Short answer: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4. It ranks #88 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $105; the Sony SRS-XE300 ranks #92 and costs $137, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. Watch for: Not much improvement over the old ones.
On the Sony SRS-XE300 side: IP67 rated. Set against that: Muffled sounding, not very deep bass.
Buy the Ultimate Ears Boom 4. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sony SRS-XE300 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the Sony SRS-XE300 is rated for 24 hours versus 15 hours for the Ultimate Ears Boom 4.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | Sony SRS-XE300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $105 | $137 |
| Ranked | #88 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #92 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs / 620 g | 2.9 lbs / 1.3 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) | 9.4" x 4.1" x 4.7" (238 x 105 x 119 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators | 2x 49x71mm X-Balanced speaker units + 2x passive radiators |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (via app) | Yes (via app) |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Max Volume | 85dBC | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Output Power | - | 16W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XE300
The Two Speakers In Full
Ultimate Ears Boom 4: $105 Amazon
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app.
Cons: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 85dBC |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs / 620 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
Sony SRS-XE300: $137 Amazon
Pros: IP67 rated. Orientation-aware playback switches to stereo when laid flat. Party Connect links up to 100 speakers; fast charging (10 min charge = ~70 min playback).
Cons: Muffled sounding, not very deep bass. Hollow sounding. Worse than a XB43
Full Sony SRS-XE300 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.4" x 4.1" x 4.7" (238 x 105 x 119 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 49x71mm X-Balanced speaker units + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.9 lbs / 1.3 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5
- DLX Willington: FINALLY! Sony SRS XG300, SRS XE300, & SRS XE200 Are Here. Binaural Sound Samples & First Impressions
- GYMCADDY: Sony XE300 Review And Compared to Sony XB33 - A Muffled Mess
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
- Reddit Search for Sony SRS-XE300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs DBSONO X-Blast F37
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Tribit Stormbox
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- See all 11 comparisons


