Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the Sony SRS-XB30 ranks #104 and costs $199, 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 Sony SRS-XB30 offers: IPX5 rated. Doubles as a power bank for charging your phone. Long claimed battery life (up to 24 hours at moderate volume). Watch for: Muffled sound, worse than a XB20
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sony SRS-XB30 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
The Sony SRS-XB30 is not a sound-quality pick. It sits near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers; there are better options higher up.
If battery life is a priority, the Sony SRS-XB30 is rated for 24 hours versus 16 hours for the Soundcore Boom 3i.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Soundcore Boom 3i at IP68 (extended submersion) against the Sony SRS-XB30, which has IPX5 (water jets).
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | Sony SRS-XB30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $199 |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #104 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 55Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX5 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Partychain up to 100 speakers) |
| 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) | 9" x 3.2" x 3.4" (228 x 82 x 86 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 2x 48mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 20W |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Max Volume | - | 95dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Bose Soundlink Revolve+ vs Soundcore Flare 2
- Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Charge 5
- JBL Charge 5 vs Marshall Emberton III
- Sony XB33 vs Sony SRS-XB30
- JBL Pulse 5 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
Sony SRS-XB30: $199 eBay
Pros: IPX5 rated. Doubles as a power bank for charging your phone. Long claimed battery life (up to 24 hours at moderate volume).
Cons: Muffled sound, worse than a XB20
Full Sony SRS-XB30 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 55Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9" x 3.2" x 3.4" (228 x 82 x 86 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 48mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| IP Rating | IPX5 |
| Max Volume | 95dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Partychain up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Soundcore Flare 2
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Teufel Rockster Go
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs W-King D8 Mini
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Marshall Emberton II
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs B&O Beosound Explore
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Marshall Emberton III
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Sony SRS-XB30 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini+
- See all 72 comparisons