Short answer: the JBL Charge 3. It ranks #67 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $80; the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 ranks #132 and costs $200, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the JBL Charge 3 offers: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank for USB devices. ~20 hour battery life. IPX7 rated; built-in noise/echo-cancelling speakerphone. Watch for: Less clarity than the Flip 4. Battery failures are common.
What the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together. Watch for: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Buy the JBL Charge 3. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 is not a sound-quality pick. It sits near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers; there are better options higher up.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 3 | Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $80 Discontinued | $200 |
| Ranked | #67 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #132 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 63Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | 100dB | 91dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | - |
| Power Input | Micro USB | USB-C |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs / 800 g | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.5" (213 x 88 x 88 mm) | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 20W RMS | - |
| App | Yes (JBL Connect) | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| EQ | No | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Stereo | - | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Charge 2
- JBL Charge 6 vs Doss Soundbox
- JBL Flip Essential vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Soundcore Glow vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- JBL Charge 3 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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 3: $80 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank for USB devices. ~20 hour battery life. IPX7 rated; built-in noise/echo-cancelling speakerphone.
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4. Battery failures are common. Discontinued.
Full JBL Charge 3 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (JBL Connect) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.5" (213 x 88 x 88 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 100dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs / 800 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Charge 4 and JBL Charge 3 - small one or a large one? 🤷♂️
- DLX Willington: JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 4 :Sound Battle: Almost to the size of the JBL Charge 3? More from DLXWillington →
- EnforcerMan: JBL CHARGE 3 VS TREBLAB HD77 - FULL REVIEW
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge 3 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4: $200 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together.
Cons: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Full Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 91dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs Sony ULT Field 1 😧 $200 vs $128 Cylinder Bluetooth Speaker Matchup More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs W-King D320 🔋Does Paying More Get You Less? 😧
- Reddit Search for Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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