Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking In terms of what the XBOOM offers over the competition, it’s a mixed bag. It’s the only one boasting cool LED lights, but sound-wise, it comes in just below par. The speaker also comes with a Sound Boost mode, which, honestly, is far better than the standard mode. In standard, the sound has a bit of a muffled quality, but with Sound Boost turned on, it’s a far richer and more satisfying listening experience. Those seeking a 360-degree speaker array will have to look elsewhere, but like the JBL FLIP 5, the PL5 XBOOM does a fine job of filling every corner with sound, no matter which direction it’s aimed at. Another feature we love (even though it’s 2020 and hardly anyone uses it any more) is the inclusion of a 3.5mm jack. Long live AUX cable-passing parties. There’s also a dedicated app which can be used to adjust (or turn off) the colour and speed of the LED lights, control Sound Boost mode and link other XBOOM speakers. If you’re not an app-y kinda person, no worries - everything you can do through the app can also be done via buttons on the device.