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Neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor JBL PartyBox 300 were recommended by experts this month
On 4 Mar 2024 (25 days ago) we went through 113 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor JBL PartyBox 300 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from Digital Trends (26 Feb 2024), WIRED (18 Feb 2024) Tom's Guide (22 Feb 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
N/A | N/A | $99 | Bose SoundLink Micro | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $1000 | JBL PartyBox 300 | - | - | - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like Bose SoundLink Micro somewhat more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
JBL PartyBox 300
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Bose SoundLink Micro, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than JBL PartyBox 300.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both Bose SoundLink Micro and JBL PartyBox 300 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
Bose SoundLink Micro |
In comparison:
Bose SoundLink Micro ranks #15 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 10.0 Amazing
|
JBL PartyBox 300 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Bose SoundLink Micro is more popular than JBL PartyBox 300
It's fairly safe to say that Bose SoundLink Micro is a more popular bluetooth speaker than JBL PartyBox 300, based on its 30,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for Bose SoundLink Micro and JBL PartyBox 300 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JBL Charge 5 | $130 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| 6 expert recommendations | ||
UE Boom 3 | $97 |
In comparison:
8.9 Great
| 2 expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
JBL Flip 4 | $75 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular | |
JBL Authentics 500 | $699 |
We don't yet have enough review information for JBL Authentics 500 N/A
| 2 expert recommendations |
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2 | +4 | $437 | Sonos Move 2 | 4 | 5 | - | 5 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - |
3 | -1 | $176 | Sonos Roam The Sonos Roam is a highly versatile and durable portable speaker that delivers excellent sound quality, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, voice assistant integration, and unique features such as Automatic TruePlay and wireless charging. | 3 | - | 10 | 11 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
4 | -1 | $60 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options. | 8 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [18]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 7
Highest score by Old Time Music | 96 |
Average score based on 18 reviews | 78 |
Lowest score by Expert Reviews | 60 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
Expert reviews [9]
- with a score: 2
- without a score: 7
Highest score by The Streaming Blog | 96 |
Average score based on 9 reviews | 88 |
Lowest score by PCMag | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- BOSE WATERPROOF SPEAKER: Small but powerful, the Bose SoundLInk Micro Bluetooth speaker produces loud, clear sound with shockingly deep bass. It packs a custom-designed transducer and passive radiators for crisp, balanced sound, WATERPROOF AND DUSTPROOF (IP67)
- Read more
- JBL Signature Sound offers unprecedented performance and an authentic audio experiences you will remember for your party
- The full panel lighting effect creates a captivating light show to astound your crowd with a lasting visual experience.
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
Bose SoundLink Micro is a very popular option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Altec Lansing Sonic Boom or LG XBoom Go PL7 .
Bose SoundLink Micro was released in 2017. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
Bose SoundLink Micro is $6.09 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
JBL PartyBox 300 is a popular option at the top of the price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Naim Mu-So Qb or Sony SRS-RA5000 .
JBL PartyBox 300 is $875 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).