Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks #27 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $110; the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 ranks #83 and costs $163, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
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 Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and survives drops from up to 1 meter. 20 hour battery life - about double most speakers this size. Watch for: Not stereo, barely any bass. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2018. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $163 |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #83 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | - |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 70Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) | 3.4" x 8.9" x 3.4" (87 x 225 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 2 lbs / 925 g |
| Output Power | 50W | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Max Volume | - | 98dB |
| Frequency Response | - | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- JBL Charge 6 vs 1More S1001bt
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- JBL Charge 5 vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Sony XB33 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Marshall Emberton III
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
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3: $163 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and survives drops from up to 1 meter. 20 hour battery life - about double most speakers this size.
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2018. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 70Hz |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4" x 8.9" x 3.4" (87 x 225 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 98dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 2 lbs / 925 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Soundcore 2
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
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- See all 74 comparisons