You are probably searching for a reliable and solid speaker to play your favourite tunes. But with all the choices available on the market, choosing the best one can be daunting. To help you out, our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review will share another impressive product from JBL.
The company is known for reliable Bluetooth speakers for outdoor activities and adventures. And with Flip 6, the company continues their legacy of being efficient in creating such products.
Generally, the speaker feels like Flip 5: these both have a durable build and an excellent sound profile. However, the current speaker sports several cosmetic changes and optimised configuration.
But is the Flip 6 an ideal upgrade to the previous version? We spent over a week with it for our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review. We will share details about its features, specifications, build, functions, and performance.
But before that, let us check out what is inside the box.
JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Packaging
As expected, our speaker arrived in your typical-looking JBL speaker box. An image of the product on every side, plus its name and the company branding in front.
Of course, we unboxed the product for our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review. Inside, you will find the Flip 6, a USB-C cable, one quick start guide, plus a warranty card/safety sheet.
JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review – Design and Functionality
We will start our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review by discussing its design and functions. Generally, the Flip 6 is a little portable Bluetooth speaker that complements your setup aesthetics.
Its design and style are similar to its predecessors, and you can set it vertically or horizontally. Also, the speaker sports a detachable carrying strap in different colours. That means you can select the shade that best suits your style.
The Flip 6 is conveniently battery-powered. So, you can bring it with you outdoors without worrying about having to plug it into a power source.
The build quality of this speaker is excellent. The company slightly eased off the rugged rubber accents on the tubular speaker edges. The passive bass radiators feel cool, metallic, and textured instead of rubbery and smooth.
It feels solid while wrapped in a tight material that does not feel like it would rip easily. Also, there is a sturdy protective rubber on the speaker edges surrounding the passive radiators.
There is no rubber flap to protect the USB-C charging port. Despite that, it has the IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. It means the speaker is dust-tight, and you can immerse it in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes.
The positioning of its USB-C connector, power, and Bluetooth buttons is the same. However, they are on a smaller rubber surface that does not extend the entire length of the speaker.
Immediately above the logo are the control buttons. You can press them without looking down since they are fashioned differently from one another despite not having a backlight.
You may play and pause music, skip tracks, adjust the volume, and activate PartyBoost using the buttons. All of these can be useful during gatherings and on walks.
To skip tracks, double-click the play/pause button. You can combine it with another PartyBoost-compatible JBL speaker.
It is also possible to spread your speaker’s sound over a greater area without increasing its volume. Do these simply by utilising the PartyBoost button.
Key Features of the JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker
Get More Powerful and Louder Sounds
The Flip 6 2-way speaker system offers loud, pristine sound to keep the beat going. A discrete tweeter generates crisp, clear, and high frequencies, while the racetrack-shaped woofer provides low and intermediate performance.
Additionally, the speaker has dual passive radiators specially adjusted for deep bass utilising Harman’s sophisticated algorithm.
IP67 Dustproof and Waterproof
You can take your speaker everywhere since the JBL Flip 6 is IP67 waterproof and dustproof.
Bold Design to Match its Sound
The Flip 6 has a bold design that complements its loud audio. It may deliver big sounds, but it is portable, and you can position it vertically or horizontally. Also, it has an excellent design and comes in multiple colours to suit the preferences of everyone.
12 Hours of Playtime
Charging your battery is not something to worry about when using the Flip 6. It can play your music for as long as 12 hours on a single charge. We tested this for our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review, and its battery lasted as JBL claimed.
JBL Portable App
JBL Portable app allows you to maximise your music experience. This application provides updates and product support from your phone.
You can fully control sounds by amplifying your audio, adjusting the bass, and unlocking various features.
Boost the Fun with PartyBoost
With PartyBoost, you can pair the Flip 6 with other PartyBoost-compatible speakers from JBL. Pair two speakers for a stereo sound or connect multiple speakers for the perfect party experience.
USB Charging Protection
The Flip 6 features USB-C charging protection. It notifies you with a sound to unplug the connector if it detects salt, water, or other harmful elements and chemicals.
Earth-friendly Packaging
JBL commits to using sustainable and eco-friendly product packaging. The company packed the Flip 6 in a recyclable box with an inner tray made of paper. The plastic hang tab is also 90% recyclable, while its exterior print uses soy ink.
Specifications
This part of our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review will discuss its output power, frequency response, etc.
The speaker uses 16mm tweeters and 45 x 80mm woofers, while the output power is 20W RMS and 10W RMS, respectively. Its frequency response is 63Hz to 20kHz, with over 80dB of signal-to-noise ratio.
The battery on the product is a li-ion polymer 17.28Wh, and its charge time is 2.5 hours (5V/3A). With that, the Flip 6 can play music for up to 12 hours. However, the play time will depend on your volume level and audio content.
The Flip 6 has a USB-C charging cable that is 1.2m long.
This wireless speaker uses Bluetooth 5.1, and its transmitter has a frequency range of 2400 to 2483.5MHz. Its Bluetooth transmitter power is below 10dBm. For 2.4GHz SRD, its frequency ranges from 2407MHz to 2475MHz and has less than 10dBm SRD transmitter power.
The dimensions of the Flip 6 are 178 x 68 x 72mm (W x H x D) and it weighs 0.55kg.
Hands-on with the JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker
Before we discuss its performance in our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review, let us check its Portable App.
For firmware updates and a user manual, the Flip 6 uses the JBL Portable app, formerly JBL Connect. You can switch the speaker feedback tones on/off via the app. Instead of using the specific button, you can enable PartyBoost and stereo playback inside the app.
Remember that the stereo only works with two JBL speakers from the same generation. You can pair a Flip speaker with the Flip 6 for PartyBoost, but these two cannot function for stereo playback.
Its most notable feature is it boasts a standard equaliser that allows you to adjust highs, lows, and mids. Aside from that, there is not much going on on the app. It is good since you will not have to look into obscure settings to get things working effectively.
We looked into its audio performance for our JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review.
Flip 6 had an accurate frequency response. Its neutral sound profile made it ideal for most genres and various audio content. Plus, the balanced mid-range reproduced vocals and lead instruments accurately and clearly.
It lacked low bass like most small speakers, so it did not have enough thump and rumble in bass-heavy tracks.
However, we adjusted its sound based on our preferences with the help of the visual EQ offered by the app. However, it did produce enough low-bass thud and rumble.
The soundstage of the Flip 6 is not that bad. It had good directivity, allowing us to hear audio from most angles. While it allowed us to attach it to another speaker to create a stereo pair, it downmixed stereo content. The speaker altered to mono when we used it alone, which was not that immersive.
In isolation, Flip 6 delivered impressive sounds with an excellent tonal balance. The speaker slightly reduces its bass to avoid distorting the audio at higher volume levels.
We did not experience any connection issues or dropouts with Flip 6. With Bluetooth 5.1 and support for AAC & SBC codecs, it is compatible with most Android smartphones.
The Bluetooth connectivity of the Flip 6 allowed us to connect up to two devices simultaneously. It was handy when we switched from one audio source to another. We also appreciate that it worked effectively and stayed connected from a distance.
Its latency was slightly high with Android and iOS when watching videos. There was a noticeable delay between the audio and visuals, so we do not recommend using it for gaming. However, some apps compensate for latency, so your experience may differ.
JBL Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker Review Summary
The Flip 6 from JBL is a solid upgrade from the Flip 5. With its IP67 dust and water resistance, it is a reliable portable speaker you can take to parties and adventures. Plus, you still get the JBL sound signature that we all love.
This speaker also has excellent wireless connectivity, which lets you enjoy your favourite music. The only drawback is the lack of an aux input, but this feature is getting less common in Bluetooth speakers.
We highly recommend the Flip 6 since it is an excellent option if you want a reliable speaker. It features a great design and durable construction while delivering ideal audio quality and connectivity.
Learn more about the Flip 6 Speaker Bluetooth Speaker by visiting the official product page of JBL.
