My new Bluetooth speaker

My old speaker was a JBL Flip 4. It was a free gift from BT in August 2019, for switching my Broadband from Vodafone to them. In 2019 the Flip 4 had already been replaced by the Flip 5, but the Flip 4 was still available new online for £119. So this was a pretty good gift, and it turned out to be an excellent one. 

From the start I used my Flip 4 to play the mp3 music on my phone. But it quickly found another role, for listening to live radio broadcasts, and radio podcasts, streamed to my phone using Mobile Internet, and then sent onwards to the Flip 4 using Bluetooth. So much better than the phone's own speaker, even though that was acceptable at need. And almost as good as the sound from my Ruark R1 DAB radio. I had good DAB radio reception at home; but it was not always so when caravanning; so having a streaming option was very valuable. 

Well, the Flip 4 had lasted very well. It was built for outdoor use, intended for backpackers and beach parties, a device that could take knocks and drops. It was waterproof, and could be used by the pool or in the shower. It was a rubberised cylinder that could be held in one hand or hung up. Very suitable for the caravan. In the home, the waterproofing and damage-shrugging build wasn't really necessary, just nice to have. 

My Flip 4 was cared for and never abused in any way, so even after five years of ownership it looked good, although of course no longer pristine. Still, it was time to upgrade and pass the Flip 4 on, which is what I've done with it. (I like to rehome my devices, rather than sell them)  

What should be its replacement? I looked at a few online review websites, such as SoundGuys. I wanted something similar that would suit my hearing, making voice broadcasts and podcasts clear and pleasant to listen to, and in particular play my music in a well-balanced way, without distortion if I ever wanted to turn up the volume a bit. 

At my age, it was no good kidding myself that my ears would discern the difference between a mid-range speaker and the best on the market. So there was no point in spending luxury money. JBL's Flip 6, an evolution of the Flip 4, stood out. The Flip 7 was rumoured to be coming, but not yet launched. So I chose the Flip 6 - in black, as it was the most discreet and unobtrusive finish, and would never look grubby. I ordered it online from John Lewis, click and collect from my local Waitrose. Their price was £89.99, which seemed like the kind of money you might pay if the next iteration was just around the corner. But I'd be well content with the Flip 6, as the reviews considered it excellent for a robust all-rounder. I picked it up on 1st November. 

So here it is. The first of the following shots were taken on the day it arrived. The rest next day. I used LXV, my Leica X Vario camera, and my phone Olivia, my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Have fun working out which one took each shot! Click on them to see more clearly.

Here my Flip 6 is being charged up. That didn't take long - it came two-thirds charged. 

I put the old Flip 4 and the new Flip 6 on my mantlepiece for comparison:

Next day I took more comparison shots in better light:

As you can see, sizewise (and indeed weightwise) they were much the same, with only small changes to the very simple external controls. Simplicity was the key design element. The USB socket on the speaker was the now-universal USB-C instead of JBL's old proprietary version, almost the biggest external change. Internally, a new woofer and tweeter, a better battery, and more efficient electronics.

So how much of an improvement did I get?

Well, the Flip 6's sound was certainly louder, a bit more there in the bass department, but it was still balanced, as I could hear mid-range and treble sounds distinctly. One standard test was to play an instrumental piece and listen for the individual instruments. Were they crisply distinct or fuzzy? I couldn't really decide; my ears couldn't deal with the finely-nuanced; but I'd assert - subjectively - that overall the Flip 6's sound quality was definitely better. It was certainly very pleasing. But then I would have said the same for the Flip 4. On a scale of ten, with nine and ten beyond my powers to hear properly, I'd place the new Flip 6 at eight, and the Flip 4 at seven. They were that close. So in summary I'd say I'd bought slightly better sound. 

But in any case, I've now got a new speaker that will serve me well for another five years. Time to fire it up and do the dishes!

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