Ranked #2 and #3 out of 75 large speakers, separated by $250. The Xtreme 5 is $349.95, the Stormbox Lava is $100. That is the whole story of this comparison, and it is worth being precise about what the extra money buys.
The Lava reaches deeper. It measures 44 Hz, and for a $100 speaker that is remarkable — the Xtreme 5’s specified 40 Hz is a manufacturer figure rather than a measured one. Both have some low-bass boost; the Lava also has peaks in the treble and upper mids, and both benefit from EQ.
What the Xtreme 5 buys you:
- A removable battery. The single strongest argument here. Every other large speaker becomes landfill when the cells die; this one does not.
- More output. 90 W RMS on the woofer against the Lava’s 80 W total, and considerably more headroom outdoors.
- Auracast pairing with the rest of the current JBL range.
- IP68 and 28 hours against IP67 and 24.
- USB audio, which the Lava lacks.
What the Lava buys you: an aux input the Xtreme 5 does not have, 2.37 kg against 2.9 kg, a 10-band EQ against 7, and $250 back.
One flaw worth knowing about the Xtreme 5: it has a hole in the mid-upper bass that cannot be EQ’d out. Boosts can be dialled back; a dip the driver never produced cannot be filled in.
Buy the Lava unless you specifically want the removable battery, the extra outdoor volume, or Auracast. On sound per dollar it is not a close contest.
Buy the Xtreme 5 if you want the best large portable that exists and intend to keep it for a decade — the replaceable battery is what makes that plausible.
Last updated: August 07, 2026
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Xtreme 5 | Tribit Stormbox Lava | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.95 | $100 |
| Ranked | #2 of 75 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #3 of 75 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | Yes (10 band) |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 110dB | 108dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Removable Battery | Yes | — |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs / 2.9 kg | 5.2 lbs / 2.37 kg |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | AAC, SBC |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 13.6" x 6.5" x 6.1" (346 x 165 x 155 mm) | 12.2" x 5.8" x 6.0" (310 x 147 x 152 mm) |
| Driver | 98x145mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 1 x 90W RMS Woofer + 2 x 20W RMS Tweeter (AC power mode) 1 x 60W RMS Woofer + 2 x 15W RMS Tweeter (Battery mode) | 80W |
| USB Audio | Yes | — |
| Aux Latency | — | 20ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | — | 44Hz |
| Bluetooth Latency | — | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC |
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Xtreme 5: $349.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Removable battery. Quite deep bass. A fantastic sounding speaker
Cons: High priced. Some bass boost. A hole in the mid-upper bass which can’t be EQ’d out
Setup: Try this Oluv EQ for the most neutral sound
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Dimensions | 13.6" x 6.5" x 6.1" (346 x 165 x 155 mm) |
| Driver | 98x145mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Max Volume | 110dB |
| Output Power | 1 x 90W RMS Woofer + 2 x 20W RMS Tweeter (AC power mode) 1 x 60W RMS Woofer + 2 x 15W RMS Tweeter (Battery mode) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Audio | Yes |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs / 2.9 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone🔈3DAudio🎧& Music: JBL Xtreme 5 - universal EQ for best sound overall
- Joy & Oluv’Sone🔈3DAudio🎧& Music: JBL Xtreme 5 - Best Bluetooth Speaker 2026 award
- Joy & Oluv’Sone🔈3DAudio🎧& Music: JBL Xtreme 5 vs Studio Monitors: too V-shaped or not to V-shaped, that’s the question!
- Joy & Oluv’Sone🔈3DAudio🎧& Music: JBL Xtreme 5 - outdoor test
- Joy & Oluv’Sone🔈3DAudio🎧& Music: Minirigs 4 with Sub 4 vs JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st impressions
- Oluv Patreon: VIFA Helsinki & JBL Xtreme 5 - listening test
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st detailed impression with custom EQs
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Xtreme 5 - outdoor test
- Alan Ross Reviews: Brane X vs JBL Xtreme 5: Maximum Bass, No Mercy
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 5 2026, massive upgrade over JBL Xtreme 4! Full tests!
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 5 vs JBL Xtreme 4 in 2026
- Alan Ross Reviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ImoaGw3t0
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 5 or the amazing Tribit Stormbox Blast? 🤔
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Links
Tribit Stormbox Lava: $100 Amazon Aliexpress
Pros: Fantastic bass extension. Goes deeper than the Boom 2 as seen in the linked video of sound samples. Firmware 2.0.0 is a big improvement in neutrality.
Cons: Quite heavy for the size. Some bass boost way down low. Treble and upper mids have some peaks.
Setup: Try out the Alan Ross EQ’s at this timestamp in his video There’s also a max bass EQ from Oluv and you can turn down the lowest slider for it to be more neutral
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 20ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 128ms AAC, 144ms SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Dimensions | 12.2" x 5.8" x 6.0" (310 x 147 x 152 mm) |
| Driver | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (10 band) |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 108dB |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 5.2 lbs / 2.37 kg |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 3D Audio Show: Tribit StormBox Lava vs SoundCore Boom 2 - sound quality demo
- Oluv Patreon: An evening with the “best portable speakers”?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Lava Latest Firmware Update Result! v2.0.3
- Alan Ross Reviews: From harsh to smooth with these EQ settings - Tribit StormBox Lava
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit StormBox Lava Just Got a MASSIVE Update… WOW! 🔥
- Alan Ross Reviews: Some people love the Tribit Stormbox Lava, highly professional review 😁
- Mateusz Cholewa: Tribit Stormbox Blast 🎶 🆚Deep BASS - Tribit Stormbox LAVA
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs EarFun UBOOM X
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs Soundcore BOOM 2
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA - Unboxing.📦 Short Test vs Xtreme 4
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA Deep BASS 🆚 JBL XTREME 4
- Oluv Patreon: Tribit Stormbox Lava - quick look
- Mateusz Cholewa: 👌TRIBIT StormBox LAVA Deep Bass 🆚 Bogasing S8 Pro MAX - HiFi?
- Links
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Product prices and availability were last checked August 7, 2026 at 5:43 AM UTC 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.