JBL Flip 6 guide

JBL Flip 6 Review: One Powerful Little Bluetooth Speaker

JBL's latest Flip speaker offers improved sound with stronger bass and overall clarity.

While the latest Flip portable speaker, the JBL Flip 6, doesn't look much different from the Flip 5 on the outside, it continues JBL's tradition of making small tweaks and improvements over previous models. In the case of the Flip 6, that means improved sound quality, thanks to the two-way driver (a woofer and tweeter) and dual passive radiators that help it deliver much deeper bass than you might think. Its only real downside is that it's a little pricey at $130 (£130, AU$210). That said, the Flip 6 is one of the best designed and best sounding mini Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now.

Like the Flip 5, which remains on sale for about $20 less than this model, the Flip 6 is fully waterproof and can be safely submerged in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. However, it also adds dust resistance with an IP67 rating. (The first number refers to the dust resistance, the second to water.) Battery life is the same as the Flip 5's -- it's rated for up to 12 hours of audio playback at moderate volume levels and charges via USB-C. The Flip 6 weighs in at 1.21 pounds (550 grams) compared to the Flip 5's 1.2 pounds (540 grams).

JBL Flip 6 review

JBL continues an inspired run of form with the talented Flip 6 Tested at £130 / $130 / AU$200

The latest generation of JBL’s Flip continues to set the standard for the price

How might JBL cram an extra ounce of performance into the sixth iteration of its Award-winning Flip speaker? Add a mic for speakerphone duties? Chuck in a charge-out port for juicing up your device? Increase the battery life? No. But then JBL’s focus here has long been on two things: portability and sound quality.

The JBL Flip 6 is the next generation of the JBL Flip 5. This portable Bluetooth speaker is available in many different colors to suit your style. It's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, and its removable carrying strap is really handy if you want to bring it with you on the go. Compared to its predecessor, it's a lot more customizable, too, since you can use the graphic EQ in the JBL Portable app to switch up its sound to your liking.

JBL Flip 6 review: Portable Bluetooth speaker with strong sound

The JBL Flip 6 balances size and sound in this updated version of the popular Bluetooth speaker

As the latest incarnation of the one of the most popular Bluetooth speakers, the JBL Flip 6 continues to deliver the sonic goods and remains one of the best on the market.

The JBL Flip 6 portable Bluetooth speaker moves things on from its predecessor with upgrades that boost Bluetooth connectivity to 5.1 and incremental improvements to ruggedness and sound quality. From an external point of view, the Flip 6 introduces a branding refresh with a larger JBL motif embedded into the woven speaker grille, rather than the smaller JBL logo badge sported by previous versions.

Other than that things look pretty much the same, and I'd recommend looking at the Flip 5 also, one of the best waterproof speakers, which is still available from the JBL website and online retailers like Amazon, where it's currently discounted to $99.

What, then, does the Flip 6 bring to the table? A higher price, for one thing, though this is balanced out by stronger connectivity, enhanced sound quality, and stronger durability. While these might not be significant upgrades for existing Flip speaker owners, if you’re new to the scene and want something small and sweet-sounding, this makes a very decent start. Keep reading our JBL Flip 6 review to find out why.

To that end, the Flip 6 now supports Bluetooth 5.1 (rather than 4.2), a dust- and waterproof IP67 rating (updated from the waterproof-only IPX7 Flip 5) and a reworked driver configuration to boast even better sonics at the level.

As with its older generation model, the JBL Flip 6 is still ‘just’ a Bluetooth