Short answer: the Vifa Helsinki for midrange and treble, the JBL Xtreme 5 for practicality. The Helsinki ranks #1 of 120 on the strength of its midrange and treble, generally regarded as the best of any battery powered Bluetooth speaker, but it has no TWS pairing and needs a hacked Android-only Vifa app for night mode. The Xtreme 5 is #2 of 120 with a removable battery and a high price.
Buy the JBL Xtreme 5, since the Vifa Helsinki is discontinued and only worth hunting down used.
Water resistance is not close: the JBL Xtreme 5 is rated at IP68 (extended submersion), well ahead of the Vifa Helsinki at no water resistance.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
A large waterproof speaker with deep bass, wide, clean sound at volume and a removable 28 hour battery.
A superb sounding battery powered speaker, with exceptionally clean mids and treble, now discontinued but worth buying used.
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 Xtreme 5 | Vifa Helsinki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.95 | $449.00 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #2 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #1 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No (official app is broken, 3rd party android app only) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 | None |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | AC Power brick |
| Removable Battery | Yes | - |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) | 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | aptX, SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Partially (shared woofer) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 13.6” x 6.5” x 6.1” (346 x 165 x 155 mm) | 6.1” x 8.3” x 2.8” (156 x 210 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 98x145mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 50mm fullrange, 2x 66mm woofers + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 58Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier 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) | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) | Yes (built-in strap) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 48Hz |
Watch Them Compared
Videos and reviews that test both speakers side by side.
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