This speaker has okay controls. The buttons are located on top and are easy to use. They give a satisfying click when pressed and are clearly labelled. The Play and Volume Up and Down buttons are slightly raised in an embossed style, while the Auracast, Bluetooth, and Power buttons are located on a small, smooth strip. In addition to the obvious controls each button performs, you can skip tracks using button combinations, as outlined in the manual.
You can use the Auracast button to link the Charge 6 to other JBL Auracast-compatible speakers, either by pressing the button on each speaker in turn or by using the app. This won’t work with the JBL Charge 5, which isn’t Auracast compatible.
The speaker provides helpful chimes when entering pairing mode, connecting to a new device, reaching max volume, and when stereo or party mode is enabled via Auracast. However, there are no chimes for device disconnection, minimum volume, or auto-shutdown, and there’s no visible volume level indicator on the speaker itself. A small LED bar below the logo shows battery status and flashes red when low and white when charging.
