Short answer: the JBL Charge 5 if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Roll 2 if price matters most. The JBL Charge 5 ranks #26 of 136 medium speakers at $134.95. The Ultimate Ears Roll 2 ranks #125 at $100, $34.95 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 Ultimate Ears Roll 2 offers: Thin, flat profile fits easily in a bag or purse; light at 0.73 lb. Built-in bungee cord for hanging from a hook, nail, or door handle. Life-resistant waterproof/dustproof shell. Watch for: Not stereo. Barely any bass, rolled off treble off axis
Buy the JBL Charge 5 if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Ultimate Ears Roll 2 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Ultimate Ears Roll 2. It ranks near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Battery life favors the JBL Charge 5: rated for 20 hours against 9 hours for the Ultimate Ears Roll 2.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Ultimate Ears Roll 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $134.95 | $100 |
| Ranked | #26 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #125 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (UE Roll app) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 9 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | - |
| Stereo | No | - |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 960 g | 0.7 lbs / 330 g |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 5.9" x 5.3" x 1.6" (149.5 x 135 x 40 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 1x 2" full-range + 2x 0.75" tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Output Power | 40W | - |
| 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 Bose Soundlink Mini
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB23
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Grip
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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 🤗
- 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
- 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
- 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 Harman Kardon Luna
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- JBL Charge 5 vs Teufel Rockster XS
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- See all 82 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Roll 2: $100 eBay
Pros: Thin, flat profile fits easily in a bag or purse; light at 0.73 lb. Built-in bungee cord for hanging from a hook, nail, or door handle. Life-resistant waterproof/dustproof shell.
Cons: Not stereo. Barely any bass, rolled off treble off axis
Full Ultimate Ears Roll 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (UE Roll app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 9 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5.9" x 5.3" x 1.6" (149.5 x 135 x 40 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 2" full-range + 2x 0.75" tweeters |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs / 330 g |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs EFM Toledo
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Beats Pill+
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Skullcandy Terrain/Terrain XT/Terrain XL
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Zealot S61
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Sony SRS-XE200
- See all 72 comparisons