Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks #19 of 157 medium speakers and the JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #28, while costing $107.01 more, so the Xiaomi wins on both sound and price.
The Xiaomi tunes more neutral out of the box. Our notes describe it as balanced and more neutral than the standard Charge 5, and it plays clean without the mid distortion the JBL Charge 6 shows at default settings. The tradeoff is a 180Hz bass peak that can sound thuddy at high volume, and it can’t match the Soundcore Boom 2 for raw bass output.
The Charge 5 Wifi’s whole pitch is the Wifi. Our notes are blunt that it sounds exactly the same as the standard non-Wifi Charge 5, just with warm, boosted bass, shouty upper mids, and rolled off treble layered on top. That Wifi connection adds AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Alexa Multi-Room streaming, features the Xiaomi does not have.
What the Xiaomi adds that the Charge 5 Wifi does not:
- Party Connect multi-speaker pairing, linking up to 100 units, versus no party mode at all on the Wifi version.
- A longer 26 hour battery rating against 20 hours.
- A lower price by $107.01.
What the Charge 5 Wifi has instead: dual built-in microphones, a 3-band EQ versus the Xiaomi’s simpler EQ, and AAC Bluetooth codec support alongside SBC, where the Xiaomi is SBC only.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Party for better default sound, a longer battery, and a lower price. It is the stronger all-around speaker in this pair.
Buy the Charge 5 Wifi only if home Wifi streaming through AirPlay, Chromecast, or Spotify Connect matters more to you than sound quality or price, since our notes call it overly expensive for what it delivers otherwise.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Xiaomi Sound Party | JBL Charge 5 Wifi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $142.99 | $250 |
| Ranked | #19 of 157 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #28 of 157 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (dual microphones) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 10” x 3.6” x 3.6” (255 x 92 x 92 mm) | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 99dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1200 g) | 2.2 lbs (1000 g) |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | 40W |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) | USB-C |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | No |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Xiaomi Sound Party compares with other leading options:
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Minirig 4
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
Prices on this page were last checked October 3, 2026 at 10:26 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
Xiaomi Sound Party: $142.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: An unusually versatile 1.2kg outdoor speaker: IP67 dust/water protection, USB-C power-bank output, NFC pairing, lights, stereo pairing and a claimed 26-hour battery life. Several independent reviews describe a warm, generally balanced sound with clear vocals and useful bass impact when Bass Boost is off. It is also easy to carry thanks to the retractable handle. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-10dB).
Cons: The sound evidence is mixed rather than universally glowing. One lab review found it loud but flat and unclean with blurred treble, while others hear the Bass Boost mode as boomy upper bass that can bottom out at high volume. It is not the strongest choice for a large party: tested output is around 94dB and rivals such as the Soundcore Boom 2 play louder with deeper bass. SBC is the only Bluetooth codec and there is no aux input.
Full Xiaomi Sound Party review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10” x 3.6” x 3.6” (255 x 92 x 92 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1200 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Xiaomi Sound Party - Best Bluetooth Speaker 2026 award More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - first look
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - outdoor test
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party vs Boom 2 & Helsinki
- Alan Ross: JBL Charge 6 vs Xiaomi Sound Party – Honest No-BS Comparison More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross: Xiaomi Sound Party or Soundcore Boom 2 - 4 db louder?!
- Grimluck: XIAOMI Sound Party Review and Comparison (Jbl charge and Xiaomi outdoor)
- Jefferson C: XIAOMI Sound Party 2025
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Maxsound Plus
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Miatone Boompro
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 7
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna 2
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- See all 120 comparisons
JBL Charge 5 Wifi: $250 Amazon eBay
Pros: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive. No party mode on the wifi version
Full JBL Charge 5 Wifi review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 97 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs (1000 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Bogasing M4
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs JBL Charge 5
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Bogasing G4
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Harman Kardon Luna
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Harman Kardon Luna 2
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Cleer Audio Scene
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Maxsound Plus
- See all 139 comparisons