These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The JBL Charge 5 ranks #28 of 144 medium speakers by sound quality at $179.95; the Marshall Stockwell III ranks #59 of 82 large speakers by sound quality at $249.99.
The case for the JBL Charge 5: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. Watch for: Not stereo.
Why pick the Marshall Stockwell III: 40+ hour battery life with a user-replaceable battery, strap, sleeve and grilles. The catch: Highs are recessed by default and need the treble control maxed to compensate, still lacking detail even then.
Buy the JBL Charge 5 ($179.95) for a medium speaker; the Marshall Stockwell III ($249.99) suits a large speaker instead.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Marshall Stockwell III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.95 | $249.99 |
| Ranked | #28 of 144 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #59 of 82 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 40+ hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (parametric, via app) |
| 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) | Yes |
| Stereo | No | Partially |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC, LE Audio with LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 7.1” x 6.4” x 2.9” (180 x 162 x 74 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 1x 3” woofer, 2x 1.75” wide-band drivers |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 54Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP55 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 44W |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (detachable strap) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Charge 5 compares with other leading options:
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- 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 26, 2026 at 11:14 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: $179.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, 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 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
Marshall Stockwell III: $249.99 Marshall eBay
Older model: the Marshall Stockwell II (rated 4.5/5).
Pros: 40+ hour battery life with a user-replaceable battery, strap, sleeve and grilles. Doubles as a USB-C power bank. IP55 dust/water resistance. App includes parametric EQ, a Soundstage widening control, and wall/corner placement compensation. Endless-rotation control knobs.
Cons: Highs are recessed by default and need the treble control maxed to compensate, still lacking detail even then. Bass tends to sound resonant and boomy, with reported frequency cancellation and phase issues on complex material that EQ doesn’t fully resolve. Oluv’s A/B testing against the outgoing Stockwell II finds the default tuning muffled and muddy enough to prefer the seven-year-old original out of the box, and output loses dynamics and bass while turning harsh well below maximum volume. No aptX support.
Full Marshall Stockwell III review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 44W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 40+ hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LE Audio with LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.1” x 6.4” x 2.9” (180 x 162 x 74 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 3” woofer, 2x 1.75” wide-band drivers |
| EQ | Yes (parametric, via app) |
| Frequency Response | 54Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP55 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Stockwell III vs Turtlebox Cub
- Marshall Stockwell III vs Xdobo X8 Max
- Marshall Stockwell III vs Klipsch Detroit
- Marshall Stockwell III vs Ultimate Ears Epicboom
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- Marshall Stockwell III vs Dali Katch G2
- Marshall Stockwell III vs Tronsmart Halo 100
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