JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs JBL Grip

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 JBL Grip ranks #85, rated 3.1/5, at $99.95, $100 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.

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.

The case for the JBL Grip: Ambient light on the back with settable themes. The tradeoff: Lacking deeper bass, definitely the worst of the JBL line until you get to the smaller clip.

Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $100 you would save on the JBL Grip does not close the gap.

Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

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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
  • Official JBL Charge Essential 3 SE Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Charge 6 Opinion in Subtitles More from Mateusz Cholewa →
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JBL Grip: $99.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: Ambient light on the back with settable themes. Measured bass extension of ~68Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Lacking deeper bass, definitely the worst of the JBL line until you get to the smaller clip. Not as much clarity as higher ranked speakers, rolled off highs and wavy midrange

Setup: EQ from Oluv in his post can help it a bit but still isn’t very neutral

Full JBL Grip review and specifications →

Amplifier Power	16W
App	Yes
Aux Input	No
Bass Extension (-10dB)	~68Hz
Battery Life	14 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC
Bluetooth Version	5.4
Digital Aux Input	Yes (USB-C)
Dimensions	2.5” x 6” x 2.6” (64 x 152 x 65 mm)
Drivers	1x 43x80mm fullrange
EQ	Yes (7 band)
Frequency Response	70Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP Rating	IP68
Lights	Yes
Omnidirectional	No
Party Mode	Yes (Auracast)
Power Input	USB-C
Stereo	No
Strap	Yes (strap)
TWS	Yes
Weight	0.8 lbs (385 g)

• Links
  • Official JBL Grip Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Oluv Patreon: JBL Grip - listening test More from Oluv’Sone →
  • M1MTechChannel: Welche JBL Partybox ist die BESTE ? Alle Partyboxen im Vergleich | 2026 More from M1MTechChannel →
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