Short answer: the JBL Flip 6 ranks #12 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $114.95; the Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #27 at $110. Close enough in price that the sound-quality gap is the deciding factor.
The case for the JBL Flip 6: A very neutral speaker, very small, almost pocket size, a huge sound quality leap over the Flip 5. The catch: Not stereo. Some slight upper mids emphasis.
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 JBL Flip 6 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip 6 | Soundcore Boom 3i | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $114.95 | $110 |
| Ranked | #12 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms | - |
| Max Volume | 98dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs / 544 g | 1.7 lbs / 783 g |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 2.7" x 2.8" (176 x 68 x 72 mm) | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 44mm x 80mm woofer, 16mm tweeter | 94mm woofer + tweeter |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 30W | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
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- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge 5
- JBL Charge 5 vs Klipsch Nashville
- JBL Flip 6 vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Teufel Rockster XS
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Flip 6: $114.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: A very neutral speaker, very small, almost pocket size, a huge sound quality leap over the Flip 5.
Cons: Not stereo. Some slight upper mids emphasis. The TL version (made in Vietnam) tweeter can sound somewhat scratchy and doesn’t sound as good as the GG version (made in China)
Full JBL Flip 6 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 2.7" x 2.8" (176 x 68 x 72 mm) |
| Drivers | 44mm x 80mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 98dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs / 544 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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- Head-to-Head 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


