Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 2 on measured sound quality, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 on price. The JBL Charge Essential 2 ranks #35 of 136 medium speakers at $130. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ranks #84 at $59.99, $70.01 cheaper.
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 Wonderboom 4 offers: Small size. Watch for: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy. Not much improvement over the previous Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 besides the USB-C charging port.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 2 if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 2 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $59.99 |
| Ranked | #35 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #84 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 40W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | - |
| Max Volume | - | 87dB |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | - | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Sony XB33 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- JBL Flip Essential vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Charge Essential 2
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 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
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Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4: $59.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Small size.
Cons: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy. Not much improvement over the previous Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 besides the USB-C charging port.
Full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 87dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Soundcore 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- See all 77 comparisons