Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus for a lighter boombox, the Skullcandy Barrel for a lightshow. The Soundcore is quite a bit lighter than most other boombox size speakers, though its warm tuning means rolled-off treble and some upper bass boost. The Skullcandy is water-resistant to IPX5 with an LED lightshow synced to music, but its bass is not as deep as the top ranked speakers.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $17.81 you would save on the Skullcandy Barrel does not close the gap.
Battery life favors the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Skullcandy Barrel.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 2 Plus | Skullcandy Barrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $162.18 |
| Ranked | #36 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #55 of 90 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Skullcandy app) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz | ~50Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (Pro EQ + presets) | Yes (App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 111dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 104dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| MicroSD Playback | No | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/2A) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) | 11.9 lbs (5.4 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| USB Playback | No | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| Amplifier Power | 140W | 60W |
| Dimensions | 17.3” x 9.1” x 5.9” (440 x 230 x 150 mm) | 11.8” x 22.1” x 9.6” (300 x 560.1 x 243.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 114mm (4.5”) woofers + 2x 19mm (0.75”) tweeters | 2x 20mm drivers |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Lights | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | - |
| FM Tuner | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Soundcore Boom 2 Plus:
- Soundcore Boom 2 Plus vs Tribit Stormbox Blast
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
- JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
- JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
- JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2 vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 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 Boom 2 Plus: $179.99 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Older model: the Soundcore Motion Boom+ (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5).
Pros: Quite a bit lighter than most of the other boombox size speakers. This speaker will likely move up as we get a good EQ tune that makes it a lot more neutral. Measured bass extension of 39Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Warm tuning meaning a rolled off treble and some upper bass boost. Reasonably deep bass, but not as good as the top ranked.
Full Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 140W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 17.3” x 9.1” x 5.9” (440 x 230 x 150 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 114mm (4.5”) woofers + 2x 19mm (0.75”) tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (Pro EQ + presets) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 111dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: This sounds totally different now! Soundcore Boom Plus 2 firmware 03.10 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Review - worst boombox speaker under $400?
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Boom 2 Plus VS Tribit Stormbox Blast 🛜 Boombox Basement Battle 📊Custom EQ 🔥Who You Got? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Picky Audio: SO CLOSE! Soundcore Boom 2 Plus vs JBL Boombox 3 More from pickyaudio →
- Picky Audio: Extended Sound Test (Soundcore Boom 2 Plus vs JBL Boombox 3)
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: NEW RELEASE! Soundcore Boom 2 Plus vs Motion Boom Plus🤯Stock EQ, Bass^ Enabled🤜🤛 A Family Feud😆
- GYMCADDY: Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Showcase - Lots Of Bass In A Small Package More from GYMCADDY →
- EL JEFE REVIEWS: Soundcore Boom 2 Plus 💥 BIGGER & BADDER! More from ELJefeReviews →
- Jagist reviews: Zealot S95 Vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus!!! More from Jagistreviews →
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Skullcandy Barrel: $162.18 Amazon eBay
Pros: Water-resistant (IPX5) with LED lightshow synced to music. 12 hour battery life. Bass Boost mode. Multi-Link feature connects up to 99 speakers. Doubles as phone charger. Measured bass extension of ~50Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not as deep bass as the top ranked speakers. Not as loud as the top ranked speakers. Rolled off treble.
Full Skullcandy Barrel review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 60W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Skullcandy app) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~50Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 22.1” x 9.6” (300 x 560.1 x 243.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 20mm drivers |
| EQ | Yes (App EQ) |
| FM Tuner | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 104dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 11.9 lbs (5.4 kg) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Triple Threat Match 🔺 SkullCandy Barrel XT, Tribit Blast & Tronsmart Bang Max 📛 Bluetooth Boombox 🔋 More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT Boombox vs. JBL Partybox Encore Party Speaker.🛜 How Low Can You Go?😲
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT Bluetooth Boombox Speaker 📦 Unboxing, First Look & 🔉 Sound Demo
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy BARREL XT vs JBL Boombox 3 🤯Budget Banger vs Reigning Champ 🔋 Battery Powered 🏠 Indoors
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs Soundcore Rave Party 2 (Stock & Custom EQ) 🛜 Battery Powered🔋Let’s Get It🧨
- Jagist reviews: Unboxing Of The Skullcandy Barrel XT More from Jagistreviews →
- Jagist reviews: W-king X20 Vs Skullcandy Barrel XT!!! 🤔😋
- Jagist reviews: W-king X20 Vs Skullcandy Barrel XT!!! 🤔😋
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs ONN Medium Party Speaker Gen. 2 😬(Both Bass Boost On🔉) The Price is Right?🤑
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Skullcandy Barrel XT vs ZZA K8 sound comparison
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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