JBL Go 5 - Ultra-portable waterproof and drop-proof speaker with JBL legendary sound and ambient edge lighting - Turquoise

I bought the Go 4 and that itself is a great little speaker, but the Go 5 is an evolutionary step. Both sound the same at low volumes, but what sold it for me was AuraCast. Get two of these and make a stereo pair, and it almost rivals my trusty old Flip 4. Much better soundstage, yet only almost as good as bass is the only thing that makes it's down. 87dB vs 70dB for the Flip 4. It makes my DAB radio obsolete, so it is going to get used far more than I first thought. I also love the fact that it uses mostly recycled material, and you can also replace the battery with a little effort. My 8 year old Flip 4 is true stereo and has a mic, so is now providing service in my workshop. Improved IP68 vs IP67 for the Go 4 is useful too. Great battery life at around 10-12 hours when below 50% volume. I'm still running in my Blue and Squad versions, and though only slightly larger than my single Go 4 (which I don't regret buying, while in Amsterdam), it still portable enough to be used any occasion. I also bought a Charge 6 during a sale, and pair the two Go 5's with it for a truly immersive surround sound experience. Even though it's just mono, it still sounded really good. If JBL can update AuraCast to run a downmixed Dolby Pro Logic setup, then your home Cinema would become a multi use system you can take anywhere! Over to you JBL!

I bought this speaker to take on holiday. I'd seen lots of positive reviews on JBL and on third party sites, and they all lived up to my experience. The speaker sound quality, especially the bass, is very strong. I was really impressed with the quality of the speaker and at such a good price point too.

I bought this a few weeks ago to replace the JBL GO4. The JBL Go 5 delivers louder, cleaner sound with improved bass for its tiny size. Its battery lasts up to 8–10 hours, depending on whether you use Playtime Boost. Connectivity is excellent thanks to Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast support, and USB‑C audio. The speaker is extremely tough, offering IP68 dust‑ and waterproofing plus a rugged body. It also features a refreshed design with ambient edge lighting, making it both durable and visually appealing.

Amazing speaker, great quality sound, Great build quality tough and rugged the lights are an amazing feature

This is a great little speaker! I have a large Bluetooth speaker that's not always practical regarding portability in the space I'm in (e.g. paddling in my kayak, cutting my hair in the bathroom, listening to music in the shower, doing small jobs around the house etc). Was after something small but didn't want to compromise on sound quality & had to be waterproof. This little speaker produces quality sound & is now my go to device! Good battery life & looks like it will offer good durability.

Brilliant piece of kit, don't be fooled by the size. Packs a mighty punch with great battery life. I had the Go3 which was already a great piece of kit but this upgrade together with the app and the option to customize for your surroundings is a brilliant addition. Great when you don't have much space or don't want a big speaker using up space. Packs the punch of a far bigger speaker. Great for use in kitchen, gardens, walking, at the park, pool tennis courts or even on the bike it's so portable and durable. 10/10

I have the older JBL GO 4, and the new GO 5 really sounds much fuller and has a wider soundstage. The lights are a really nice touch as well!

I'm genuinely impressed by how much punch this tiny GO 5 packs. For such a compact and rugged speaker, the sound is incredibly loud and crisp, with a much wider soundstage and way better bass than the old GO 1. The battery life easily holds up for 8 to 10 hours, especially if you play around with the Playtime Boost. Pairing is seamless too, thanks to the upgraded Bluetooth and Auracast. I also love the refreshed look with the ambient edge lighting—it looks awesome. My only real gripe is that it doesn't include a charging cable in the box, which is a bit annoying. Even so, at this price point, it's an absolute bargain and a massive step up from the original model!

Very good sound with bass from such a small speaker. Only disappointment, hence the 4 star, is that you can't put a SD or usb stick in it to play music, usb C is only for charging & linking to other other devices. My thought really as didn't read the info correctly, just used to all the other Bluetooth speakers I have, (8 or so), all have sd/usb slots.

Come on. If you send these out to people for free, you are not going to receive a 'genuine' review. If you are engaging with all of the 'influencer nonsense' then again, not a genuine review. Couldn't you wait for real fans/buyers to contribute their views. It really does seem desperate and a lot misleading. I own the Go 3 and it's really good and I purchased it with my own money and I will almost certainly buy the Go 5 once again with my own money. JBL won't be sending me a free one in the hope of a glowing review with lovely photographs included. Or will they? No they won't. Anyway, it would also help if What Hi-Fi didn't publish the review before the product was completely available. Very few of the colours are there to be purchased as I write this. Surely that does not make any business sense at all. Anyway, I'm certain it will be a great little product which I can listen to in the coming few days or weeks. I'll check back after the weekend for the latest news on availability.