JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Marshall Middleton

Last updated: September 26, 2026

These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #27 of 144 medium speakers by sound quality at $250; the Marshall Middleton ranks #34 of 82 large speakers by sound quality at $210.69.

JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Marshall Middleton

What the JBL Charge 5 Wifi does well: Has Wifi. Watch for: Not stereo.

The case for the Marshall Middleton: Very deep bass for the size/weight. The tradeoff: 5db dip at 1.7kHz and 6.3kHz.

Buy the JBL Charge 5 Wifi ($250) for a medium speaker; the Marshall Middleton ($210.69) suits a large speaker instead.

Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

JBL Charge 5 Wifi Marshall Middleton
Price$250$210.69
Ranked#27 of 144 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#34 of 82 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz39Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
EQYes (3 band)No
Party ModeNoYes (Marshall Stack)
Power BankYes (USB-A)Yes (USB-C)
StereoNoYes
OmnidirectionalNoNo
TWSYesYes
Weight2.2 lbs (1000 g)4 lbs (1.8 kg)
Wi-FiYes-
Aux InputNoYes
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBCSBC
Bluetooth Version5.35.1
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 97 x 94 mm)9.1” x 3.7” x 4.3” (230 x 95 x 109 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625” tweeters + 2x passive radiators
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67IPX7
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
Streaming ServicesAirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music-
Amplifier Power40W50W
Built-in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)Yes
Maximum SPL99dB (Manufacturer specified)99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Digital Aux InputNoNo
StrapNoYes (detachable strap)

More top alternatives to JBL Charge 5 Wifi:

Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Charge 5 Wifi: $250 Amazon eBay

JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranking card

Pros: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version

Amplifier Power40W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBC
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 97 x 94 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
EQYes (3 band)
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
Maximum SPL99dB (Manufacturer specified)
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeNo
Power BankYes (USB-A)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapNo
Streaming ServicesAirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music
TWSYes
Weight2.2 lbs (1000 g)
Wi-FiYes

Marshall Middleton: $210.69 Amazon eBay

Marshall Middleton ranking card

Newer model: the Marshall Middleton II, rated 4.1/5.

Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Measured bass extension of 39Hz (-10dB).

Cons: 5db dip at 1.7kHz and 6.3kHz. 9kHz treble peak. Not a very smooth frequency response. A lot of Marshall’s added dsp echo which cannot be turned off, very distracting and annoying. It’s like forcing you to listen to your music in an echo chamber. Bass is reasonably deep but artificial sounding and flabby, with no attack and no dynamics. Treble is rolled off.

Amplifier Power50W
AppNo
Aux InputYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)39Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC
Bluetooth Version5.1
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions9.1” x 3.7” x 4.3” (230 x 95 x 109 mm)
Drivers2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625” tweeters + 2x passive radiators
EQNo
Frequency Response50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIPX7
Maximum SPL99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeYes (Marshall Stack)
Power BankYes (USB-C)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoYes
StrapYes (detachable strap)
TWSYes
Weight4 lbs (1.8 kg)