Experts prefer UE Boom 3 over Sony SRS-XB12
On 4 Mar 2024 (25 days ago) we went through 113 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements .
Currently, UE Boom 3 received 2 endorsements from WIRED (18 Feb 2024) and Popular Mechanics (2 Dec 2022). Meanwhile, Sony SRS-XB12 did not receive any endorsements this month.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive |
WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar |
Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | -1 | $97 | UE Boom 3 The UE Boom 3 is a highly portable and durable Bluetooth speaker with a punchy sound profile, long battery life, and waterproof and dust-proof design, making it perfect for outdoor activities and travel. | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $40 | Sony SRS-XB12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 18 Feb 2024 WIRED ranked UE Boom 3 as #1
Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment #1 out of 21 UE Boom 3 Best Overall... ... ... Source: www.wired.com - On 2 Dec 2022 Popular Mechanics ranked UE Boom 3 as #9
Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment ... ... ... #9 out of 10 UE Boom 3 Great Pool Speaker... ... ... Source: www.popularmechanics.com
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 [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 |
Expert reviews [23]
- with a score: 18
- without a score: 5
Highest score by Old Time Music | 100 |
Average score based on 23 reviews | 87 |
Lowest score by Gadgets 360 | 70 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- MUSIC THAT TRAVELS: Small size but mighty in volume to deliver powerful beats wherever you travel
- VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR: Turn your virtual happy hour party into a dance party with EXTRA BASS, and pair two for even more fun
- Read more
- ULTIMATE SOUND: Super portable wireless Bluetooth speaker with 360° bold, immersive, crystal clear sound and up to 15 hours of battery on a single charge. It brings your music to life wherever you take it.
- 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!
Sony SRS-XB12 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 JBL Go 3 or Klein Tools AEPJS1 .
Sony SRS-XB12 is $85.06 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
UE Boom 3 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 Klipsch Groove or Vanzon X5 Pro .
UE Boom 3 was released in 2018. There are a lot of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
UE Boom 3 is $15 less expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).