Skilled’s Ranking
Execs
- Sturdy, water resistant design
- Sturdy sound high quality
- USB-C gives wired audio
Cons
- No Wi-Fi or AirPlay
- Bass may very well be firmer
- No charging cable included
Our Verdict
The compact design implies that the bass output may very well be a bit firmer, however the up to date Flip 7 can nonetheless match its backpack-sized rivals for sound high quality. Throw in a rugged, water resistant design and each Bluetooth and USB for wired audio, and this light-weight speaker can actually earn its maintain once you’re outside this summer time.
Value When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing Immediately
Value When Reviewed
149,99 Euro
Finest Costs Immediately: JBL Flip 7
€149
€149
149,00 €
149,00 €
149,99 €
149,99 €
€149.99
With summer time quick approaching, JBL lately up to date a number of of its transportable Bluetooth audio system, however the one that actually caught our eye was the rugged and backpack-friendly design of the brand new Flip 7. Priced at simply $149.95/£129.99, and obtainable in quite a lot of colors, the Flip 7 is clearly a direct competitor for the lately launched Beats Capsule, but it surely manages to outdo its Beats rival in a lot of methods.
For starters, the up to date Flip 7 now boasts a critically rugged IP68 score for resistance to water and mud – in comparison with IP67 for the Beats Capsule – which permits it to outlive full immersion in 1.5m of water for as much as half-hour. JBL says that it’s ‘drop-proof’ too, because of a shock-resistant rubber trim that may survive a drop of 1m proper onto a concrete ground. However whereas it’s constructed like a tank, the Flip 7 remains to be very mild and transportable. It stands 182mm excessive, 69.5mm broad and 71.5mm deep – though you can even flip it onto its aspect it you like – and weighs simply 0.56kg, so it’s straightforward to slide it right into a backpack or bag and carry it round once you’re travelling. JBL additionally features a wrist-strap and carabiner clip, which you’ll take away and swap round as required, to assist maintain it protected.
The Flip 7 helps the newest Bluetooth 5.4 for wi-fi audio, and the USB-C port on the again of the speaker will also be used to offer a wired audio connection, in addition to charging the inner battery. There’s no USB-C cable included although, as JBL is attempting to chop down on its use of plastics, so that you’ll want to offer the cable your self.
It doesn’t help Wi-Fi or AirPlay for Apple units – as Sonos’ equally transportable Roam speaker does – however that’s rather a lot to ask from such an reasonably priced speaker. And, after all, Wi-Fi help wouldn’t be a lot use for a speaker that’s clearly supposed to stay outside more often than not. Some folks could also be dissatisfied that the Flip 7 doesn’t help the aptX codec for Bluetooth audio, but it surely does help Apple’s AAC codec to be used with Macs, iPhones and iPads.
Sound high quality
Sound high quality is spectacular for such a compact speaker, because of an 80mm woofer and 16mm tweeter that mix to offer a wholesome 35W output. If you wish to sit back on a lazy summer time afternoon then the Flip exhibits a fragile contact on the piano-and-violin duet on Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel Im Spiegel, permitting the wistful melodies of the 2 devices to gracefully weave by the air. However crank up the amount at party-time and the Flip 7 can blast out the arm-waving Planetary Go! by My Chemical Romance with actual gusto. It’s a busy monitor, with headbanging guitars colliding with EDM keyboards, however the Flip 7 retains all of the devices clear and distinct whereas the agency thud of the drums holds the sonic chaos collectively. It’s fairly highly effective too, and simply 50% quantity is loud sufficient to have me anxious about annoying the neighbours, so it’ll be nice for getting issues going once you’re outside with your pals.
Inevitably, the principle weak point with a speaker of this measurement is the bass output, and the bouncing digital bass on Dangerous Man by Billie Eilish doesn’t fairly have the agency kick {that a} bigger speaker may present. Even so, the bass remains to be fairly respectable for such a compact speaker, and the sound high quality of the Flip 7 is greater than a match for rivals such because the Sonos Roam or Beats Capsule. The JBL Transportable app additionally consists of an equalizer that permits you to fine-tune the sound to fit your style, in addition to an possibility for linking it with a second Flip to offer two-channel stereo audio.
The one space the place the Beats speaker has an edge is with its 24-hour battery life. The Flip 7’s 14-hour battery is actually sufficient to final all day lengthy, and the JBL app gives an possibility referred to as ‘playtime increase’ that adjusts the sound output to squeeze an additional two hours out of the battery (though this does require the app to de-activate your EQ settings). The Capsule is perhaps the higher possibility in the event you’re planning on raving for a complete weekend at a music pageant, however the lighter and extra compact Flip has an edge on sheer portability.
Ought to I purchase the JBL Flip 7?
Transportable audio system all the time have to search out the precise stability between measurement, sound high quality and battery life, and a bigger speaker such because the Beats Capsule can actually present longer battery life. Nevertheless, the Flip 7 strikes a great all-round stability, offering wonderful sound high quality, good battery life, and a sturdy, light-weight design at a really aggressive value.
See how the JBL Flip 7 compares to different iPhone audio system we now have examined: Finest AirPlay audio system for iPhones and Apple Music.
