Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the JBL Charge Essential 2 ranks #35 and costs $130, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the JBL Charge Essential 2: Doubles as a power bank. The catch: Not stereo. Slightly less bass than a Charge 5.
On the Soundcore Boom 3i side: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Watch for: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge Essential 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 2 | Soundcore Boom 3i | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $110 |
| Ranked | #35 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g | 1.7 lbs / 783 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 94mm woofer + tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP68 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 40W | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC |
| Built in Microphone | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB33
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Flip 6
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Flip 7 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge Essential 2: $130
Pros: Doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Close to Charge 5 performance at a lower price.
Cons: Not stereo. Slightly less bass than a Charge 5.
Full JBL Charge Essential 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| 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 | No |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Soundcore Motion 100
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Teufel Rockster XS
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs JBL Pulse 5
- See all 23 comparisons
Soundcore Boom 3i: $110 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Better value for the money than the Charge 5.
Cons: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close. An earlier firmware version had some bass distortion, update your firmware in the Soundcore App
Full Soundcore Boom 3i review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs JBL Charge 5
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- See all 24 comparisons