Short answer: the Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2. It ranks #54 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $49.99; the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 ranks #88 and costs $105, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 offers: Good battery life - 20+ hours on a charge. IPX7 rated. PartyCast mode links multiple speakers; app EQ presets. Watch for: A little less bass than similar size speakers.
What the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app. Watch for: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Buy the Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
Battery life favors the Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2: rated for 24 hours against 15 hours for the Ultimate Ears Boom 4.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 | Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | $105 |
| Ranked | #54 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #88 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 60Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (via app) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 180ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 85dBC |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs / 372 g | 1.4 lbs / 620 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 2.2" x 2.3" (174 x 57 x 59 mm) | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Output Power | 16W | - |
| Drivers | 2x 38mm (1.5") titanium diaphragm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Input | - | USB-C |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | - | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Tribit Xsound Surf vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- JBL Charge Essential vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Soundcore Motion 100 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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
Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2: $49.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Good battery life - 20+ hours on a charge. IPX7 rated. PartyCast mode links multiple speakers; app EQ presets.
Cons: A little less bass than similar size speakers.
Full Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 60Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 180ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 2.2" x 2.3" (174 x 57 x 59 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 38mm (1.5") titanium diaphragm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs / 372 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Anker Soundcore 3 vs Tribit Maxsound Plus - Best £50 speaker More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Boost vs Soundcore 3 - Best small bluetooth speaker❓
- HQ AUDIO Exchange: Anker SoundCore 3 Vs. SoundCore Select 2 Bass Sound Test
- Reddit Search for Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Bose Soundlink Mini 2
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Bose Soundlink Mini
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs JBL Charge 4
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Xiaomi Mi Portable
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Flow
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Sony XB33
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Bose Soundlink Revolve
- See all 70 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Boom 4: $105 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app.
Cons: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 85dBC |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs / 620 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox
- See all 74 comparisons