Short answer: the Boom 2, once you apply the recommended EQ. It ranks #10 of 76 large speakers at $89.99; the Charge 6 ranks #11 of 135 in the larger medium class at $199.95, $110 more.
The Boom 2’s stock tuning undersells it badly. Without a corrected EQ from Oluv or Alan Ross, our notes say it would rank around #24 due to boosted bass and rising treble. It also has only a single midrange driver, so stereo comes from the tweeters alone.
The Charge 6 is more neutral out of the box, flatter through the mids and treble than the Charge 5 it replaced, without requiring a third-party EQ to reach its ranked position.
Buy the Boom 2 if you’re willing to load an EQ preset for the better price-to-performance ratio. Buy the Charge 6 if you want strong sound with no setup required.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 6 | Soundcore Boom 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.95 | $89.99 |
| Ranked | #11 of 134 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #10 of 75 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 102dB | 105dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo | No | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 990 g | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 9.0" x 3.9" x 3.7" (228.8 x 98.5 x 94 mm) | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4.0" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 45W | 80W |
| USB Audio | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 125ms |
| MicroSD Playback | - | No |
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge 6: $149.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Seems more neutral than the Charge 5. Flatter frequency response through the mids and treble as the Charge 5 was quite rolled off up high. Use this EQ from Joy/Oluv and turn down the lowest bass slider for the best sound quality. Oluv has even more paid EQs specifically for the GG and TL models indoors and outdoors here
Cons: Still some boosted bass by default. Mids are recessed. Bright above 2khz. Quite a V shaped frequency response.
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 9.0" x 3.9" x 3.7" (228.8 x 98.5 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Max Volume | 102dB |
| Output Power | 45W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Audio | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 990 g |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - outdoor test
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs SoundCore Boom 2 - David vs Goliath
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - basstest (bigger=better?)
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6, Xtreme 4 & Earfun UBoom X - taking sound to the top
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this!
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 4 vs Flip 7 vs Charge 6 – The ULTIMATE JBL Speaker Showdown!
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton II - better with EQ?
- Oluv Patreon: An evening with the “best portable speakers”?
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Plus vs JBL Charge 6 - fight!
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 6 🎶👌Unboxing 📦vs Jbl Charge 5 Short Test Audio i Hz.
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 6 - good or bad?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Links
Soundcore Boom 2: $89.99 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the size. Cool lights in the side passive radiators. For the best sound quality use Oluv’s EQ or Alan Ross’s EQ. With the stock tuning, this speaker would rank around #24, due to the boosted bass and rising treble.
Cons: Only a single midrange driver, so you only get stereo for the tweeters. Sound processing issues with inconsistent bass notes that disappear at low levels like the Soundcore Boom and Soundcore Boost, not great for listening at low levels. Quite bass heavy with BassUp turned on, I’d recommend turning it off. A little bit of a bright tuning in the treble, about +5db.
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Dimensions | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4.0" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) |
| Drivers | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 105dB |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 3D Audio Show: Tribit StormBox Lava vs SoundCore Boom 2 - sound quality demo
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs SoundCore Boom 2 - David vs Goliath
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs Soundcore BOOM 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - indoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - outdoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Best portable speakers 2025 - get the best bang for your buck $$$
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Boom 3i - first impressions & EQs
- Alan Ross Reviews: Ultimate Soundcore Boom 2 Review - Is It Worth The Hype?
- Oluv Patreon: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 - first impressions
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Boom 2 💣vs Mifa Wildbox 🪇 Basement Battle of the Bluetooth Boombox Welterweights ⚖️
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: New Release! Soundcore Boom 2 😯 Bluetooth Boombox Speaker 🔊 Unboxing, First Look & Sound Demo
- CEONTHEMAKING: Soundcore Boom 2 - HANDS DOWN The Best Speaker Under $150!
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Budget Monster ZZA K8 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Sony ULT Field 5 vs Anker SoundCore Boom 2 - listening test
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Links
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Product prices and availability were last checked August 9, 2026 at 6:57 AM UTC 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.