Short answer: the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks #2 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the JBL Pulse 5 ranks #42 and costs $199.12, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Soundcore Motion 300 offers: 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. 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. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.
What the JBL Pulse 5 offers: Cool light show, although not synced to the music like the Pulse 2. Watch for: Not quite as deep bass as others. Plastic scratches easily.
Buy the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Pulse 5 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion 300 | JBL Pulse 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $199.12 |
| Ranked | #2 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #42 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | - |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc | - |
| Max Volume | 101dB | - |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g | 3.3 lbs / 1500 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) | 4.2" x 8.4" x 5.2" (107 x 214 x 131 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 64mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 58Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Output Power | 30W | 40W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Soundcore Glow vs Sony SRS-XB30
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Sony SRS-XB30
- JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Pulse 5
- Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Pulse 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 300: $79.99 Amazon eBay
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.
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.
Full Soundcore Motion 300 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 101dB |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen & Soundcore Motion 300 sound test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Travel Speakers! Soundcore Motion 300 or Bose Flex or Tribit Stormbow Flow More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion 300 or JBL Flip 6 or Soundcore Boost v2? we all have issues!
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: On A Ledge 🪟 Soundcore Motion 300 vs Tozo PA1 ⚒ Battle of the Budget Handheld Bluetooth Speakers More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex “Inspired” Speakers
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Motion 300 vs VIFA Helsinki
- Oluv Patreon: (Anker) Soundcore Motion 300 - first impressions
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Storytripper HD: Klipsch Nashville vs Harman Kardon Luna vs Soundcore Motion 300 More from storytripperhd →
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Motion 300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021
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- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 6
- See all 91 comparisons
JBL Pulse 5: $199.12 Amazon eBay
Pros: Cool light show, although not synced to the music like the Pulse 2.
Cons: Not quite as deep bass as others. Plastic scratches easily.
Full JBL Pulse 5 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.2" x 8.4" x 5.2" (107 x 214 x 131 mm) |
| Drivers | 64mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 3.3 lbs / 1500 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 “LIGHTS VS BASS?!” More from techderaudios →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- M1MTechChannel: Welche JBL Partybox ist die BESTE ? Alle Partyboxen im Vergleich | 2026 More from M1MTechChannel →
- Reddit Search for JBL Pulse 5 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- JBL Pulse 5 vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- JBL Pulse 5 vs W-King D320
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- JBL Pulse 5 vs Soundcore Motion 100
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