Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#44 and #40 of 150 medium speakers), and the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor costs $54.99 against $199.95 for the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
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 tradeoff: 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 Xiaomi Sound Outdoor: Xiaomi Sound Outdoor uses 20W woofer, 10W tweeter + 2x passive radiators. Watch for: Its 60Hz to 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification points to limited deep-bass reach for the cabinet size.
Buy the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $144.96 less than the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE.
Battery life favors the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: rated for 20 hours against 12 hours for the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | Xiaomi Sound Outdoor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $54.99 |
| Ranked | #40 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #44 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Speakersync, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.3 lbs (597 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| 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) | 7.7” x 2.7” x 2.6” (196.6 x 68 x 66 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 20W woofer, 10W tweeter + 2x passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | 30W |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | 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
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Xiaomi Sound Outdoor: $54.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Xiaomi Sound Outdoor uses 20W woofer, 10W tweeter + 2x passive radiators. Its 597 g, claimed 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) battery life, IP67 protection and mono playback make it a practical option for its intended room or portable use. A decent sounding speaker for its size.
Cons: Its 60Hz to 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification points to limited deep-bass reach for the cabinet size. There is no companion app. No EQ adjustment. Boosted bass that gets somewhat uncontrolled at high levels.
Full Xiaomi Sound Outdoor review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 30W |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.7” x 2.7” x 2.6” (196.6 x 68 x 66 mm) |
| Drivers | 20W woofer, 10W tweeter + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Speakersync, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (597 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs JBL Pulse 5
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs Soundcore Motion 100
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs Soundcore Glow
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs W-King D320
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- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II
- Xiaomi Sound Outdoor vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+
- See all 113 comparisons