Short answer: the JBL Charge 5 Wifi on measured sound quality, the Sony XB33 on price. The JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #25 of 136 medium speakers at $250. The Sony XB33 ranks #59 at $110, $140 cheaper.
What the JBL Charge 5 Wifi offers: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version
What the Sony XB33 offers: IP67 rated and lightweight (2.4 lb). App-controlled color LED lighting, Party Connect links up to 100 speakers. ~19 hour real-world battery without lights. Watch for: Not very loud. Upper bass peaks, midrange dip, upper midrange peaks, not very neutral. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
Buy the JBL Charge 5 Wifi if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Sony XB33 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 Wifi | Sony XB33 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $250 | $110 |
| Ranked | #25 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #59 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Sony Music Connect App) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (3 band) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
| Wifi | Yes | - |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 x 94 mm) | 9.7" x 3.8" x 4.2" (246 x 97 x 106 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 48x70mm X-Balanced racetrack drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music | - |
| Output Power | 40W | 16W RMS |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 97dB |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 110ms |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- Sony XB33 vs KEF Muo gen2
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 Wifi: $250 Amazon eBay
Pros: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version
Full JBL Charge 5 Wifi review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 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 | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Wifi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
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- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Xsound Mega
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Sony XB33: $110 eBay
Pros: IP67 rated and lightweight (2.4 lb). App-controlled color LED lighting, Party Connect links up to 100 speakers. ~19 hour real-world battery without lights.
Cons: Not very loud. Upper bass peaks, midrange dip, upper midrange peaks, not very neutral. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
Full Sony XB33 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Connect App) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 110ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.7" x 3.8" x 4.2" (246 x 97 x 106 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 48x70mm X-Balanced racetrack drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 97dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony xb33 vs xb43 vs Soundcore Motion Plus speakers test More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗
- GYMCADDY: Sony XE300 Review And Compared to Sony XB33 - A Muffled Mess More from GYMCADDY →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony XB33 vs XB32 vs JBL Charge 4 best £120 bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross Reviews: LG Xboom Go PL7 vs JBL Charge 4 and Sony XB33 - best Bluetooth speaker?
- Reddit Search for Sony XB33 Review
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