Short answer: the Soundcore Motion+. It ranks #3 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the JBL Charge 5 ranks #26 and costs $134.95, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Soundcore Motion+ offers: The previous best sounding in class, still a great speaker with separate tweeters, more bass at full volume and better off-axis treble frequency response than the Uboom L. Just okay with the default EQ, I highly recommend using this EQ setting from r/kai7895 to get it more neutral. To achieve the absolute best sound you’ll need the Wavelet app (Android only) and set the provided Wavelet EQ in there too. Turn off the wavelet EQ for outdoor use. An alternative is Oluv’s EQ which only needs the Soundcore app EQ. Watch for: Not quite as neutral or detailed as the Uboom L. Without the above EQ, this speaker will rank around #25 in the rankings.
What the JBL Charge 5 offers: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life. Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
Buy the Soundcore Motion+. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Battery life favors the JBL Charge 5: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Soundcore Motion+.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion+ | JBL Charge 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 used, Discontinued | $134.95 |
| Ranked | #3 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #26 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes (dual microphones) |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 130ms | 125ms |
| Max Volume | 104dB | 99dB |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs / 1050 g | 2.1 lbs / 960 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 10.1" x 3.1" x 3.2" (257 x 79 x 81 mm) | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 30W | 40W |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm (2.75") neodymium woofers + 2x silk dome tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 5
- Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Charge 5
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 Motion+: $79.99 used, Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: The previous best sounding in class, still a great speaker with separate tweeters, more bass at full volume and better off-axis treble frequency response than the Uboom L. Just okay with the default EQ, I highly recommend using this EQ setting from r/kai7895 to get it more neutral. To achieve the absolute best sound you’ll need the Wavelet app (Android only) and set the provided Wavelet EQ in there too. Turn off the wavelet EQ for outdoor use. An alternative is Oluv’s EQ which only needs the Soundcore app EQ.
Cons: Not quite as neutral or detailed as the Uboom L. Without the above EQ, this speaker will rank around #25 in the rankings. Discontinued.
Full Soundcore Motion+ review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 130ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.1" x 3.1" x 3.2" (257 x 79 x 81 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm (2.75") neodymium woofers + 2x silk dome tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (9 band) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 104dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs / 1050 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: 2x Soundcore Boost (stereo) vs Motion Boom and Motion+ - Best Soundcore speaker? 😋
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- Alan Ross Reviews: Earfun Uboom Review - full test - vs tribit maxsound and motion plus!
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JBL Charge 5: $134.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life.
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 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 | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 960 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this! More from alanrossreviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 6 🎶👌Unboxing 📦vs Jbl Charge 5 Short Test Audio i Hz. More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5 More from GYMCADDY →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Plus and Sony XB33 - ultimate travel speaker 2021 🤗
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex Review! vs JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5. Travel heaven?? 🤞
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 5 - unboxing & first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bogasing M4 Review - vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Plus - a new contender?
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE 5 Vs. CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 #shorts
- Alan Ross Reviews: Huawei sound joy vs JBL Charge 5 and Flip 6 - top mono speaker! 🤓
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 “LIGHTS VS BASS?!” More from techderaudios →
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- KULAS TECH SHOW: JBL Charge 5 vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100 - Sound Comparison💥🔥 More from KULASTECHSHOW20 →
- Alan Ross Reviews: UE Megaboom 3 review vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Boom! how bad can it be??
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
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- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Boom vs Sony XB43 - a step to far? 🤪
- DIGI-EARS: Xdobo X8 Max vs. JBL Charge 5 vs. Anker Soundcore Motion+ vs. Tribit Stormbox Pro Sound Test Battle
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge 5 Review
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