Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks #19 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $133.62; the JBL Charge 5 ranks #26 and costs $134.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Xiaomi Sound Party offers: Sounds pretty balanced overall, more neutral than the Charge 5. Nice passive radiator visual effect. The tradeoff: 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 side: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life. Watch for: 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 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Xiaomi Sound Party | JBL Charge 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $133.62 | $134.95 |
| Ranked | #19 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #26 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) | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 10" x 3.6" x 3.6" (255 x 92 x 92 mm) | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 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 | 2.1 lbs / 960 g |
| Output Power | 50W | 40W |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) | USB-C |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 125ms |
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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
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- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 7
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 6
- See all 15 comparisons
JBL Charge 5: $134.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life.
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.
Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 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 | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 960 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this!
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- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021?
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- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 5 - unboxing & first impressions
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bogasing M4 Review - vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Plus - a new contender?
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE 5 Vs. CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 #shorts
- Alan Ross Reviews: Huawei sound joy vs JBL Charge 5 and Flip 6 - top mono speaker! 🤓
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Techder Audios: JBL PULSE 5 VS JBL CHARGE 5 “LIGHTS VS BASS?!”
- Storytripper HD: Klipsch Nashville vs JBL Charge 5
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- KULAS TECH SHOW: JBL Charge 5 vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100 - Sound Comparison💥🔥
- Alan Ross Reviews: UE Megaboom 3 review vs JBL Charge 5 & Motion Boom! how bad can it be??
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Stockwell 2 Review and huge sound test! - vs JBL Charge 5! 💯
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs Motion Boom vs Sony XB43 - a step to far? 🤪
- DIGI-EARS: Xdobo X8 Max vs. JBL Charge 5 vs. Anker Soundcore Motion+ vs. Tribit Stormbox Pro Sound Test Battle
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge 5 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge 5 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- JBL Charge 5 vs Bogasing M4
- JBL Charge 5 vs Harman Kardon Luna
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