Short answer: the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks #3 of 182 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.5/5, at $79.99; the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #42, rated 3.7/5, and costs $199.95, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The Soundcore Motion 300 is the better-sounding choice. A compact stereo speaker with deep bass for its size, hi res Bluetooth and a custom EQ for each position, standing or lying down. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE. The tradeoff: Without the above EQ or turning the top 2 treble EQ bars to max, this speaker is very rolled off in the treble and will rank around #50 in the rankings.
The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE is the longer-running choice. A fully waterproof speaker with plenty of volume and bass, long battery life, a phone charging port, app EQ and Auracast pairing. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 13 for the Soundcore Motion 300. The catch: In side-by-side listening against the JBL 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.
Buy the Soundcore Motion 300. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 14, 2026 at 6:17 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion 300 | JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $199.95 |
| Ranked | #3 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #42 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, LDAC, SBC | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc | - |
| Maximum SPL | 101dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes (Auracast) |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs (772 g) | 2.1 lbs (960 g) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.6” x 2” (200 x 92 x 50 mm) | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2”) full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Amplifier Power | 30W | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | - | No |
Where the Ratings Come From
- Soundcore Motion 300: reviews by Joy & Oluv’Sone, Oluv and Alan Ross.
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: reviews by Mateusz Cholewa.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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