Short answer: the JBL Pulse 5 if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if price matters most. The JBL Pulse 5 ranks #42 of 136 medium speakers at $199.12. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ranks #84 at $59.99, $139.13 cheaper.
What the JBL Pulse 5 offers: Cool light show, although not synced to the music like the Pulse 2. Watch for: Not quite as deep bass as others. Plastic scratches easily.
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 Pulse 5 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Pulse 5 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.12 | $59.99 |
| Ranked | #42 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #84 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Yes |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs / 1500 g | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 4.2" x 8.4" x 5.2" (107 x 214 x 131 mm) | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 64mm woofer, 16mm tweeter | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| 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 |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- Sonos Roam 2 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Sony ULT Field 1 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Klipsch Nashville vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Pulse 5
- Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021 vs JBL Pulse 5
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 Pulse 5: $199.12 Amazon eBay
Pros: Cool light show, although not synced to the music like the Pulse 2.
Cons: Not quite as deep bass as others. Plastic scratches easily.
Full JBL Pulse 5 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.2" x 8.4" x 5.2" (107 x 214 x 131 mm) |
| Drivers | 64mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs / 1500 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 “LIGHTS VS BASS?!” More from techderaudios →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- M1MTechChannel: Welche JBL Partybox ist die BESTE ? Alle Partyboxen im Vergleich | 2026 More from M1MTechChannel →
- Reddit Search for JBL Pulse 5 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Pulse 5 vs Soundcore Glow
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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