Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party for better sound quality, the Soundcore Boom 3i for the lower price. The Xiaomi Sound Party ranks #19 of 136 medium speakers at $133.62. The Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #27 at $110, $23.62 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. Set against that: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close.
The case for the Xiaomi Sound Party: Sounds pretty balanced overall, more neutral than the Charge 5. The catch: Bass can sound slightly thuddy at high volume, 180hz peak.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 3i if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Xiaomi Sound Party if sound quality matters more than the price.
If battery life is a priority, the Xiaomi Sound Party is rated for 26 hours versus 16 hours for the Soundcore Boom 3i.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boom 3i | Xiaomi Sound Party | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $110 | $133.62 |
| Ranked | #27 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #19 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| 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) | 10" x 3.6" x 3.6" (255 x 92 x 92 mm) |
| Drivers | 94mm woofer + tweeter | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 783 g | 2.6 lbs / 1200 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 50W |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Bank | - | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) |
| Frequency Response | - | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | - | 102dB |
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More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL Charge 5 vs Sony XB33
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Flip 6
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
The Two Speakers In Full
Soundcore Boom 3i: $110 Amazon Bhphotovideo
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- 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 24 comparisons
Xiaomi Sound Party: $133.62 Aliexpress
Pros: Sounds pretty balanced overall, more neutral than the Charge 5. Nice passive radiator visual effect. Plays clean out of the box, unlike the JBL Charge 6’s default tuning, which has noticeable mid distortion. Better off-axis dispersion than the VIFA Helsinki thanks to its tweeter. One of the best-performing speakers for its price and size.
Cons: Bass can sound slightly thuddy at high volume, 180hz peak. Can’t match the Soundcore Boom 2 on raw bass output and loudness. Bass and treble are noticeably boosted by default, which listeners who prefer a neutral sound may want to EQ down.
Full Xiaomi Sound Party review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10" x 3.6" x 3.6" (255 x 92 x 92 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 102dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs / 1200 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Xiaomi Sound Party - Best Bluetooth Speaker 2026 award More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - first look
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - outdoor test
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party vs Boom 2 & Helsinki
- Alan Ross: JBL Charge 6 vs Xiaomi Sound Party – Honest No-BS Comparison More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross: Xiaomi Sound Party or Soundcore Boom 2 - 4 db louder?!
- Grimluck: XIAOMI Sound Party Review and Comparison (Jbl charge and Xiaomi outdoor)
- Jefferson C: XIAOMI Sound Party 2025
- Reddit Search for Xiaomi Sound Party Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Xsound Mega
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- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 7
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 6
- See all 23 comparisons