Neither JBL PartyBox 300 nor UE Boom were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (21 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL PartyBox 300 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 JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from What Hi-Fi (18 Mar 2024), SoundGuys (9 Feb 2024) TechRadar (4 Mar 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | 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. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 15 |
N/A | N/A | $1000 | JBL PartyBox 300 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $280 | UE Boom | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like JBL PartyBox 300 noticeably 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 PartyBox 300, the pricier 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 PartyBox 300 ranks higher than that and UE Boom ranks lower than that.
JBL PartyBox 300 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
|
UE Boom |
In comparison:
8.8 Great
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
UE Boom is more popular than JBL PartyBox 300
It's fairly safe to say that UE Boom is a more popular bluetooth speaker than JBL PartyBox 300, based on its 3,000+ 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 PartyBox 300 and UE Boom | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JBL Authentics 500 | $699 |
We don't yet have enough review information for JBL Authentics 500 N/A
| 2 expert recommendations | ||
JBL Charge 5 | $180 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| 6 expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular Better Reviews | |
Soundboks Go | $699 |
In comparison:
8.5 Great
| 2 expert recommendations | ||
Sonos Roam | $176 | 4 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | 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. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 15 |
2 | - | $433 | Sonos Move 2 | - | 2 | - | - | 10 | - | 5 | - | 5 | 4 |
3 | - | $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. | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
4 | - | $48 | 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. | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
Show all rows |
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 |
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 |
- 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
- 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
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 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 Aiwa Exos-9 .
JBL PartyBox 300 is $875 more expensive 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 Ultimate Ears Megablast or Bose SoundLink Revolve .
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).