Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #28 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $139.95; the Huawei Sound Joy 2 ranks #60, rated 3.5/5, and costs $154.73, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
Why pick the JBL Charge 5: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. Watch for: Not stereo.
What the Huawei Sound Joy 2 does well: A 20W 50mm x 75mm racetrack full range driver and a 10W 19mm tweeter with two passive radiators. The catch: In side by side sound tests against the Harman Kardon Luna, Tribit XSound Plus 2 and Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, most listeners preferred the other speakers, finding the Sound Joy 2 treble heavy and strained, with audible distortion as the volume rises.
Buy the JBL Charge 5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Huawei Sound Joy 2 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Huawei Sound Joy 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $139.95 | $154.73 |
| Ranked | #28 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Huawei AI Life |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 26 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 | - |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.5 lbs (700 g) |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 8”H x 2.9”W (202 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 50mm x 75mm racetrack full range, 19mm tweeter, 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 30W (20W full range, 10W tweeter) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Strap | No | - |
| Lights | - | Yes |
| NFC | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Charge 5 compares with other leading options:
- 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.
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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
Huawei Sound Joy 2: $154.73 AliExpress eBay
Older model: the Huawei Sound Joy (ranked higher, rated 3.8/5).
Pros: A 20W 50mm x 75mm racetrack full range driver and a 10W 19mm tweeter with two passive radiators. In side by side sound tests listeners found its vocals clearer than the Xiaomi Sound Party’s, though with less bass. The 8800mAh battery is rated for 26 hours and fast charges over USB-C. IP67 dust and water protection, Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC, NFC tap to pair, stereo pairing with a second unit, an LED light ring, and three microphones for calls.
Cons: In side by side sound tests against the Harman Kardon Luna, Tribit XSound Plus 2 and Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, most listeners preferred the other speakers, finding the Sound Joy 2 treble heavy and strained, with audible distortion as the volume rises. The reviewer behind those comparisons also found it less smooth than the first Sound Joy. Nothing so far shows how neutral its tuning is: the evidence is listening comparisons, not measurements. A single unit plays mono, and it isn’t sold on Amazon in the US, so buying one means importing.
Full Huawei Sound Joy 2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 30W (20W full range, 10W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | Huawei AI Life |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 2.9”W (202 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 50mm x 75mm racetrack full range, 19mm tweeter, 2x passive radiators |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Lights | Yes |
| NFC | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (700 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Storytripper HD: Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs JBL Flip 6 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor More from storytripperhd →
- Storytripper HD: Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Tribit XSound Plus 2 vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Storytripper HD: Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Storytripper HD: Huawei Soundjoy 2 vs Edifier ES60 vs Sony ULT Field 1
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs JBL Charge 4
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Flow
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Sonos Play
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs JBL Flip 5
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Huawei Sound Joy 2 vs JBL Charge 3
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