Go 5 Review: A Tough Pocket Speaker With Real Extras

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I rather like the JBL Go 5 because it understands the job of a tiny speaker: be genuinely easy to take anywhere, tough enough not to be precious about, and add useful modern extras without becoming a fiddly little gadget. The trade-off is equally clear. This is a 4.8W pocket speaker, not a substitute for a larger portable model, and the headline battery figure needs reading with its lighting feature in mind.

Small enough to earn its place in a bag

At 10.1 x 7.74 x 4.3cm and 0.23kg, this is properly compact rather than merely “portable” in marketing language. That matters more than people sometimes admit: a speaker that takes up almost no room is one that actually comes along for the ride.

What I like most is the confidence JBL has built around that portability. It is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, and JBL describes it as drop-proof. For me, that makes it a sensible little speaker for outdoor use, holidays, kitchens and generally less controlled places than a desk. It is built to be picked up and used, not carefully protected.

The clever bits are not just padding

The Go 5 has Bluetooth 6.0 and support for SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs, but the more interesting feature is Auracast. It can wirelessly join other JBL Auracast-enabled speakers for wider multi-speaker playback. That gives this tiny model a route into a broader JBL setup rather than treating it as an isolated impulse purchase.

There is also AirTouch stereo pairing. Buy two Go 5 speakers, power them on and bump them together to create left and right channels. That is a pleasingly direct answer to stereo pairing, which is often buried in an app or made unnecessarily laborious. My main reservation is obvious: stereo means buying a second speaker, so it is a bonus for people who already want two compact units, not a reason to pretend the single-speaker purchase includes stereo.

JBL’s Portable app adds a 7-band EQ, ambient-light theme selection and software updates. The EQ is the meaningful part for me. A small speaker benefits from letting its owner nudge the presentation towards their preferences rather than locking everyone into one factory tuning. The lighting is a fun extra, but it is also part of the battery equation.

Battery: good, but read the small print

JBL quotes up to eight hours of music playback, plus up to two additional hours through Playtime Boost. That is a reasonable claim for a speaker this size, but it is not a number to treat as a fixed promise. Volume level, what you are listening to and the selected ambient-light theme all affect endurance.

That caveat matters because a pocket speaker is often chosen for convenience. Switch on extra lighting, turn it up, and plan around less than the best-case figure rather than being surprised later. Charging takes three hours with a 5V/1A DC supply, and JBL does not include a USB cable. It is not a deal-breaker, but it is an irritating omission on such a small, USB-C-equipped device; make sure you have a suitable cable to hand.

USB-C lossless is welcome, but niche

Lossless audio over USB-C is an unexpectedly ambitious feature at this level. I would regard it as a welcome extra rather than the reason to buy one. It needs compatible lossless content from a supported app or service, plus a suitable USB-C cable, none of which is included automatically with the speaker. Bluetooth remains the straightforward everyday option; wired lossless is there for the buyer whose music setup can genuinely use it.

Who it suits — and who should pass

I would recommend the Go 5 to someone who values compactness and resilience above outright scale. It makes particular sense as an easy-to-carry personal speaker, as part of an Auracast-capable JBL collection, or as a pair for those who specifically want compact left/right stereo.

Buy something else if your priority is bigger output from one box, or if you want a complete stereo solution without purchasing a second unit. Equally, do not buy it principally for USB-C lossless unless your source service, content and cable are already compatible. The one condition that changes my recommendation is simple: if you are happy with a genuinely pocket-sized speaker and its sensible limits, the Go 5 looks unusually well specified and reassuringly rugged.

Would I buy it?

Yes, for the right purpose. JBL has avoided stuffing this with meaningless headline features and instead focused on portability, IP68 protection, flexible linking and useful app control. The missing cable and conditional battery claim take a little shine off it, while the extra spend required for stereo is unavoidable. Still, as a tough, tiny speaker that can grow into a wider JBL setup, it is an easy one to like.

Pros

• Properly compact at 0.23kg, with a 10.1 x 7.74 x 4.3cm footprint
• IP68 water and dust resistance, with a drop-proof construction described by JBL
• Auracast support offers multi-speaker playback with compatible JBL speakers
• AirTouch makes pairing two units for left/right stereo pleasingly simple
• 7-band EQ and software updates through the JBL Portable app
• USB-C lossless playback support for compatible music setups

Cons

• Up to eight hours of playback varies with volume, content and ambient-light theme
• A second Go 5 is required for stereo playback
• USB-C lossless needs compatible content, a supported service and a suitable cable
• No USB cable is included
• Three-hour charging time with a 5V/1A supply is not especially brisk

Check the exact UK variant, current price and availability before ordering.

View JBL Go 5 pocket Bluetooth speaker on Amazon.co.uk →

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