Short answer: the JBL Go 4, and it isn’t especially close. It ranks #30 of 62 small speakers against the Sound Pocket’s #60, which sits near the very bottom of the class.
Both speakers share the same core weakness: thin bass. Our notes on the Go 4 say it has a little more bass than the Go 3 and fixed a strange mids peak, but still describe it as not having much bass at all, especially once electronic or bass-heavy tracks are pushed past about 50% volume. The midrange can also sound grainy with a bit of sizzle in the treble at higher volumes. The Sound Pocket is worse off: our notes call its bass light and its vocals harsh above about 80% volume, and it can vibrate and walk across hard surfaces at higher volume when standing upright.
The Sound Pocket’s appeal is entirely about price and portability. At 0.4 lbs (200 g) it is genuinely pocketable, matches the Go 4’s IP67 rating, and its 10-hour battery beats the Go 4’s 7 hours. Its charge time is a slow 3 hours, though, and it lacks the Go 4’s app-based EQ and Auracast party pairing.
Buy the JBL Go 4 for meaningfully better everyday sound quality and the flexibility of app EQ and Auracast pairing with other JBL speakers.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Pocket only if price and pocket size are your only concerns, since it ranks near the bottom of the small speaker class on sound quality.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
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 Sound Pocket | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.95 | $20.99 |
| Ranked | #30 of 62 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 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 | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Power Bank | 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 (200 g) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Frequency Response | 90Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 100Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Dimensions | 3.7” x 3” x 1.7” (94.3 x 75.7 x 42.2 mm) | 3.6” x 2.9” x 1.7” (90.8 x 74.4 x 42.6 mm) |
| Charging Time | 3 hours | - |
| Drivers | 45mm | Full-range driver + passive radiator |
| Amplifier Power | 4.2W | 5W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | Yes (lanyard) |
| Battery Capacity | - | 1000mAh |
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