Short answer: the JBL Charge 5 if sound quality matters most, the Soundcore 2 if price matters most. The JBL Charge 5 ranks #26 of 136 medium speakers at $134.95. The Soundcore 2 ranks #81 at $29.98, $104.97 cheaper.
What the JBL Charge 5 offers: 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. Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
What the Soundcore 2 offers: 24+ hour battery life from a 5200mAh cell. Very light (0.8 lb) and compact. IPX7 rated with a soft, grippy silicone coating. Watch for: Bass doesn’t go as deep as others
Buy the JBL Charge 5 if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Soundcore 2 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Soundcore 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $134.95 | $29.98 |
| Ranked | #26 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #81 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | - |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 960 g | 0.7 lbs / 318 g |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 6.6" x 1.9" x 2.2" (168 x 47 x 56 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 38mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 70Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Output Power | 40W | 12W |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Klipsch Nashville vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini+
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound Go
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 5: $134.95 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.
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| 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 🤗
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- 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
- 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
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge 5 Review
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Soundcore 2: $29.98 Amazon eBay
Pros: 24+ hour battery life from a 5200mAh cell. Very light (0.8 lb) and compact. IPX7 rated with a soft, grippy silicone coating.
Cons: Bass doesn’t go as deep as others
Full Soundcore 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.6" x 1.9" x 2.2" (168 x 47 x 56 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 38mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 70Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 12W |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs / 318 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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