Short answer: the JBL Partybox Encore 2. It ranks #4 of 73 boombox speakers by sound quality at $330; the Turtlebox Gen 3 ranks #68 and costs $430, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Turtlebox Gen 3 offers: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25+ hour battery life. USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices. True multi-speaker Party Mode added on top of stereo pairing, plus Bluetooth 5.4. Watch for: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 2: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Will never hit its claimed 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box.
What the JBL Partybox Encore 2 offers: Appears to have better off axis performance due to the move to dome tweeters over cone. A little less rolled off in the highs than the first Encore. Goes slightly deeper than the old Encore. Includes 2 wireless microphones. Better battery life than the first Encore. Watch for: Missing a little bit of upper bass.
Buy the JBL Partybox Encore 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Turtlebox Gen 3 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Turtlebox Gen 3. It ranks near the bottom of the 73 boombox speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
If battery life is a priority, the Turtlebox Gen 3 is rated for 25 hours versus 15 hours for the JBL Partybox Encore 2.
If water resistance matters to you, the Turtlebox Gen 3 at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the JBL Partybox Encore 2 at IPX4 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Turtlebox Gen 3 | JBL Partybox Encore 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $430.00 | $330 |
| Ranked | #68 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #4 of 73 in Boombox Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~65Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX4 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 10 lbs / 4.54 kg | 14.1 lbs / 6.4 kg |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| App | No | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
| EQ | No | Yes (7 band App EQ) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (Turtlebox Party Mode) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| USB Playback | No | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | AC Power cord |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Output Power | 50W | 100W RMS |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm) | 12.6" x 13.3" x 10.4" (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter | 1x 135mm (5.25") woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75") dome tweeters |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Max Volume | - | 110dB |
| Removable Battery | - | Yes |
| Wireless Microphones | - | Yes 2 Included |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL Boombox 4 vs JBL Partybox Encore Essential 2
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 vs JBL Xtreme 4
- Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 vs Turtlebox Gen 2
- Turtlebox Gen 3 vs Turtlebox
- Turtlebox Gen 3 vs Sony SRS-XG500
Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM 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
Turtlebox Gen 3: $430.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Waterproof and crushproof, loud with punchy bass. 25+ hour battery life. USB-C charging and USB-C output charges other devices. True multi-speaker Party Mode added on top of stereo pairing, plus Bluetooth 5.4.
Cons: Sounds basically identical to the original and the Gen 2: each generation mainly added features, not sound quality. They pretty much lie about all their specs and sound horrible in all youtube sound samples. Will never hit its claimed 120db at a reasonable measuring distance. Putting your db meter right against the speaker doesn’t count, 1 meter distance is the standard. Barely any bass. Rattles at high volume. Looking at it, it appears to be a generic car 2-way 6x9 speaker in a plastic box.
Full Turtlebox Gen 3 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~65Hz |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7" x 8.7" (305 x 178 x 222 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 6x9" (152x228mm) woofer + 1x 1" (25mm) tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Turtlebox Party Mode) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | No |
| Weight | 10 lbs / 4.54 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JBL Partybox Encore 2: $330 Samsclub eBay
Pros: Appears to have better off axis performance due to the move to dome tweeters over cone. A little less rolled off in the highs than the first Encore. Goes slightly deeper than the old Encore. Includes 2 wireless microphones. Better battery life than the first Encore.
Cons: Missing a little bit of upper bass.
Full JBL Partybox Encore 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (JBL PartyBox app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.6" x 13.3" x 10.4" (319.5 x 338.6 x 263 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 135mm (5.25") woofer + 2x 20mm (0.75") dome tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (7 band App EQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Max Volume | 110dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 100W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| USB Playback | Yes |
| Weight | 14.1 lbs / 6.4 kg |
| Wireless Microphones | Yes 2 Included |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL giving it to us large! The good, The bad, The diabolical! More from alanrossreviews →
- M1M Tech Channel: Partybox Killer? 2x Earfun UBoom X stärker als JBL Encore 2 ?
- M1M Tech Channel: JBL Partybox Encore 2 Ein fettes Bass Upgrade
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Partybox ENCORE 2👌FULL TEST🆚 JBL Partybox ENCORE 1 More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Jbl Partybox Encore 2 📦UNBOXING. Short TEST AUDIO z ENCORE 1👌
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Encore 2 Partybox Deep Bass 🆚 Jbl Boombox 3 WiFi 🎶
- Dominik Reviews: JBL Partybox Encore 2 vs JBL Boombox 3 WiFi - Sound Test - Wide vs Narrow Soundstage! More from Dominik Reviews →
- M1M Tech Channel: JBL Partybox Encore 2 Ein fettes Bass Upgrade
- Reddit Search for JBL Partybox Encore 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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