JBL’s Flip series has produced some of the finest portable speakers so far and the company's new offering is Flip 6 — a simple and rugged speaker with powerful sound output.
Although its predecessor, the Flip 5, was in itself a complete and powerful speaker with great performance, the Flip 6 takes things a little further with some sound improvements and other meaningful updates.
Let’s find out if the JBL Flip 6 is worth your money:
JBL Flip 6: Design
The JBL Flip 6 resembles its predecessor (Flip 5) as there are hardly any notable changes in terms of looks.
It, too, has a cylindrical build, wraparound grille, and bass radiators on each end. The metallic grille gives it a rough look while the rubber caps on each side protect the bass radiators.
I had the black unit which I really liked but it also comes in red, blue, and gray shades so you may explore that as well.
The speaker has a solid build, weighs around 500 gm, and can be carried in one hand, although there is a strap that you can use to carry it or place it somewhere.
Overall, it has a very basic look; there is a small rubber stand that keeps it intact on most surfaces so it doesn’t roll down. There’s a big JBL logo on the speaker and there are touch buttons as well for play/pause, volume, etc.
On the bottom of the speaker is where you’ll find the power and Bluetooth buttons, which light up when you press them, along with a USB-C charging port.
The Flip 6 is not just water-resistant, you get dust resistant as well with an IP67 rating. This could be a good companion for beach outings, or for pool parties. That said, you can also take it to the hills and may sit near a stream without worrying about water.
JBL Flip 6: Battery life
JBL Flip 6 easily lasts for more than 10 hours on a full charge. However, it will take you about 1.5-2 hours roughly to fully charge the speaker.
The speaker has Bluetooth 5.1 which is a bit dated but it connects well with phones, laptops, or tablets. The Bluetooth range is also pretty good. The best part is, that you can connect two devices at once which makes things a little easy if you’re out on a trip as more people get to play their music.
JBL Flip 6: Performance
To put things simply, the Flip 6 has a powerful output and the bass is quite heavy, which makes it a go-to speaker for regular use.
The powerful bass and rich mid frequencies, while a separate tweeter provides high levels of clarity from treble tones. Those passive radiators on each end of the speaker extend the low end even further for satisfying, chest-thumping bass lines that never sound bloated or muddy.
The JBL Flip 6 is loud yet it doesn’t compromise on quality and the sound distribution is balanced as well.
For those looking to add more power, they can use the PartyBoost feature to pair two compatible JBL speakers in stereo.
However, what’s notable is there is no support for voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant which is a dampener for some but frankly I hardly use them so it won’t bother me much.
You can expect strong bass lines, rich vocals, clear rap sequences, and smooth but clear instrumental melodies from this speaker.
Should you buy the JBL Flip 6?
The Flip 6 is one of the finest portable speakers and JBL has loaded with powerful sound output to make it versatile enough for indoors as well as outdoors.
That said, it’s a simple speaker without flashy features but it’s a great companion for those who love a balanced and rich sound.
However, if you already own a Flip 5, then it makes little sense to upgrade, but if you’re looking to buy a new speaker, then you can consider JBL Flip 6.
But the Flip 6 is not inexpensive, it costs around Rs 15,000 and you can get it at a discounted price of about Rs 12,000 from leading e-commerce websites.
It's a tricky price range as you can go for Marshall's Emberton or Sonos Roam, spending a little extra.
