Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 2. It ranks #39 of 179 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $74.91; 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.
The same size, a newer platform. Both are 223mm Charge-size speakers with a racetrack woofer and a 20mm tweeter. The Essential 3 SE moves to Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC and LC3, adds Auracast stereo pairing and multi-speaker linking, an app EQ, and IP67 dust protection on top of the Essential 2’s IPX7 water rating.
The sound did not clearly improve. The Essential 3 SE is louder with deep bass, but in side by side tests its bass distorted on bass-heavy tracks even with the bass turned down, and its upper mids sounded strident. The Essential 2 delivers much of the Charge 5’s familiar punch, reaching about 55Hz, in a simpler package with no app, EQ or pairing.
Battery is the same claimed 20 hours, and both charge a phone: USB-A on the Essential 2, USB-C on the Essential 3 SE.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 2. 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.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 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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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 2 | JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $74.91 | $199.95 |
| Ranked | #39 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #42 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (930 g) | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes (Auracast) |
| Strap | No | No |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
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