JBL Clip 5 Review

Our JBL Clip 5 Experience

Setup for the JBL Clip 5 was about as seamless as it gets, with fast pairing and intuitive controls. We love that the play/pause/volume buttons are plastered loud and proud across the speaker. We also like that the Clip 5 makes different sounds when it powers off vs. when it powers on, and it has a small indicator light so that we don't accidentally leave it on and drain the battery.

It didn't take us long to get the hang of the controls, and after that it was glued to our side. We called it the tag-along speaker, since it ended up coming with us everywhere. We would clip it to our belt loop while doing yard work, hang it from the fence at the pickleball court, and hook it onto the webbing of our backpack when heading out for a day hike. Since it's waterproof, we'd even hang it on the shower head to listen to audiobooks or watch movies in the tub. The vocals and sound effects in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by JK Rowling sound natural and full.

While it doesn't compare to the full-size speakers we tested alongside the Clip 5 (no mini-speaker can), it was the speaker we reached for the most when portability was our top priority.

Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

While not as refined or detailed as larger speakers, Clip 5 has a particularly punchy sound that travels far and can be enjoyed in groups of up to 10 or so people. It's a great option to take traveling, when packing space is tight, but you still want sound big enough for more than just 2-3 people. We were particularly impressed by the clear vocals.

The bass clarity is good as far as most speakers go, but we wouldn't go so far as to call it pristine. It's more boomy than many speakers, almost like it's trying a little too hard to compensate for its small size. Drums sometimes sound a little blown-out, particularly in the blast drum beat at 2:07 of “Let Me In” by GROUPLOVE. While some may enjoy the emphasized, rumbly bass, we found it took over in the wrong moments, and it was a bit annoying. We found the mids to be rich and clear most of the time, and more forward and present than other speakers, which is what makes it so great for movies and books.

The trebles can sometimes veer into harsh territory at high volumes and with difficult “s” consonants, but offer more detail than the other speakers of this size.

This speaker can get surprisingly loud, but we prefered to stick to more moderate volumes to keep the listening pleasant. In this range, it handles most tones without edging into harsh territory or sounding too busy. Listening to Townes Van Zandt's “(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria”, we were pleased with the depth and clarity of his voice. It's a simple track and the cleanliness between the vocals, guitar, and bass is well defined.

The sound comes from the front and back of the mesh, making it sound fuller, which again is a unique feature for an uber small speaker. However, the orientation is very important for this speaker to maintain a good soundstage - it must be upright and clipped to something. If it lies on its back, the sound becomes muffled, and unfortunately, it doesn't have feet that keep it upright when set on a table.

Portability

Portability is truly what the Clip 5 was made for. Not only is it extremely light and portable, but we love that JBL went the extra mile to include the built in clip handle, rather than a typical carry loop. The speaker weighs just a hair more than a typical smartphone, and fits easily into a jacket pocket. If you're pockets are too small (hello women's jeans) the light weight makes it a no brainer to clip onto a beltloop while doing chores around the house or light yard work.

We also loved clipping it to a messenger bag while biking. Having a secure alternative to headphones made us feel safer and more aware while biking through traffic.

We clipped it to our purse and backpack and hardly noticed any extra weight, making it one of the most portable speakers we've ever tested. We also appreciate that the clip is pretty wide and opens up a little over an inch, so it can clip onto almost anything, even for thicker branches or railings.

Volume

This tiny speaker gets up to 87.3 decibels, so it can compete with a blender or hair dryer running in the same room. This is plenty loud to play background music for a small group, but you'll lose the sound if you wander into the other room.

We also don't love playing this speaker at its highest volume level. The higher the volume, the more blown out this speaker sounds. We found that anywhere above 80% was a no-go. The bass gets muddled and boomy, and the treble gets harsh. The Clip 5 works with the JBL app, so we were able to adjust the sound settings a bit to help fix this, but EQ adjustments will only get you so far. That said, like many compact speakers, the Clip 5 sounds best at mid volume.

Durability

For the most part, the Clip 5 stays securely attached to whatever you clip it onto. However, if you place it on a table or countertop and it gets knocked off by accident, it has the chops to withstand a few tumbles. In fact, we intentionally flung it off our desk, and the the Clip 5 continued to work and play music business as usual. So, if you have a cat (or a kid) who enjoys knocking things to the ground, fear not.

The speaker has an IP67 rating, which means it can hang out underwater for up to 30 minutes. We felt confident clipping it onto the side of a canoe or paddle board during lake days. It became our go-to shower speaker, and felt fine adjusting the volume or skipping the song with wet hands. We accidentally dropped it in the tub a few times after unclipping it, and we had no issues with the sound or connectivity afterward.

Battery

The Clip 5 has a pretty short battery life at 8 hours and 50 minutes (several hours less than the manufacturer's claimed 12-hour battery life). It was enough to get us through a day of tailgating, but it will require more frequent charges than most speakers. We're not surprised, though. A speaker this size can only carry so much tech, and we think most of the space went into improving sound quality.

Ease of Use

We don't love that the bottom of the speaker is rounded, so we weren't able to set it upright. If we wanted to set it on a table or listen at our desk, we had to prop it up against something to keep the sound directed toward us. It really works best when hanging.

The buttons on the front and sides are a little harder to press than those on most other speakers, particularly the pause button, which wasn't the most responsive. However, the power and pairing buttons on the side are easier to press.

The Clip has one of the shortest connectivity distances, up to 108 feet. This is enough to stay connected if you go to the next room, but if you have a larger house, or walk outside while playing music, you'll experience the spotty, glitchy sound before disconnecting. That said, the speaker is designed for close usage, and we often had it clipped to our clothing or a bag we were carrying, so we didn't run into issues very often.

The Clip 5 supposedly works with the “Auracast” feature to connect the Clip to other JBL speakers for a surround-sound experience, but after 10 minutes, we still couldn't pair it with the other speakers. It also doesn't offer any voice controls, so you can't take calls or skip songs hands free. You'll have to double press the play button on the front of the speaker.

Should You Buy the JBL Clip 5?

The JBL Clip 5 is an excellent portable option for those who want big, punchy sound in a small package. It's highly water-resistant, so we loved using it in the shower and connecting it to our iPad to watch movies in the bath. While the quality is more compressed and less detailed than the best, largest speakers we've tested, it's far better than we expected for a mini speaker. But those who want the clearest, most refined sound quality may not be impressed.

What Other Bluetooth Speakers Should You Consider?

If you like the portable size of the JBL Clip 5 but don't think you'll use the clip feature that often, check out the Soundcore Select 4 Go is about the same size, and even a bit lighter than the Clip 5. The sound quality isn't quite as good, but it's a third of the price too.