Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It ranks #43 of 164 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $199.95. The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 ranks #111, rated 2.9/5, at $134.99, $64.96 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE is the better-sounding, longer-running pick. 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. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 15 for the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 lacks. It charges over USB-C rather than Micro USB. 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.
The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is the lighter choice. Rich and warm bass without muddying mix, crisp highs, excellent 15-hour battery life, stable Bluetooth connectivity, IP67 rated and floats, rugged fabric shell, can pair up to 150 speakers via PartyUp. At 1.3 lbs (608 g) it weighs noticeably less than the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE at 2.1 lbs (960 g). It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. The catch: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $64.96 you would save on the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 does not close the gap.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Ultimate Ears Boom 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $134.99 |
| Ranked | #43 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #111 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Ultimate Ears BOOM & MEGABOOM app) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.3 lbs (608 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) | 7.2” x 2.9” (184 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 2x 2” active drivers + 2x 2” x 4” passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | - |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | Micro USB |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 91Hz |
| Maximum SPL | - | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for 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
- Minirig 3 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Minirig 2 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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
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- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Bose Soundlink Flex
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- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
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Ultimate Ears Boom 3: $134.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4, ranked higher, rated 2.9/5.
Pros: Rich and warm bass without muddying mix, crisp highs, excellent 15-hour battery life, stable Bluetooth connectivity, IP67 rated and floats, rugged fabric shell, can pair up to 150 speakers via PartyUp. Measured bass extension of 91Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2021. Lots of mentions of failing batteries on amazon. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Ultimate Ears BOOM & MEGABOOM app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 91Hz |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.9” (184 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2” active drivers + 2x 2” x 4” passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (608 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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