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 Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) ranks #51, rated 3.6/5, at $194, $5.95 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for 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 Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) does well: RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. The catch: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $5.95 saving on the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) is not enough to make up the difference.
Battery life favors the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: rated for 20 hours against 13 hours for the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II).
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $194.00 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #51 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Bose Connect |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP55 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | - |
| 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 | - |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | - |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Strap | No | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to JBL Charge Essential 3 SE:
- JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- JBL Flip 7 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 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
Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II): $194.00 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Bose Soundlink Revolve (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5).
Pros: RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. In a side by side test against the Revolve+ II and B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen, several listeners preferred its clearer, less bass heavy tuning to the Revolve+ II. Up to 13 hours of battery, IP55 dust and water resistance, a built-in microphone for calls and voice assistants, and multi-connect for two devices at once.
Cons: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble. It doesn’t get loud either: DXOMARK measured only about 73 to 74 dBA at maximum volume, against 85 to 89 dBA for speakers like the Sony SRS-XB43 in the same test, and bass compresses and pumps as you turn it up. There is no EQ in the Bose Connect app, a single unit plays mono, and it still charges over micro USB.
Full Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) review and specifications →
| App | Bose Connect |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP55 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- RTINGS: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Review More from Rtings.com →
- DXOMARK: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Speaker review
- SoundGuys: Bose SoundLink Revolve II review More from Soundguys →
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker? Bose is getting lazy. More from DannyPops →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Sonos Play
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Pulse 5
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) vs Sonos Roam 2