The JBL brand is known for hard-hitting Bluetooth speakers that you can easily take on hikes or to pool parties, and the JBL Flip 6 seems poised to continue that legacy. It still feels a lot like the JBL Flip 5 at the end of the day, with the same tough construction and sound profile, some cosmetic changes, and a clearly improved audio configuration. The Flip 6 upgrades the IPX7 rating from the Flip 5 to a full IP67, which means it is now water and dust resistant.
The speakers can be immersed in salt water, and sand won’t get behind the grille or bass driver like it does in the Bose SoundLink Flex. The plastic bumper allows the speaker to bounce slightly instead of lying flat. While that is good for preventing dents, it also means that these areas will quickly collect scratches and marks. A carrying loop is tied near the backlit Bluetooth and power buttons. There is no built-in clip on this loop. The USB-C charging port is also located here.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Downloading the JBL Portable app gives the Flip 6 a genuine ace in the hole. Here, thanks to the Partyboost toggle, you can find other JBL Partyboost-enabled speakers (such as the Flip 5) and connect them in ‘party’ (i.e. mono) mode, or in stereo if you have another Flip 6. Flip 5 and Flip 6 It’s a shame that you can’t make stereo pairs from the Flip 5 and Flip 6, but that’s not a new surprise: on the Flip 6’s in-app dashboard, above the feedback tone slider (which turns off the notifications heard when pairing/unconnecting/powering off etc.), you can adjust the sound with the 3 band equaliser now appears, and we’ve wanted this feature for a long time.
After working with the bass, mid and treble sliders for a while, as you might imagine, the mid and treble enhancements are the most obvious. However, with a design that’s roughly the same size as a hot dog, that’s not surprising, and the speaker is not lacking in the bass department. While not recommended for indoor listening, there are some situations (e.g. at the beach) where the higher treble and midrange can cut down on external noise, in which case it would certainly add value.