Jbl Flip 5 Sound Quality – The Flip 5 is a well-deserved successor to the Flip 4, and whether you’re taking a weekend trip or just heading to the backyard, it’s definitely worth the money.
There aren’t many products that receive universal recommendations. Everything from cars to kitchen knives has tons of reviews and comments for people to check out before they buy. That’s not the case with affordable waterproof Bluetooth speakers. For years, if you wanted a speaker that you could take to the beach and wouldn’t break the bank, my answer was to buy the JBL Flip. We spent a few weeks after the launch of the JBL Flip 5 and found it to be an excellent speaker. But is the updated Flip 6 still worth buying?
Jbl Flip 5 Sound Quality
Editor’s Note: This review of the JBL Flip 5 was updated June 13, 2022 in an updated format with more details on the JBL Flip 6, mentions of the recycled plastic version of the Flip 5, updated pricing, and includes Anker Soundcore Flare and Anker Soundcore Flare 2 as a replacement.
Jbl Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review
If there’s one thing the JBL Flip line is known for, it’s endurance. The Flip range started out as splash proof and eventually became fully waterproof – and the new JBL Flip 5 remains the same. It’s wrapped in a durable fabric material that gives it an IPX7 rating, which means it can survive underwater in one meter of water. There is a piece of sturdy rubber on each end of the speaker that protects the exposed bass radiators.
It’s still small enough to fit in your bag and comes with a lanyard, though I’d recommend swapping it out for some paracord.
On the back of the speaker you’ll find Bluetooth pairing and power buttons and a USB-C port for charging the speaker. There are lights around the two buttons here when the speaker is on and connected to a source device. This is a useful feature, and I wish it also worked on the play button embedded in the fabric. While it’s easy to figure out which button is which due to the slight protrusion of the fabric, I think it would be easier to use in low light if it was lit or at least painted a different color. While I like the black-on-black look, I think leaving the white buttons or some other bright color showing on the speaker would help with readability.
I’m criticizing here because the JBL Flip 5 is built in, as well as a $100 speaker for your next adventure. A small rope loop is built into the speaker so you can hang it from things like tree branches or even showers. Pro tip: If you choose one of these, I recommend ditching the cheap shoelace and replacing it with a sturdy, inexpensive paracord that can come in handy in emergencies while walking.
Jbl Flip 5 Review
The speaker design hasn’t changed much from the JBL Flip 4. The Flip 5 is still cylindrical, and at 540 grams, it’s not heavy at all. It’s a perfect option to put this speaker in the water bottle pocket of any backpack. Another underrated thing about the Flip line is that they come in so many different colors; so whether you want teal, black, or even pink, you can find something that works for you.
You get standard playback buttons like volume up or down buttons designated by plus and minus signs respectively. Then there’s the play/pause button, which lets you pause a track or skip to the next song if you double tap it.
The JBL Portable app (iOS/Android) formerly known as “JBL Connect” works with the Flip 5 and other JBL speakers. Here you can use the three-band EQ to equalize the sound, switch feedback tones, update the firmware and activate PartyBoost mode. PartyBoost is only useful if you have multiple PartyBoost compatible JBL speakers, unlike JBL Connect+. In other words, you cannot connect Flip 5 to Flip 4.
To use PartyBoost, click the dedicated PartyBoost button on the speaker, then you can pair a second JBL speaker for stereo sound or even add more energy to your party. In my experience, just one speaker is enough for any hike or beach trip I’ve ever taken. If you constantly need a second speaker to power your party, it might be worth investing in something like the JBL Boombox or UE Hyperboom, which are big speakers and shouldn’t have a problem partying with you.
Jbl Charge 5 Vs Flip 6: Which Bluetooth Speaker Is Better?
It’s more irritating than you want it to be. For example, you cannot pair a Flip 4 with a Flip 5 using Partyboost. The reason is that the Flip 4 uses an older version of Connect+, and JBL doesn’t seem to care much about backwards compatibility. The safest option is to pair similar products with similar products of the same generation, such as the Flip 5 and Charge 5.
Pairing with the JBL Flip 5 hasn’t changed compared to any previous versions, it’s still perfect. All you need to do is:
The connection strength was solid and I could play music from the iPhone 11 Pro in my pocket anywhere in my apartment. However, when something goes wrong, the speakers need to be turned on and off before normal playback. Twice during the test, the audio started skipping and stuttering uncontrollably, which is annoying – but thankfully it’s not permanent. Simply turning off the speakers seems to solve the problem, but it’s still not something you want to deal with.
Unfortunately, there’s no high-quality Bluetooth codec here, so there’s a lot of lag when watching YouTube videos. For some reason the audio was never in sync with what the person said and because JBL removed the 3.5mm input: there is no real solution to this problem. It’s a shame, because you can’t use this speaker with anything that doesn’t have Bluetooth.
Jbl Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker
JBL claims 12 hours of continuous playback with the JBL Flip 5, and in our tests we got 9 hours and 27 minutes, which is not bad at all, but a little short of the claimed 12 hours. Still, it’s more than enough for a normal day at the beach or a nice walk.
Before reading too many overly smooth graphics, realize that the Flip 5 is a cheap Bluetooth speaker. The 60Hz attenuation is something you can’t just ignore completely, but you have to live with, no matter which speaker you buy for less than a few hundred dollars. Also, since you can use it in less-than-ideal environments: this is just a rough measurement that will give you a
.It is not always representative of what you will hear because you will not hear it in a muted or muffled sound environment. You will be listening in the living room, or in a noisy place like the beach, or in the backyard.
The JBL Flip 5 still sounds good enough for what you’re going to use it, but don’t expect amazing sound.
Jbl Flip 5 Review: Still Good In 2022?
JBL has updated the drivers inside the speaker for deeper bass, and as far as I can tell, the company has had success. JBL’s wireless speakers tend to drop bass notes by around 2-8dB from mid-C and below. The Flip 5 follows this trend, and you’ll probably be happy with the sound without using too many in-app equalizers or the like. Take it out of the box and start using it.
This section presents an old frequency response graph. We are still refining our standardized speaker tests with appropriate support equipment to update our tests and data collection. It will take some time to break it all down, but we will update this review (and many others!) as soon as we can improve the sound quality measurements and performance graphs. This will be apparent with the new graphic aesthetic (black background instead of white).
Thank you for being with us and we hope to see you again when everything is resolved!
The bass response this time definitely sounds more focused than on the JBL Flip 4. It still won’t be the best thing you’ve heard.
Jbl Flip 6 Vs Jbl Flip 5: Which Portable Speaker Is Right For You?
The difference is subtle, and if you’re out in the backyard or at the beach: you’re probably streaming from a crappy service like Spotify. If you don’t really pay attention to the subtleties of the bass response, you won’t hear them anyway. Still, it’s a hit on Tame Impala’s The Less I Know The Better, where the funky bassline is an important part of the song.
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