JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE

Last updated: September 26, 2026

Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #28 of 144 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $179.95; the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #40, rated 3.7/5, and costs $199.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.

JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE

Same body, similar drivers. Both use a Charge-size cabinet with a racetrack woofer, a separate 20mm tweeter and two passive radiators, at 960 g. The Essential 3 SE is the newer design, with Bluetooth 5.4, LC3 and Auracast.

The Charge 5 is the safer sound. It is warm, with shouty upper mids and slightly rolled off treble, but its bass is stable. In side by side listening the Essential 3 SE’s bass distorted on bass-heavy tracks even with the bass turned down, and it sounded muddier and more strident than the Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen.

Features are close. Both are IP67 with a claimed 20 hours of battery and a power bank output, USB-A on the Charge 5 and USB-C on the Essential 3 SE. The Charge 5 has a built-in microphone and PartyBoost. The Essential 3 SE uses Auracast for stereo pairing and multi-speaker linking.

Buy the JBL Charge 5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Buy the JBL Charge 5 at Amazon ($179.95) →Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE at JBL ($199.95) →

Specifications Side By Side

JBL Charge 5 JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
Price$179.95$199.95
Ranked#28 of 144 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers#40 of 144 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
AppYesYes
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz-
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
EQYes (3 band)Yes
Bluetooth Latency125ms-
Maximum SPL99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)-
Party ModeYes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)Yes (Auracast)
Power BankYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)Yes (USB-C)
StereoNoNo
OmnidirectionalNoNo
TWSYesYes (Auracast)
Weight2.1 lbs (960 g)2.1 lbs (960 g)
Aux InputNoNo
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBCSBC, AAC, LC3
Bluetooth Version5.15.4
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67IP67
Power InputUSB-CUSB-C (5V/3A)
Amplifier Power40W40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter)
Built-in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)No
Digital Aux InputNoNo
StrapNo-
Buy the JBL Charge 5 at Amazon ($179.95) →Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE at JBL ($199.95) →

More top alternatives to JBL Charge 5:

Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Charge 5: $179.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay

JBL Charge 5 ranking card

Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, rated 4.2/5.

Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.

Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →

Amplifier Power40W
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Bass Extension (-10dB)53Hz
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsAAC, SBC
Bluetooth Latency125ms
Bluetooth Version5.1
Built-in MicrophoneYes (dual microphones)
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
EQYes (3 band)
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
Maximum SPL99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeYes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)
Power BankYes (USB-A, 5V/2A)
Power InputUSB-C
StereoNo
StrapNo
TWSYes
Weight2.1 lbs (960 g)
Check current price at Amazon ($179.95) →Check current price at B&H Photo Video →Search eBay for JBL Charge 5 →

JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: $199.95 JBL eBay

JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranking card

Older models: the JBL Charge Essential 2 (rated 3.8/5) and the JBL Charge Essential (rated 3.2/5).

Pros: Gets louder than the Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen and digs deeper in the bass, with a separate 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators and 40W of amplification in the familiar Charge body. IP67 water and dust protection, a claimed 20 hours of battery life, a USB-C power bank output, Auracast stereo pairing and multi-speaker linking, Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC, and app EQ.

Cons: In side-by-side listening against the Charge 6, its bass is weaker and less stable and distorts on bass-heavy tracks even with the bass turned down in the app, while a narrow boost in the upper mids makes it sound less natural. Against the Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen it sounds muddier and more strident, with less detail and a smaller soundstage. At full price it costs as much as the Charge 6, which is the better speaker.

Full JBL Charge Essential 3 SE review and specifications →

Amplifier Power40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter)
AppYes
Aux InputNo
Battery Life20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth CodecsSBC, AAC, LC3
Bluetooth Version5.4
Built-in MicrophoneNo
Digital Aux InputNo
Dimensions8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators
EQYes
Frequency Response60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP RatingIP67
OmnidirectionalNo
Party ModeYes (Auracast)
Power BankYes (USB-C)
Power InputUSB-C (5V/3A)
StereoNo
TWSYes (Auracast)
Weight2.1 lbs (960 g)
Check current price at JBL ($199.95) →Search eBay for JBL Charge Essential 3 SE →