Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #30 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $114.95. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 ranks #110, rated 2.9/5, at $79.99, $34.96 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The JBL Charge 5 is the better-sounding, deeper-bass choice. Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. Its bass reaches about 53Hz before falling 10dB, against 76Hz for the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. Alan Ross Reviews measured it at 99dB at full volume, against 87dB for the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 14 for the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. The tradeoff: Shouty upper mids.
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is the lighter pick. IP67 rated, floats, and is rated to survive a 5 ft drop onto hard surfaces. At 0.9 lbs (420 g) it weighs much less than the JBL Charge 5 at 2.1 lbs (960 g). The catch: Not stereo, barely any bass.
Buy the JBL Charge 5. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $34.96 saving on the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $114.95 | $79.99 |
| Ranked | #30 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #110 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | 76Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | 166ms |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 87dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 0.9 lbs (420 g) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 4.1” x 3.8” (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | 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 October 12, 2026 at 4:13 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: $114.95 Amazon $139.95 Woot $114.95 Lowest eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5, released Mar 2025. It adds USB audio input, but drops the built-in mic. Battery life goes from 20 to 24 hours. Water resistance goes from IP67 to IP68.
Older models: the JBL Charge 4 (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5), the JBL Charge 3 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5) and the JBL Charge 2 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5). See every JBL Charge generation.
Same family: the JBL Charge 5 Wifi (larger model, ranked higher, rated 4/5).
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 →
| Released | Mar 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| 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
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 5 - unboxing & first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this! More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bogasing M4 Review - vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Plus - a new contender?
- Alan Ross Reviews: UE Megaboom 3 review vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Boom! how bad can it be??
- 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? 🤪
- 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: Huawei sound joy vs JBL Charge 5 and Flip 6 - top mono speaker! 🤓
- Alan Ross Reviews: Earfun UBoom L Review Speaker tuned by a Geek vs Soundcore Motion Plus $100 dollar best portable?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Dali Katch G2 high end audio takes on the entire world of bluetooth speakers! 👌👋
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Beats Pill (by Apple) 2024 version review vs JBL and Soundcore!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 6 🎶👌Unboxing 📦vs Jbl Charge 5 Short Test Audio i Hz. More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 5 vs BOGASING S8 Pro MAX
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 "LIGHTS VS BASS?!" More from techderaudios →
- KULAS TECH SHOW: JBL Charge 5 vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100 - Sound Comparison💥🔥 More from KULASTECHSHOW20 →
- Storytripper HD: KEF MUO vs JBL Charge 5 More from storytripperhd →
- YARNZO Tech: Does size really matters here let’s find out zealot s39 vs jbl charge 5 who will win?🤔 More from YARNZO Tech →
- YARNZO Tech: Short review of zealot s67, jbl charge 5, zealot s39. Which one do you think has a better sound 🎧✅
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5 More from GYMCADDY →
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5 More from NewStuffTV1 →
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Flossy Carter: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 vs JBL Charge Essential More from FlossyCarter →
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE 5 Vs. CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 #shorts
- Angelicaaudio: Mini JBL Flip Essential 2 vs. JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth Speaker Review
- Audio y Mas *🔊: 😨JBL Charge 5 vs Zealot S85, LA MARCA IMPORTA?
- DIGI-EARS: Xdobo X8 Max vs. JBL Charge 5 vs. Anker Soundcore Motion+ vs. Tribit Stormbox Pro Sound Test Battle
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3: $79.99 Amazon $79.99 eBay
Newer model: the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, ranked higher, rated 2.9/5, released Jun 2024.
Older models: the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5) and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5). See every Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, Boom and Megaboom generation.
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and is rated to survive a 5 ft drop onto hard surfaces. 14 hour battery: longer than the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2. Measured bass extension of 76Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass. Boosted 93Hz upper bass. Cuts bass heavily at high volume. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2022. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review and specifications →
| Released | Aug 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 76Hz |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 166ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.1” x 3.8” (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (420 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: The biggest upgrade since time began! 💪 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Flow has deeper bass than the Bose Flex but………..
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: JBL Flip 6 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (Indoor Mode)⚔️ Battle of the Handheld Bluetooth Speakers. More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Danny Pops: Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker? Wonderboom 3 VS Sony XB-13 More from DannyPops →
- YouTube Review
- YouTube: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Anker Soundcore Mini 2 Sound Comparison
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Soundcore 2
- See all 76 comparisons