The JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker was tested and came through with flying colors!
Jeffrey Clos participates in the Amazon Associates LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. There are some links within this article to the described product.
I have owned several wireless Bluetooth speakers over the last couple of years, but I haven't been able to find anything better than JBL. Having been introduced to the Charge line of JBL products, I have been more than satisfied with their sound quality. After my recent trip to the beaches of Florida, I can give a solid review on the JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker.
So why did I opt to add Flip 5 to my collection? This is a straightforward answer and revolves entirely around the unit's overall size. Let me be more specific! The Flip 5 is the same diameter as a soda can, meaning this unit will fit in just about any cup holder. We are talking about drink holders in water tubes, folding beach chair holders, cup holders in golf carts, and so on. Here are a few examples:
All right, we get it, Jeff….you like the size of the Flip 5! How about one more picture:
Now that we have established the size of the Flip 5 is a strong selling point, how about the sound? It is more than adequate, with plenty of highs and lows (treble and bass) for a speaker in this price range. I have always been pleased with the amount of sound pumped out of a speaker this size and price. I stream from Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music, and the quality is excellent, although the streaming quality is less than stellar. You won't complain about volume as this speaker will remain clear at the higher volumes. If anything, you will have to limit your volume regarding every passerby and fellow beachgoer. Let's face it: not everyone in your vicinity likes the same music you do!
Not to be forgotten is the IPX7 waterproof rating, as this is the main reason I jumped at buying some of the earlier JBL Charge models. This speaker has been tested in 1-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes and will continue to work as intended. When this feature was first offered, I jumped at the chance to take music out on the open water. Let me tell you, some of the first speakers to offer this were resistant at best. I have had instances with these JBL models "accidentally" falling into the drink. They have not skipped a beat!
Welcome Features:
The newer JBL speakers have incorporated USB-C charging, and I am thrilled with this decision.
The JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker advertises 12 hours of playtime. If you were ever to achieve this, I would guess this would be at low listening levels. I averaged a lot closer to 10 hours when using it.
I love the inclusion of the hard case. I threw my Flip into the hard case and the bottom of my carry-on backpack. The speaker looked pristine at my arrival destination each time.
Speaking of the hard case, it has an ample-sized compartment for additional cables. Trust me, I have no shortage of wires, and extra room is needed.
The Flip 5 has party boost mode, letting you pair up other party boost JBL speakers. This feature is good if you have multiple JBL speakers, but I rarely use it.
The Flip 5 has Bluetooth 4.2, an excellent range, and decent energy efficiency. (If you are looking to upgrade to the new Bluetooth 5.1, JBL has released the Flip 6)
Conclusion: Don't expect to host a raging party with the JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker. You will be satisfied with the sound for typical excursions, but you are buying this speaker for its portability and size. This is truly a device for bringing your music without losing sound quality. Those looking for booming music for entertaining large groups of people look into the larger JBL offerings like the Extreme 3 or Boombox 2. Expect to pay more for these more prominent speakers with a larger sound.
If you are looking for a reliable, reasonably priced, good-sounding speaker with waterproof properties, the Flip 5 is the speaker for you!