Expert note
Pros
- Robust design and water resistant
- Strong sound quality
- USB-C provides a wired audio
Disadvantages
- No Wi-Fi or Airplay
- The bass could be firmer
- No load cable included
Our verdict
The compact design means that bass production could be a little firmer, but the Flip 7 updated can always correspond to its rivals the size of a backpack for sound quality. Add a robust and water-resistant design and both Bluetooth and USB for wired audio, and this light speaker can really win its dungeon when you are outside this summer.
Price during the examination
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Best price today
Price during the examination
$ 149.95
Best prices today: JBL Flip 7
As the summer approach of summer, JBL recently updated several of its portable Bluetooth speakers, but the one that really caught our attention was the robust and friendly design of the new flip 7. at the price of only $ 149.95 / £ 129.99, and available in a variety of colors, FLIP 7 is clearly a direct competitor for the recently published Beat pills, but of his slow motion in the number of beautiful.
To start, the FLIP 7 Updated now has a seriously robust IP68 note for water and dust resistance – compared to the IP67 for the Beats pill – which allows it to survive complete immersion in 1.5 m of water for 30 minutes. JBL says that it is also “gout resistant”, thanks to a shock resistant rubber garnish which can survive a drop of 1 m directly on a concrete floor. But although it is built as a tank, the Flip 7 is always very light and portable. It measures 182 mm high, 69.5 mm wide and 71.5 mm deep – although you can also turn it on the side, you prefer – and weighs only 0.56 kg, so it is easy to slide it in a backpack or a bag and transport it when you travel. JBL also includes a wrist and a carabine clip, which you can remove and exchange if necessary, to help keep it safe.
The Flip 7 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless audio, and the USB-C port at the rear of the speaker can also be used to provide a wired audio connection, as well as to load the internal battery. However, there is no USB-C cable, because I try to reduce its use of plastics, so you will have to provide the cable yourself.
It does not support Wi-Fi or Airplay for Apple devices-as does the just as portable Roam speaker of Sonos-but it is a lot to ask a speaker so affordable. And, of course, the Wi-Fi support would not be very useful for a speaker which is clearly intended to live outside most of the time. Some people may be disappointed that FLIP 7 does not support the APTX codec for Bluetooth audio, but it supports the ACP AAC codec for use with Mac, iPhones and iPads.
Sound quality
The sound quality is impressive for such a compact speaker, thanks to an 80 mm woofer and a 16 mm tweeter that combine to provide a healthy output of 35 W. If you want to relax a lazy summer afternoon, the flip shows a delicate touch on the piano and violence duo on the Spiegel Im Spiegel of Arvo Pärt, allowing nostalgic melodies Two instruments to be worse in the air. But increasing the volume at the time of the party and the Flip 7 can explode the GO planetary agitated to the arm! By my chemical romance with real enthusiasm. It is an occupied track, with collision head guitars with the EDM keyboards, but the Flip 7 maintains all the clear and distinct instruments while the noise of the battery maintains the chaos sound together. It is also powerful quite, and only 50% volume is strong enough to worry about boring the neighbors, so it will be ideal for getting things done when you are outside with your friends.
Inevitably, the main weakness with a speaker of this size is bass production, and bouncing electronic bass on the villain of Billie Eilish does not have the firm kick that a speaker could provide. Even thus, the bass is still quite respectable for such a compact loudspeaker, and the sound quality of the Flip 7 is more than a match for competitors such as Sonos Roam or Beats Pill. The JBL portable application also includes an equalizer that allows you to adjust the sound to adapt to your taste, as well as an option to link it with a second flip to provide a two -channel stereo audio.
The only area where the Beats speaker has an edge is with its 24-hour battery life. The 14-hour battery of Flip 7 is certainly sufficient to last all day, and the JBL application offers an option called “ Playtime Boost '' which adjusts the sound output to extract two additional hours from the battery (although this requires that the application deactivates your equalization parameters). The pill could be the best option if you plan to delirious an entire weekend in a music festival, but lighter and more compact flip has a portability advantage.
Should I buy the JBL Flip 7?
Portable speakers must always find the right balance between size, sound quality and battery life, and a larger speaker such as the beating pill can certainly provide a longer battery life. However, the Flip 7 sounds a good complete balance, offering excellent sound quality, good battery life and a robust and light design at a very competitive price.
See how the JBL Flip 7 compares to other iPhone speakers that we tested: the best AirPlay speakers for iPhones and Apple Music.
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