Short answer: the JBL Pulse 6. It ranks #49 of 164 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $329.95; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #78, rated 3.4/5, and costs $399, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The JBL Pulse 6 is the better-sounding, tougher pick. A 63.8mm woofer on 30W RMS and a 16mm tweeter on 10W RMS, with JBL rating the response down to 42Hz, well below the Pulse 5’s 58Hz. It is rated IP68 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. The tradeoff: No independent measurements or tested reviews have been published yet, so its real bass extension, loudness and tonal balance can’t be compared with ranked speakers.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the lighter choice. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. At 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) it weighs noticeably less than the JBL Pulse 6 at 3.3 lbs (1.49 kg). The catch: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
Buy the JBL Pulse 6. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Pulse 6 | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329.95 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #49 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #78 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Amplifier Power | 40W RMS (30W woofer, 10W tweeter) | - |
| App | JBL One | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Capacity | 34Wh (7.2V, 4722mAh) | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 4.2 |
| Charging Time | 4.5 hours | - |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C, lossless) | No |
| Dimensions | 10.4”H x 5.2”W x 4.2”D (264 x 132 x 106 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 63.8mm woofer, 16mm tweeter | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Frequency Response | 42Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX4 |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Strap | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.49 kg) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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 6: $329.95 Estimated Amazon eBay
Older model: the JBL Pulse 5 (ranked higher, rated 3.7/5).
Pros: A 63.8mm woofer on 30W RMS and a 16mm tweeter on 10W RMS, with JBL rating the response down to 42Hz, well below the Pulse 5’s 58Hz. IP68 makes it fully dustproof and submersible, a step up from the Pulse 5’s IP67. The 360° light show now runs over an illuminated carry handle too, with 16 themes, a double-tap bedside lamp and a Sunset Mode sleep timer in the JBL One app. Bluetooth 6.0 with SBC, AAC and LC3, lossless playback over USB-C, and Auracast for stereo pairing or linking PartyBox speakers and PartyLight Sticks.
Cons: No independent measurements or tested reviews have been published yet, so its real bass extension, loudness and tonal balance can’t be compared with ranked speakers. It plays in mono from one woofer and one tweeter, so a single unit gives no stereo separation. Battery life is rated at only 12 hours from its 34Wh pack, charging takes up to 4.5 hours, and the USB-C port can’t charge a phone. There is no strap, only the built-in handle.
Full JBL Pulse 6 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W RMS (30W woofer, 10W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | JBL One |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Capacity | 34Wh (7.2V, 4722mAh) |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 |
| Charging Time | 4.5 hours |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C, lossless) |
| Dimensions | 10.4”H x 5.2”W x 4.2”D (264 x 132 x 106 mm) |
| Drivers | 63.8mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 42Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.49 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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