Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks #19 of 142 medium speakers by sound quality at $133.62; the Marshall Emberton II ranks #103 and costs $159.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party, rated 4.1 against the Marshall Emberton II’s 2.7. The Xiaomi Sound Party offers 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. The Marshall Emberton II offers 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours.
Choose the Xiaomi Sound Party for an unusually versatile 1.2kg outdoor speaker: Watch for: the sound evidence is mixed rather than universally glowing. It’s also the cheaper of the two, at $133.62 against $159.99.
Choose the Marshall Emberton II for 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class: Watch for: strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. It costs more too, at $159.99 against $133.62.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Emberton II and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Xiaomi Sound Party | Marshall Emberton II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $133.62 | $159.99 |
| Ranked | #19 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #103 of 142 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz | 62Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | No |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 10" x 3.6" x 3.6" (255 x 92 x 92 mm) | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters | 2x 2" full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 88dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1200 g) | 1.5 lbs (700 g) |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | 20W |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) | USB-C |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 80ms |
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 September 16, 2026 at 12:41 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
Xiaomi Sound Party: $133.62 Aliexpress 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 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 |
| 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/Thunderbox Plus
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna 2
- 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 Bogasing G4
- See all 62 comparisons
Marshall Emberton II: $159.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. IP67 rated, durable rubbery build using 50% recycled plastic. Measured bass extension of 62Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear. Not very loud.
Full Marshall Emberton II review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 80ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2" full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 88dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (700 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs Marshall Stockwell 2 - little guy goes louder?? 🤓 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig MK3 and Marshall Emberton - best bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs Marshall Emberton review - mono or pseudo surround sound? 🤷♀️
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs JBL Flip 5 & Soundcore Boost - true stereophonic 🤓
- Passione Speaker: Bass Test Marshall Emberton 2 vs Emberton 3
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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