JBL is back with a new speaker in the Flip series which otherwise looks nearly the same as the previous generations, but has improved functionality. It is actually heavier than its predecessor weighing around 517g, all wrapped under a more durable fabric with a tighter knit. The new speakers are completely waterproof and can play your favourite tunes after taking a serious dip in the water.
Priced at Rs 9,999, the Flip 4 also has a new shortcut that allows you to access Siri or the Google Assistant with a press of a button. Does the Flip 4 offer something you’ve been looking for in your audio companion? Let’s find out.
Specifications
- IPX7 water resistance
- Aux input
- Wireless Bluetooth streaming
- Dual bass radiator
- 3000mAh battery
- 12-hour battery
- Noise- and echo-cancellation
Design
At first glance you won’t find anything that sets apart the Flip 4 from its predecessor. The speaker still sports a cylindrical shape with enhanced passive bass radiators on either end. The only noticeable difference between the two is the waterproofing capabilities of the Flip 4.
JBL Flip 4
The speaker has buttons for controlling music playback and for pairing devices. The buttons offer a satisfactory clicky feel and the silicon strip offers a decent base for the speaker, ensuring the device doesn’t roll around.
The speaker is IPX7 waterproof, which along with being able to withstand a meter deep water for 30 minutes, is also resistant to dust, sand and dirt. You also get a string that allows you to hang the speaker from a hook or tie it your bag if you wish to play some tunes on the go.
Sound quality
Talking of the sound quality, the JBL Flip 4 has some pros and cons. For instance, the device churns out plenty of power with punchy bass but it lacks the refinement at times. Having said that, it doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t handle your house party with grace. But when we talk about the intensity, the Flip 4 outdoes its contemporaries by a huge margin.
The sound quality is good but you’ll feel that the vocals come out little rough at times. The background instruments also gets pushed off the side sometimes, but it isn’t something that would make a lot of difference. The soundstage is decent but you'll need an omni-directional BT speaker to get more crisp sound quality. You can also take phone calls through the Flip 4, but you’ll have to hold the speaker pretty close for the caller to hear us load and clear.
Connectivity
The JBL Flip 4 comes with a Connect+ button, which enables you to link more than 100 Flip 4 units to one system. The previous generation only allowed connecting two JBL speakers. But the downside is, you cannot connect the new speaker to any of the previous speaker that doesn’t feature the Connect+. This will supposedly be fixed in an update but the company shouldn’t have overlooked it in the first place.
Apart from the Connect+, the overall connectivity was great and we faced no issues with the signal regardless of where the connected device was placed in the house. The speaker works seamlessly within 50 feet range with a few walls in the way.
You can also control the volume and play/pause music from your smartphone. Pressing the play/pause button for long on the Flip 4 gives you access to Siri or Google Assistant depending on the phone you’re using.
Battery
JBL Flip 4 claims to offer up to 12 hours of music playback. The speaker sure lived up to our expectations and played for whole 10 hours in our initial test. But if you rock the speakers on full volume, it might offer only 5-6 hours of playback.
The Flip 4 fuels up swiftly if you have a 10W adapter at your disposal. It takes around two hours to fully charge the speaker from scratch.
Wrap up
Overall the JBL Flip 4 is brilliant speaker that is capable of offering punchy music with versatility. It is one of the best options you’ll find in the sub-10K segment. But if already own a JBL Flip 3, you can give this one a miss, if submerging your speaker in water isn’t something you do very often.
But if you are a first time buyer and looking for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker for a reasonable price, then this is what you should buy.
