JBL Flip Essential Review
The JBL Flip Essential Bluetooth speaker has been designed for those who want to get down with their music wireless with a tight budget while enjoying excellent music quality. It does not have all of those fancy extras that you would find on one of its sister models, but it still manages to bring a lot more than what is needed at an affordable price point. In this review, I will look at the features offered by this speaker and how it stacks up against competitors in both quality and pricing.
The JBL Flip Essential Bluetooth speaker is a booming device that offers portability and sound in one convenient package. The most notable aspect of the design, which can either rest horizontally or be flipped vertically for optimal use, lies within its rubber support base that allows you to place it on any smooth surface without worrying about damage. It also has dual external passive radiators, so your favorite song will always come through loud and clear no matter where you are!
If you want to take your music on the go, then this JBL Flip Essential speaker review can help. It is a rugged and durable Bluetooth speaker perfect for outdoor adventures or blasting some tunes in your backyard! Let me explore its features with an unboxing video I made of it below.
About: JBL Flip Essential is a rugged, portable speaker designed to take on any adventure. It’s waterproof and has a battery that lasts up to 10 hours – enough for your next trek or festival outing! With outstanding bass, this little guy packs an impressive punch in its size.
Who is the JBL Flip essential for?
- Shower singers. For some people, music has always been a great way to relax in the shower. But how can you sing without getting your phone wet? Now there are speakers available that won’t let water damage them! The IPX7 covering means that it’s utterly resistant against water and these waterproof speakers have all of the features needed for an enjoyable shower singing experience.
- If you’re looking for a good Bluetooth speaker, there are plenty of options available. But suppose your budget is tight and you don’t have much to spend on one yet. In that case, the Flip Essential by JBL offers excellent sound quality at an affordable price point that can make it worth the purchase over higher-end competitors in this category like the Bose SoundLink Revolve or Fugoo Style XL.
- Someone who is going to be outdoors. The Flip essential was designed for someone who is going to be outdoors. If you’re into hiking, camping, or just headed to the beach, this particular model has always been a great companion, and that doesn’t change with this new version.
Design
The Flip Essential is a highly affordable yet quality speaker that closely resembles the original design of one of their earlier models. So if you’re looking for something on the go or don’t want to sacrifice sound quality due to your budget constraints, this may be a perfect choice!
The speaker is minimalist in design, with a gray exterior that blends nicely into the environment. As far as accessories go, all you will find when opening up your box are an aux cord and micro-USB cable for charging purposes.
The JBL Flip Essential is a speaker that can survive your worst falls with the rubberized corners and rear panel. The fabric covers most of this rugged but handsome design, so it will stay looking pretty for even longer! The durable material combined with protection from fall damage makes sure you get to enjoy all three years of warranty coverage.
The JBL Flip Essential is a convenient speaker that comes with an included wire loop. That ensures the user can carry their speakers easily, and they will not be disappointed by it over time. Furthermore, most of this device is covered in durable cloth, which does not deteriorate, ensuring you get your money’s worth from this quality product.
JBL has made it its mission to provide the best performers in sound with a streamlined design, and that is precisely what they have done. The JB Flip Essential speaker, weighing only 470 grams, provides an impressive sound quality for its small size (2.5 x 2.5 x 6 7 inches), making this product perfect for any occasion, whether traveling or at home! It also comes in just one color, which makes choosing your following music companion simple: gray.
The Control
The small but powerful JBL Flip Essential bluetooth speaker has many buttons you can use to operate it. These include the play/pause, volume up and down, Bluetooth button on top of the grille, and power off/on controls located in a particular spot. Unfortunately, it lacks some features found on other models, such as Connect+ or PartyBoost, which lets you connect multiple devices; this is probably because its size prohibits these additions without compromising sound quality for an already compact speaker!
Double-tapping the play button will skip to a new song. The volume up and down buttons can either be tapped once for precise control or held down for more convenience in maxing out the sound, muting it completely, or setting it at any level you like.
The Battery
JBL claims of up to 10 hours will be only valid when listening at 30% of the total volume. The JBL essential had over 6 hours of playback time at a 50-55 percent loudness, and it gets about 3 hours of playing at full power, but this is still enough for most people’s needs since they won’t need that much battery life in one sitting anyway.
The charging connector on your Flip Essential still uses the old micro-USB connectivity rather than the more modern USB Type C found in recent releases. Unfortunately, that means that you’ll be waiting longer for it to charge, especially when compared to our latest release of a device with superior features such as those found in our new Flip 5 model!
The Bluetooth Connectivity
The JBL Flip essential is a portable speaker that will allow you to play your favorite music anywhere there’s a Bluetooth connection. It uses the latest Bluetooth 4.1 protocol and can reach up to 30 meters of connectivity range (up from 10). You’ll never have any problems with skipping or interrupted playback because it plays smoothly without glitches or interruptions.
The downside? Well, if you want two phones playing back different songs at once, then this isn’t for you since it only supports one phone at a time- but don’t worry! This great little device still has many more features like an integrated microphone, so conference calls are always on point!
Water Protection
The JBL Flip Essential wireless speaker is perfect for those who want to capture all of their adventures without worrying about the weather or by the pool. The IPX7 waterproof rating lets you submerge your device for up to 30 minutes underwater so that even a rainy day won’t stop you from capturing an extraordinary moment! Plus, there’s no need to worry about damaging your charging port with this sturdy rubber flap in place.
The speaker is made from durable rubber and does not degrade quickly. However, to maintain the waterproofness, I recommend only opening the charging port when necessary since it can come loose with use over time. Although you might be able to take this in dusty conditions without damaging it, IPX7 also means that if you’re worried about ruining your speakers, then open up those ports!
Other Feature
With any device, you can use the AUX input on JBL Flip Essential to connect it with a computer or other devices that are not Bluetooth-enabled.
The JBL Connect app is available to tailor your Flip essentials speaker. The software only allows for limited functionality due to the speakers’ limitations, but you can use it to modify the name of the speaker and update its firmware, as well as monitor how much battery life remains at any time so that you never run out of battery unexpectedly!
Sound Performance
The Flip Essential is a sound, quality-wise simplified version of the other more expensive models in this line. It has excellent balance and clarity without any significant distortions, so it’s perfect for listening to on your commute or even at work when you have an important meeting coming up soon!
The JBL FLIP essential is worth your time and money if you want an excellent speaker option for the outdoors. The bass response of this new model sounds great, but it still isn’t going to be as powerful as JBL FLIP 5, so keep that in mind before purchasing! However, the mids sound fantastic, with clear vocals and enough detail in background instruments without them taking over too much space within songs.
To enjoy the full potential of your high-quality speakers, it’s essential to make sure that you’re using a quality service like Tidal. If there is one thing I know from my experience in this field (and trust me – I’ve been around), people are often not aware when they hear low-quality music and end up compromising on their speaker system just because anything will do! But with all these different subscription services popping up out of nowhere, how can we be confident about what sounds good?
How do you pair the JBL Flip essential?
Follow these three simple steps when you need to set up your JBL Flip and want a seamless process. 1) Press the Bluetooth button on the back of the speaker 2) Once it begins blinking with a beeping sound, that means it has entered pairing mode 3) Open the Settings app from the device or laptop, where you will see “JBL flip essential” in the available devices section (Device: Tap icon). Pairing is now complete!
JBL Flip Essential vs Flip 5
The JBL Flip 5 is better than the JBL Flip Essential for many reasons, and this comparison will show just a few. The first reason it’s better is because of the price difference; you get more features with the higher-priced model. Secondly, there are some missing features in the cheaper version that can’t be found on its counterpart, including no microphone or speakerphone capabilities–a thing we don’t want to do without!
JBL Flip 5 is the newest Bluetooth speaker from JBL, and it’s better than its predecessors in every way. Fifteen hertz lower low-frequency sounds make music crispier with more bass to boot, while a 4mm bigger driver unit offers you even clearer audio quality for your enjoyment.
In addition, the newer Bluetooth version means that this unique sound can be transmitted over longer distances without gaps or distortion! This makes listening easier no matter where you’re at in your house because of the 2 hours extra battery life per charge compared to previous models.
The JBL Flip 5 is the better Bluetooth speaker between these two. The sound quality of this product, including its bass and treble response, makes it superior to other speakers in both price range and technical specs.
Conclusion
JBL has been a huge innovator in the world of headphones, and their newest model is no exception. The JB Flip Essential does away with some features from previous models while remaining affordable for all customers to enjoy!
The Flip 5 offers a lot more features than the Essential and is priced slightly a little bit more. You might want to buy it as an investment for your future needs!
The price difference between the original Flip 5, with all of its neat additional features, and this “Essential” model isn’t worth losing out on those added extras. Think about what you’ll need in terms of functionality down the line before deciding which one would be best suited for you right now.
What Buyers Say About JBL Flip Essential?
This “essential” model does not cut corners on what makes JBL great, the sound quality. Can’t really beat this in the price range when its on sale. My only complaint is the price, it really shouldn’t be over $100 for what it is.
Awesome speaker, this is the second one we purchased, one for myself and one for my son. Great sound, we take it to the beach and are not concerned if it gets water on it. I was debating between the JBL and Bose, for the price difference JBL won out and has been an awesome choice!
It stands nicely vertical on a table but I like that it fits in your hand and grab it, if your going from room to room. It will even fit in the cup holder of your car. I have the Bose Color Link which is more money, shorter battery life and clunky to carry so the JBL design is more to my liking. JBL has several models and builds and they all have a similar sound quality of above average. I recommend this over the Bose. Hope this helps.
I use when I’m in the spa and my cell phone is 20 feet in the house. The sound is excellent and as it is waterproof, I’m not afraid it will get splash of water. There is also a small strap that can be put on the wrist to carry it easily. Does not look “cheap”, looks made of sturdy material. Easy to pair with different sound sources, cellular, tablet, laptop, desktop computer that support Bluetooth. The battery seems to keep its charge long enough. At the moment, I am very satisfied with it and especially with its small size but with a powerful sound but adjustable according to its needs.
JBL Flip Essential Specifications
- Bluetooth version: 4.1
- Support: A2DP V1.2, AVRCP V1.5
- Transducer: 2 x 40mm
- Output power: 2 x 8W RMS
- Frequency response: 80Hz – 20kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥80dB
- Battery type: Lithium-ion polymer(3.7V, 3000mAh)
- Battery charge time:3.5 hours @ 5V1A
- Music playing time: up to 10 hours(varies by volume level and audio content)
- Dimensions (H x W x D):64 x 169 x 64 (mm)
- Weight: 470g
