JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme Wireless Speakers Review

It’s time for another JBL wireless speaker showdown with this episode honing in on the JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme. Which speaker is better for you?

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme Portable Wireless Speakers

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme – Packaging

Both the Charge 3 and Xtreme speakers come in aesthetically similar boxes – with white backgrounds, orange borders, and a photo of the speaker amidst some form of water. The Charge 3 looks like its floating in water while the Xtreme is being “splashed” by water. The Xtreme is much larger than the Charge 3 in comparison and as such its box is built with a handle to easily transport the Xtreme in a box from Point A to Point B. The Xtreme ships along with a power adapter, strap, quick start guide, safety sheet, and warranty card while the Charge 3 includes a USB adapter, micro USB cable, safety sheet, quick start guide, and warranty card.

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme – Build & Design

As I mentioned earlier, the Xtreme is much larger than the Charge 3. The Xtreme measures  (H x W x D) 126 x 283 x 122 mm and the JBL Charge 3 is  88.5 x 213 x 87 mm. The Xtreme weighs 4.65 pounds. The Charge 3 weighs 1.76 pounds. Other than the difference in size, the Charge 3 and Xtreme are fashioned exactly the same. The exterior is made of durable fabric so these speakers can endure the most. The Charge 3 is slimmer, shorter, and smaller in width. It can easily slip into a purse or your hand. The Charge 3 is built with a rubber base so it can securely stand while tunes are pumping. The Xtreme is also built with a rubber base, but it’s black instead of whatever color the rest of the speaker is. Under the protective rubber flap on the Charge 3 is an aux port, micro USB port, and USB port which allows the speaker to act as a power bank and change a smart device plugged into it. The spare ports on the Xtreme reside under a zipper flap. Whoa, bet you didn’t see that coming?! There’s an aux in, 2 USB ports, a power in, and a micro USB port.

Bass radiators are built into both the Charge 3 and Xtreme. These radiators are intended to increase the frequency response of the low end, so you know you’re about to feel that face melting bass drop regardless of which size speaker you use. The radiators on both speakers are black and feature the JBL logo printed on them.

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme – Features

Now features are where it’s at, second to sound. The Charge 3 and Xtreme don’t differ too much in this department. Both speakers possess some sort of resistance to water. The Charge 3 is waterproof with an IP rating of X7. That means this speaker can withstand immersion in water for up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. The Xtreme, on the other hand, isn’t much of a swimmer. This speaker can better handle itself splashing around in the kiddie pool hence the reason it is splash proof. A little rain and drizzle here and there is fine, but don’t use the Xtreme as a floatie. It wont save you from drowning or your poor choices in music.

The buttons on each speaker are exactly the same and in the exact same spot, respectively. There are volume controls, a pause/play button, and another button to engage in Connect, which enables any JBL speaker also using Connect to sync together and play the same audio at the same time. There’s also a button to turn on Bluetooth, obviously. The Charge 3 can run for up to 20 hours over Bluetooth 4.1 while the Xtreme runs for up to 15 hours over Bluetooth 4.1.

JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme – Sound

The Charge 3 delivers sound that is cleaner across the board with more accuracy and detail. The bass from the Xtreme is powerful and deep, but it can cover some of those sparkly elements in the mids and highs. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sound great. In fact, I like the power behind the Xtreme. It’s meant for a pool party, a bonfire, a pep rally. I may be  hyperbolizing, but nonetheless it’s been lifting some audio weights and is an audio force (source) to be reckoned with. The Charge 3 is like its little bro, almost as jacked and still bright and spritely about life. Not full of brooding bass, as yet.

The Xtreme is better fit for outdoors while the Charge 3’s brighter tone (in comparison) does better indoors. The Charge 3 has got a nice bit of bass, but the boost in the Xtreme makes it ideal for outdoor usage.

Specs-wise, both of these speakers are hitting a pretty nice frequency response range. The Xtreme reaches a response between 70 Hz to 20kHz and the Charge 3 reaches a response between 65 Hz to 20 kHz.

If you’re all about that bass and plan to use your speaker for more outdoor use, investing in the JBL Xtreme for $299.95 at Amazon. Though, for the lowest price check out Audio 46 since they take a percentage off the base price using the code “welcome46” for online orders.

If you want something a bit more portable for indoor usage parties, birthdays, or small gatherings the JBL Charge 3 can ring your bell on Amazon . Make sure to purchase from authorized dealers for a compettive and safe price. Also check out Audio 46 for a discount off of the base price using the code “majorhifi” at checkout.

I hope our JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Xtreme Wireless Speakers Review helped you. If you still have questions, let us know down below.