Price for portable speaker jbl charge 3. Pros and cons

In the summer of 2016, JBL introduced an updated version of its popular Charge 3. Its characteristics are slightly different from the previous version, as well as some features. In today's review, we will take a detailed look at this device in order not only to refresh your memory, but also to talk about another important topic - how to distinguish an original speaker from a fake. Let's begin!

Description

JBL Charge 3 replaced the no less popular Charge 2 bell and immediately began to gain popularity. The main advantage of the new model was not only improved characteristics and a larger battery, but also the appearance of the IPX7 protocol, which allows you to take the speaker with you to the sea, pool or jacuzzi - it is not afraid of moisture and water. Now let's talk about everything in order.

Scope of delivery

The JBL Charge 3 speaker is sold in a small cardboard box with a pleasant matte finish. On the top of the package there is a large image of the speaker itself, which floats in water. The packaging also indicates the characteristics of the model and its main features.

Inside the box you can find the following kit:

• Charge 3.
• USB-microUSB cable for charging.
• Charger adapter.
• 3 additional wiki attachments for the power adapter for the desired outlet.
• Instructions.
• Quick user guide.
• Warranty card.

Compared to the previous version, there is no branded case, but it is, in principle, not needed, since now there is complete moisture protection. As for the equipment, I would like to thank the manufacturer for the additional plugs for the required socket. Not every manufacturer offers something like this.

Design and appearance

JBL Charge 3 looks very interesting and recognizable. The traditional “barrel” shape has been preserved, as well as a large selection of colors to suit every taste. The material from which the speaker body is made is a dense rubberized fabric that slightly resembles a metal mesh. It is this fabric that prevents water from penetrating inside the device. In addition to fabric, soft-touch plastic is also used here, from which the side edges are made.

There is a corporate logo on the front of the device, and a charge level indicator is located closer to the bottom. The controls are on the top: Bluetooth button, volume down, power on, JBL Connect, volume up and start/pause. Only 2 central buttons are backlit.

At the back of the speaker there is a rubber plug, behind which a 3.5 mm, USB and microUSB connector is hidden. At both ends of the Charge 3 there are passive radiators of silver color with iridescence. They also have the brand logo.

Characteristics of JBL Charge 3

JBL Charge 3 has a pair of built-in 10 W speakers, for a total of 20 W - not bad. The frequency range of the speaker is quite wide, and even wired computer speakers can envy it - 65-20,000 Hz. Among the differences from the previous model, it is worth noting the appearance of a more powerful battery, which added a little weight, but now the speaker can play up to 20 hours from a full charge without any problems.

The proprietary JBL Connect function allows you to combine several speakers into one, i.e. you can easily take 3-4 JBL speakers with support for the JBL Connect function, and they will play as one system. The effect is very cool and difficult to describe in words. In addition, Charge 3 supports simultaneous connection of up to 3 control devices, and it does not matter whether it is a smartphone or a laptop. Thus, the company solved a popular problem when at parties or in some other situation only 1 person controlled the music.

As for moisture protection, it allows you to immerse the speaker in water to a depth of 1 meter for a period of no more than 30 minutes. But this only applies to diving - you can swim with the speaker all day long.

In general, the characteristics of the JBL Charge 3 are better than those of the previous model, which is good news.

Sound quality

The sound quality of the JBL Charge 3 is at the highest level. This is not the first time the company has confirmed that it really specializes in audio equipment. There are no complaints here. The bass is excellent, the mids are very well heard, and the high frequencies also leave no questions. In general, this model can be safely set as a standard among portable acoustics. A lot of manufacturers should pay attention to how JBL makes their devices.

There is also a volume reserve, and it is very decent. According to the general feeling, the maximum volume is enough to easily fill a room of 35-40 square meters with sound. What’s also important is that when the volume level increases, the sound quality does not drop, and no distortion or rattling appears.

Which I consider to be almost the best portable speaker I've ever owned. However, it has two, for some very critical, disadvantages - its dimensions and weight. When you want to be light, Xtreme becomes a burden. However, JBL has something to offer here - a more compact and stylish Charge 3.

We’ll start our review of the JBL Charge 3 portable speaker by studying its characteristics and later take a closer look at the capabilities of the portable speaker.

Characteristics of the JBL Charge 3 portable speaker:

• two 50mm speakers
• total power 10 W
• playback frequencies: 65 - 20,000 Hz
• signal-to-noise ratio >80 dB
• Bluetooth 4.1
• supported profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5, HFP 1.6, HSP 1.2
• transmission frequency 2.402 - 2.480 GHz
• built-in microphone
• moisture protection according to IPx7 standard
• wireless connection to other JBL Connect devices
• battery 6,000 mAh (22.2 W/h)
• charging at current 5 V, 2 A
• Dimensions: 213 x 87 x 88.5 mm
• weight 800 grams

Available colors: black, gray, red, blue, turquoise.

At IFA 2016, other body colors were announced, brighter and more saturated. They should go on sale soon.

Equipment

The box for the device is quite large, with high-quality printing, but including a very modest package. Inside, in addition to the speaker itself, there was a Micro USB cable and a 5V and 2.3A power supply. The manufacturer also took care of adapters for various sockets and plugs.

There is no case or carrying strap, as there was in the same one. So we don’t linger, let’s move on.

Design

Among compact speakers from JBL, our version is the heaviest and largest, and in relation to it it is simply tiny.

	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
JBL Xtreme				2112
JBL Charge 3			88,5
JBL Charge 2	185,2
JBL Flip 3

However, it occupies an intermediate position for a reason. It differs from the flagship “extreme”, perhaps, only in size and sound power, but there are many things that distinguish it from it: from the same dimensions to various kinds of features.

Most of the body area is covered with thick rubberized fabric, which should prevent water and other environmental nuisances from getting inside.

I have no doubts about the reliability of this material. It takes a lot of effort to rub or tear the fabric. But it seems to me that various kinds of stains can still remain on the body.

Nothing is said about dust protection. The standard assumes that it does not exist. However, I threw the speaker into the sand on the beach from a height of about 1.2 meters, sprinkled it with squeaks, drove it back and forth, and so on. After that, you go to the water, rinse it and Charge 3 looks like new. However, it is just sand. But it seems to me that various kinds of stains can still remain on the body. Therefore, do not spill juice or wine on the speaker.

Where there is no fabric, there is a rubberized body with a Soft-Touch effect. There are raised symbol buttons on the top side. It all looks stylish and is easily distinguishable to the touch, since the icons are quite large.

Only two keys are backlit (white or blue): power and JBL Connect.

At the bottom end there is a rubber stand, thanks to which the device stands securely on almost any surface.

Nearby there is a wide rubber plug with several valves to protect the connectors from leaks. We have in stock:

• Micro USB port for charging the gadget itself
• full-size USB for charging all other devices (smartphones, action cameras, etc.)
• standard 3.5 mm audio output

There is nothing more to describe. Everything looks stylish, minimalistic and quite modern. Compared to the Charge 3, it looks a little outdated.

Connection

Connection with sound sources (there can be up to three of them at the same time) is quick and smooth. After the first pairing, the speaker will connect automatically in the future; you don’t need to do anything. The only thing is not to turn off Bluetooth on your smartphone or whatever you have as a source.

If anything, the device can also be connected via a cable with 3.5 mm plugs at both ends. It's strange that the kit didn't include the corresponding wire. Bluetooth transmission will have priority over a wired connection, which, in principle, fits perfectly into the company’s logic. Let me remind you that JBL has delved into wireless technology in recent years. I think this is correct.

In addition, as practice shows, playing music via Bluetooth has a better effect on the autonomy of the speaker. Surprising but true.

In addition, I liked the stability of the connection. Firstly, everything is fine with range. My gadget worked without problems at a distance of about five meters from the broadcast source, and at the same time there were two not very thin walls in the signal path. Secondly, I have never noticed any interruptions in communication. Yes, stuttering was present when several, for example, Wi-Fi networks appeared around and something was transmitted via Bluetooth. Therefore, it is better to avoid places that are excessively overloaded with wireless networks.

Like all the latest new products from the company, our hero is equipped with support for JBL Connect. This feature means that branded devices can be combined into a network and play the same music at the same time.

Once connected, the volume control does not sync with the audio source. Simply put, we turn up the volume separately on the smartphone, and then add it separately on the speaker.

Moisture protection

Perhaps this is the coolest feature that personally caused me a truly childish delight. The IPx7 standard has been declared, which implies not just protection from moisture, but also immersion of the device under water to a depth of up to a meter.

Although the manufacturer only talks about rain and splashes, I still decided to slightly submerge the device in water. I immersed the speaker about 20 centimeters under water, and it felt very good. Yes, after swimming, the speakers are somewhat muted, but after a while they push all the water out of their slots and continue to play at full power.

The main thing here is to make sure that the connector is tightly closed with a rubber plug.

After my water tests, I found that some moisture and sand did get under the valves, but no harmful liquid reached the connectors.

Sound

Despite the shape being elongated along its axis and round in cross-section, the sound here does not spread over the entire 360 ​​degrees. The built-in speakers are clearly directional and produce sound from the front side, where the brand logo is located. Accordingly, the sound can be quite easily muffled by simply placing the speaker on the wrong side or accidentally covering it with a pillow, for example.

I wouldn't consider this a disadvantage, but it would still be much cooler if the drivers were aimed at 270 degrees. For starters.

The sound quality did not raise any questions for me. Loud, without blockages, whistles or squeaks, clearly, efficiently - what else have I forgotten? In this regard, there is nothing to improve.

After all, we are dealing with quite large, albeit portable, acoustics. Therefore, in terms of sound quality, the manufacturer can make a big deal. Other, smaller devices may have options, as developers have to make all sorts of compromises.

Switching between tracks was made possible by double-clicking the Play/Pause button. However, you cannot go back to the composition, only forward.

Speakerphone

Any modern portable speaker has a built-in microphone. In our case, there are also noise reduction and echo cancellation functions.

Autonomous operation

A 6,000 mAh lithium-ion battery is installed inside. From it, the speaker can operate (at maximum volume) for 8 hours 24 minutes. A very decent result, which is enough for one quite noisy party.

If you turn the volume down by half or set it to two-thirds, the autonomy results will be much higher. I haven’t tested it, but from experience testing similar devices, this is indeed the case.

The manufacturer talks about 20 hours of battery life and I am inclined to believe that this means volume settings set to 50%.

At the bottom there are five separate LEDs that indicate the level of remaining charge. The readings are always correct: three burning lights mean that 60 percent of the capacity remains, and not as happens when one diode goes out, but in fact only 20 percent remains.

Bottom line

Now relevant JBL Charge 3 price— 10,990 rubles. When buying a speaker for this amount, you pay 70 percent of the amount for quality, technology, features (moisture protection and the Connect function) and about 30% you pay for the brand. After all, we are not dealing with a Chinese noname, but with a world-class brand. This is neither bad nor good. It just happened this way and we need to evaluate it sensibly.

I never tire of repeating that one of the best scenarios for purchasing devices from JBL is buying as a gift. Such a device is always nice to receive for those who like to listen to music and do this not only on the way to work or school using headphones or through laptop speakers.

Yes, most of the time the device will quietly gather dust on a shelf, since each of us has our favorite headphones on the street, and at home we have stationary acoustics that are of good quality. But in those rare minutes of going to the beach, to nature, to the dacha, you will be very glad to have Charge 3. And a nice bonus is that it’s not scary to throw the pump into the sand, and then just go to the river and wash it in the water. Well, isn't it cool?!

Already on sale Price: 10,990 rubles

JBL Charge 3 wireless speakers will help you feel true freedom. You can use it in any convenient place thanks to its compact dimensions and capacious battery. Impeccable sound clarity and rich bass will give you true pleasure from music in your favorite genre. By purchasing JBL Charge 3, you get a powerful stereo sound emitter and power source in one device.

Advantages of a speaker system

• Protection degree IPX7. The JBL Charge 3 portable speaker is resistant to splashes, rain and even immersion in water.
• Clear sound. The device provides signature deep and rich sound.
• Capacious battery. The device can work offline for up to 15 hours. If necessary, you can recharge your smartphone via a USB connector.
• Loud telephone connection. Answer calls using the built-in microphone. You are provided with clear sound and suppression of extraneous noise.
• JBL Connect support. Build your own sound system by connecting additional speakers.
• Freedom from wires. Bluetooth wireless technology allows you to stream your favorite music from any smartphone to the speaker system.

We are the official representative of the JBL brand in Russia and offer acoustics at affordable prices. In our online store you can inexpensively order the JBL Charge 3 speaker (original) with convenient delivery in Moscow and the regions. To place an order, please contact the operator by phone.

The audio system is packaged in a large box with a picture of the Charge 3 submerged in water. On the front of the package are the main features (Bluetooth, IPX7 waterproof, JBL Connect), as well as a mark of victory in the international Design Awards 2016 competition. On the back you can find detailed technical specifications.

Inside the box:

• JBL Charge 3;
• Power unit;
• Replacement plugs (American and Russian included);
• microUSB cable;
• Documentation.

Design and build

The Charge model line is shaped very much like a beer can. In Charge 3, the manufacturer decided to slightly adjust the lines of the device; now the audio system is more reminiscent of the JBL Xtreme “barrel”. The body of the device is made primarily of plastic with aluminum inserts. Most of the Charge 3's surface area is covered in soft-touch fabric.

The textile surface is very grippy, the speaker does not slip in your hands even if it is dipped under water for a long time. On store shelves, the device is offered in five color options: black, gray, red, blue and turquoise.

The top side of the Charge 3 houses six function buttons. They control pairing of other devices via Bluetooth, volume level, operation of the JBL Connect system and playback of the current track. The outlines of the buttons protrude slightly above the fabric, making them easy to feel blindly.

The JBL logo is sewn onto the front side of the device. Below are five LED lights that show the current battery level.

Wired interfaces are built into the back of the speaker. There are 3.5 mm TRS, microUSB and USB connectors. The latter is designed to charge other portable devices from the built-in Charge battery. The USB output produces 2 amperes, which is enough to quickly charge most smartphones and tablets. The connectors are protected from water by a thick rubber plug.

The top and bottom of the “barrel” are covered by large passive radiators with the company logo. They are built into small recesses so that the speaker can be placed vertically. It can also be placed horizontally on the platform below.

There are two small flaws with the Charge 3 build.

The first is the rubber cover on the connectors. Immediately after purchase, some problems may arise with this plug. Often it does not fully fit into the groove, which is why water gets inside. At first, to close the plug you will have to apply a little force to firmly fix the rubber partition.

The second drawback is turning on the device. To do this, you need to briefly press the top button, which is why the speaker can sometimes accidentally start up inside the backpack. When turned on, it also emits a non-volume beep that cannot be turned off.

IPX 7 waterproof standard

In general, the Charge 3 form factor is very well balanced between good autonomy, normal sound and compactness. The audio system is still easy to transport in a small bag, although its weight has increased by 200 grams compared to the previous model. In addition, the device is protected from water according to the IPX 7 standard; it can be safely submerged under water for a short time.

Sound

The sound quality has improved noticeably since the Charge 2. Now the vocals do not drown out other musical instruments, but softly harmonize with them. There is no dip or distortion throughout the entire frequency range (65 Hz to 20 kHz). This also confirms the frequency response of the speaker system.

However, different methods of synchronization with external devices can radically change the impression of the speaker. Connecting a smartphone via Bluetooth is significantly inferior to a wired connection between the audio system and the computer's sound card. If you move a few meters away from the Charge 3, the sound loses depth and is often transmitted intermittently.

Synchronization with PC is not accompanied by any problems. The device works best in a stationary format. The device can be used at parties, but you need to make sure that the smartphone with the track running is not too far away from the speaker.

Autonomy

The documentation says that the Charge 3 should work continuously for approximately 20 hours at medium volume. In practice, this figure is at the level of sixteen hours. Low battery power is indicated by a flashing red LED and does not affect music playback in any way.

Battery charge level

Charging time from the power supply is 2.5 hours. A USB input from a computer will charge the speaker an hour longer. If desired, Charge 3 can be turned into a power bank by connecting another portable device to it.

Peculiarities

The Charge 3 features the JBL Connect system, which allows you to connect multiple speakers into one audio system. After synchronization, a stereo sound effect appears. The process is controlled by a proprietary application from JBL.

There is also a built-in speakerphone inside, with which you can have a full conversation with your telephone interlocutor. Its voice is transmitted directly to external speakers, so the device is great for small video conferences.

Where can I buy

Conclusion

The Charge lineup is as close to perfect as ever. For just $180, the manufacturer offers a nice design, excellent sound and a solid battery. There are practically no shortcomings here, and minor flaws almost do not spoil the impression of the device.

The only competitor to the speaker is the previous JBL Charge 2 Plus. The devices have almost identical technical characteristics and a slight difference in price. The predecessor will appeal to those who like compactness; the second model is lighter than the Charge 3.

Video review of JBL Charge 3

For more interesting models of compact acoustics, see our rating of the best portable speakers of 2019.

The unique JBL Charge 3 wireless portable speaker system delivers powerful stereo sound and power in one device. With a waterproof, rubberized fabric casing, Charge 3 can party anywhere—by the pool or even in the rain. The high-capacity 6000 mAh battery guarantees uninterrupted operation for 20 hours and allows you to charge smartphones and tablets via USB. The built-in microphone with noise and echo cancellation guarantees perfectly clear sound during phone calls at the touch of a button. Wirelessly connect additional JBL Connect-enabled speakers for even more powerful sound.

Wireless connection via Bluetooth

Connect up to 3 smartphones or tablets to the speaker system at the same time and reproduce powerful sound from each of them in turn.

6000 mAh battery

The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 20 hours of battery life and allows you to charge devices via USB.

Speakerphone

Take incoming calls on your speaker with the touch of a button, and the sound will be crystal clear thanks to the noise-cancelling and echo-cancelling microphone.

Water protection degree IPX7

Now you don’t have to be afraid of rain or splashes!

JBL Connect

Build your own system by connecting more JBL Connect-enabled speakers for even more powerful sound.

Thoughtful materials

Highly durable fabric and rubberized housing allow the speaker system to survive all adventures with you.

JBL Bass Passive Radiators

Hear the bass, feel the bass, see the bass. Two external passive radiators show everyone just how powerful your speaker system is.