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 Walla Sound ranks #137, rated 2.2/5, at $49.99, $149.96 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.
Why pick the Walla Sound: IPX5 water resistant, 8-hour battery life, shockproof construction, Bluetooth 5.0, MicroSD card support, AUX input, built-in HD microphone, voice assistant compatible, lightweight 300g. The tradeoff: No bass, gets distorted when turned up.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $149.96 with the Walla Sound does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Walla Sound | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $49.99 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #137 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX5 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 0.7 lbs (300 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 2.7” x 2.7” x 6.3” (68 x 68 x 160 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 30mm metal diaphragm driver |
| 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 | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | ~90Hz |
| MicroSD Playback | - | Yes |
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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
- See all 85 comparisons
Walla Sound: $49.99 Walla Sound eBay
Pros: IPX5 water resistant, 8-hour battery life, shockproof construction, Bluetooth 5.0, MicroSD card support, AUX input, built-in HD microphone, voice assistant compatible, lightweight 300g. Measured bass extension of ~90Hz (-10dB).
Cons: No bass, gets distorted when turned up. Harsh upper mids.
Full Walla Sound review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~90Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 2.7” x 2.7” x 6.3” (68 x 68 x 160 mm) |
| Drivers | 30mm metal diaphragm driver |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX5 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (300 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Walla Sound vs Xdobo X8
- Walla Sound vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- Walla Sound vs Limitless Innovations TikiTunes
- Walla Sound vs B&O Beosound Explore
- Walla Sound vs W-King D8 Mini
- Walla Sound vs Sony SRS-XB30
- Walla Sound vs Marshall Emberton II
- Walla Sound vs Marshall Emberton III
- See all 58 comparisons