This Bluetooth speaker produces powerful sound and fits in the palm of your hand.

ZDNET’s key findings

• He JBL Clip 5 is available for $79 on Amazon.
• This little speaker packs a lot of power and can easily last up to 12 hours on a full charge.
• Its audio can be a bit compressed and the bass isn’t very deep.

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I’ve tried a lot of Bluetooth speakers over the years. For the most part, I find their midrange sound to be lacking, but that’s mostly due to the nature of Bluetooth.

Sure, you can find speakers that produce a well-defined, dynamic sound with a decent soundstage, clear bass, clean mids, and crisp highs. But most Bluetooth speakers fall somewhere in the middle, where audio quality often takes a backseat to features and decibels.

Also: This wireless portable speaker delivers incredibly smooth sound without much distortion.

When it comes to dB, Bluetooth speakers tend to generate a sound level that directly correlates to their size. After all, small speakers typically can’t deliver powerful sound. Unless, of course, we’re talking about Bluetooth speakers. JBL Clip 5No bigger than the palm of your hand, this Bluetooth speaker can produce some serious decibels, all without much distortion.

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JBL Clip 5 technical specifications

• Output power – 7 W
• Dynamic frequency range: 95 Hz – 20 kHz
• Battery life: 12 hours of play time plus 3 hours with Playtime Boost
• Dimensions – 3.4 x 5.3 x 1.8
• Weight – 0.628 lbs
• Waterproof – IP67
• Connecting multiple speakers with Auracast
• Bluetooth 5.1
• Colors: Red, Black, Black/Orange, Blue, Pink, Purple, Sand, Squadron, White
• Price – Amazon – $79

I really appreciate the sound of JBL. I have tried several of their products recently, including the JBL Bar 1000 Soundbaroffering a wonderful home theater experience and unparalleled sound clarity.

I also understand what to expect from JBL speakers. The characteristic sound curve boosts the bass, dips slightly at the lower end of the treble, and then gently rises to the upper end of the frequency. It’s a clean, active sound that can accurately reproduce audio in a way that’s generally pleasing, but not necessarily ideal for all genres.

The Clip 5 defaults to JBL’s signature sound, and in a small format, it really compresses the soundstage. What does that mean? There’s less separation between instruments and/or vocals. To the discerning ear, that can sound a bit compressed or “muddy.” To the average ear, it’s barely noticeable.

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There is also the JBL Portable app (Android/iOS), where you can select from three different EQ settings (unfortunately, there’s no custom option), update firmware, group multiple speakers, and enable PlaytimeBoost.

To test out what this little speaker can do, I plugged the Clip 5 into my Pixel 8 Pro, opened Spotify, and pressed play on Rush’s “Analog Kid” (my favorite test song). To me, the sound was compressed, indeed, but it was still pretty exciting. I could hear Geddy’s bassline clearly enough, and Neil Peart’s drums sounded as bright as ever. There wasn’t as much low-end punch as I like, but this is a small speaker, so I wasn’t expecting to feel the kick drum slamming into my chest.

Considering how hard Rush can be on speakers of this nature, I moved on to Orbital’s “Halcyon And On” and found it surprisingly lively. Yes, the midrange is a little over the top for my taste, but crank it up and you’ll find yourself dancing, whether anyone’s watching you or not.

Also: I’m a fan of Marshall speakers, but I didn’t expect their $150 headphones to sound this good.

The opening of Stephen Paulus’ “The Road Home” (a beautiful choral piece) was a bit harsh at higher levels and when the choir really came together, it became a bit distorted.

Ultimately, though, the big draw of this speaker is how loud it can get. Given the Clip 5’s size, you’d think it was capable of half the volume it can produce, but this baby can do it all in a big way. And with the built-in carabiner, you can clip it to just about anything and take your sounds with you, no matter where you go. Walking, hiking, a day at the beach, on your bike – wherever your journey takes you, the Clip 5 can hang on.

ZDNET’s buying advice

He JBL Clip 5 Bottom line: If you need big sound from a small device while on the go (and headphones just aren’t cutting it), this little speaker is all you need. On the speaker, you’ll find a play button and volume buttons to control your music and not much else. The carabiner clip is strong enough that you don’t have to worry about it breaking.

This little speaker is tough, powerful, and will let you enjoy whatever you listen to for hours.