Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 5

Last updated: October 12, 2026

Short answer: the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks #3 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.5/5, at $79.99; the JBL Charge 5 ranks #30, rated 4.0/5, and costs $114.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.

Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 5

The Soundcore Motion 300 is the better-sounding pick. Pretty deep bass for the small size. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the JBL Charge 5 lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the JBL Charge 5. Watch for: Without the above EQ or turning the top 2 treble EQ bars to max, this speaker is very rolled off in the treble and will rank around #50 in the rankings.

The JBL Charge 5 is the longer-running choice. Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 13 for the Soundcore Motion 300. The catch: Shouty upper mids.

Buy the Soundcore Motion 300. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.

Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Check Soundcore Motion 300 price at Amazon ($79.99) →Check JBL Charge 5 price at Woot ($114.95) →

Specifications Side By Side

Soundcore Motion 300 JBL Charge 5
Price$79.99$114.95
Ranked#3 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#30 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesYes
Aux InputNoNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)50Hz53Hz
Battery Life13 hours (Manufacturer specified)20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYesYes
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, LDAC, SBCAAC, SBC
Built-in MicrophoneYesYes (dual microphones)
EQYes (9 band with adjustable frequency)Yes (3 band)
IP RatingIPX7IP67
Bluetooth Latency216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc125ms
Maximum SPL101dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Power BankNoYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)
StereoYesNo
OmnidirectionalPointing upNo
TWSYesYes
Weight1.7 lbs (772 g)2.1 lbs (960 g)
Bluetooth Version5.35.1
Dimensions7.9” x 3.6” x 2” (200 x 92 x 50 mm)8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers2x 50.8mm (2”) full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
Frequency Response65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified)60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C
Amplifier Power30W40W
Party ModeYes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers)Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)
Digital Aux InputNoNo
Strap-No
Check Soundcore Motion 300 price at Amazon ($79.99) →Check JBL Charge 5 price at Woot ($114.95) →

Watch Them Compared

Videos and reviews that test both speakers side by side.

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Soundcore Motion 300:

Prices on this page were last checked October 12, 2026 at 4:13 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 300: $79.99 Amazon $79.99 eBay

Soundcore Motion 300 ranking card

Older model: the Soundcore Motion+ (ranked lower, rated 4.4/5). See every Soundcore Motion generation.

Same family: the Soundcore Motion 100 (smaller model, ranked lower, rated 3.7/5), the Soundcore Motion X500 (larger model, rated 4.1/5) and the Soundcore Motion X600 (larger model, rated 4.3/5).

Pros: Pretty deep bass for the small size. Pocket size in a big pocket. Can be used in stereo facing you, or omnidirectional lying down. Ability to have a custom EQ for each orientation, standing, lying flat, hanging. Try the Uboom L EQs from Oluv for a more neutral sound. Measured bass extension of 50Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Without the above EQ or turning the top 2 treble EQ bars to max, this speaker is very rolled off in the treble and will rank around #50 in the rankings. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.

Featured on:

Full Soundcore Motion 300 review and specifications →

ReleasedOct 2023 (3 years ago)
Amplifier Power30W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)50Hz
Battery Life13 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, LDAC, SBC
Bluetooth Latency216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc
Bluetooth Version5.3
Built-in MicrophoneYes
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions7.9” x 3.6” x 2” (200 x 92 x 50 mm)
Drivers2x 50.8mm (2”) full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators
EQYes (9 band with adjustable frequency)
Frequency Response65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIPX7
Maximum SPL101dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
OmnidirectionalPointing up
Party ModeYes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers)
Power BankNo
Power InputUSB-C
StereoYes
TWSYes
Weight1.7 lbs (772 g)
Check current price at Amazon ($79.99) →Search eBay for Soundcore Motion 300 →

JBL Charge 5: $114.95 Amazon $139.95 Woot $114.95 Lowest eBay

JBL Charge 5 ranking card

Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5, released Mar 2025. It adds USB audio input, but drops the built-in mic. Battery life goes from 20 to 24 hours. Water resistance goes from IP67 to IP68.

Older models: the JBL Charge 4 (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5), the JBL Charge 3 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5) and the JBL Charge 2 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5). See every JBL Charge generation.

Same family: the JBL Charge 5 Wifi (larger model, ranked higher, rated 4/5).

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. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.

Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →

ReleasedMar 2021 (5 years ago)
Amplifier Power40W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
BluetoothYes
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBC
Bluetooth Latency125ms
Bluetooth Version5.1
Built-in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
EQYes (3 band)
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
Maximum SPL99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeYes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)
Power BankYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapNo
TWSYes
Weight2.1 lbs (960 g)
Check current price at Woot ($114.95) →Check current price at Amazon ($139.95) →Search eBay for JBL Charge 5 →