Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #28 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $139.95; the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) ranks #51, rated 3.6/5, and costs $194, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The case for the JBL Charge 5: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. The tradeoff: Not stereo.
The case for the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II): RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. The tradeoff: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble.
Buy the JBL Charge 5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $139.95 | $194.00 |
| Ranked | #28 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #51 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Bose Connect |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | - |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | - |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | - |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP55 |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Strap | No | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for JBL Charge 5:
- JBL Charge 5 vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 5
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Charge 5
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Charge 5
- JBL Charge 5 vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge 5: $139.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5.
Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 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 (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this! More from alanrossreviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 6 🎶👌Unboxing 📦vs Jbl Charge 5 Short Test Audio i Hz. More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5 More from GYMCADDY →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex Review! vs JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5. Travel heaven?? 🤞
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 5 - unboxing & first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bogasing M4 Review - vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Plus - a new contender?
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE 5 Vs. CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 #shorts
- Alan Ross Reviews: Huawei sound joy vs JBL Charge 5 and Flip 6 - top mono speaker! 🤓
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300 More from NewStuffTV1 →
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 "LIGHTS VS BASS?!" More from techderaudios →
- Storytripper HD: Klipsch Nashville vs JBL Charge 5 More from storytripperhd →
- Flossy Carter: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 vs JBL Charge Essential More from FlossyCarter →
- Storytripper HD: KEF MUO vs JBL Charge 5
- KULAS TECH SHOW: JBL Charge 5 vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100 - Sound Comparison💥🔥 More from KULASTECHSHOW20 →
- Alan Ross Reviews: UE Megaboom 3 review vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Boom! how bad can it be??
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Stockwell 2 Review and huge sound test! - vs JBL Charge 5! 💯
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Boom vs Sony XB43 - a step to far? 🤪
- DIGI-EARS: Xdobo X8 Max vs. JBL Charge 5 vs. Anker Soundcore Motion+ vs. Tribit Stormbox Pro Sound Test Battle More from DigitalSlang →
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 5 vs BOGASING S8 Pro MAX
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II): $194.00 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Bose Soundlink Revolve (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5).
Pros: RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. In a side by side test against the Revolve+ II and B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen, several listeners preferred its clearer, less bass heavy tuning to the Revolve+ II. Up to 13 hours of battery, IP55 dust and water resistance, a built-in microphone for calls and voice assistants, and multi-connect for two devices at once.
Cons: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble. It doesn’t get loud either: DXOMARK measured only about 73 to 74 dBA at maximum volume, against 85 to 89 dBA for speakers like the Sony SRS-XB43 in the same test, and bass compresses and pumps as you turn it up. There is no EQ in the Bose Connect app, a single unit plays mono, and it still charges over micro USB.
Full Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) review and specifications →
| App | Bose Connect |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP55 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- RTINGS: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Review More from Rtings.com →
- DXOMARK: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Speaker review
- SoundGuys: Bose SoundLink Revolve II review More from Soundguys →
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker? Bose is getting lazy. More from DannyPops →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Sonos Play
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Charge 4
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Pulse 5
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- See all 31 comparisons