When a speaker gets replaced, the new model is not always the better buy. This page scores every replacement on Speaker Ranking where both the old and the new model have a measured rating in the same size class: 230 of them. Of those, 90 rate higher than the model they replaced (39%), 103 rate about the same (45%) and 37 rate lower (16%). “About the same” means within 0.2 of a point on the 5 point scale.
Ratings are out of 5 and only compare speakers within one ranking, so a portable that became a party speaker is not scored. Newer models whose rating is still an estimate are left out too, since that estimate comes from the older models. For the full history of each product line, see the product line pages.
Biggest improvements
The replacements that gained the most over the model they replaced.
| Old model to new model | Old | New | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascend Acoustics Sierra Luna to Ascend Acoustics Luna V2 Mini-Monitor Ribbon | 1.6 | 4.4 | +2.8 | no listed feature changes |
| Sony GTK-XB60 to Sony SRS-XP500 | 2.1 | 4.0 | +1.9 | adds app control, adjustable EQ, battery life (14 to 20 hours) |
| Sony GTK-XB72 to Sony SRS-XP700 | 2.2 | 4.0 | +1.8 | adds app control, adjustable EQ |
| Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE to Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE2 | 2.1 | 3.8 | +1.7 | no listed feature changes |
| LG Xboom XG7 to LG Xboom Bounce | 2.4 | 4.0 | +1.6 | adds app control, adjustable EQ, AAC; drops stereo pairing |
| Bogasing S8 Pro to Bogasing S8 Pro Max | 2.7 | 4.2 | +1.5 | adds battery life (15 to 30 hours) |
| Soundcore Rave Neo to Soundcore Rave Neo 2 | 2.7 | 4.2 | +1.5 | no listed feature changes |
| Soundcore Rave to Soundcore Rave 3 | 2.3 | 3.8 | +1.5 | adds app control, adjustable EQ, stereo pairing; drops power bank charging, battery life (24 to 12 hours) |
| JBL Partybox On the Go to JBL PartyBox On-The-Go 2 Plus | 3.0 | 4.4 | +1.4 | adds USB audio input, adjustable EQ, party mode |
| KEF Q100 to KEF Q150 | 2.4 | 3.7 | +1.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Revel Performa M22 to Revel M106 | 3.3 | 4.6 | +1.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Beats Pill+ to Beats Pill 2024 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +1.2 | adds USB audio input, battery life (12 to 24 hours), water resistance (IPX4 to IP67); drops aux input |
| Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ to Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 | 3.0 | 4.2 | +1.2 | no listed feature changes |
| Onn Large Party gen 1 to Onn Large Party gen 2 | 2.7 | 3.9 | +1.2 | adds water resistance (no IP rating to IPX4); drops stereo pairing |
| JBL Stage A130 to JBL Stage 250B | 2.1 | 3.2 | +1.1 | no listed feature changes |
| JBL Flip 5 to JBL Flip 6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | +0.9 | adds AAC |
| JBL Xtreme 2 to JBL Xtreme 3 | 3.4 | 4.3 | +0.9 | adds power bank charging, stereo pairing |
| Klipsch RP-600M to Klipsch RP-600M II | 2.9 | 3.7 | +0.8 | no listed feature changes |
| Soundcore Mini 2 to Soundcore Mini 3 | 3.3 | 4.1 | +0.8 | adds app control, adjustable EQ; drops aux input, stereo pairing |
| Tronsmart T7 to Tronsmart T8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | +0.8 | adds aux input, battery life (12 to 18 hours) |
New models that rate lower
Here the older model is the better speaker. If it is still sold or easy to find used, it can be the smarter purchase.
| Old model to new model | Old | New | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBL Arena 120 to JBL Stage A130 | 3.8 | 2.1 | -1.7 | no listed feature changes |
| Marshall Stockwell II to Marshall Stockwell III | 4.5 | 3.0 | -1.5 | adds power bank charging, app control, adjustable EQ |
| TOZO PA1 to TOZO PA2 | 3.5 | 2.5 | -1.0 | adds water resistance (IPX6 to IPX8) |
| Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 to Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 | 3.0 | 2.1 | -0.9 | no listed feature changes |
| Sony XB23 to Sony SRS-XE200 | 3.3 | 2.5 | -0.8 | adds battery life (12 to 16 hours), water resistance (IPX4 to IP67) |
| Philharmonic BMR (v1) to Philharmonic BMR Monitor | 4.3 | 3.6 | -0.7 | no listed feature changes |
| Aiwa Exos-9 to Aiwa Exos-10 | 4.2 | 3.5 | -0.7 | adds party mode, battery life (10 to 12 hours) |
| Tribit Stormbox Blast to Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 | 4.5 | 3.8 | -0.7 | adds AAC |
| JBL LSR6332 to JBL 708i | 4.3 | 3.7 | -0.6 | no listed feature changes |
| Sony XB33 to Sony SRS-XE300 | 3.4 | 2.8 | -0.6 | drops power bank charging |
| Buchardt Audio S400 to Buchardt S400 MKII | 4.4 | 3.8 | -0.6 | no listed feature changes |
| MoFi SourcePoint 10 to MoFi SourcePoint 10 Master Edition | 4.4 | 3.8 | -0.6 | no listed feature changes |
| JBL Xtreme 3 to JBL Xtreme 4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | -0.5 | adds app control, adjustable EQ, battery life (15 to 24 hours); drops aux input |
| Soundcore Mini to Soundcore Mini 2 | 3.8 | 3.3 | -0.5 | adds water resistance (no IP rating to IPX7) |
| ELAC BS U5 to ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 | 2.9 | 2.4 | -0.5 | no listed feature changes |
| Bogasing M4 to Bogasing M5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | -0.5 | adds adjustable EQ, battery life (24 to 30 hours) |
| Sony SRS-XB43 to Sony SRS-XG300 | 3.5 | 3.1 | -0.4 | drops app control, adjustable EQ, AAC |
| JBL LSR6328P to JBL 708P | 4.6 | 4.2 | -0.4 | drops adjustable EQ |
| Revel Ultima Salon to Revel Ultima2 Salon2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | -0.4 | no listed feature changes |
| JBL Stage A180 to JBL Stage 2 280F | 3.8 | 3.4 | -0.4 | no listed feature changes |
| Huawei Sound Joy to Huawei Sound Joy 2 | 3.8 | 3.5 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Sony SS-CS5 to Sony SS-CS5 M2 | 3.5 | 3.2 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| HSU Research VTF-15H MK2 to HSU Research VTF-TN1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| RSL (Rogersound Labs) Speedwoofer 10 to RSL (Rogersound Labs) Speedwoofer 10S | 3.7 | 3.4 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Revel M106 to Revel M126Be | 4.6 | 4.3 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Google Nest Audio to Google Home Speaker | 3.3 | 3.0 | -0.3 | drops stereo pairing, AAC |
| Bowers & Wilkins 686 S2 to Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition | 3.8 | 3.5 | -0.3 | no listed feature changes |
| Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 to Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | -0.3 | adds AAC, battery life (12 to 24 hours), water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| SVS PB-2000 to SVS PB-2000 PRO | 4.1 | 3.9 | -0.2 | no listed feature changes |
| SVS SB-1000 to SVS SB-1000 PRO | 3.9 | 3.7 | -0.2 | no listed feature changes |
| B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen to B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen | 4.3 | 4.1 | -0.2 | adds battery life (18 to 24 hours) |
| Polk Audio Signature S15 to Polk Signature Elite ES15 | 3.7 | 3.5 | -0.2 | no listed feature changes |
| Tribit Thunderbox Plus to Tribit Xsound Plus 2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | -0.2 | adds built-in mic, app control, adjustable EQ |
| Power Sound Audio (PSA) XS15 to Power Sound Audio (PSA) XS15SE | 4.1 | 3.9 | -0.2 | no listed feature changes |
| Monoprice Monolith 10 THX Select to Monoprice Monolith M-10 V2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | -0.2 | no listed feature changes |
| Edifier S2000 Pro to Edifier S2000MKIII | 3.7 | 3.5 | -0.2 | drops XLR input |
| Tribit Maxsound Plus V2 to Tribit Xsound Plus 2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | -0.2 | adds built-in mic, app control, battery life (20 to 24 hours) |
New models that dropped a feature
Current models that lost something the model before them had, from an aux input to battery life or water resistance. Worth checking before you upgrade if you rely on it.
| Old model to new model | Dropped | Added |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Stanmore II to Marshall Stanmore III | stereo pairing, optical input, aptX | nothing listed |
| Teufel Rockster Go to Teufel Rockster Go 2 | aux input, built-in mic, aptX | USB audio input, app control, adjustable EQ, AAC, battery life (12 to 15 hours) |
| Ultimate Ears Roll 2 to Ultimate Ears Miniroll | aux input, app control, adjustable EQ | built-in mic, stereo pairing, battery life (9 to 12 hours) |
| B&O Beosound A1 to B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen | aux input, battery life (24 to 18 hours) | aptX Adaptive |
| Google Nest Audio to Google Home Speaker | stereo pairing, AAC | nothing listed |
| Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen to Google Home Speaker | stereo pairing, AAC | nothing listed |
| Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 to Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 | stereo pairing, water resistance (IPX7 to no IP rating) | nothing listed |
| IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor to IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro | aux input, Bluetooth | XLR input |
| Marshall Woburn II to Marshall Woburn III | stereo pairing, aptX | nothing listed |
| Sony SRS-XE200 to Sony ULT Field 1 | LDAC, battery life (16 to 12 hours) | nothing listed |
| Soundcore Motion+ to Soundcore Motion 300 | aux input, aptX | party mode, AAC, LDAC |
| Teufel Rockster to Teufel Rockster 2 | aptX, battery life (30 to 15 hours) | app control, AAC, water resistance (no IP rating to IPX2) |
| Tronsmart Halo 100 to Tronsmart Halo 200 | built-in mic, water resistance (IPX7 to IPX4) | adjustable EQ |
| Yamaha DXR12mkII to Yamaha DXR12mkIII | XLR input, RCA input | Bluetooth |
| Beats Pill+ to Beats Pill 2024 | aux input | USB audio input, battery life (12 to 24 hours), water resistance (IPX4 to IP67) |
| Bose Soundlink Micro to Bose Soundlink Micro 2 | built-in mic | adjustable EQ, AAC, aptX, battery life (6 to 12 hours) |
| Edifier S2000 Pro to Edifier S2000MKIII | XLR input | nothing listed |
| Harman Kardon Go + Play 2 to Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 | party mode | power bank charging, app control, adjustable EQ, stereo pairing, AAC |
| Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 to Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 | aux input | party mode |
| JBL LSR308 to JBL 308P MKII | adjustable EQ | nothing listed |
| JBL LSR6328P to JBL 708P | adjustable EQ | nothing listed |
| JBL Boombox 3 to JBL Boombox 4 | aux input | USB audio input, app control, adjustable EQ, AAC, LC3, water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| JBL Boombox 3 Wifi to JBL Boombox 4 | aux input | USB audio input, app control, adjustable EQ, party mode, AAC, LC3, water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| JBL Charge 4 to JBL Charge 5 | aux input | adjustable EQ, stereo pairing, AAC |
| JBL Charge 5 to JBL Charge 6 | built-in mic | USB audio input, battery life (20 to 24 hours), water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| JBL Charge Essential to JBL Charge Essential 2 | party mode | nothing listed |
| JBL Flip 6 to JBL Flip 7 | stereo pairing | USB audio input, water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| JBL Flip Essential to JBL Flip Essential 2 | aux input | nothing listed |
| JBL Go 4 to JBL Go 5 | built-in mic | USB audio input, AAC, LC3, water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| JBL Xtreme 3 to JBL Xtreme 4 | aux input | app control, adjustable EQ, battery life (15 to 24 hours) |
| JBL Xtreme 4 to JBL Xtreme 5 | built-in mic | USB audio input, AAC, LC3, water resistance (IP67 to IP68) |
| Kanto YU4 to Kanto YU4 G2 | aptX | AAC |
| Kanto YU6 to Kanto YU6 G2 | aptX | aux input, AAC |
| Klipsch The Three II to Klipsch The Three Plus | aux input | app control |
| LG Xboom XG7 to LG Xboom Bounce | stereo pairing | app control, adjustable EQ, AAC, battery life (24 to 30 hours) |
| Marshall Acton II to Marshall Acton III | aptX | nothing listed |
| Marshall Kilburn II to Marshall Kilburn III | built-in mic | power bank charging, app control, adjustable EQ, party mode, AAC, battery life (20 to 50 hours), water resistance (IPX2 to IP54) |
| Marshall Willen to Marshall Willen II | party mode | nothing listed |
| Minirig 3 to Minirig 4 | aptX | power bank charging, built-in mic |
| Onn Large Party gen 1 to Onn Large Party gen 2 | stereo pairing | water resistance (no IP rating to IPX4) |
| PreSonus Eris E3.5 to PreSonus Eris E3.5 2nd Gen | aux input | nothing listed |
| Sony SRS-XG500 to Sony ULT Field 7 | app control | water resistance (IP66 to IP67) |
| Soundcore 2 to Soundcore 3 | aux input | app control, adjustable EQ |
| Soundcore Motion Boom to Soundcore Boom 2 | built-in mic | party mode |
| Soundcore Rave 3 to Soundcore Rave 3S | stereo pairing | nothing listed |
| Soundcore Select 2 to Soundcore Select 2S | battery life (20 to 16 hours) | nothing listed |
| Teufel Boomster 2021 to Teufel Boomster 4 | water resistance (IPX7 to IPX5) | adjustable EQ, AAC, aptX HD, battery life (18 to 23 hours) |
| Teufel Rockster Cross to Teufel Rockster Cross 2 | aptX | USB audio input, app control, adjustable EQ, party mode, AAC, battery life (16 to 38 hours) |
| Tribit Stormbox Pro to Tribit Stormbox Max | aptX | party mode, AAC, water resistance (IPX7 to IP68) |
| Yamaha DXR10mkII to Yamaha DXR10mkIII | RCA input | Bluetooth |
| Yamaha DXR15mkII to Yamaha DXR15mkIII | RCA input | Bluetooth |
Which brands improve their speakers
Brands with at least three scored replacements, ordered by the average rating change from old model to new.
| Brand | Replacements scored | Better | Same | Lower | Average change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascend Acoustics | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +1.70 |
| RCF | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +0.44 |
| Soundcore | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | +0.43 |
| Klipsch | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +0.42 |
| KEF | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | +0.32 |
| Sony | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | +0.30 |
| Teufel | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +0.30 |
| JBL | 40 | 16 | 19 | 5 | +0.15 |
| Harman Kardon | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | +0.13 |
| Soundboks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +0.10 |
| Revel | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +0.10 |
| Yamaha | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +0.07 |
| Bose | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +0.04 |
| Minirig | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +0.04 |
| HSU Research | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +0.03 |
| SVS | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | +0.00 |
| Bowers & Wilkins | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -0.03 |
| Monoprice | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -0.07 |
| Marshall | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | -0.09 |
| Tribit | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -0.11 |
| Ultimate Ears | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | -0.18 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are newer speaker models always better?
No. Of 230 replacements with measured ratings in the same class, 90 rate higher than the model they replaced, 103 rate about the same and 37 rate lower.
Which new speaker model improved the most?
The Ascend Acoustics Luna V2 Mini-Monitor Ribbon, which replaced the Ascend Acoustics Sierra Luna and rates 4.4/5 against 1.6/5.
Which new speaker model is the biggest step back?
The JBL Stage A130, which replaced the JBL Arena 120 and rates 2.1/5 against 3.8/5.
Which new speakers dropped the aux input?
15 current models no longer have the aux input their predecessor had, including the Teufel Rockster Go 2, Ultimate Ears Miniroll, B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen, IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor Pro and Soundcore Motion 300.