Andy
JBL Flip Portable Wireless Speaker Review
JBL are one of the major players in the audio world with consistently brilliant products with great build quality and even better sound quality at an affordable price. The new JBL Flip portable speakers continue this trend with a very fashion conscious look with a fashionably low price tag, making this one of the most desirable gifts this Christmas.
Sound Quality
As mentioned, JBL are one of the market leaders when it comes to sound quality, and the Flip smashes all expectations. Given the smaller size of the flip, you would expect performance to lack, but quite the contrary. With its two 5W speakers and built-in base port, the Flip delivers crystal clear and rich sounds with little to no effort. Even at high volumes, this speaker doesn’t become distorted or start crackling as some of its competitors might.
Style
The Flip casing is combination of metal mesh to protect the main speakers with the rest of the body being made of plastic. This gives the Flip a high quality feel with a strong durable case that can take more than a few knocks, which is perfect for things like house parties where you can leave it and not have to worry about its getting smashed or falling over. The buttons on the side feel nice enough, and are non-protruding. The available colours at the moment are Black, White, Blue, Red, and finally Green, which all look very nice,but not quite as classy as Black, but either way you can’t complain with the overall finished look of this amazing speaker.
Other Mentions
The JBL has a reasonable 5 hour battery life which can be charged via the mains, and takes around 3 hours for a full charge. Included in the box are said charger and a neoprene carry case to protect a little more while traveling, which is a nice touch considering other companies would probably expect you to buy a case. You can connect to the speakers either by Bluetooth or by Aux in to help conserve some of your phone’s valuable battery. Finally, while your phone is connected, if you receive a phone call, you can answer by the phone button on the side of the Flip, and speak through its built-in microphone. Another nice little touch which while not necessary is good to see as an additional feature.
Final Comments
Considering the price you pay for these little speakers, you do get a lot of bang for your buck. When you look at some of the competitors which are more expensive and less powerful, it’s easy to see why the JBL Flip is on the top of a lot of people’s Christmas list.