Short answer: the JBL Go 4 for better sound quality, the Xiaomi Mi Portable Mini for the lower price. The Go 4 ranks #30 of 62 small portable speakers at $49.95, the Mi Portable Mini ranks #51 at $21.99, $27.96 cheaper, and both land in the lower half of the class.
The Go 4’s pros are narrow but real. It has a little more bass than its predecessor, the Go 3, and fixes a strange mids peak that model had. Its cons are still significant though: not much bass at all once electronic or bass-heavy tracks push past around half volume, plus a midrange that can turn grainy and treble that gets sizzly and loses clarity at higher volumes. The Mi Portable Mini’s issues are simpler and expected at its price: not much bass and rolled-off treble, without the added midrange grain or volume-dependent clarity loss the Go 4’s own review calls out.
The Go 4 has the more complete feature set. It adds a companion app with EQ control and JBL’s Auracast party mode, both absent on the Mi Portable Mini. The Mi Portable Mini counters with a bass boost equalizer built into the hardware itself, TWS stereo pairing with a second unit, and a slightly longer 10 hour battery rating against the Go 4’s 7.
Everything else matches closely: both are IP67 rated, both weigh under 200 grams, both use SBC-only Bluetooth, and both fire upward from a single small driver.
Buy the JBL Go 4 if app-based EQ control and party pairing matter enough to justify the higher price.
Buy the Xiaomi Mi Portable Mini if you want the cheapest usable option and don’t mind similarly thin bass either way.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
A pocket sized waterproof mini speaker with a loop for hanging and app EQ.
A tiny, very cheap waterproof speaker with USB-C charging and stereo pairing with a second unit, easy to slip into any bag.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 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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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Go 4 | Xiaomi Mi Portable Mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.95 | $21.99 |
| Ranked | #30 of 62 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #51 of 62 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~82Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 7 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 0.4 lbs (190 g) | 0.4 lbs (185 g) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Frequency Response | 90Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 200Hz - 15kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Dimensions | 3.7” x 3” x 1.7” (94.3 x 75.7 x 42.2 mm) | 3.4” x 3.4” x 1.8” (86 x 86 x 45 mm) |
| Charging Time | 3 hours | - |
| Drivers | 45mm | 2x drivers (rare-earth magnet, long-fibre diaphragm) + passive radiator |
| Amplifier Power | 4.2W | 4W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| Battery Capacity | - | 2000mAh |
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