Products
JBL Boombox 3
Harman/Kardon Go + Play 3
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Oct 31, 2025 08:26 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Apr 14, 2025 08:15 PM
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Amazon.com
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
Yes
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Our Verdict
JBL Boombox 3
Harman/Kardon Go + Play 3
The JBL Boombox 3 and the Harman/Kardon Go + Play 3 are medium-sized portable Bluetooth speakers with different strengths. The Harman/Kardon puts out more consistent bass, so kick drums have just the right amount of punch. On the other hand, the JBL's almost 30-hour battery life is much longer than the Harman/Kardon's seven hours. The JBL is also rated IP67, so it'll withstand getting wet at your garden party, and it has a companion app, unlike the indoor-oriented Harman/Kardon. If you know you'll only use it indoors, the Harman/Kardon is well worth a look. If not, the JBL is the better pick.
Variants
- Boombox 3 (Black)
- Boombox 3 (Squad)
- Go + Play 3 (Black)
Check Price
Black
Boombox 3
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Amazon.com
Black
Go + Play 3
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Amazon.com
Squad
Boombox 3
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Amazon.com
Black
Go + Play 3
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Walmart.com
Black
Go + Play 3
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Black
Go + Play 3
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Main Differences for
Music
Music
Threshold
Music
7.7
7.5
EQ
Graphic
No
Dynamics
8.8
7.5
Frequency Response Accuracy
7.5
7.7
Soundstage
7.2
7.8
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
No
No
Portability
8.1
8.5
Dimensions Photo
Volume
1,465 in³ (24,000 cm³)
1,136 in³ (18,616 cm³)
Weight
15.1 lbs (6.9 kg)
10.8 lbs (4.9 kg)
Power Source
AC & Battery
AC & Battery
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
8.5
6.7
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Great
Great
Water Resistance
Submersible (IPx7)
Unspecified
Dust Resistance
Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Floats In Water
Yes
Unspecified
Controls
6.6
7.5
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Good
Feedback
Good
Okay
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Call Answer/End
No
Yes (Tactile)
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Track Next/Previous
Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Tactile)
Microphone On/Off
No
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
7.5
7.7
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
0.48
0.18
Std. Err.
2.64 dB
2.15 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
46.2 Hz
45.6 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
19.3 kHz
19.9 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
7.2
7.8
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
5.32 dB
4.10 dB
Stereo
Yes
Yes
Dynamics
8.8
7.5
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
97.7 dB SPL
96.1 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
0.66 dB
2.81 dB
Active Features
Battery
8.9
6.7
Battery Life
29.7 hrs
7.0 hrs
Charge Time
4.6 hrs
1.8 hrs
Power Saving
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
AC
AC
Battery Powered
Yes
Yes
Voice Assistant
0.0
0.0
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
No
No
Speakerphone
No
Yes
Siri
No
No
Voice Assistant
No
No
Voice Activation
No
No
Microphone Mute
No Microphone
No
Far-Field Performance
No Microphone
No Assistant
Ambient Noise Performance
No Microphone
No Assistant
App
7.9
0.0
App Picture
App Name
JBL Portable
No App
iOS
Yes
No
Android
Yes
No
EQ
Graphic
No
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
No
Party Mode
Yes
No
Multi-Room
No
No
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Other Ports
Yes
No
Bluetooth
8.2
8.4
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.3
5.2
Bluetooth iOS Latency
143 ms
47 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
141 ms
259 ms
Bluetooth Range
334.6 ft (102.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 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
Boombox 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Go + Play 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Squad
Boombox 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Go + Play 3
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Go + Play 3
SEARCH
B&H
Black
Go + Play 3
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
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JBL Boombox 3
Harman/Kardon Go + Play 3
Comments
JBL Boombox 3 vs Harman/Kardon Go + Play 3: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
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Would you mind letting me know where this comparison was made, so I can correct any errors? Thanks for flagging this.
edit: Apologies, one of my colleagues already fixes this text error. Thanks again for flagging it!
“The Harman/Kardon gets a little louder than the JBL” No it does not… at least not according to your own test.