Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i if sound quality matters most, the JBL Charge 3 if price matters most. The Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers at $110. The JBL Charge 3 ranks #67 at $80, $30 cheaper.
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 JBL Charge 3 offers: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank for USB devices. ~20 hour battery life. IPX7 rated; built-in noise/echo-cancelling speakerphone. Watch for: Less clarity than the Flip 4. Battery failures are common.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the JBL Charge 3 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | JBL Charge 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $80 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #67 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (JBL Connect) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No | - |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.5" (213 x 88 x 88 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 1.8 lbs / 800 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 20W RMS |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Max Volume | - | 100dB |
| Power Bank | - | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Frequency Response | - | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Flip Essential
- Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021 vs JBL Flip Essential
- Tribit Xsound Plus 2 vs JBL Flip Essential
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Soundcore Glow
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
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
JBL Charge 3: $80 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank for USB devices. ~20 hour battery life. IPX7 rated; built-in noise/echo-cancelling speakerphone.
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4. Battery failures are common. Discontinued.
Full JBL Charge 3 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (JBL Connect) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.5" (213 x 88 x 88 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 100dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs / 800 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Charge 4 and JBL Charge 3 - small one or a large one? 🤷♂️
- DLX Willington: JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 4 :Sound Battle: Almost to the size of the JBL Charge 3? More from DLXWillington →
- EnforcerMan: JBL CHARGE 3 VS TREBLAB HD77 - FULL REVIEW
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge 3 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons