Fix: JBL Pulse 5 Sound Muffled or Crackling Issue

The JBL Pulse 5 is a budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker packed with impressive features. It boasts a mesmerizing 360-degree light that transforms any room into a party atmosphere. Its IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating makes it suitable for any environment. The speaker houses a powerful 30W woofer and 10W tweeter, providing enough sound to fill a room. With a 4-hour charging time, the speaker offers up to 12 hours of playtime.

Reasons Why JBL Pulse 5 Sound Muffled or Cracking

Even if the 360 lights do not work, you can still use your JBL speaker. But no one would compromise on the sound quality. Before we get into the troubleshooting steps, take a look at what could be causing the sound issues on your JBL speaker.

Dust, dirt, or debris accumulation: We rarely clean the speakers. If you have the same bit, there’s a good chance that a lot of dust, dirt, or debris is accumulated in the speaker grille. It can result in bad sound output.
Defective speakers: A defective speaker is one of the most common reasons for muffled or cracking.
Interference from other Bluetooth devices: We have multiple electronic devices at home. If any are present near the speaker, try to place them a little away so that it does not cause any issues to the speaker.
The speaker is low on battery: If your JBL speaker does not have enough power, you will likely face many issues, including frequency disconnection and bad sound quality.
The speaker is not close to the device: Your device needs to be placed near the JBL speaker for a strong Bluetooth connection. Not doing so can result in a muffled or crackling sound on the speaker.

Now that we are aware of the reasons that can cause sound quality issues on your JBL speaker, it’s time to troubleshoot them with the help of the methods mentioned below.

How to Fix JBL Pulse 5 Sound Muffled or Crackling Issue

Here are many ways to fix the muffle or crackling sound issue on the JBL Pulse 5 speaker. You may not need to try all the methods. Simply, work your way down until you find the one that works for you.

The song you’re currently playing on your speaker might sound like your JBL speaker sound muffled. Play a different song. If the issue persists, start fixing it using the solutions below.

Fix 1: Restart the Speaker

Your speaker may have software bugs or system glitches, resulting in bad sound quality. Restart the device to fix the common software errors on your JBL speaker.

To restart your JBL Pulse 5, hold the power button until the device turns off. Now, wait a minute, and then press and hold the power button again to turn on the device.

Once the device restarts, pair it to your mobile phone or any other device and play a song to check if the issue is fixed.

Fix 2: Charge Your JBL Speaker

You might have observed that it does not work well when the device is too low on power. This could be the reason for the cracking or muffled sound on your JBL Pulse 5 speaker.

When your device runs out of battery, the Bluetooth connection gets affected. Also, some of its functions might not work. Thus, it would be best if you made sure that the device has enough battery before you start your party. Ideally, the battery on your JBL speaker should not fall under 20%.

The battery can also be the source of many problems. If you’ve been using the speaker for years, there’s a good chance that the battery health has gone down drastically. If the battery does hold its power, you may need to replace it.

Fix 3: Place Your Device Near the Speaker

You may be hearing a muffled or cracking sound from your JBL speaker because of a weak Bluetooth connection. It usually happens when the device (your phone, pc, etc) is not placed near the speaker.

Bluetooth is a short-range technology, and the range reduces if there are many electronic devices in the way. It further reduces if a wall is between the two devices. Hence, you would want to make sure that your JBL speaker and the other device are not too far which could weaken the Bluetooth connection.

Fix 4: Change the Audio Source

There could be an issue with the audio streaming app you’re using to play music on your JBL Pulse 5. To rule out this possibility, try playing music via another app such as YouTube and Spotify.

If the problem persists, the problem is linked to the music app. In this case, you need to try other solutions.

Fix 5: Clean the Speaker Grills

You may get disappointing audio quality from your JBL Speaker 5 when the speaker grills are filled with dust or debris. This is one of the key points that we do not care much about. To get the best sound quality from your speaker, make sure to keep the speaker grills clean.

Fix 6: Use the Preset Audio Mode

If you’ve changed the audio preset on your JBL Pulse 5 speaker, the issue is likely to occur. The audio preset for a song might not work for all songs. For the best sound quality, it is recommended to leave the speaker in preset audio mode.

Fix 7: Check the Speaker Bass and Volume

Not all songs sound well when the bass goes past the recommended level or when it’s set to full. Make sure that the bass is not set to 100%. It should be adjusted based on the current volume level.

Fix 8: Reset Your JBL Speaker

If none of the solutions have worked, try resetting your JBL Pulse 5 as the last resort. It should fix issues with the software and Bluetooth connection. Resetting the speaker will also set the default audio preset, so in case you didn’t do it in the last fix, it will automatically get applied here.

Follow these steps to reset your JBL Pulse 5 speaker:

Press the power button to turn on the speaker.
Press and hold the power button and volume button for 2 seconds.
The factory resetting process should begin. Once it’s done, your JBL speaker will turn off.
Press the power button to turn on the speaker.

After resetting your JBL speaker, pair it to your phone and play your favorite music.

Wrapping It Up

Having a JBL speaker that does not sound good is as good as not having the device. It could be really frustrating. In this post, we went through possible ways to fix the JBL Pulse 5 sound muffled or cracking issue. We hope one of the solutions did the trick for you. However, if the problem persists, it’s most likely that the speaker is defective. You should take your JVL speaker to the service center to get it fixed.