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JBL Xtreme 3 vs Bose SoundLink Max

Which Speaker Is Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Design
      PicturesStylePortabilityBuild QualityControlsIn The Box
    Sound
      Frequency Response AccuracyRaw Frequency ResponseSoundstageDynamics
    Active Features
      BatteryVoice AssistantApp
    Connectivity
      WiredBluetoothWi-Fi
    Comments

Products

JBL Xtreme 3
Bose SoundLink Max

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 20, 2024 12:46 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Oct 22, 2025 07:06 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
JBL Xtreme 3 Picture
Bose SoundLink Max Picture
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
No
Battery Powered
Yes
  1. Recommended in 2 articles:
  2. Brands
  3. Bose

Our Verdict

JBL Xtreme 3

Bose SoundLink Max

The JBL Xtreme 3 and the Bose SoundLink Max weigh a similar amount and have similar form factors. But if you have the budget for the more premium Bose, it has the edge in quite a few departments. Its controls are more intuitive, and it can get quite a bit louder with less compression at max volume. It has a more balanced frequency response, too, with a punchier bass and less veiled treble response, making it better suited for a broad range of genres. That said, the JBL has a slightly better battery life performance. 

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Variants

  • Xtreme 3 (Black)
  • Xtreme 3 (Blue)
  • Xtreme 3 (Camo)
  • SoundLink Max (Black)
  • SoundLink Max (Blue Dusk)
  • SoundLink Max (Citrus Yellow)

Review

See JBL Xtreme 3 Review
See Bose SoundLink Max Review
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26 

Check Price

Black
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Dusk
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Camo
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.7
7.4

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.5
7.2

Dynamics 
 

6.4
7.6

Soundstage 
 

7.2
7.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

JBL Xtreme 3 Style Photo
Bose SoundLink Max Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.9
8.9

Dimensions Photo  

JBL Xtreme 3 Dimensions Photo
Bose SoundLink Max Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

250 in³ (4,093 cm³)
222 in³ (3,644 cm³)

Weight 
 

4.2 lbs (1.9 kg)
4.9 lbs (2.2 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.3
8.7

Build Quality Photo  

JBL Xtreme 3 Build Quality Photo
Bose SoundLink Max Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Good

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Yes (IK rating unspecified)

Floats In Water 
 

Unspecified
Yes
Show Text 

Controls 
 

6.6
7.8

Controls Photo  

JBL Xtreme 3 Controls Photo
Bose SoundLink Max Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

JBL Xtreme 3 Controls Photo 2
Bose SoundLink Max Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Good

Feedback 
 

Good
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

No
Yes (Physical)

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Forward Only (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

JBL Xtreme 3 In The Box Photo
Bose SoundLink Max In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.5
7.2

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Slope 
 

-0.09
-0.21

Std. Err. 
 

4.67 dB
2.65 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.0 Hz
52.6 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

13.9 kHz
18.8 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

7.2
7.8

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Directivity Index 
 

5.21 dB
4.23 dB

Stereo 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.4
7.6

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

91.0 dB SPL
95.7 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

3.87 dB
2.55 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

9.0
8.8

Battery Life 
 

12.7 hrs
15.5 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.1 hrs
3.7 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

0.0
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

No
No

Siri 
 

No
No

Voice Assistant 
 

No
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No Microphone
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
7.9

App Picture  

JBL Xtreme 3 App Picture
Bose SoundLink Max App Picture

App Name 
 

JBL Portable
Bose

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic
Graphic + Presets

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.2
8.6

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.1
5.4

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

134 ms
106 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

122 ms
84 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

190.3 ft (58.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

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
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Dusk
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Camo
Xtreme 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Max
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Back to Top

JBL Xtreme 3

Bose SoundLink Max

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

JBL Xtreme 3 vs Bose SoundLink Max: Main Discussion

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