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When JBL announced the release of the Charge 6 early in 2025, it feels like an understatement to say expectations were high. After all, the Charge 5 has built quite the reputation since its release in 2021, becoming one of the highest-rated outdoor speakers on Amazon. At first glance, the Charge 6 doesn’t disappoint. It comes with a 28-hour battery life, the ability to charge other devices, upgraded IP68 durability, and a ton of new features like Auracast and AI Boost audio tuning.

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Early professional reviews only added to the hype, calling it “one of the best Bluetooth speakers of the year” (per Gizmodo) and throwing tons of other sunny superlatives its way. However, at the end of the day, what really matters is what actual buyers are saying. And, on that front, the full picture becomes a little more cloudy.

On JBL’s own site, the Charge 6 currently holds an impressive user rating, with 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 36 user reviews — slightly higher than the Charge 5’s 4.5 average based on 1,055 user reviews. Buyers on JBL’s site seem generally happy with their purchases, but even among satisfied customers, sound quality came under scrutiny. User Dave1602 wrote, “The sound right out the box is not as good as its previous lines of JBL products. To make the sound of the speaker sound better or clearer you need to download the JBL app and make the adjustments on the equalizer.”

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Other users on JBL’s site are in agreement. The Charge 6 shines in some areas but falls short in others. “The Charge 6 certainly meets the criteria for a robust and waterproof speaker, making it a great companion for adventures,” user TJ Stegall noted. “However, I was left wanting in terms of sound quality, particularly in the bass department, which I found lacking.”

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These aren’t isolated comments. JBL reviewer benrudolph said “the default setting was a bit too bass-heavy for my taste” — lining up with other comments about how bass response was disappointing compared to other JBLs. New features are nice and all, but the core purpose of a speaker is to play music. There’s a very clear divide here — on the one hand, the speaker has a reliable battery life and a ton of volume. On the other, it has slightly underwhelming audio compared to JBL speakers of the past.

Over on Amazon, the reviews are even more honest. There, the speaker has a 4.4-star rating based on 62 users — less than the Charge 5’s 4.7 stars from 31,817 user ratings. It’s evidence that users like the Charge 6, but not every listener is convinced it offers enough to set it apart. One Amazon buyer said, “Everything on the Charge 6 sounded as it should. But it also sounded EXACTLY like my Charge 5.”

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So is the Charge 6 truly better than the Charge 5? It depends on what you’re looking for. From a feature standpoint, it clearly wins: longer battery life, smarter tech like Auracast and AI Boost, and more environmentally friendly materials make it a modern step up. However, sound, particularly bass, has been a sticking point for several users.

In the end, the Charge 6 seems best for those who want solid durability and great battery life rather than pure audio performance. If you’re already a fan of the JBL ecosystem and want the latest version of the Charge, it’s likely worth the $200 investment. If your top priority is rich, punchy bass and you already own a Charge 5 or Flip 5, it may be worth holding off — or at least giving the Charge 6 a test listen before making the jump.

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