Neither JBL Go 2 nor UE Boom were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (23 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Go 2 nor UE Boom 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 Sonos Roam or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, Sonos Roam received 4 endorsements this month, from TechRadar (4 Mar 2024), Tom's Guide (26 Mar 2024) WIRED (18 Feb 2024) and 1 other.
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi  | SoundGuys
 | PCMag  | Popular Mechanics  | TechRadar  | Rtings.com  | Tom's Guide  | WIRED  | TechHive  | Digital Trends  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | - | $176 |  Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
| N/A | N/A | $30 |  JBL Go 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N/A | N/A | $280 |  UE Boom | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
JBL Go 2 
UE Boom Customers like JBL Go 2 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.
UE Boom
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
JBL Go 2, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than UE Boom.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). JBL Go 2 ranks higher than that and UE Boom ranks lower than that.
| JBL Go 2 |
In comparison:
9.2 Amazing
|
| UE Boom |
In comparison:
8.8 Great
|
| Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
JBL Go 2 is more popular than UE Boom
It's fairly safe to say that JBL Go 2 is a more popular bluetooth speaker than UE Boom, 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 JBL Go 2 and UE Boom | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | $48 |
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 | |
 | Doss SoundBox | $35 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| No expert recommendations | More Popular |
 | Tribit XSound Go | $37 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| No expert recommendations | |
 | Sony SRS-XB12 | $25 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper |
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive
| Digital Trends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
| 4 | - | $48 |  Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
| 5 | - | Check price |  Jbl Boombox 3 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 9 | - | - | - |
| 6 | - | $68 |  Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | - | 5 | - | - | - | 4 | 8 | - | - | 6 |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [10]
- with a score: 7
- without a score: 3
| Highest score by TechRadar | 80 |
| Average score based on 10 reviews | 75 |
| Lowest score by Gadgets 360 | 60 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
Expert reviews [4]
- with a score: 3
- without a score: 1
| Highest score by Sound Vision Review | 84 |
| Average score based on 4 reviews | 80 |
| Lowest score by SoundGuys | 75 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
- Wireless Bluetooth Streaming
- 5 hours of playtime
- IPX7 waterproof
- Speakerphone
- Audio Cable Input
- Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth
- Included Components: Speaker; Micro Usb Cable; Quick Start Guide
- Wireless Communication Technology: Bluetooth
- Read more
- Make Some Noise: UE BOOM is the 360-degree speaker that drops bold, immersive sound in every direction
- Up for Anything: UE BOOM has a versatile, go anywhere shape that is designed to be spontaneous
- Life-Resistant: Colorful acoustic skin with plasma coating makes UE BOOM water and stain resistant
- Read more
https://www.jbl.com/bluetooth-speakers/JBL+GO+2.ht... 
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 Go 2 is a very popular option at the bottom 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 Antimi Stereo or OontZ Angle 3 .
JBL Go 2 was released in 2018. There are a couple newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Go 2 is $93.74 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
UE Boom is a popular option on the higher 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 Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2 or Ultimate Ears Megablast .
UE Boom was released in 2013. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
UE Boom is $54.99 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
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Go to rankings
