Another speaker on the test bench. This time the JBL Flip 6

Last time I mostly praised the JBL Charge 5 speaker, this time I tackled the slightly more compact JBL Flip 6. What does it lack, what makes it great?

JBL Flip 6 – for just over €100, very good

Each eye has its own painter and JBL has prepared six different colors for the painters. I really like the blue version, although gray and white also look very attractive in the pictures. Even more attractive is the price, around €130 in Big Bang. This is just to my taste, and I believe that for the vast majority of people this is also a decent threshold for buying a speaker. Especially when it's backed by a company like JBL, which we're used to delivering quality products.

I won't talk about its shape, because it's completely classic, or very similar to the JBL Charge 5 speaker, where you can read more about what I like about the shape. What I would like to praise is that the color of the logo always matches the color of the speaker and that additional red trim complements the overall look nicely. I would also like to praise the IP67 rating, which is something new in this series (previously IPX7), and it gives the speaker the feeling that nature really can't get to it alive. It should also survive immersion in salt water, which I didn't want to try.

If it breaks somewhere, it will be on the attached string for easier carrying. Not because it's made of cheap materials, but because I expect it to be in use all the time and after a year or two of use it may start to rust. Fortunately, we just untie the knot and replace it with a new one. Maybe I miss the rubber pad that successfully anchors the JBL Charge 5 in place, but mostly the lone rubber foot works.

It connects via Bluetooth, there is a JBL app for stereo connection and a basic equalizer, just like the JBL Charge 5. In fact, you don't even need the app, all the necessary buttons are on the speaker. Here, too, the only thing I miss is the button to return to the previous track.

It is charged via the USB-C connector, the advertised autonomy is 12 hours, in my case I got up to 7 hours at somewhere around 60-70 % volume, which is still enough for a whole day of wandering, lying on the beach or on the terrace. Wi-Fi connection is not possible, nor is there a cable connection. It takes about two hours to charge.

It is not the loudest, but the sound quality is still at a high level

Because it is smaller, it cannot strain the lungs to the same extent as its larger peers. Because of this, I also had to use it at a slightly higher volume, which led to a faster drain on the battery. For smaller spaces, this is not a problem, but if you want to fill a larger space, this is where a problem can arise. It is also known that the woofers cannot exceed their limits and the low tones are less pronounced. Nothing annoying for me, but audiophiles would disagree with me.

In general, almost all genres played very nicely on the speaker for me. I would describe him as a jack of all trades, but he is not a master of any field. The soundstage is generally nicely balanced, the instruments are always recognizable with the exception of the highest volume, similarly with vocals, where minor distortion can occur at higher volumes.

It can be connected to two additional JBL speakers for stereo sound or for times when you need to cover a larger space. I tested it with the JBL Charge 5 and while I like their connection, it wouldn't take full advantage of it, at least for my use. If you love to host parties and are on a tight budget, then this comes into play. For something more serious, I recommend a dedicated party speaker.

In addition to good sound, its main advantage is portability. It is so small that it can accompany you everywhere, and the robust design will reassure you that rain, dust and other foreign objects will not affect its sound and performance.

JBL Flip 6 – for smaller parties and adventures

If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive speaker that can brighten up your afternoon, parties, camping... I can recommend the JBL Flip 6 without hesitation. Good sound, robust and beautiful design, solid battery, these are good enough reasons to buy.

If you're looking for an even more compact speaker, check out the JBL Go 4, or for more punchy sound, the JBL Charge 5.