Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: Big Spring Sale Deal: The Amazon Echo Pop has dropped by 25% on Amazon.com. See all Speaker Big Spring Sale deals.
- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Sony SRS-XB23 vs JBL Charge 5
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Sony SRS-XB23
JBL Charge 5
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 18, 2024 03:05 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:40 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneYes
Voice AssistantYes
Battery PoweredYes
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
Variants
- SRS-XB23 (Black)
- SRS-XB23 (Coral Red)
- SRS-XB23 (Light Blue)
- SRS-XB23 (Olive Green)
- SRS-XB23 (Taupe)
- JBL Charge 5 (Black)
- JBL Charge 5 (Blue)
- JBL Charge 5 (Camo)
- JBL Charge 5 (Gray)
- JBL Charge 5 (Green)
- JBL Charge 5 (Pink)
- JBL Charge 5 (Red)
- JBL Charge 5 (Teal)
- JBL Charge 5 (White)
Our Verdict
Sony SRS-XB23
JBL Charge 5
The JBL Charge 5 is a slightly better speaker than the Sony SRS-XB23. The Sony offers a wider-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't great. However, the JBL offers a better-balanced sound profile out of the box and can produce a more extended low-bass. It can also get a bit louder with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes. Additionally, it has a longer-lasting battery life, though this can depend on your usage.
Check Price
Black
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comCoral Red
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comLight Blue
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comCamo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comOlive Green
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comGray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTaupe
SRS-XB23
SEARCH
Amazon.comGreen
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comPink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comRed
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTeal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comMain Differences forMusic
Music
Threshold
Music
6.3
6.5
Soundstage
7.9
5.8
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.1
6.7
Dynamics
5.2
6.5
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
9.2
9.1
Dimensions Photo
Volume
71 in³ (1,167 cm³)
121 in³ (1,982 cm³)
Weight
1.1 lbs (0.5 kg)
2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)
Power Source
Battery & USB
Battery & USB
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
8.1
8.3
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Decent
Great
Water Resistance
Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)
Dust Resistance
Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Impact Resistance
Yes (IK rating unspecified)
Unspecified
Floats In Water
Unspecified
Unspecified
Controls
8.0
6.6
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Great
Feedback
Great
Good
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Call Answer/End
Yes (Physical)
No
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Track Next/Previous
Yes
Forward Only (Physical)
Microphone On/Off
No
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.1
6.7
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
0.08
0.29
Std. Err.
3.70 dB
3.90 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
71.3 Hz
58.2 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
7.0 kHz
18.5 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
7.9
5.8
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
3.98 dB
4.27 dB
Stereo
Yes
No (mono)
Dynamics
5.2
6.5
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
84.9 dB SPL
88.9 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
4.79 dB
3.16 dB
Active Features
Battery
7.9
8.7
Battery Life
9.2 hrs
14.5 hrs
Charge Time
2.8 hrs
3.8 hrs
Power Saving
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
Battery Powered
Yes
Yes
Voice Assistant
1.7
0.0
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No
Speakerphone
Yes
No
Siri
Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No
Voice Assistant
Yes
No
Voice Activation
No
No
Microphone Mute
No
No
Far-Field Performance
Bad
No Microphone
Ambient Noise Performance
Bad
No Microphone
App
7.9
7.9
App Picture
App Name
Sony Music Center
JBL Portable
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
EQ
Graphic
Graphic
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
Yes
Yes
Multi-Room
No
No
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
No
No
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
No
Yes
Bluetooth
9.0
8.5
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.0
5.1
Bluetooth iOS Latency
52 ms
125 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
90 ms
102 ms
Bluetooth Range
311.7 ft (95.0 m)
328.1 ft (100.0 m)
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
Wi-Fi
0.0
0.0
Wi-Fi Version
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
No
No
Apple AirPlay
No
No
AirPlay Latency
N/A
N/A
Google Chromecast
No
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Black
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comCoral Red
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlue
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comLight Blue
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comCamo
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comOlive Green
SRS-XB23
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comGray
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTaupe
SRS-XB23
SEARCH
Amazon.comGreen
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comPink
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comRed
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTeal
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
JBL Charge 5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
You have 10/10 free reviews left
To access
and
Become an Insider
unlimited full product reviews,
product prices
other exclusive site features
Sony SRS-XB23
JBL Charge 5
Comments
Sony SRS-XB23 vs JBL Charge 5: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.