Short answer: the JBL Charge 5. It ranks #30 of 179 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $114.95; the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #42, rated 3.7/5, and costs $199.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Same body, similar drivers. Both use a Charge-size cabinet with a racetrack woofer, a separate 20mm tweeter and two passive radiators, at 2.1 lbs (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.
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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 5 | JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $114.95 | $199.95 |
| Ranked | #30 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #42 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes (Auracast) |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 8.8” 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) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (dual microphones) | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | No |
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