I used the Flip 5 as my audio companion at home and on the road for years. The Flip 7 is better, delivering even clearer and more powerful sound to enhance everything from barbecue jams to dialogue as I watch movies from my PC in the hot tub (what can I say, I love to multi-task!). The Flip’s design works great for the hot tub because it’s completely submersible, and provides convenient controls for my slippery hands when I need to adjust the volume or pause the entertainment.
The Flip 7 offers some great new features, including a new detachable loop that snaps down with the press of a button (just make sure you don’t lose it), upgraded IP68 dust and water resistance, and a new shockproof casing tested for three-foot drops. The Flip Line has always been pretty drop-friendly, and I can personally attest to dropping this thing Very Without any side effects.
JBL has also begun adding AuraCast to its new speaker line, a futuristic-looking feature that uses a new Bluetooth protocol for delay-free broadcasting to an infinite number of devices. AuraCast is still new, but it’s an extremely promising technology, and currently lets you connect the Flip 7 with other JBL AuraCast speakers. The only downside is that JBL has removed its old PartyBoost feature, so you can only group the Flip 7 with newer speakers like the Charge 6 and Clip 5.
As far as sound quality goes, it’s a more refined flip, with a slight upgrade in instrument definition, noticeable in instruments like brass, strings and vocals. It’s not a huge change compared to the Flip 6, but it’s nice to see an improvement, and the speaker has lost some of the more aggressive touch that sometimes led to slight distortion in older models. Like virtually any Bluetooth speaker, it will distort if you push it too hard, but I clocked it at over 75 dB without any audible issues in my review.
You’ll also get a little more battery life this time around, up from 12 hours in the previous model to 14 (depending on volume), so you can go off the grid for a while. You can extend this to 16 hours with its new Playtime Boost mode, although it does reduce some bass.
It all adds up to one sweet little package. Whenever someone asks me about a great portable speaker, this is my first recommendation, offering the perfect compromise between size, sound and durability. Although its price has been going up and down recently, now is a good time to grab it at its lowest price ever.
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