Sony SRS-XB01 vs JBL Go 3: Which Speaker Is Better? - RTINGS.com

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Sony SRS-XB01

JBL Go 3

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 13, 2024 03:37 PM

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Sep 24, 2024 06:33 PM

Sony SRS-XB01 Picture

JBL Go 3 Picture

Bluetooth Yes

Wi-Fi No

Speakerphone Yes

Voice Assistant Yes

Battery Powered Yes

Bluetooth Yes

Wi-Fi No

Speakerphone No

Voice Assistant No

Battery Powered Yes

Our Verdict

Sony SRS-XB01

JBL Go 3

The JBL Go 3 and the Sony SRS-XB01 are very similar speakers, meaning you may prefer one over the other depending on your listening habits. The JBL is better built, and it has a better soundstage. However, the Sony supports voice assistants, and it has a longer battery life.

Variants

SRS-XB01 (Black)
SRS-XB01 (Blue)
SRS-XB01 (Gray)
SRS-XB01 (Green)
SRS-XB01 (Red)
SRS-XB01 (Yellow)

Go 3 (Black)
Go 3 (Blue)
Go 3 Eco (Blue)
Go 3 (Blue/Pink)
Go 3 (Green)
Go 3 Eco (Green)
Go 3 (Grey)
Go 3 (Orange)
Go 3 (Pink)
Go 3 (Red)
Go 3 (Squad)
Go 3 (Teal)
Go 3 (White)
Go 3 Eco (White)
Go 3 (Yellow)

Review

See Sony SRS-XB01 Review

See JBL Go 3 Review

Check Price

Black

SRS-XB01

Black

Go 3

Blue

SRS-XB01

Blue

Go 3

Green

SRS-XB01

Blue

Go 3 Eco

Red

SRS-XB01

Green

Go 3

Yellow

SRS-XB01

Green

Go 3 Eco

Gray

SRS-XB01

Red

Go 3

Yellow

Go 3

Blue/Pink

Go 3

Grey

Go 3

Orange

Go 3

Pink

Go 3

Squad

Go 3

Teal

Go 3

White

Go 3

White

Go 3 Eco

Main Differences for

Music

Threshold

0.10

Music

5.3

5.5

Soundstage

5.2

6.0

Full Comparison

Music

5.3

5.5

Videos/Movies

5.3

5.3

Podcasts

6.8

7.1

Voice Assistant

3.6

2.8

Outdoors

6.5

6.1

Design

Style

Style Photo

Sony SRS-XB01 Style Photo

JBL Go 3 Style Photo

RGB Lights

No

No

Show Text

Portability

9.5

9.5

Dimensions Photo

Sony SRS-XB01 Dimensions Photo

JBL Go 3 Dimensions Photo

Volume

14 in³ (234 cm³)

16 in³ (266 cm³)

Weight

0.2 lbs (0.1 kg)

0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)

Power Source

Battery & USB

Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry

Yes

Yes

Show Text

Build Quality

7.4

8.3

Build Quality Photo

Sony SRS-XB01 Build Quality Photo

JBL Go 3 Build Quality Photo

Material Quality

Great

Great

Water Resistance

Waterproof (IPx5)

Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance

Unspecified

Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance

Unspecified

Unspecified

Floats In Water

Unspecified

Unspecified

Show Text

Controls

7.9

6.6

Controls Photo

Sony SRS-XB01 Controls Photo

JBL Go 3 Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2

Sony SRS-XB01 Controls Photo 2

JBL Go 3 Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use

Great

Great

Feedback

Good

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 (Physical)

Forward Only (Physical)

Microphone On/Off

No

No

Additional Controls

Yes

Yes

Show Text

In The Box

In The Box Photo

Sony SRS-XB01 In The Box Photo

JBL Go 3 In The Box Photo

Show Text

Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy

5.3

5.4

Frequency Response Graph

Slope

-0.04

-0.31

Std. Err.

2.44 dB

2.42 dB

Low-Frequency Extension

142.5 Hz

138.5 Hz

High-Frequency Extension

14.3 kHz

16.5 kHz

Show Text

Raw Frequency Response

Raw Frequency Response Graph

Binaural Recording @ 1m

Binaural Recording @ 2m

Soundstage

5.2

6.0

Directivity Graph

Directivity Index

5.17 dB

3.78 dB

Stereo

No (mono)

No (mono)

Show Text

Dynamics

6.6

6.3

Dynamic Range Compression

SPL @ Max Volume

78.1 dB SPL

79.6 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume

0.30 dB

1.36 dB

Show Text

Active Features

Battery

8.9

5.6

Battery Life

11.5 hrs

5.0 hrs

Charge Time

2.0 hrs

2.0 hrs

Power Saving

Yes

Yes

Charging Port

Micro-USB

USB-C

Battery Powered

Yes

Yes

Show Text

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 Microphone

Far-Field Performance

Bad

No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance

Bad

No Microphone

Show Text

App

0.0

0.0

App Picture

Sony SRS-XB01 App Picture

JBL Go 3 App Picture

App Name

No App

No App

iOS

No

No

Android

No

No

EQ

No

No

Stereo Pair Mode

No

No

Party Mode

No

No

Multi-Room

No

No

Show Text

Connectivity

Wired

Aux Input

Yes

No

USB Audio

No

No

Other Ports

No

No

Show Text

Bluetooth

8.6

8.0

Bluetooth

Yes

Yes

Bluetooth Version

4.2

5.1

Bluetooth iOS Latency

46 ms

109 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency

45 ms

65 ms

Bluetooth Range

326.4 ft (99.5 m)

226.4 ft (69.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing

No

No

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

Show Text

Check Price

Black

SRS-XB01

Black

Go 3

Blue

SRS-XB01

Blue

Go 3

Green

SRS-XB01

Blue

Go 3 Eco

Red

SRS-XB01

Green

Go 3

Yellow

SRS-XB01

Green

Go 3 Eco

Gray

SRS-XB01

Red

Go 3

Yellow

Go 3

Blue/Pink

Go 3

Grey

Go 3

Orange

Go 3

Pink

Go 3

Squad

Go 3

Teal

Go 3

White

Go 3

White

Go 3 Eco

Sony SRS-XB01

JBL Go 3

Comments

Comparison

• Posted 1 year ago

Sony SRS-XB01 vs JBL Go 3: Main Discussion

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