JBL Flip 6 review: portable, powerful and perfect

The Bluetooth speaker market has changed a lot since JBL’s first Flip speaker entered the market a decade ago. From built-in smart assistants to room calibration, Wi-Fi, waterproofing and more, the feature list of portable speakers has grown exponentially since speakers with 3.5mm jacks and USB charging points were “down to the last detail.”

While many have jumped on the bandwagon with varying degrees of success, JBL’s Flip series goes some way to keeping things simple. Now in its sixth generation, the JBL Flip 6 brings some carefully considered tweaks and additions, but that doesn’t take away from its dedication to powerful sound on the move.

Familiar and functional design

Visually, the JBL Flip 6 doesn’t change much from its predecessor or the four products that came before it – it’s still a cylindrical speaker covered in fabric (in a pretty wide range of colors) and has the signature visible passive The speakers have bass radiators on both ends.

It still retains its outdoor speaker credentials on the exterior, with rubber end caps, but there’s actually a lot more to brag about here, with upgrades including dust and water resistance, and an official IP67 rating.

It’s also perfectly sized for use on the go, can be held securely and comfortably with one hand, and comes with a carrying cord for support without compromising audio performance.

At 550 grams, it’s relatively light but doesn’t feel cheap and goes largely unnoticed when thrown in a bag or backpack. It’s also perfectly sized for use on the go, can be held securely and comfortably with one hand, and comes with a carrying cord for support without compromising audio performance. I take advantage of the speaker’s portability and use it for my daily entertainment. It’s my go-to accompaniment, pregame party starter, and improvised karaoke machine.

JBL is loud and proud of its branding this time around, replacing the little red JBL badge with a bolder logo in the center, and there’s a new rubber stand to keep it stable when placed vertically on a flat surface.

I take advantage of the speaker’s portability and use it for my daily entertainment. It’s my go-to accompaniment, pregame party starter, and improvised karaoke machine.

Above it is a very simple rubberized control panel with a power button, pairing button and USB-C input for charging, as well as a now sturdier anchor tether. The raised playback controls are on top and are the same color as the fabric, blending in with the fabric while still being tactile under the hand, making them easy to find with just a touch.

They cover play/pause and volume, as well as one-click access to PartyBoost, which allows you to pair the Flip 6 with other JBL speakers – either in mono/party mode with older generation speakers like the Charge 5 or Flip 5, Or stereo with another Flip 6.

These different modes can be set in the JBL Portable companion app, which also includes graphic equalizer controls for adjusting treble, bass, or midrange.

Portable yet powerful sound and battery

As for the reasoning behind the design, the Flip 6’s sound is much improved. The track-shaped drivers that came before return, with the same 20 watts of amplification power, but a separate tweeter is also added, powered by its own 10 watt amplifier, for a total RMS output of 30 watts.

Battery life has been extended to around 12 hours, which is good for a speaker of this size, although it’s still some way off the 26 hours promised by Huawei’s Sound Joy. So if you plan on taking it with you for pool day entertainment, we recommend bringing the charger with you.

Flip 6 focuses on sound, and it pays off

For a Bluetooth speaker without too many bells and whistles, it does one thing very well – plays music.

When we pressed play on Beyoncé’s upbeat Cuff It, JBL jumped into action, This feels like the kind of music the Flip 6 was made for, emphasizing the deep drum beats and making Queen Bey’s sweet, smooth vocals sound even softer.

Even when listening to coffee shop jazz at a low volume at my desk, the snare drum still produced a crisp sound that filled my small space and made me feel like I was actually working in a jazz cafe.

Treble, bass, and midrange are all top-notch

Of course, turn the volume up a bit and the Flip 6 rises to the challenge without hesitation. There’s a lot of power on hand, with tight, punchy and rich bass, setting the stage for a confident performance throughout. It effortlessly fills a room with sound and really belies its smaller size.

For a Bluetooth speaker without too many bells and whistles, it does one thing very well – plays music.

There’s also plenty of headroom and a slightly forward presence in the midrange, ensuring vocals cut through the richest bass lines with crispness and clarity.

There’s nothing slouchy about the JBL Flip 6. It does its best to grab your attention, get your feet tapping, and propel the music forward with reliable cross-frequency timing control.

Only at higher registers and at higher volumes you may experience some harshness in some recordings. The new tweeter gives the Flip 6 the confidence to push the treble higher, but while this results in a better return in most cases, it can result in a slightly harsher sound, which I was listening to on the Haul and Oatmeal Rich Female 100% volume.

There’s nothing slouchy about the JBL Flip 6. It does its best to grab your attention, get your feet tapping, and propel the music forward with reliable cross-frequency timing control.

Thankfully, its tonal and dynamic consistency across the entire volume range means you don’t have to push the sound high to breathe life into it, and the EQ settings also make a difference,

Conclusion: The perfect everyday speaker

The way the JBL Flip 6 operates as a small portable speaker is very admirable. It doesn’t strive for more, including a feature stack rarely used in a product like this. Instead, it focused on delivering premium, punchy sound in a rugged speaker on the go, and it definitely succeeded.

Now in its sixth generation, it’s constantly evolving – both internally and externally. For example, it’s now IP67 certified for better protection against outdoor elements, and features a new tweeter that helps improve clarity and detail for its powerful, vibrant performance. This has some drawbacks, too, and its newly ambitious high-end can sometimes sound harsh at the highest volumes. However, considering this speaker can fill most rooms with toe-tapping sounds with plenty of volume to spare, it’s easy to avoid that.

Overall, it’s a great little speaker that belies its size, and only improves on the great speakers that came before it.