Neither JBL Pulse 3 nor JBL Xtreme 2 were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (29 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Pulse 3 nor JBL Xtreme 2 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 | $130 |  JBL Pulse 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N/A | N/A | $162 |  JBL Xtreme 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
JBL Pulse 3 
JBL Xtreme 2 Customers like JBL Pulse 3 and JBL Xtreme 2 about the same
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 Xtreme 2
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Both JBL Pulse 3 and JBL Xtreme 2 have very similar amazing customer reviews.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both JBL Pulse 3 and JBL Xtreme 2 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
| JBL Pulse 3 |
In comparison:
9.7 Amazing
|
| JBL Xtreme 2 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
|
| Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
JBL Xtreme 2 is more popular than JBL Pulse 3
It's fairly safe to say that JBL Xtreme 2 is a more popular bluetooth speaker than JBL Pulse 3, based on its 10,000+ 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 Pulse 3 and Xtreme 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | JBL Charge 5 | $140 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| 6 expert recommendations | More Popular Better Reviews |
 | JBL Flip 4 | $75 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular Better Reviews |
 | Sonos Roam | $176 | 4 expert recommendations | ||
 | Bose SoundLink Micro | $99 |
In comparison:
Bose SoundLink Micro ranks #15 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular Better Reviews |
| 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 | - | $60 |  Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
| 5 | - | $500 |  Jbl Boombox 3 | - |
- | 7 | - | - | 1 | 9 | - | - | - |
| 6 | - | $74 |  Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | - | 5 | - | - | -
| 4 | 8 | - | - | 6 |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [9]
- with a score: 7
- without a score: 2
| Highest score by The Streaming Blog | 84 |
| Average score based on 9 reviews | 75 |
| Lowest score by Gadgets 360 | 60 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
Expert reviews [20]
- with a score: 15
- without a score: 5
| Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
| Average score based on 20 reviews | 84 |
| Lowest score by AndroidGuys | 76 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
- Take your listening experience to the next level with the JBL Pulse 3, The portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker that combines 360° sound with 360° Lightshow
- With a built-in rechargeable battery that delivers up to 12 hours of playtime and an IPX7 waterproof housing, Pulse 3 is perfect for worry–free listening by the beach or pool – or even in it
- Read more
- Wireless Bluetooth streaming
- 15 hours of playtime
- IPX7 waterproof
- Durable fabric and rugged material
- Connector type: 3.5 millimeter stereo
- Power source type: Battery powered
- Bluetooth version:4.2
- 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 Pulse 3 is a 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 Audio Pro Addon C3 or JBL Pulse 4 .
JBL Pulse 3 was released in 2017. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Pulse 3 is $8.83 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($121.16).
JBL Xtreme 2 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 Anker Soundcore Motion X500 or Marshall Emberton II .
JBL Xtreme 2 was released in 2018. There are a lot of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Xtreme 2 is $48.83 more expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($121.16).
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