I tested the JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4 budget Bluetooth speakers — and there’s a clear winner under $60

JBL knows how to make a good speaker. From chunky speakers, like the JBL Xtreme 5, to small ones that can be clipped onto a bike handle, like the JBL Clip 5, there's no dearth of options in JBL's lineup.

In April 2026, JBL revealed the successor to its two-year-old JBL Go 4 pocket speaker, the JBL Go 5, and I've tested it for a week to come to the conclusion that it's the best budget Bluetooth speaker you can buy today.

But how does it compare to its predecessor? After all, the Go 4 is a formidable speaker that you can still buy today — often for less than $40 when it's on sale. I put the Go 5 and the Go 4 through their paces in this face-off to find out which is best value for money. I don't think the winner will surprise you that much.

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Specs

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Price & availability

The JBL Go 4, at the time of writing, is two years old as it first came out in early 2024. At launch, it had a retail price of $49 / £39, but as the speaker is a little old now, you can find down to $39 / £29 during sales events, like Black Friday. In April 2026, JBL revealed the JBL Go 5 with a launch price of $54 / £39 — a $5 price hike over its predecessor, which is practically unnoticeable.

In terms of sheer value for money, the Go 5 is the winner. It's newer and it improves on the fourth-gen model's shortcomings while introducing a couple new upgrades, as you'll soon see throughout this face-off.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Design

If you weren't already familiar with the design differences between the JBL Go 5 and the JBL Go 4, and you were to put both speakers side-by-side, you probably wouldn't be able to tell which is which. The Go 5 bears striking resemblance to its predecessor as it continues to sport a boxy, rectangular design with mesh covers over the front and rear faces.

One of the key visual differences is that the Go 5 now features two strips of LED lighting which run along the base and the top plate, with four lighting effects. Rubber strips are located on both speakers. The Go 5 is a little heavier at 8.16oz, versus the Go 4 which weighs 6.7oz, but the difference is hardly noticeable. You can still carry both with ease, even in your jacket's pocket.

Controls are fairly similar too, so you can change the volume, enable Auracast, and swap between Bluetooth sources easily. Build quality of both speakers is sublime. In my opinion, the Go 5 is the winner as it's still pocketable and the LED lighting strips are a nice, classy touch.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Features & connectivity

The JBL Go 4 utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC and AAC codecs, while the JBL Go 5 utilizes Bluetooth 6.0 with added support for LC3 for improved sound quality at lower bitrates. Both speakers are Auracast-enabled which means you can link multiple speakers together for bigger sound — or if you want to play the same song in different parts of a room.

In my testing, I found Auracast pairing to be a little finnicky on the Go 4, as it took a few tries to do so and I ended up using the companion app to make the process easier. On the Go 5, though, I found the process to be more straightforward as it took me hardly any time to pair multiple speakers together. The Go 5 has another ace up its sleeve too, in the form of AirTouch stereo pairing. If you have another Go 5, you can touch two Go 5s together to instantly create left and right stereo channels.

Both speakers are durable too. The Go 4 is IP67-rated while the Go 5 is IP68-rated, making the latter the better choice if you want to submerge it in 1.5m of water for 30 minutes. It's also drop-proof, and having dropped it from a height of approximately 2m onto a wooden floor, I can confirm that the Go 5 remained unscathed.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Sound quality

The biggest difference between the JBL Go 5 and the JBL Go 4 is the sound quality. Both speakers are highly competent, and they can get very loud, but the Go 5 is simply better because it delivers better sub-bass and general bass response. This was instantly clear in my testing.

To start, I listened to ‘Elma’ by Yin Yin, an atmospheric psychedelic rock and funk track. The Go 5 boasted impressive separation between the shimmering guitar and synth waves. There was plenty of low-end impact to each string plucked on the bass guitar too. Listening to the track on the Go 4 right after revealed a lack of warmth to the groovy bass, and it sounded hollow rather than full-bodied. I also noticed that I couldn't really hear the kickdrum through the Go 4, which made the track feel soulless, but this wasn't the case through the Go 5. The sub-bass sounded thick, warm and very enjoyable, and it gave a good backbone to the track.

Lana Del Rey's ‘First Light’ sounded fairly similar through both the speakers. "T" and "s" sounds remained crisp without becoming hissy, and the vocals shone through the track and didn't get drowned out by the orchestration. The treble sounded crisp, clean and vibrant without cutting through the rest of the track, lending the song a lovely energy.

An area where the Go 5 upstages the Go 4 is dynamic management, as in ‘Who Will You Follow' by Evanescence, I noticed the distorted, low-tuned guitars sounded a little muddy through the Go 4. This wasn't an issue on the Go 5, as the newer speaker handled the song with aplomb. There was a great balance between Amy Lee's high-pitched vocals and the gothic metal guitar riffs.

Based on sound quality alone, the Go 5 is a no-brainer. For such a tiny speaker, it can get very loud without music sounding distorted or too tinny at high volumes, and it quashes the Go 4 in every aspect.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Battery life

Both the JBL Go 4 and the JBL Go 5 are tiny speakers, so you shouldn't expect extensive battery lives from either. JBL has added a bigger battery pack to the Go 5, so you get 8 hours of playback time or 10 hours with Playtime Boost enabled via the app — a three-hour improvement over the Go 4.

In my testing, I was prompted to charge the Go 5 after 9 hours of listening to music at 50% volume, and to charge the Go 4 after 7 hours of doing the same.

The Go 5's playback time will also depend on whether the LED lighting is turned on or off, but both speakers should last you comfortably if you're hosting a barbecue or a poolside party with friends. Playtime Boost is a handy feature too, but note that it sacrifices some of the bass to last longer.

Winner: JBL Go 5

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Verdict

As you've seen throughout this face-off, and based on the ratings scorecard below, there's a clear winner, and it isn't even close. The JBL Go 5 wins in every category, from value for money and design to sound quality and battery life. While the Go 4 is good and can be a great speaker when picked up during sales events, the Go 5 is simply better.

If it's outstanding sound quality you're after, the Go 5 should be your port of call. It doesn't compromise on sound, boasting excellent sub-bass, meaty bass and vibrant treble. The Go 4 struggles when it comes to reproducing warm sub-bass, which can make songs feel hollow.

At the end of the day, both the Go 4 and the Go 5 are superb budget Bluetooth speakers, but the Go 5 is crowned the winner in this face-off because JBL has improved it in basically every way possible. Personally, it's my new favorite budget speaker that I'll be using for a long, long time.

JBL Go 5 vs JBL Go 4: Ratings scorecard

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