Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks #19 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $133.62; the JBL Charge 5 Wifi ranks #25 and costs $250, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Xiaomi Sound Party gets right: Sounds pretty balanced overall, more neutral than the Charge 5. Nice passive radiator visual effect. The catch: Bass can sound slightly thuddy at high volume, 180hz peak. Can’t match the Soundcore Boom 2 on raw bass output and loudness.
On the JBL Charge 5 Wifi side: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version. The tradeoff: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 Wifi and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Xiaomi Sound Party | JBL Charge 5 Wifi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $133.62 | $250 |
| Ranked | #19 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #25 of 136 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 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) |
| Max Volume | 102dB | 99dB |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs / 1200 g | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 40W |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) | USB-C |
| Wifi | - | Yes |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
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- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs JBL Charge 5
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The Two Speakers In Full
Xiaomi Sound Party: $133.62 Aliexpress
Pros: Sounds pretty balanced overall, more neutral than the Charge 5. Nice passive radiator visual effect. Plays clean out of the box, unlike the JBL Charge 6’s default tuning, which has noticeable mid distortion. Better off-axis dispersion than the VIFA Helsinki thanks to its tweeter. One of the best-performing speakers for its price and size.
Cons: Bass can sound slightly thuddy at high volume, 180hz peak. Can’t match the Soundcore Boom 2 on raw bass output and loudness. Bass and treble are noticeably boosted by default, which listeners who prefer a neutral sound may want to EQ down.
Full Xiaomi Sound Party review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 102dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| 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 |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs / 1200 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Xiaomi Sound Party - Best Bluetooth Speaker 2026 award
- 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
- 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
- Reddit Search for Xiaomi Sound Party Review
- 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 V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 7
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 6
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Charge 5
- See all 15 comparisons
JBL Charge 5 Wifi: $250 Amazon
Pros: Has Wifi. Sounds exactly the same as the non-Wifi version
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 →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Alexa Multi-Room Music |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1000 g |
| Wifi | Yes |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- 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
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- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Harman Kardon Luna
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Charge 5 Wifi vs Teufel Rockster XS
- See all 22 comparisons