Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE on measured sound quality, the JBL Flip 5 on price. The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #40 of 150 medium speakers, rated 3.7/5, at $199.95. The JBL Flip 5 ranks #70, rated 3.3/5, at $64.97, $134.98 cheaper.
What the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE does well: 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 JBL Flip 5 does well: Compact and light (1.1 lb) with a carry lanyard. The tradeoff: Not stereo.
One note: the JBL Flip 5 is no longer sold new, but at #70 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality it still outranks most current models, so used is worth considering.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the JBL Flip 5 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE is rated for 20 hours, the JBL Flip 5 only 12 hours.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | JBL Flip 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $64.97 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #70 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (via JBL app, sunsetted in 2024) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.2 lbs (540 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 7.1” x 2.7” x 2.9” (181 x 69 x 74 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 1x 44x80mm fullrange |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | 20W RMS |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (lanyard) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 59Hz |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 200ms |
| Maximum SPL | - | 92dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to 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.
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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
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JBL Flip 5: $64.97 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Newer model: the JBL Flip 7, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5.
Pros: Compact and light (1.1 lb) with a carry lanyard. Charges via USB-C, topping off in about 2.5 hours. IP67 rated. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Boosted upper bass. Piercing sound when turned up. Peaky lower treble at higher volumes. Discontinued.
Full JBL Flip 5 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 59Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 200ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.1” x 2.7” x 2.9” (181 x 69 x 74 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm fullrange |
| EQ | Yes (via JBL app, sunsetted in 2024) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 92dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (540 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beoplay A1 Denon 250bt JBL Flip 5 Anker Flare 2 More from alanrossreviews →
- DLX Willington: JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 4 :Sound Battle: Almost to the size of the JBL Charge 3? More from DLXWillington →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony XB23 vs JBL Flip 5 v Tribit Maxsound Plus
- Techder Audios: #JBL Flip 5 VS #JBL Flip Essential "IMPRESSIVE COMPARISON!?" More from techderaudios →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs JBL Flip 5 & Soundcore Boost - true stereophonic 🤓
- Head-to-Head Comparisons