Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 2. It ranks #35 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $130; the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 ranks #132 and costs $200, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the JBL Charge Essential 2 offers: Doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Close to Charge 5 performance at a lower price. Watch for: Not stereo. Slightly less bass than a Charge 5.
What the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together. Watch for: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 is not a sound-quality pick. It sits near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers; there are better options higher up.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 2 | Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $200 |
| Ranked | #35 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #132 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | Yes (via app) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 40W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | - | No |
| Max Volume | - | 91dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Huawei Sound Joy vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs KEF Muo gen2
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
- JBL Flip Essential vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge Essential 2: $130 eBay
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 |
- 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 74 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4: $200 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally uses USB-C charging. 20 hour battery life. ‘PartyUp’ feature syncs multiple UE speakers together.
Cons: A lot of distortion at higher volumes. Rolled off treble. Not very loud. They really screwed this up
Full Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4" x 3.4" x 8.9" (87 x 87 x 225 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50x50mm full-range + 2x 55x86mm passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 91dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs Sony ULT Field 1 😧 $200 vs $128 Cylinder Bluetooth Speaker Matchup More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 4 vs W-King D320 🔋Does Paying More Get You Less? 😧
- Reddit Search for Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Doss Soundbox
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Doss Soundbox Pro
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Zealot S61
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Skullcandy Terrain/Terrain XT/Terrain XL
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Beats Pill+
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Roll 2
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- See all 75 comparisons