Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #28 of 142 medium speakers at $179.95; the ULT Field 3 ranks #60 at $138, $41.95 more, so there isn’t a real tradeoff to weigh here.
The ULT Field 3’s issues run deeper than a single tonal quirk. Reviewers describe it as sounding a bit hollow and boosted in the treble, note that its custom EQ and ULT bass-boost button can’t be used together since turning on ULT disables the EQ, and say bass is very weak with ULT off. It’s also reported to have lost to the JBL Charge 6 in a side-by-side comparison despite being the larger speaker. The Charge 5’s complaints are narrower: a warm, shouty-in-the-upper-mids sound with boosted bass and slightly rolled-off treble.
What the ULT Field 3 adds: built-in stereo output, which the mono Charge 5 doesn’t have, a 10-band app EQ, and a longer rated battery life at 24 hours versus the Charge 5’s 20.
What the Charge 5 adds: a USB-A power bank output for charging a phone, versus the ULT Field 3’s USB-C.
Buy the JBL Charge 5. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sony ULT Field 3 and costs less, which settles it without much of a tradeoff to make.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Sony ULT Field 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.95 | $138.00 |
| Ranked | #28 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | Yes (USB-C, 5V/1.5A) |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 10.1" x 4.4" x 3.1" (256 x 113 x 79 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 1x 20mm tweeter + 1x 86mm x 46mm woofer |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 27W |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
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 22, 2026 at 5:11 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
JBL Charge 5: $179.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
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 |
| 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 →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- JBL Charge 5 vs Bogasing M4
- JBL Charge 5 vs Bogasing G4
- JBL Charge 5 vs Harman Kardon Luna
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- See all 95 comparisons
Sony ULT Field 3: $138.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, dustproof and water resistant. 24 hour battery life. App with 10-band EQ. Party Connect with up to 100 speakers. USB-C in/out for charging your phone.
Cons: Sounds a bit hollow, a bit boosted in the treble. Custom EQ and the ULT bass-boost button can’t be used together - turning on ULT disables the EQ. Bass is very weak with ULT off. Lost to the JBL Charge 6 in a side-by-side comparison despite being the larger speaker.
Full Sony ULT Field 3 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 27W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.1" x 4.4" x 3.1" (256 x 113 x 79 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 20mm tweeter + 1x 86mm x 46mm woofer |
| EQ | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/1.5A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Bose Soundlink Mini
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Xiaomi Mi Portable
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Sony XB33
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Bose Soundlink Mini 2
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2
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- See all 94 comparisons