Get Them Here:
Soundcore Boom Go 3i: https://geni.us/GC-SoundcoreBoomGO3i
JBL Clip 5: https://geni.us/GC-JBLClip5
JBL Grip: https://geni.us/GC-JBLGrip
So this is the JBL clip 5, and this is a great speaker to consider if you’re looking for something to take on the go with you, and as the name implies, you can easily clip it on to something, making it great for backpacks, And since this is a JBL speaker, you can’t go wrong… However, we now have the Soundcore Boom Go 3i, yes I know that its a long name, but this speaker is also great to take on the go with you, but more importantly its more versatile and it gives you a better bang for your buck than the Clip 5. So today we’re going to compare the JBL Clip 5 to the Soundcore Boom Go 3i and lets see which one is right for you… and we’re also going to compare it to the JBL Go 4 for good measure.
Regarding pricing, the JBL Clip 5 has a retail price of $80, not bad, and it also likes to go on sale for $60… but the Soundcore Boom Go 3i also has a retail price of $80 and it also like to go on sale for $60. And then there’s the Go 4 which has a retail price of $50 and it goes on sale for $40. Nonetheless if you want to pick either of these two speakers up theylll be linked down below or you can always press on the YouTube shopping button. And if you want to further support the channel then you can always watch some of the related videos in the description down below.
So first there’s the design of these speakers, now the Soundcore Boom Go 3i is a little larger and it is a little heavier than the JBL Clip 5. Overall the Clip 5 is just sleeker than the Soundcore. And I would say that the soundcore is 25% larger than the JBL Go 4. Now both of JBL’s speakers feel more premium cause they both have fabric wrapped bodies, and they also have hints of silicon… where as the Soundcore Boom Go 3i has a mostly plastic body, so it doesn’t feel as premium. However the plastic on the soundcore feels very dense… and as a result the Soundcore feels more durable than both of JBL’s speakers… which might be more important for you if you’re looking for a speaker to travel or hike with. But regardless both of these speakers are water proof, so you don’t have to worry about them getting wet.
But overall, I do feel that the Soundcore is much more versatile than both of JBL’s speakers here’s cause this speaker is much easier to attach to things thanks to its rubber strap on the back. So you can easily attach this speaker to your back pack or bike handle bars… and if you want there’s a second position for this strap so you can easily hang this speaker from something. Where as with the JBL Clip 5, this speaker has a built in carabiner. So you can easily attach this speaker to your back pack or hang it from something… but handles bars, you’re going to have to get creative. And with the Go 4, the good thing about this speaker is that its small… and it has a loop, but this loop is rather limited and you can’t really stretch it out. So when it comes to the attach ability to these speakers, the Soundcore wins.
But something that’s very surprising about the the Soundcore Boom Go 3i is that this speaker also has a built in light feature. Where as these other two speakers don’t. Now this light feature looks good and you can choose from a few diffrent lighting modes… but I actually really like this light feature cause it makes this speaker more versatile cause you can use it at night while you’re jogging or ridding your bike, and other people can see you. So this is one of those rare cases where the light feature isn’t just for looks, its actually pretty useful for safety.
However, if you decide to use the light feature on this speaker, that is going to take its toll on the battery life. Now the soundcore Boom Go 3i has an advertised battery life of 24 hours… which I feel is great, but that with this speaker playing wit the light feature turned off, with the volume set to 50% and with the bass up feature turned on. Which I do feel is fair, cause 50% volume on this speaker is a decent volume… and bass up means you’re going to get a good amount of bass.
And soundcore claims that if you were to use this speaker with the light feature feature turned on, and at max volume and with bass up turned on, its going to be good for 6 hours of playback time, which again is very impressive. And with my real world use with this speaker playing at 75% volume, and with the light turned on, and with the bass up turned on, I’ve been getting 12 hours of playback time.
But also, this speaker has an eco mode… now eco mode is going to turn off your light feature and its going to lower your bass… but at 50% volume, its going to be good for up to 40 hours. So overall, battery life on this speaker really varies, but its still very impressive for its compact size, plus its super durable… and they even managed to squeeze in a decent light feature, its important to say decent light feature… cause there are some other speakers out there with pointless light features. JBL Grip, JBL Boombox 4.
And sadly, battery life is an area where neither of JBL’s speakers can compete here. Cause with the clip 5, this speaker has an advertised battery life of 12 hours while at 50% volume and with playtime boost it can go for as long as 15 hours. And with the Go4, its good for 7 hours at 50% volume.
Now to charge all of these speakers, they charge via a USB C port as they should. However another thing that makes the Soudncore Boom Go 3i special here is being all to charge your own devices. Now this speaker isn’t going to be able to fully charge your iPhone… but if you need an emergency 50%, then the Soundcore Boom Go 3i can help with that. So again, this speakers is a great versatile option for someone looking for something to hike with. Cause not only do you have your light feature so people can see you at night, you have an emergency battery bank, and these are just two features that you won’t find on either of JBL’s speakers.
Now you can only use these speakers with a Bluetooth connection, but all of these speakers can be connected to any two bluetooth devices so you and a friend can both be DJ and latency is not an issue for any of these speakers so you can use them to watch videos with on your phone.
But with all of that out of the way, lets talk about sound. Both the Soundcore Boom Go 3i and go 4 have a frontward firing driver with passive radiators. Where as with the Clip 5, has a single 45 millimeter driver. And with all of these speakers you can always go into their apps and adjust their EQ to your liking. But now w’re going to jump into the soundtest. All of these speakers are playing with their stock EQ’s playing at 75% volume.
So when it comes to sound quality, even though the JBL Clip 5 has less hardware than the Soudncore Boom Go 3i, the JBL clip 5 in real life manages to sound a little more open than the Soundcore and its bass hits a little harder. Now I know that in this videos, they sound almost identical… but in real life, the JBL Clip 5 does sound a little more open and balanced than the Soundcore cause the JBL doesn’t put as much of an emphasis on the highs so it doesn’t sound nasally. But in all honesty, I don’t think that your average person is going to notice or care… cause with the soundcore this speaker still sounds great, and giving the more affordable price and extra features, I think your average person is going to ignore the slightly better sound quality and go for the added features of the Soundcore Boom Go 3i. And with the JBL Go 4… this speaker sounds similar to the Clip 5… but the think about this speaker is that since it is smaller, its not going to get as loud. And when it comes to max volume performance, both the Boom Go 3i and clip 5 are very similar… but the Soudncore does seem to get a little louder cause it does put a slight emphasis on the highs. But overall, the JBL Clip 5 does sound a little better than the Soundcore Boom Go 3i, but I think the difference is so small, most people aren’t going to notice or care.
And finally there’s pairing these speakers up with other speaker. Now all of these speakers are using aura cast. So if you want you can get two of the same speakers and get them to play in left and right stereo mode. Or if you want you can pair a clip 5 with a go 4 and get them to play in sync… or you can even pair them up with any of JBL’s other larger speakers that are also using aura cast like lets say a Boombox 4, a charge 6, flip 7, Grip, clip 5 or go 4 and get them to all play in sync… or you can also pair them up to any of JBL’s larger party boxes that are also using aura cast like a partybox encore 2, partybox 120, 320, 520, 720 or ultimate and get them to play in sync as well.
However, you can not pair any of these speakers up to any of JBL’s older speakers that are using party boost like either a Boombox 3, a Boombox 2, Xtreme 3, Charge 5, Pulse 5, Pulse 4, flip 5 or flip 6. Only the Xtreme 4 is able to connect to both Aura cast speakers and partyboost speakers. But none the less if you’re planning on growing your collection of speakers, then JBL is a good option to consider.
Where as with the Soundcore Boom Go 3i, even though this speaker is also using Auracast, I haven’t been able to pair it up to any of my JBL speakers. And you can’t pair this speaker up to any of Soundcore’s older speakers that are using Partycast like either the Boom 3i, or the Boom 2 or Boom 2 plus… the only other Soudncore aura cast speaker that I have been able to connect this speaker up to its the Rave 3S, which is pretty under rated.
But with all of that being said the Soundcore Boom Go 3i is a much more versatile speaker than the JBL Clip 5 that also manages to give you a bigger bang for your buck. Now yes, the JBL Clip 5 does sound better than the Soundcore Boom Go 3i cause it sounds more open and its has more bass… but I feel that the sound performance difference between these two speakers is so small… most people won’t notice or care. What I think where people will care is that the Soundcore Boom Go 3i is more versatile than the Clip 5 thanks to its built in strap so its easy to attach this speaker to things. It also has a longer lasting battery life, and you can use it to charge your phone in an emergency. The Boom Go 3i also has a light feature which not only looks good, it can prove to be useful for night time ridding or walking. The only draw back with the Boom Go 3i is pairing it up to other speakers… I’ve only managed to get it to work with my Rave 3S. So if you plan on growing your collection of speakers, then JBL is still the way to go… but overall it think the Soudcore Boom Go 3i is a better pickup and the JBL Clip 5.