Short answer: the Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus. It ranks #21 of 140 medium speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the Soundcore Boom 3i ranks #29 and costs $89.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus side: Use Xbass mode for flattest frequency response. V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus sound exactly the same. The catch: Slightly less deep bass than the best in category.
The case for the Soundcore Boom 3i: Looks to be designed as a direct competitor to the Charge 5 with a very similar sound profile, warm tuned with boosted bass. Watch for: Not quite as good as a Charge 5, doesn’t go quite as loud or sound quite as balanced, but very very close.
Buy the Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Soundcore Boom 3i and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus | Soundcore Boom 3i | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $89.99 |
| Ranked | #21 of 140 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #29 of 140 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP68 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 160ms | - |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 595 g | 1.7 lbs / 783 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Drivers | 2x 44mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 94mm woofer + tweeter |
| Output Power | 24W | 50W |
| Power Input | Micro USB | USB-C |
| Dimensions | 2.6" x 7.8" x 2.7" (65 x 198 x 68 mm) (2.56 x 7.79 x 2.68 inches) | 8.3" x 3.3" x 3.1" (210 x 85 x 78.5 mm) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | - | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- JBL Charge 5 vs Tozo PA1
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2
- JBL Charge 5 vs W-King D8 Mini
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Soundcore Boom 3i
Prices on this page were last checked September 1, 2026 at 2:15 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
Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus: $79.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Use Xbass mode for flattest frequency response. Identical driver, tuning, and sound to the Thunderbox Plus and the newer Maxsound Plus V2.
Cons: Slightly less deep bass than the best in category. No true wireless stereo pairing between two units, unlike the V2.
Full Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 160ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 2.6" x 7.8" x 2.7" (65 x 198 x 68 mm) (2.56 x 7.79 x 2.68 inches) |
| Drivers | 2x 44mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 24W |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 595 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: All Tribit Speakers Compared - Maxsound Plus, Stormbox, Xsound Go, Maxboom More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Flow has deeper bass than the Bose Flex but………..
- Alan Ross Reviews: Anker Soundcore 3 vs Tribit Maxsound Plus - Best £50 speaker
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs Maxsound Plus and Soundcore Boost - ultimate travel speaker!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Earfun Uboom Review - full test - vs tribit maxsound and motion plus!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Maxsound Plus v1 vs V2 - upgraded Maxsound Plus tested! 🏅
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Charge 5
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Flip 7
- Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- See all 75 comparisons
Soundcore Boom 3i: $89.99 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
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 |
- 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 Bose Soundlink Flex
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- See all 77 comparisons