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 LG Xboom Grab ranks #93, rated 3.0/5, at $103.24, $96.71 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
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 LG Xboom Grab does well: 20 hour battery life: longer than the JBL Flip 7 or UE Boom 4. The tradeoff: Bass extension not as deep as the top speakers.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $96.71 saving on the LG Xboom Grab is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | LG Xboom Grab | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $103.24 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #93 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| 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 | AAC, SBC |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 8.3” x 2.8” x 2.8” (211.0 x 71.6 x 70.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 1x 80x45mm racetrack woofer, 1x 16mm tweeter |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | 30W |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (mounting straps) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 75Hz |
| Wi-Fi | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Charge Essential 3 SE compares with other leading options:
- 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
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LG Xboom Grab: $103.24 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20 hour battery life: longer than the JBL Flip 7 or UE Boom 4. IP67 rated with elastic mounting straps. App unlocks AI room calibration, EQ, and light-strip customization; multipoint pairing. Measured bass extension of 75Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass extension not as deep as the top speakers. Overpriced. This may move around in the rankings as we get better sound samples
Full LG Xboom Grab review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 30W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 75Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.3” x 2.8” x 2.8” (211.0 x 71.6 x 70.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 80x45mm racetrack woofer, 1x 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (mounting straps) |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Wi-Fi | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- FishBee Product Reviews: LG XBOOM Grab (2025) by Will.i.am - BETTER Than JBL Flip 7?? More from FishBee Product Reviews →
- Mike O’Brien: What Did LG Just Launch? (NEW will.i.am x LG xboom Speakers)
- GYMCADDY: LG’s New xboom Speaker And Earbud Lineup Explained - Meet The Stage 301, Bounce, Grab And Buds! More from GYMCADDY →
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