Short answer: the JBL Xtreme 5 if you can afford it, the Zealot S97 if you can’t. The Xtreme 5 ranks #2 of 120 large speakers, and the S97 ranks #66, 64 places lower. This is not a photo finish: the Xtreme 5 costs $319.97 more and it sounds like it.
The Xtreme 5 is described in our notes as a fantastic sounding speaker with excellent off-axis dispersion and quite deep bass reaching well below 40Hz, a step up from older JBL portables and enough to beat the Soundcore Boom 2 and Tribit Stormbox Blast on bass depth and clarity. Its main flaws are a hole in the mid-upper bass that EQ can’t fix, weak default presets that mean you’ll want to run the custom EQ, and its high price.
The Zealot S97’s case rests on one thing: bass depth at a very low price. Our notes say there is nothing else at its price with that deep of bass and a reasonable tuning. Set against that, it doesn’t get very loud compared to other speakers in this class, runs a much shorter battery, and is described as pretty heavy for what you get. Reviewers also note the cheaper Zealot S67 reportedly has even deeper bass at the cost of more distortion, so the S97 is not even the last word within its own lineup.
Battery life is not close: the Xtreme 5 is rated for 28 hours against 12 hours for the S97, and only the Xtreme 5 has a removable battery pack.
Buy the JBL Xtreme 5 if sound quality is the priority. It is the better speaker by a wide margin in every way our notes measure.
Buy the Zealot S97 if budget is the deciding factor and you mainly want bass depth at a low price, and can live with modest volume and battery life.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
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 | Zealot S97 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.95 | $79.98 |
| Ranked | #2 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #66 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 28 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | 3 EQ presets |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX6 |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | Yes (USB-A + USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Removable Battery | Yes | - |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 13.6” x 6.5” x 6.1” (346 x 165 x 155 mm) | 12.6” x 7.3” x 5.9” (321 x 185 x 151 mm) |
| Drivers | 98x145mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 76mm (3”) woofers + 2x 38mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (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) | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| MicroSD Playback | - | Yes |
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