Short answer: the Soundcore Motion 300 if sound quality matters most, the JBL Charge Essential if price matters most. The Soundcore Motion 300 ranks #2 of 136 medium speakers at $79.99. The JBL Charge Essential ranks #68 at $73.99, $6 cheaper.
What the Soundcore Motion 300 offers: Pretty deep bass for the small size. Pocket size in a big pocket. Can be used in stereo facing you, or omnidirectional lying down. Ability to have a custom EQ for each orientation, standing, lying flat, hanging. Try the Uboom L EQs from Oluv for a more neutral sound. Watch for: 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. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.
What the JBL Charge Essential offers: Doubles as a power bank. IPX7 rated. Supports true wireless stereo pairing with a second Charge Essential. Watch for: Less clarity than the Flip 4, highs rolled off. An overpriced rebranded Charge 3 for people who want stereo sound.
Buy the Soundcore Motion 300 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the JBL Charge Essential if the price matters more than sound quality.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the JBL Charge Essential is rated for 20 hours, the Soundcore Motion 300 only 13 hours.
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion 300 | JBL Charge Essential | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $73.99 |
| Ranked | #2 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #68 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | - |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc | - |
| Max Volume | 101dB | - |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Stereo | Yes | - |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.4" (213 x 89 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Output Power | 30W | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Xdobo X8 Max
- JBL Flip 4 vs JBL Charge 3
- JBL Charge 3 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Charge Essential
- Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus vs JBL Charge Essential
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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
Soundcore Motion 300: $79.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the small size. Pocket size in a big pocket. Can be used in stereo facing you, or omnidirectional lying down. Ability to have a custom EQ for each orientation, standing, lying flat, hanging. Try the Uboom L EQs from Oluv for a more neutral sound.
Cons: 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. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.
Full Soundcore Motion 300 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 101dB |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen & Soundcore Motion 300 sound test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Travel Speakers! Soundcore Motion 300 or Bose Flex or Tribit Stormbow Flow More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion 300 or JBL Flip 6 or Soundcore Boost v2? we all have issues!
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: On A Ledge 🪟 Soundcore Motion 300 vs Tozo PA1 ⚒ Battle of the Budget Handheld Bluetooth Speakers More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex “Inspired” Speakers
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Motion 300 vs VIFA Helsinki
- Oluv Patreon: (Anker) Soundcore Motion 300 - first impressions
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Storytripper HD: Klipsch Nashville vs Harman Kardon Luna vs Soundcore Motion 300 More from storytripperhd →
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Motion 300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Earfun Uboom L
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- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 6
- See all 91 comparisons
JBL Charge Essential: $73.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Doubles as a power bank. IPX7 rated. Supports true wireless stereo pairing with a second Charge Essential.
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4, highs rolled off. An overpriced rebranded Charge 3 for people who want stereo sound.
Full JBL Charge Essential review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.4" (213 x 89 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Flossy Carter: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 vs JBL Charge Essential More from FlossyCarter →
- Techder Audios: JBL EXTREME 3 VS JBL CHARGE ESSENTIAL More from techderaudios →
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE ESSENTIAL VS CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 COMPARATIVO AMBIENTE EXTERNO
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge Essential Review
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