Short answer: the Charge 6. It ranks #12 of 164 medium speakers against the Charge 3’s #88, and the Charge 3 is a discontinued model you can only find used now.
The Charge 6 is a meaningfully more accurate speaker. Its notes describe it as more neutral than the Charge 5, with a flatter frequency response through the mids and treble where the Charge 5 (and by extension the older Charge 3) ran quite rolled off up high. The Charge 6 still runs some boosted bass by default and gets a bit bright above 2kHz, with recessed mids, but that is a tuning quirk you can dial out with EQ rather than a hardware limitation. The Charge 3 has no EQ at all to correct anything.
The Charge 3’s real weakness is reliability, not just sound. Its own cons note that battery failures are common on this model, on top of having less clarity than the JBL Flip 4, a much smaller speaker. Buying one today also means buying used, since it is no longer sold new.
Buy the Charge 6 for meaningfully better sound, IP68 protection instead of IPX7, and a speaker still sold new with a warranty.
Buy the Charge 3 only if you find one cheap secondhand and specifically want its built-in speakerphone, and you accept the known battery failure risk that comes with an older, discontinued unit.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge 6 | JBL Charge 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.95 | $80 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #12 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #88 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (JBL Connect) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/2.4A) | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs (990 g) | 1.8 lbs (800 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 9” x 3.9” x 3.7” (228.8 x 98.5 x 94 mm) | 8.4” x 3.5” x 3.5” (213 x 88 x 88 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Amplifier Power | 45W | 20W RMS |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Charge 6 compares with other leading options:
- Earfun Uboom L vs JBL Charge 6
- JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Motion 300
- JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Charge 6
- JBL Charge 6 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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 6: $149.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay
Older models: the JBL Charge 5 (ranked lower, rated 4/5), the JBL Charge 4 (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5), the JBL Charge 3 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5) and the JBL Charge 2 (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5).
Pros: Seems more neutral than the Charge 5. Flatter frequency response through the mids and treble as the Charge 5 was quite rolled off up high. Use this EQ from Joy/Oluv and turn down the lowest bass slider for the best sound quality. Oluv has even more paid EQs specifically for the GG and TL models indoors and outdoors here. IP68 protection, a 7-band app EQ, Auracast, USB-C charging and a power bank output. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Still some boosted bass by default. Mids are recessed. Bright above 2kHz. Quite a V shaped frequency response.
Full JBL Charge 6 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 45W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 9” x 3.9” x 3.7” (228.8 x 98.5 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/2.4A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs (990 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - outdoor test More from Oluv’Sone →
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs SoundCore Boom 2 - David vs Goliath
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - basstest (bigger=better?)
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6, Xtreme 4 & Earfun UBoom X - taking sound to the top
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 6 or the JBL Charge 5? don’t go home till you watch this! More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 4 vs Flip 7 vs Charge 6 – The ULTIMATE JBL Speaker Showdown!
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton II - better with EQ?
- Oluv Patreon: An evening with the “best portable speakers”?
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Plus vs JBL Charge 6 - fight!
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge 6 🎶👌Unboxing 📦vs Jbl Charge 5 Short Test Audio i Hz. More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 6 Review - Worth Upgrading Even If You Have The JBL Charge 5 More from GYMCADDY →
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Charge 6 - good or bad?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- M1MTechChannel: Welche JBL Partybox ist die BESTE ? Alle Partyboxen im Vergleich | 2026 More from M1MTechChannel →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JBL Charge 3: $80 Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5.
Pros: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank for USB devices. ~20 hour battery life. IPX7 rated; built-in noise/echo-cancelling speakerphone. Measured bass extension of 63Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4. Battery failures are common. Discontinued.
Full JBL Charge 3 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (JBL Connect) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4” x 3.5” x 3.5” (213 x 88 x 88 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (800 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 and Charge 3 - best JBL charge 5 review 2021? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Charge 4 and JBL Charge 3 - small one or a large one? 🤷♂️
- DLX Willington: JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 4 :Sound Battle: Almost to the size of the JBL Charge 3? More from DLXWillington →
- EnforcerMan: JBL CHARGE 3 VS TREBLAB HD77 - FULL REVIEW
- Head-to-Head Comparisons