Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It ranks #40 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $199.95. The Beats Pill 2024 ranks #69, rated 3.3/5, at $99.95, $100 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
Why pick the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: 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. The catch: 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.
What the Beats Pill 2024 does well: Doubles as a power bank (USB-C charge-out). The catch: Boosted upper bass, somewhat thuddy.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $100 you would save on the Beats Pill 2024 does not close the gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Beats Pill 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $99.95 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #69 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 8.6” x 2.8” x 2.8” (219 x 71 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 2x drivers with dual passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | - |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Strap | No | Yes (lanyard) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | ~56Hz |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for JBL Charge Essential 3 SE:
- Earfun Uboom L vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Minirig 4 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: $199.95 JBL eBay
Older models: the JBL Charge Essential 2 (ranked higher, rated 3.8/5) and the JBL Charge Essential (ranked lower, 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 Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Earfun Uboom Slim
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs JBL Pulse 5
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs W-King D320
- See all 85 comparisons
Beats Pill 2024: $99.95 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Beats Pill+ (ranked lower, rated 2.1/5).
Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-C charge-out). 24 hour battery life; a 10 min quick-charge gives 2 hours. IP67 rated. Stereo pairs with a second Pill. Measured bass extension of ~56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Boosted upper bass, somewhat thuddy. Slightly recessed mids. Rolled off treble.
Full Beats Pill 2024 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~56Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 8.6” x 2.8” x 2.8” (219 x 71 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x drivers with dual passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: New Beats Pill 2024: sound demo More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Beats Pill 2024 - first & last impression
- DailyTekk: NEW Beats Pill First Impressions & Sound Test - Worth $149?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beats Pill vs Harman Luna vs Bose Flex vs Soundcore Motion Plus More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Beats Pill (by Apple) 2024 version review vs JBL and Soundcore!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Beats Pill 2024 vs JBL Flip 5
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Beats Pill 2024 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Sony XB33
- Beats Pill 2024 vs JBL Flip 4
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Sony XB23
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Klipsch Nashville
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Sony ULT Field 3
- See all 78 comparisons