JBL Flip 2 portable Bluetooth speaker review
Top portable speaker takes it up a notch
The Good The JBL Flip 2
is a highly portable Bluetooth speaker that's designed to be used
horizontally or vertically. It sounds good and plays very loud for its
size, has speakerphone capabilities, NFC tap-to-pair, and ships with a
nice carrying case.
The Bad At around 4 to 5 hours, battery life remains so-so.
The Bottom Line Although
its battery life remains a weak point and its price has gone up a bit,
the Flip 2 is an improvement over the original Flip and one of the best
mini portable Bluetooth speakers available.
8.2 Overall
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Design
9.0
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Features
8.0
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Sound quality
8.0
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Value
8.0
Review Sections
- JBL Flip 2 portable Bluetooth speaker
JBL's new Flip 2 may look very similar to company's original Flip wireless Bluetooth speaker, but it's got some key upgrades that make it a better speaker.
On the performance end, JBL has improved the clarity of both the
speaker and the speakerphone, which features something called SoundClear
echo and noise cancellation technology. The speaker also has a slightly
higher power rating (2x6 watts, 2x5 watts for the original Flip) and
like the original, it plays impressively loud for its size. It's a tad
heavier at .84 pounds (381g) versus 0.78 pound (354g) for the original,
but still lightweight enough to easily carry around.
The other
important change is to the way the Flip charges. With the original Flip,
you had to charge it with a proprietary AC adapter. The new model
charges via Micro-USB, which means that you can use a standard Micro-USB
cable and plug it into a computer USB port or power adapter for
charging.
JBL has also added NFC tap-to-pair technology for phones and tablets
that the support the feature. However, I find this feature somewhat
superfluous since the speaker will automatically connect with your
mobile device (or PC) after you create an initial pairing. You just need
to have Bluetooth enabled on your device, then turn the speaker on for
automatic pairing.
The JBL Flip 2, which comes in a variety of colors, can be stood up vertically or laid down horizontally. Sarah Tew/CNET
For those who aren't familiar with this speaker,
it's called the Flip because you can stand it up vertically or lay it
down horizontally. Like with the first Flip, I can't say I noticed a
difference in sound quality but I listened to it more often oriented
vertically than horizontally. It has a smaller footprint in this mode,
and the physical buttons (power on/off, call end/answer, and volume) end
up on top where they're a little easier to see and reach. It's worth
noting that there's no pause/play button or transport controls (skip
track forward/back) on the speaker itself. Most people won't mind, but
some users like to have at least a pause/play button on the speaker.
In comparing the original to the new model, I did notice that the
designers have traded a harder rubber finish for one that's soft to the
touch and has a little more grip (this helps to keep the speaker from
moving around when you crank the volume).
The other change involves the included carrying case. The
previous version was a simple neoprene affair. The new "hard" case is a
bit swankier and offers better protection. A Micro-USB cable and USB
power adapter round out the included accessories.
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Performance
The Flip was one of the
better sounding Bluetooth speakers for its size and the Flip 2 takes
things up a notch. It's not a big notch, but it's noticeable. The Flip 2
handles bass a little better at higher volumes and has a little bit
smoother, cleaner sound. It can also play slightly louder, though you
will encounter some harshness when you raise the volume above 70 percent
(all these speakers do better at more modest volume levels).