Philadelphia man goes to Walmart. Then he tries to buy the JBL Party dupe: ‘Speaker is LOUD’

A man went to Walmart looking for a speaker. Then he ended up picking out a “JBL dupe,” which he claimed was “literally the same.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re both loud,” said Pete (@shewantpete), a barber who posted a TikTok about the speaker dupe that received more than 580,000 views. 

Commenters, though, disagreed with Pete’s take. That led to the question: Is the Onn speaker good for its price point? Can it live up to some of JBL’s products as a proper substitute?

What Is the Onn brand?

Onn is Walmart’s personal electronics brand. It offers an array of consumer products such as televisions, tablets, and even streaming devices.

Onn’s televisions have previously received some praise. Business Insider’s Steven Cohen wrote that the TVs had a “Highly competitive, budget-friendly price,” even when noting a few issues with the overall product. 

Savings.com identified that Onn produces “budget tech items with ridiculously low prices.”

Jason Howell, a YouTuber who reviews gadgets online, told the publication that “they deliver about 80 percent of what higher-end devices can do.”

Which Speaker Costs More?

A JBL PartyBox 110 retails for $379.95 on Walmart’s website in June 2026. In Pete’s April video, it is priced at $344. The discrepancy may be because Walmart’s online and in-store prices sometimes differ. Item prices may also be different from store to store, or the item may have been on sale.

In contrast, the Onn Large Party Speaker Gen 2 with LED Lighting costs $109 as of this writing and is $40 cheaper than usual. The Onn, then, is cheaper than the JBL in June 2026, even when considering the original price of the former and discounts on the latter.

Which Speaker Is Better For Its Price?

Support for JBL

The Onn Large Party Speaker’s price raises the question: Which speaker is truly worth buying when considering the cost? While Pete opted for the Onn, commenters disagreed with his decision to purchase the budget brand.

“Brother it’s worth the price, just buy the JBL,” one person wrote.

Another commenter added, “If you’ve own[ed] any JBL product you’d know why the price tag is what it is.”

Some reviewers have concluded that the JBL speakers are better when compared with Onn’s products. Viewers also raised concerns about the Onn speakers not holding up over time, leading them to opt for the JBL speakers, seemingly regardless of model.

“Trust me coming from a JBL support tech .. [spend] the extra 200! After 20 hours of play youll see JBL doesnt loose its quality sound. Onn will,” a commenter said. 

Audiolgy estimates that some JBL speaker models can last anywhere from 15 to 20 years. The publication referred to JBL as “a leading force” and a “competitive brand” in the audio space.

Support for Onn

The answer as to whether an Onn speaker is a suitable JBL dupe doesn’t seem to be clear-cut. YouTuber Kedrick Foster, for instance, posted a comparison of three party speakers—the JBL PartyBox 120, Soundcore Rave 3S, and Onn Large Party Speaker. He, in contrast to some of Pete’s commenters, advocated for retail shoppers to purchase the Onn speaker, especially when comparing prices.

“I think it’s a pretty simple selection to pick out of these three speakers, and that’s because of the price point,” the YouTuber said. “It definitely would be the Onn party speaker.”

He later posted another video where he individually reviewed the Onn Large Party Speaker (Gen 2). In the video’s caption, he wrote that the Onn was the “best BANG FOR [YOUR] BUCK!” Other reviewers have said that the Onn “holds up decently” for its price. The question of whether that makes the speaker a suitable dupe, however, remains unanswered.

AllHipHop reached out to Walmart via its contact form, as well as to Foster and Howell via email. We also reached out to Pete via TikTok direct message and comment. This story will be updated if they respond.

@shewantpete #jbl #partyspeaker #speaker #onn #walmart ♬ original sound – SHEWANTPETE

.mobile_only_ad{display:none;}@media only screen and (max-width:767px){.mobile_only_ad{display:block;}}

Rachel Thomas

Source link