Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the Bose SoundLink Color II ranks #98 at $107.15. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the Soundcore Boom 3i offers: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Better value for the money than the Charge 5. Watch for: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close. An earlier firmware version had some bass distortion, update your firmware in the Soundcore App
What the Bose SoundLink Color II offers: Soft-touch rubber coating is comfortable to hold and tough enough for bumps and scrapes. IPX4 splashproof. Supports multipoint pairing to two devices at once. Watch for: Boosted bass on Color II. Not as deep of bass as other models. Lacking midrange detail. Rolled off treble
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Bose SoundLink Color II if the price is the priority over sound quality.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Soundcore Boom 3i is rated for 16 hours, the Bose SoundLink Color II only 8 hours.
If water resistance matters to you, the Soundcore Boom 3i at IP68 (extended submersion) holds up far better than the Bose SoundLink Color II at IPX4 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | Bose SoundLink Color II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $107.15 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #98 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose Connect) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX4 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) | 5.2" x 5" x 2.2" (132 x 127 x 56 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 2x 40mm full-range drivers |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 1.3 lbs / 600 g |
| Output Power | 50W | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2 vs Marshall Emberton III
- JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Glow
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 3
- Sony XB33 vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Soundcore Boom 3i 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 Boom 3i: $110 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Pros: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Better value for the money than the Charge 5.
Cons: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close. An earlier firmware version had some bass distortion, update your firmware in the Soundcore App
Full Soundcore Boom 3i review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs JBL Charge 5
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- See all 77 comparisons
Bose SoundLink Color II: $107.15 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Soft-touch rubber coating is comfortable to hold and tough enough for bumps and scrapes. IPX4 splashproof. Supports multipoint pairing to two devices at once.
Cons: Boosted bass on Color II. Not as deep of bass as other models. Lacking midrange detail. Rolled off treble. Discontinued.
Full Bose SoundLink Color II review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Connect) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5.2" x 5" x 2.2" (132 x 127 x 56 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm full-range drivers |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 600 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Marshall Emberton III
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Marshall Emberton II
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Cabasse Swell
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Tribit Stormbox
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Teufel Rockster Go
- Bose SoundLink Color II vs Sony SRS-XE300
- See all 74 comparisons