JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Boom 3i

Short answer: the JBL Charge 6 for battery life and control, the Soundcore Boom 3i if you liked the warmer Charge 5 sound for less money. The Charge 6 ranks #12 of 179 medium portable speakers at $149.95. The Boom 3i ranks #31 at $118.99, $30.96 cheaper.

Both speakers are defined by the same predecessor: the JBL Charge 5. The Charge 6’s own pros text says it “seems more neutral than the Charge 5,” with a flatter mid and treble response than that rolled-off older model, though its cons admit it still runs a V-shaped response with boosted bass, recessed mids, and brightness above 2kHz. The Boom 3i takes the opposite approach: its pros describe it as “designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5” with a similar warm, bass-forward tuning, and its own cons say it doesn’t quite match the Charge 5 for loudness or balance, though it comes close. In other words, the Boom 3i chases the old Charge 5 sound while the Charge 6 tries to move past it.

Bass extension is nearly identical, 53Hz on the Charge 6 versus 56Hz on the Boom 3i, so the low-end reach itself isn’t the differentiator here; the tuning philosophy is.

Battery life is the clearest practical gap. The Charge 6 is rated for 24 hours against the Boom 3i’s 16, a real difference if you’re using either at a beach or campsite for a full day. The Charge 6 also adds Auracast party mode and a USB-C digital aux input, both missing from the Boom 3i, while the Boom 3i includes a built-in microphone for calls that the Charge 6 lacks entirely.

One thing worth knowing about the Boom 3i: its own cons note that an earlier firmware shipped with some bass distortion, fixed by updating through the Soundcore app, so make sure any unit you buy is running current firmware.

Buy the JBL Charge 6 if all-day battery life and Auracast matter, and you don’t mind spending time in the EQ (or using a preset like Oluv’s Charge 6 EQ) to tame its V-shaped default tuning.

Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i if you preferred the warmer Charge 5 sound signature and want it for $30.96 less, and 16 hours of battery is enough for how you’ll use it.

Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM 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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Specifications Side By Side

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