Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE for better sound quality, the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 for the lower price. The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #40 of 150 medium speakers, rated 3.7/5, at $199.95. The Tronsmart Mirtune C3 ranks #89, rated 3.1/5, at $29.99, $169.96 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. Watch for: 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.
Why pick the Tronsmart Mirtune C3: Small and light at 530 g, with a racetrack driver and a tweeter rated for 30W, IPX7 waterproofing, Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast multi-speaker sync, stereo pairing, USB-C audio input, app EQ and a lanyard. Watch for: In GiT’s three way blind test it came behind the Creative Muvo Go and Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, sounding good only on sparse tracks, and listeners in AudioPro Reviews’ comparison found the JBL Flip 6 fuller with more bass.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Battery life favors the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Tronsmart Mirtune C3.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Tronsmart Mirtune C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $29.99 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #89 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Tronsmart) |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours at 50% volume (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.2 lbs (0.53 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 7.1”H x 2.8”W x 2.8”D (180 x 70 x 72 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 1x racetrack woofer + 1x tweeter |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | 30W |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 55Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Strap | No | Yes (lanyard) |
| Battery Capacity | - | 14.8Wh (7.4V, 2000mAh) |
| Charging Time | - | 2 hours |
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
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Tronsmart Mirtune C3: $29.99 Tronsmart eBay
Pros: Small and light at 530 g, with a racetrack driver and a tweeter rated for 30W, IPX7 waterproofing, Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast multi-speaker sync, stereo pairing, USB-C audio input, app EQ and a lanyard.
Cons: In GiT’s three way blind test it came behind the Creative Muvo Go and Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, sounding good only on sparse tracks, and listeners in AudioPro Reviews’ comparison found the JBL Flip 6 fuller with more bass. Tronsmart rates the battery at 12 hours at half volume. It is a mono unit with no aux input.
Full Tronsmart Mirtune C3 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 30W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Tronsmart) |
| Battery Capacity | 14.8Wh (7.4V, 2000mAh) |
| Battery Life | 12 hours at 50% volume (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 |
| Charging Time | 2 hours |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 7.1”H x 2.8”W x 2.8”D (180 x 70 x 72 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x racetrack woofer + 1x tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (app) |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (0.53 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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