Xtreme 4

The Extreme 4 is the clear winner.

I remember researching speakers last year and returning a few to Best Buy. The JBL was the clear choice for me. I'd even go as far to say the lower tier JBL holds it's own against the higher tier competition.

I have two charge 5’s usually use them in stereo. But I now want two Extreme 4’s.

Xtreme 4 because it has a swappable battery and you can run it on AC

I hated the sound of it and returned mine. Sounds very tame without the spatial audio on. When it's on the speaker has incredible clarity and a super wide sound stage but it's also very artifical and really not pleasing to listen to. Low end sucks too. I tested it alongside an Xtreme 4 and thought the Xtreme was far better

Xtreme 4 - I use it and love it! Also ran it by a tool I made to help with --> [informed product buying decisions](https://informed-tech-buying.theperseuslabs.com/) (No affiliate link, no paywall, no signup, just a personal side project).

Jbl is having a 20% sale. I just picked a refurbished xtreme 4 for under $200.

Great comparison! Just one thing you missed - the JBL Xtreme 4 actually delivers even more power while charging. The bass gets noticeably deeper, adding an extra punch to the sound. So it edges out Bose in my opinion

I can't agree at all with the Xtreme 4 v Ult 5 comparison. The Xtreme 4 with the right EQ absolutely blows away the Ult mode. The bass on the Ult 5 is actually surprisingly weak for the size of the speaker 

Ult 5 is really good but not great portability wise, it's a bit of a brick. The Xtreme is bulky too but a bit more convenient. Charge is the best by far for transport.  I found the Ult 5 bass really lacking, especially for the size. Xtreme blows it away, and the Ults only marginally better than the Charge. Sound quality is great still  Id say the Xtreme is the best, but the Charge if portability is a big factor. 

If it's in your budget, I say get all three, if you're planning to build a multi speaker system, then an Auracast setup would lean towards JBL. As far as the most authentic sound reproduction go with the Sony, if you like drums, and deeper Bass, that most certainly goes to the Bose. This is why it such a hard choice, but if you only needed one speaker, and you plan to use it a lot, the Sony checks all the boxes! I hope this helps since I own all three.

If you’re gonna take it outside and need it to withstand the elements without sacrificing sound: JBL XTREME 4