Short answer: the Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021. It ranks #4 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $60; the JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #25 and costs $250, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 offers: A very neutral good sounding inexpensive small speaker with quite deep bass for the size. This upgraded version has a usb-c port while the old one has micro usb. Watch for: Slight DSP tuning issue which makes bass get lighter at times at very low volumes, examples in oluv’s video.
What the JBL Charge 5 Wifi offers: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version
Buy the Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 Wifi and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the JBL Charge 5 Wifi is rated for 20 hours, the Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 only 12 hours.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 | JBL Charge 5 Wifi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $60 | $250 |
| Ranked | #4 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #25 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes (dual microphones) |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 150ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 99dB |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1A) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 590 g | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 8" x 2.8" x 2.7" (204 x 72 x 69 mm) (7.7 x 2.5 x 2.6 inches) | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.75" (44mm) x 2 active drivers and one passive radiator | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| Output Power | 20W (10W × 2) | 40W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wifi | - | Yes |
| Frequency Response | - | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+
- Minirig 4 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Charge 5
- Denon Envaya DSB-250BT vs Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021
- Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021 vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
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 Boost “upgraded” 2021: $60 Amazon eBay
Pros: A very neutral good sounding inexpensive small speaker with quite deep bass for the size. This upgraded version has a usb-c port while the old one has micro usb.
Cons: Slight DSP tuning issue which makes bass get lighter at times at very low volumes, examples in oluv’s video.
Full Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 150ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8" x 2.8" x 2.7" (204 x 72 x 69 mm) (7.7 x 2.5 x 2.6 inches) |
| Drivers | 1.75" (44mm) x 2 active drivers and one passive radiator |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W (10W × 2) |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 590 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion 300 or JBL Flip 6 or Soundcore Boost v2? we all have issues! More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs Maxsound Plus and Soundcore Boost - ultimate travel speaker!
- Alan Ross Reviews: 2x Soundcore Boost (stereo) vs Motion Boom and Motion+ - Best Soundcore speaker? 😋
- Speakertech: Anker soundcore Boost (Upgraded) vs minirig mini in stereo /2.0 (and changing the equalizer)
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bogasing G4 spot cheap speaker - I was NOT expecting this!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Boost vs Bogasing M4 - cheap or Bose?
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Minirig 4
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Soundcore Motion 300
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs B&O Beosound A1
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Charge 6
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Flip 6
- See all 74 comparisons
JBL Charge 5 Wifi: $250 Amazon eBay
Pros: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version
Full JBL Charge 5 Wifi review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Wifi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Bogasing M4
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs JBL Charge 5
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Bogasing G4
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Harman Kardon Luna
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- See all 84 comparisons