Short answer: the JBL Go 5, unless the price gap actually matters to you. It ranks #29 of 62 small speakers against the Sound Pocket’s #60, a gap of 31 spots, though it costs $33.96 more.
The Sound Pocket’s cons read like a checklist of what cheap speakers get wrong. Its own notes call out bass that’s light, vocals that turn harsh above roughly 80% volume, and a cabinet that vibrates and walks across hard surfaces at higher volume. The Go 5 has its own sound issues too, including a mono downmixing artifact and an uneven, upper-mid-heavy tonal balance, but it still ranks well ahead of the Sound Pocket, which sits near the bottom of the category.
Where the Sound Pocket wins: it’s lighter at 0.4 lbs (200 g) against 0.5 lbs (230 g), and its 10-hour rated battery life beats the Go 5’s 8 hours (10 with Playtime Boost only). It also charges over USB-C like the Go 5, though the Go 5’s charge time of 3 hours is documented while the Sound Pocket’s isn’t.
What the Go 5 adds that the Sound Pocket lacks entirely:
- An app with 7-band EQ, versus none on the Sound Pocket.
- A higher IP68 water resistance rating, against IP67 on the Sound Pocket.
- AirTouch tap-to-pair stereo linking and Auracast party mode, features the Sound Pocket doesn’t offer (it supports basic TWS pairing only).
- A USB-C digital audio input, which the Sound Pocket lacks.
Buy the JBL Go 5 if sound quality and features matter more than saving money. It ranks well ahead of the Sound Pocket despite sound quality issues of its own.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Pocket only if the lower price is the deciding factor. Its own review notes flag harsh vocals at higher volume and a cabinet that walks on hard surfaces, so treat it as a budget pick rather than a sound-quality one.
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 5 | Xiaomi Sound Pocket | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $54.95 | $20.99 |
| Ranked | #29 of 62 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #60 of 62 in Small Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | 8 hours, 10 with Playtime Boost (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | IP68 | 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 | 0.5 lbs (230 g) | 0.4 lbs (200 g) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Frequency Response | 100Hz - 19kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 100Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Dimensions | 4” x 3” x 1.7” (101 x 77 x 43 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 | 4.8W | 5W |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | Yes (lanyard) |
| Battery Capacity | - | 1000mAh |
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