JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 6 Comparison

JBL’s Flip line is one of the most popular models of Bluetooth speakers on the market. The Flip 5 is known for its balance between portability, power, and affordability. With the release of the Flip 6, JBL sought to improve upon the Flip 5 while still keeping the aspects that make it so popular. Both models come in at $130 MSRP, so it comes down to personal preference (though the Flip 5 is usually on sale). I’m going to compare the two to see if JBL truly upgraded the Flip line, or tainted their money-printing formula.

            JBL Flip 5 Sand finish                                         JBL Flip 6 Grey Stone Finish

Look and Feel

The Flip 5 and Flip 6 are virtually identical, with the only discernible difference being the JBL Logo on the front. I prefer the Flip 5’s more minimal logo design, but that has no noticeable impact on the sound. Everything else, from the button scheme to the size and weight is essentially the same (though the Flip 6 is technically 0.01 lbs heavier than the Flip 5).

Design

Under the hood is where the two speakers start to differ. While both are resistant to water and dust, the Flip 6 has an IPX67 rating, whereas the Flip 5 has an IPX7 rating, meaning the Flip 5 isn’t technically dustproof. Both do well in these areas though. They both have identical batteries and, in my experience, lasted almost an identical amount of time (12 hrs).

In addition to having all of the same drivers as the Flip 5, the Flip 6 adds a separate 10-watt tweeter for better high-end clarity. Both speakers are compatible with JBL’s Partyboost feature, which allows the speakers to be synced with each other.

The JBL Flip 5 has a frequency response of 65 Hz – 20 kHz and has Bluetooth 4.2

The JBL Flip 6 has a frequency response of 63 Hz – 20 kHz and has Bluetooth 5.1

JBL Partyboost

Both the Flip 5 and Flip 6 are only capable of mono audio on their own. This is where Partyboost comes in. Partyboost has two modes:

Party Mode – Allows you to connect up to 100 Partyboost compatible JBL Speakers together to increase volume and presence

Stereo Mode – Allows you to connect your JBL Speakers and divide the signal into an LR configuration. This only works on identical model Speakers, ie a Flip 6 can only enter stereo mode with another Flip 6.

Dynamics

The Flip 6 is noticeably louder than the Flip 5. This is especially impressive on the part of the Flip 6 because it has nearly identical hardware, yet manages to hit much louder volumes without sacrificing clarity compared to the Flip 5. However, both speakers can hit pretty loud dynamics regardless, but the Flip 6 has a slight edge.

Frequency Response

Both Flip 5 and Flip 6 have similar sound characters. The Flip 5 is somewhat subdued in the highs compared to the Flip 6, most likely due to the added tweeters. The Flip 6 has more punch and definition in the mids, but sometimes can become more harsh and bright sounding as a result. The low range is virtually identical in my opinion. Overall, the changes are minimal and only noticeable if you compare them side-by-side. A big advantage the Flip 6 has over the Flip 5 is the ability to EQ the sound, which gives it a more versatile sound character.

Overall

In short, both the JBL Flip 5 and the JBL Flip 6 are great Bluetooth speakers for the price. The differences are minimal mostly noticeable if you compare them together, and you’ll get a great sound from both. That being said, I prefer the Flip 6 for its more powerful sound and higher depth of customization options. Especially since both have an identical MSRP, the Flip 6 is a no-brainer if it comes down to the two. Either way, you’re going to get a clear and powerful Bluetooth speaker from JBL’s Flip line.

You can buy the JBL Flip 5 and the JBL Flip 6 at Audio46