5 Underrated Bluetooth Speaker Brands That Can Compete With JBL

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It's great when a specific manufacturer becomes nearly synonymous with its most popular products. Examples like the Roomba robot vacuum (made by iRobot) immediately come to mind for automated cleaning tech, and one of the first brands that you might think of when someone says a "Bluetooth speaker" is JBL. Over the last several years, JBL has released a ton of speakers that customers love.

Still, the underdogs deserve their shot at glory. While there's an unfathomable number of Bluetooth speakers to choose from in stores and online, there are a handful of underrated Bluetooth speaker makers that we'd like to stack up against JBL. We're not aiming for a spec-by-spec comparison; we just want to spotlight the lesser-heard names in Bluetooth audio, such as Tribit and Brane, and did our best to find products that could be directly matched to one (or a few) competitive JBL speaker(s). We've also listed some otherwise popular brands like Marshall and Bang & Olufsen that aren't as well known for their Bluetooth speakers.

Marshall is no stranger to the world of high-gain audio — but that's speaking in electric guitar terms. Over the last few years, the company has been putting out a lineup of Bluetooth speakers that borrow from the brand's amp cosmetics. Models like the $130 Marshall Emberton III offer good sound quality and a bass-forward signature.

The Emberton III has an IP67 rating, which makes the Bluetooth speaker safe for outdoor and indoor use, and can withstand being submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Marshall claims 32 hours of battery life with the speaker on a full charge. The Emberton III comes in multiple colors, all featuring the classic Marshall amp grille. Additionally, the speaker comes with a built-in mic for taking calls and Bluetooth LE support.

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).

While portable Bluetooth speakers (in multiple colors) are one of JBL's main calling cards, if you're looking for cosmetic sophistication and good sound quality, you'll probably like Bang & Olufsen's speakers. B&O has been around since 1925, and it positions itself as a high-end audio brand. The brand offers a variety of portable Bluetooth speakers like the Beosound A1 3rd Gen, 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. While the speaker may look small, users say it offers great sound quality. You can expect a balance of highs, mids, and lows, along with the ability to customize audio using the B&O app.

Compared to a speaker like the JBL Flip 7, the Beosound A1 definitely costs more ($400 versus $100), but if you prioritize audio quality over price, the A1 is a better option. The $268 Beosound Explore is another portable speaker from the brand that is more suited for outdoor use due to its anodized aluminum shell and IP67 rating.

Not all small Bluetooth speakers should be cursed to sound tinny. From one year to the next, audio engineers are getting better and better at delivering wider, more immersive soundstages, even when dealing with a reduced chassis. While JBL has numerous tiny speakers to choose from, we'd like to direct your attention to Tribit — an audio manufacturer that offers budget-friendly tech.

At first glance, a device like the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 may not look all that impressive. But according to users, it actually delivers powerful, clear sound, and should last up to 24 hours on a full charge. Its IP68 rating also makes it suitable to strap to a backpack or bike handle. Compared to a product like the similarly priced JBL Go 4, the Stormbox Micro 3 has more features, and offers more in the way of EQ customization than the Go 4.

Tribit makes a few other Bluetooth speakers, too, including smaller devices like the Stormbox Mini+, and larger systems like the Stormbox Lava and Stormbox Blast. Apart from that, the brand also deals in earbuds.

Who doesn't want to own a powerful Bluetooth speaker with amazing battery life? Products like the JBL Boombox 4 fit this description, but if you're not put off by its $550 price, we think you should consider a Brane speaker. Fortunately, it won't be hard to pick a model, because the company only makes one device: the $500 Brane X. It also looks as though designers took inspiration from the Sonos Era lineup.

The Brane X comes with audio features like Brane's patented Repel-Attract Driver (RAD) – a low-frequency feature that uses custom magnets to reduce the speaker's internal air pressure. This, according to Brane, results in deeper bass. The X also includes two midrange drivers, two 0.75-inch tweeters, and pushes up to 200 watts via its four Class D amps.

As far as battery life, the Brane X doesn't get close to the Boombox 4's 34-hour runtime, and falls behind in water and dust protection (IP57 versus IP68), but the latter loses out on Wi-Fi connectivity. Once networked, the X lets you stream tunes from services like Spotify, Pandora, and Deezer, and it can also be controlled by Alexa.

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 lineup, which competes with JBL speakers like 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 the leading Detroit model for its "punchy 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 good speakers for their price, too, and all three models can be controlled and customized using the Klipsch Connect app. Klipsch and JBL may be fairly neck and neck when it comes to power, performance, and variety, but sometimes it's just nice to try a brand that's less off the beaten path.

JBL is one of the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands on the market, so we knew it'd be challenging to land on four or five alternatives. To that end, we decided to focus on reliable and (somewhat) recognizable audio companies with proven track records. When possible, we tried to directly compare alternative brand speakers with similar JBL products in terms of features, sound quality, and pricing.