Neither JBL Charge 3 nor Sony SRS-XB12 were recommended by experts this month
On 4 Mar 2024 (24 days ago) we went through 113 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Charge 3 nor Sony SRS-XB12 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 | $89 | JBL Charge 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $58 | Sony SRS-XB12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like JBL Charge 3 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.
Sony SRS-XB12
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
JBL Charge 3, the pricier option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Sony SRS-XB12.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both JBL Charge 3 and Sony SRS-XB12 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
JBL Charge 3 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
|
Sony SRS-XB12 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
JBL Charge 3 is more popular than Sony SRS-XB12
It's fairly safe to say that JBL Charge 3 is a more popular bluetooth speaker than Sony SRS-XB12, based on its 40,000+ 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 JBL Charge 3 and Sony SRS-XB12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anker Soundcore Motion 300 | $80 |
We don't yet have enough review information for Anker Soundcore Motion 300 N/A
| 2 expert recommendations | ||
JBL Flip 5 | $90 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | More Popular Better Reviews | |
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | $60 |
In comparison:
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 ranks #90 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 9.1 Great
| 4 expert recommendations | ||
JBL Flip 6 | $110 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
| 3 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 | $177 | 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 [16]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 5
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 16 reviews | 86 |
Lowest score by The Master Switch | 64 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
Expert reviews [7]
- with a score: 4
- without a score: 3
Highest score by Beebom | 88 |
Average score based on 7 reviews | 80 |
Lowest score by Gadgets Now | 70 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
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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!
JBL Charge 3 is a very popular and one of the less expensive options. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as JBL Flip 5 or Bose SoundLink Color II .
JBL Charge 3 is $35.99 less expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
Sony SRS-XB12 is a very popular option on the lower end 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 Sony SRS-XB13 or Rockville Rockbox .
Sony SRS-XB12 is $66.99 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).