Short answer: the B&O Beosound A1. It ranks #9 of 142 medium speakers by sound quality at $200; the JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #27 and costs $250, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the B&O Beosound A1 side: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen. Watch for: Not stereo. Not quite as neutral as the A1 2nd gen.
What the JBL Charge 5 Wifi gets right: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version. The tradeoff: Not stereo. Warm sound.
One note: the B&O Beosound A1 is no longer sold new, but at #9 of 142 medium speakers by sound quality it still outranks most current models, so used is worth considering.
Buy the B&O Beosound A1. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 Wifi and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A1 | JBL Charge 5 Wifi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200 Discontinued | $250 |
| Ranked | #9 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #27 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (dual microphones) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 99dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) | 2.2 lbs (1000 g) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | AAC, SBC |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| Amplifier Power | 60W total (30W each driver) | 40W |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Party Mode | - | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | - | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Frequency Response | - | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
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- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs B&O Beosound A1
- Denon Envaya DSB-250BT vs B&O Beosound A1
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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
B&O Beosound A1: $200 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen. Measured bass extension of 50Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Not quite as neutral as the A1 2nd gen. Pumping sound artifacts above 60% volume, only good for lower listening levels. Discontinued.
Full B&O Beosound A1 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 60W total (30W each driver) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: B&O Beoplay/Beosound A1 - all 3 generations compared More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beoplay A1 Denon 250bt JBL Flip 5 Anker Flare 2 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇
- Oluv Patreon: B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Beoplay A1 outdoors with a bit of Anker Soundcore Motion+ too
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- B&O Beosound A1 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 2
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 3
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Charge 6
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Flip 6
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Flip 7
- See all 20 comparisons
JBL Charge 5 Wifi: $250 Amazon eBay
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
Full JBL Charge 5 Wifi review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs (1000 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Bogasing M4
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