Design and build:

The Charge 4 and 3 are cylindrical speakers available at multiple color options. They have similar size and weight. Although they are portable, due to their weight, it is difficult to take them anywhere like hiking, climbing, etc. The speakers are suitable to take outdoors without any worry as they have IPX7 rating.

Performance:

Comparing JBL Charge 3 vs 4, the Charge 3 can play in stereo mode whereas the 4 plays in mono. The Charge 3 and 4 supports aux input and Bluetooth connectivity. Charge 4 has the updated Bluetooth 4.2 version. The JBL Charge 3 has 2 2" drivers and 2" passive radiators. It uses DSP to improve the sound. Although the drivers are smaller than the Charge 4, the stereo sound gives the real taste of music making them more lifelike.

When placed outdoors, it is capable of producing sound within 20 ft range. It has clean and deep bass but the Charge 4 has more powerful low ends. JBL Charge 4 has 1 3.5" x 1.9375" driver and 2 2.25” passive radiators. Similar to the Charge 3, it can get quite loud for compact spaces. They can easily fill up medium sized rooms.

It is best to play them at moderate volumes to avoid noticeable distortion. The Charge 4 has an average soundstage with decent focus. None of the speakers have EQ settings which might have improved the performance further. Both these speakers sound bigger than its size.

Connectivity:

Both these speakers have aux input along with Bluetooth. The Charge 4 has the updated Bluetooth 4.2 version. It has very low latency which means you can easily watch movies without any lip sync issue.

Multiple speaker pairing:

They use JBL Connect+ and Connect feature to pair with other JBL speakers. Make sure to note that the Charge 3 works with the older Connect supported speakers whereas the 4 will be compatible with Connect+ supported speakers only.

Battery life:

Although the speakers are advertised to have a battery life of 20 hours, we tested them for couple of days to realize it is much lower. The Charge 4 lasts around 13 hours and the Charge 3 around 12 hours. In terms of battery life, there is no clear winner.

Microphone:

Comparing JBL Charge 3 vs Charge 4, the Charge 3 has a microphone. With this you can take phone calls through the speaker. Press the play/pause buttons to answer or end phone calls. It also supports voice assistants via smartphone like Siri and Google Now. 7

Control options:

The speaker has controls like volume up/down, play/pause, Bluetooth and Connect+/Connect functions. The Charge 3 has some additional function like activate voice assistant or receive/end phone call. For that there is no additional control, it uses the play/pause button. They use JBL Connect app which is later on named as JBL Portable.

Cost:

 JBL Charge 3 vs Charge 4 price comparison shows that the Charge 3 is cheaper. While both are affordable and available under $100, choose the Charge 3 if cost is a major concern for you.

FAQ:

How to reset JBL Charge 3?

Turn on the speaker, then press the Bluetooth and + button together. Wait for some time so that the speaker turns off. Then turn back the speaker and look for the LED to glow blue. This indicates the speaker reset is complete.

Which one is the louder speaker than the JBL Charge 4?

JBL Charge 4 has average loudness. If you want a louder speaker check the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. With higher SPL it is suitable for larger gatherings and parties.