JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Boom 3i

Last updated: August 18, 2026

Short answer: the JBL Charge 5 for better sound quality, the Soundcore Boom 3i for the lower price. The JBL Charge 5 ranks #26 of 136 medium speakers at $134.95. The Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #27 at $110, $24.95 cheaper.

What the JBL Charge 5 gets right: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. The catch: Not stereo.

What the Soundcore Boom 3i offers: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Watch for: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close.

Buy the JBL Charge 5 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i if the price matters more than sound quality.

Buy the JBL Charge 5 at Amazon ($134.95) →Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i at Amazon ($110) →

JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Boom 3i

Specifications Side By Side

JBL Charge 5 Soundcore Boom 3i
Price$134.95$110
Ranked#26 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz56Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)16 hours (Manufacturer specified)
EQYes (3 band)Yes
Bluetooth Latency125ms-
Max Volume99dB-
Party ModeYes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)No
Power BankYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)-
StereoNoNo
OmnidirectionalNoNo
TWSYesYes
Weight2.1 lbs / 960 g1.7 lbs / 783 g
Aux InputNoNo
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBCSBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version5.15.3
Dimensions8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter94mm woofer + tweeter
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)-
IP RatingIP67IP68
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
Output Power40W50W
Built in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)Yes
Digital Aux InputNoNo
Buy the JBL Charge 5 at Amazon ($134.95) →Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i at Amazon ($110) →

More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:

The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Charge 5: $134.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo

JBL Charge 5 ranking card

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 →

AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBC
Bluetooth Latency125ms
Bluetooth Version5.1
Built in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
EQYes (3 band)
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
Max Volume99dB
OmnidirectionalNo
Output Power40W
Party ModeYes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)
Power BankYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
TWSYes
Weight2.1 lbs / 960 g
Check current price at Amazon ($134.95) →Check current price at Bhphotovideo →Search eBay for JBL Charge 5 →

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

Soundcore Boom 3i: $110 Amazon Bhphotovideo

Soundcore Boom 3i ranking card

Pros: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Better value for the money than the Charge 5.

Cons: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close. An earlier firmware version had some bass distortion, update your firmware in the Soundcore App

Full Soundcore Boom 3i review and specifications →

AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)56Hz
Battery Life16 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built in MicrophoneYes
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm)
Drivers94mm woofer + tweeter
EQYes
IP RatingIP68
OmnidirectionalNo
Output Power50W
Party ModeNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
TWSYes
Weight1.7 lbs / 783 g
Check current price at Amazon ($110) →Check current price at Bhphotovideo →Search eBay for Soundcore Boom 3i →

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.