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How could JBL improve the performance of the sixth version of its award-winning Flip speaker? Add a microphone to turn it into a speakerphone? Put in a charging port for your device? How can we make the battery last longer? No. But JBL has always been focused on two things: portability and sound quality.
To do this, the Flip 6 now has Bluetooth 5.1 instead of 4.2, a dustproof and waterproof IP67 rating (updated from the IPX7 Flip 5, which was only waterproof), and a reworked driver configuration for even better sound at the same level.
As with its older model, the JBL Flip 6 is still “just” a Bluetooth speaker. In 2022, it seems like a risky choice when other products in the same price range have voice assistant integration, outdoor boost buttons, and other cool features. It also has to compete with portable Bluetooth speakers made by JBL, which cost about the same as this one. Let’s find out if the risk was worth it.
JBL Flip 6 review: Design
After playing with the bass, mid, and treble sliders for a while, we found it easiest to hear when we added more midrange or treble. Even if they turn down the mid and treble tabs, bass fans won’t get much out of sliding the bass tab all the way to the top. But it shouldn’t be a surprise since the speaker is about the size of a hotdog and has a lot of bass.
We wouldn’t recommend it for listening inside, but there are times (like at the beach) when turning up the treble or mid frequencies is a good idea to cut through outside noise, and it does add value in these situations.
It’s also important to note that you can connect two devices to the Flip 6 at the same time. Like its predecessor, the Flip 6’s list of features is missing a few things when compared to some of its direct Bluetooth speaker competitors.
Want to use the Flip 6 to make a phone call? Sadly, you can’t do that. There are no microphones here, and there’s no aux-in for wired listening. You can buy this speaker from its official website.
JBL Flip 6 review: Features
As mentioned above, Charge 5 is the next step up. It has a USB-out port that lets you turn it into a power bank and charge your other portable devices. This has never been a part of the Flip line. It also doesn’t have an auxiliary port for plugging in an audio device with a cable or a built-in microphone for speakerphone use.
(The Charge 5 also doesn’t have the last two features.) Most people won’t have any trouble with that. But I mention it because some people would like to use their Bluetooth speaker as a speaker phone.
We also spent some time comparing the Flip 6 to the Bose SoundLink Flex, which is a $150 speaker that is a little bigger than the Charge 5. The Bose won because its soundstage was a little bit bigger and its sound was louder all around
. If you only listened to the Flip 6 by itself, you might think it sounds great for its size because it has a nice balance of tones overall. But after I turned on the SoundLink Flex, I wasn’t as excited about the Flip 6’s sound.
JBL Flip 6 review: Connectivity
However, this does not mean that we do not believe the JBL Flip 6 is worthwhile. On the contrary, owing to its uncomplicated interface, flawless connectivity, and user-friendly auxiliary application, this Bluetooth speaker is perfect for people who have never used one before.
With the JBL Flip 6, simplicity is the goal of the game, and as a result, there are no built-in mics for voice assistants or phone calls, no charging connector for your phone, no AUX-in for wired listening, and no Wi-Fi connectivity options. This speaker does little more than play your music, but it does so quite well.
JBL Flip 6 review: Sound Quality
On songs with a lot of sub-bass, like “Silent Shout” by The Knife, the Flip 6 gives strong low-frequency depth. The digital signal processing (DSP) makes the lows sound much thinner, but the bass doesn’t get distorted even when the volume is turned up to the max.
Even when the volume is turned down, the speaker still puts out a lot of sound, and the bass is stronger. This speaker isn’t a good choice for its size and price if you want subwoofer-like bass. Instead, it excels at lows and low-mids, but not thunderous rumble.
“Drover” by Bill Callahan, which has much less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better idea of how the Flip 6 sounds. On this song, the drums have a solid thump, and you can hear some boosting in the lows. Callahan’s baritone vocals have a richness in the low-mids that goes well with the clear definition in the high-mids. The strums of the acoustic guitar and the higher-pitched drum hits sound bright and clear. This is a common way for mono portable speakers to mix sounds.
Price and Availability
The JBL Flip 6 came out in December 2021, and you can buy it now for $129.95 or £129.99, which is about AU$175; the price in Australia hasn’t been set yet. That’s a little more expensive than its predecessor, the JBL Flip 5, which cost $119.95/£119.99/AU$149.95 when it came out in August 2019, but not by much.
The latest speaker from JBL, the Flip 6, is a lot cheaper than our favorite Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Roam. This is because the Flip 6 doesn’t have extra features like Wi-Fi connectivity that made the Roam more expensive. There are Bluetooth speakers that are less expensive, like the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 or the 1More Portable BT Speaker. If you’re on a tight budget, check out these speakers.
JBL Flip 6 review: Conclusion
The JBL Flip 6 is the successor to the JBL Flip 5 and features improved sound quality. This portable Bluetooth speaker is offered in a wide variety of colors so that it may be customized to fit your taste. If you want to take it with you everywhere you go, it has an IP67 rating, which indicates that it is resistant to dust and water, and it also has a carrying strap that you can remove.
It also offers a greater degree of personalization than its predecessor, thanks to the graphic equalizer that is included in the JBL Portable app, which allows you to adjust the device’s sound to suit your preferences.
JBL Flip 6 Rating
