Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the KEF Muo gen2 ranks #73 and costs $249.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
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 KEF Muo gen2 offers: KEF seemed to have fixed the rolled off treble and overall balance Watch for: Lacking deeper bass. Very thuddy bass. Appears to be the exact same hardware but with updated tuning. Bass distorts as volume increases, and the claimed 43Hz extension is really only audible at low listening volumes, with a few seconds of lag after volume changes. Loses most of its bass off-axis. Customer reviews are mixed, ranging from praise for detail at low volume to complaints of a boxy, hollow sound.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks higher for sound quality than the KEF Muo gen2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Battery life favors the KEF Muo gen2: rated for 24 hours against 16 hours for the Soundcore Boom 3i.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | KEF Muo gen2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $249.99 |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #73 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) | 8.5" x 3.2" x 2.3" (216 x 82 x 59 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 1x 58x117mm racetrack woofer, 1x 20mm tweeter |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 1.6 lbs / 740 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 40W |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, aptX Adaptive up to 48 KHz 24 bit |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Frequency Response | - | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | - | 90dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Bose Soundlink Revolve+ vs JBL Charge 5
- Turtlebox Ranger vs Sonos Roam
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs JBL Charge 5
- Sony XB33 vs KEF Muo gen2
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
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
KEF Muo gen2: $249.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: KEF seemed to have fixed the rolled off treble and overall balance
Cons: Lacking deeper bass. Very thuddy bass. Appears to be the exact same hardware but with updated tuning. Bass distorts as volume increases, and the claimed 43Hz extension is really only audible at low listening volumes, with a few seconds of lag after volume changes. Loses most of its bass off-axis. Customer reviews are mixed, ranging from praise for detail at low volume to complaints of a boxy, hollow sound.
Full KEF Muo gen2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, aptX Adaptive up to 48 KHz 24 bit |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 8.5" x 3.2" x 2.3" (216 x 82 x 59 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 58x117mm racetrack woofer, 1x 20mm tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 90dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.6 lbs / 740 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons