Short answer: the Minirig 3. It ranks #7 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $140. The JBL Charge 4 ranks #56, rated 3.5/5, at $94.99, $45.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
What the Minirig 3 does well: Modular, can easily attach a subwoofer. The catch: Not stereo.
The case for the JBL Charge 4: Doubles as a power bank for charging phones/tablets. The tradeoff: Not stereo.
Worth knowing: the Minirig 3 is discontinued, though it still ranks #7 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, so a used unit beats most of what is still sold new.
Buy the Minirig 3. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $45.01 you would save on the JBL Charge 4 does not close the gap.
Water resistance is not close: the JBL Charge 4 is rated at IPX7 (brief submersion), well ahead of the Minirig 3 at Splash resistant (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Minirig 3 | JBL Charge 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $140 Discontinued | $94.99 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #7 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #56 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant | IPX7 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms | 330ms |
| Maximum SPL | 105dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Proprietary USB cable | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) | No |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (550 g) | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) | 8.7” x 3.7” x 3.7” (220 x 95 x 93 mm) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver | 1x 51x89mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 30W RMS |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Strap | - | No |
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- Minirig 3 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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
Minirig 3: $140 Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Minirig 4, ranked higher, rated 4.3/5.
Pros: Modular, can easily attach a subwoofer. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Calls itself splash resistant and has no official water rating. App is buggy. Wireless TWS pairing is buggy. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker. Discontinued; Minirig now sells only the Minirig 4, and the old product page redirects to it.
Full Minirig 3 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant |
| Maximum SPL | 105dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary USB cable |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (550 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: B&O Beoplay A1 2nd gen vs Minirig mk3 bluetooth speaker More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: minirig 3 vs minirig 2 - minirig 3 overview part 1
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- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 4 vs Minirig 3, stuff they tell you, stuff they don’t! 😂
- Beautiful Zar DJ: MINIRIG 4 Vs MINIRIG 3 (50-100%Volume Audio Test)
- James from Canada: SOUND TESTS - Soundboks, Minirig 3, dB Technologies, Bose S1 Pro, etc - RAVE TEST
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JBL Charge 4: $94.99 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5.
Pros: Doubles as a power bank for charging phones/tablets. IPX7 rated and floats. ~20 hour battery life; wirelessly links with 100+ JBL Connect+ speakers. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. 1 Oval driver. Boosted bass, top a little rolled off, warm sound. Not as loud as a Charge 3. Discontinued.
Full JBL Charge 4 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 30W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 330ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.7” x 3.7” x 3.7” (220 x 95 x 93 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 51x89mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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- Head-to-Head Comparisons