Nara_money/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. It’s great when a specific manufacturer becomes almost synonymous with its most popular products. Examples like the Roomba robot vacuum (made by iRobot) immediately come to mind when it comes to automated cleaning technology, and one of the first brands you might think of when someone mentions “Bluetooth speaker” is JBL. Over the past few years, JBL has released a ton of speakers that customers love. Still, the underdogs deserve their chance at glory. While there are an unimaginable number of Bluetooth speakers to choose from in stores and online, there are a handful of underrated Bluetooth speaker manufacturers that we’d like to compare to JBL. We are not aiming for a specification-by-specification comparison; we just want to shine a light on the lesser-heard names in Bluetooth audio, such as Tribit and Brane, and have done our best to find products that can be directly matched to a competitive JBL speaker(s). We’ve also listed otherwise popular brands like Marshall and Bang & Olufsen that aren’t as well known for their Bluetooth speakers. Marshal Marshall is no stranger to the world of high gain audio, but this applies in terms of electric guitar. Over the past few years, the company has offered a line of Bluetooth speakers borrowing from the brand’s cosmetic amps. Models like the $130 Marshall Emberton III offer good sound quality and a bass-focused signature. The Emberton III has an IP67 rating, making the Bluetooth speaker safe for outdoor and indoor use, and can withstand submersion in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Marshall claims 32 hours of battery life with the speaker fully charged. The Emberton III is available in several colors, all featuring the classic Marshall amp grille. Additionally, the speaker comes with a built-in mic for taking calls and supports Bluetooth LE. While JBL may have the upper hand when it comes to overall variety, the Emberton III isn’t the only Bluetooth speaker in Marshall’s arsenal. There’s also the smaller Marshall Willen II ($90), the larger Marshall Middleton II ($330), and the Marshall Bromley 750 party speaker ($1,300). Bang & Olufsen Although portable Bluetooth speakers (in multiple colors) are one of JBL’s main calling cards, if you’re looking for aesthetic sophistication and good sound quality, you’ll probably like speakers from Bang & Olufsen. B&O has existed since 1925 and positions itself as a high-end audio brand. The brand offers a variety of portable Bluetooth speakers like the Beosound A1 3rd Generation, Beosound Explore, and Beolit 20. According to B&O, the $399 Beosound A1 can deliver up to 24 hours of playback on a full charge and push up to 60 watts via Class D amplification. Although the speaker may look small, users say it delivers excellent sound quality. You can expect a balance of treble, midrange, and bass, as well as the ability to customize audio using the B&O app. Compared to a speaker like the JBL Flip 7, the Beosound A1 certainly costs more ($400 versus $100), but if you value audio quality over price, the A1 is a better option. The $268 Beosound Explore is another portable speaker from the brand that is more suitable for outdoor use due to its anodized aluminum shell and IP67 rating. Tribite Not all small Bluetooth speakers should be cursed to have tinny sound. With each passing year, audio engineers are getting better and better at creating larger, more immersive soundstages, even with a smaller chassis. Although JBL has many small speakers to choose from, we would like to draw your attention to Tribit, an audio manufacturer that offers budget-friendly technology. At first glance, a device like the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 may not seem that impressive. But according to users, it delivers powerful, clear sound and should last up to 24 hours on a full charge. Its IP68 rating also makes it suitable for attaching to a backpack or bicycle handle. Compared to a product like the similarly priced JBL Go 4, the Stormbox Micro 3 has more features and offers more EQ customization than the Go 4. Tribit also makes a few other Bluetooth speakers, including smaller devices like the Stormbox Mini+ and larger systems like the Stormbox Lava and Stormbox Blast. Apart from this, the brand also offers headphones. Brane Who doesn’t want to own a powerful Bluetooth speaker with incredible battery life? Products like the JBL Boombox 4 fit that description, but if its $550 price tag doesn’t put you off, we think you should consider a Brane speaker. Fortunately, it won’t be difficult to choose a model, because the company only makes one device: the $500 Brane X. It also seems that the designers took inspiration from the Sonos Era range. The Brane According to Brane, this results in deeper bass. The When it comes to battery life, the Brane Klipsch Our final JBL alternative is Klipsch. For our list, we decided to highlight the company’s City Series Bluetooth speakers: the Detroit, Nashville, and Austin. These three devices make up the brand’s City range, which competes with JBL speakers such as the Clip 5, Flip 5 and Charge 6. All three speakers come in enclosures that vaguely resemble Marshall’s aesthetic. All City speakers are bass-heavy, and users praise Detroit’s flagship model for its “thumping bass.” Detroit also has an IP67 rating, a removable carrying strap, and should last up to 20 hours on a full charge. The Nashville and Austin speakers are also good speakers for their price, and all three models can be controlled and customized using the Klipsch Connect app. Klipsch and JBL may be pretty neck and neck in terms of power, performance, and variety, but sometimes it’s nice to try a brand that’s less off the beaten path. How We Chose These Underrated Bluetooth Speaker Brands Nara_money/Shutterstock JBL is one of the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands on the market, so we knew it would be difficult to find four or five alternatives. To this end, we decided to focus on reliable and (somewhat) recognizable audio companies with a proven track record. Where possible, we have tried to directly compare speakers from alternative brands with similar JBL products in terms of features, sound quality and price. Post navigation 3 reasons why Beats headphones are no longer the gold standard in audio
Nara_money/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. It’s great when a specific manufacturer becomes almost synonymous with its most popular products. Examples like the Roomba robot vacuum (made by iRobot) immediately come to mind when it comes to automated cleaning technology, and one of the first brands you might think of when someone mentions “Bluetooth speaker” is JBL. Over the past few years, JBL has released a ton of speakers that customers love. Still, the underdogs deserve their chance at glory. While there are an unimaginable number of Bluetooth speakers to choose from in stores and online, there are a handful of underrated Bluetooth speaker manufacturers that we’d like to compare to JBL. We are not aiming for a specification-by-specification comparison; we just want to shine a light on the lesser-heard names in Bluetooth audio, such as Tribit and Brane, and have done our best to find products that can be directly matched to a competitive JBL speaker(s). We’ve also listed otherwise popular brands like Marshall and Bang & Olufsen that aren’t as well known for their Bluetooth speakers. Marshal Marshall is no stranger to the world of high gain audio, but this applies in terms of electric guitar. Over the past few years, the company has offered a line of Bluetooth speakers borrowing from the brand’s cosmetic amps. Models like the $130 Marshall Emberton III offer good sound quality and a bass-focused signature. The Emberton III has an IP67 rating, making the Bluetooth speaker safe for outdoor and indoor use, and can withstand submersion in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Marshall claims 32 hours of battery life with the speaker fully charged. The Emberton III is available in several colors, all featuring the classic Marshall amp grille. Additionally, the speaker comes with a built-in mic for taking calls and supports Bluetooth LE. While JBL may have the upper hand when it comes to overall variety, the Emberton III isn’t the only Bluetooth speaker in Marshall’s arsenal. There’s also the smaller Marshall Willen II ($90), the larger Marshall Middleton II ($330), and the Marshall Bromley 750 party speaker ($1,300). Bang & Olufsen Although portable Bluetooth speakers (in multiple colors) are one of JBL’s main calling cards, if you’re looking for aesthetic sophistication and good sound quality, you’ll probably like speakers from Bang & Olufsen. B&O has existed since 1925 and positions itself as a high-end audio brand. The brand offers a variety of portable Bluetooth speakers like the Beosound A1 3rd Generation, Beosound Explore, and Beolit 20. According to B&O, the $399 Beosound A1 can deliver up to 24 hours of playback on a full charge and push up to 60 watts via Class D amplification. Although the speaker may look small, users say it delivers excellent sound quality. You can expect a balance of treble, midrange, and bass, as well as the ability to customize audio using the B&O app. Compared to a speaker like the JBL Flip 7, the Beosound A1 certainly costs more ($400 versus $100), but if you value audio quality over price, the A1 is a better option. The $268 Beosound Explore is another portable speaker from the brand that is more suitable for outdoor use due to its anodized aluminum shell and IP67 rating. Tribite Not all small Bluetooth speakers should be cursed to have tinny sound. With each passing year, audio engineers are getting better and better at creating larger, more immersive soundstages, even with a smaller chassis. Although JBL has many small speakers to choose from, we would like to draw your attention to Tribit, an audio manufacturer that offers budget-friendly technology. At first glance, a device like the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 may not seem that impressive. But according to users, it delivers powerful, clear sound and should last up to 24 hours on a full charge. Its IP68 rating also makes it suitable for attaching to a backpack or bicycle handle. Compared to a product like the similarly priced JBL Go 4, the Stormbox Micro 3 has more features and offers more EQ customization than the Go 4. Tribit also makes a few other Bluetooth speakers, including smaller devices like the Stormbox Mini+ and larger systems like the Stormbox Lava and Stormbox Blast. Apart from this, the brand also offers headphones. Brane Who doesn’t want to own a powerful Bluetooth speaker with incredible battery life? Products like the JBL Boombox 4 fit that description, but if its $550 price tag doesn’t put you off, we think you should consider a Brane speaker. Fortunately, it won’t be difficult to choose a model, because the company only makes one device: the $500 Brane X. It also seems that the designers took inspiration from the Sonos Era range. The Brane According to Brane, this results in deeper bass. The When it comes to battery life, the Brane Klipsch Our final JBL alternative is Klipsch. For our list, we decided to highlight the company’s City Series Bluetooth speakers: the Detroit, Nashville, and Austin. These three devices make up the brand’s City range, which competes with JBL speakers such as the Clip 5, Flip 5 and Charge 6. All three speakers come in enclosures that vaguely resemble Marshall’s aesthetic. All City speakers are bass-heavy, and users praise Detroit’s flagship model for its “thumping bass.” Detroit also has an IP67 rating, a removable carrying strap, and should last up to 20 hours on a full charge. The Nashville and Austin speakers are also good speakers for their price, and all three models can be controlled and customized using the Klipsch Connect app. Klipsch and JBL may be pretty neck and neck in terms of power, performance, and variety, but sometimes it’s nice to try a brand that’s less off the beaten path. How We Chose These Underrated Bluetooth Speaker Brands Nara_money/Shutterstock JBL is one of the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands on the market, so we knew it would be difficult to find four or five alternatives. To this end, we decided to focus on reliable and (somewhat) recognizable audio companies with a proven track record. Where possible, we have tried to directly compare speakers from alternative brands with similar JBL products in terms of features, sound quality and price.
