Audio and video. Review of JBL Flip3 Bluetooth speakers. Powerful sound on the road, protected from water Speaker jbl flip 3 in water

Few people are now unfamiliar with the JBL brand from the HARMAN family - over several years it has already established itself as the best portable acoustics on the market. And we always look forward to JBL giving us another chance to see that a product that seemed perfect can be made even better. That’s why we couldn’t pass up the new portable speaker JBL Flip 5. Did the manufacturer manage to improve an already excellent accessory? We'll find out today.

The long-awaited update to the Flip line

I remember how last year I was greatly surprised by the JBL Flip 4 - primarily with its sound, comparable to stationary audio systems. Two 40mm full-range speakers, wireless simultaneous connection of up to two devices to the speaker and IPX7 water resistance - what more do you need to be happy? Perhaps only JBL branded bass “radiators”, which show how powerful your speaker is.

The new Flip 5 has not undergone major design changes. This is the same elongated speaker with a fabric braid. The location of the buttons was also left the same, except that the button was replaced with “Pairing” with other columns.

There are more innovations on the side. The power button has moved a little closer to the center, and instead of the pairing button there is a Bluetooth switch. The charge indicator is shifted slightly to the side and USB port Type-C for charging. It’s very good that manufacturers are gradually abandoning the “dinosaur” micro-USB: the Flip 4 had a lid in this place, under which a 3.5 mm audio jack and that same micro-USB were hidden. I won’t say that I will miss the 3.5 mm jack - I don’t even remember the last time I connected a speaker to an iPhone this way (well, except for stationary speakers, and then through an adapter).

Type-C has been delivered, hurray!

The LED indicator looks very rich

Otherwise the speakers are very similar. The only thing is that Flip 5 is slightly longer than its predecessor (18.1 cm versus 17.5), and the weight has increased slightly - by 30 g to 540 g. But these changes are so unnoticeable that you are unlikely to notice.

The dimensions have increased slightly, but this is unnoticeable

By the way, I can’t help but note the quality of the packaging - JBL is at its best here, as always. The box is made of very thick cardboard, the cable with documentation lies neatly on the side, the speaker itself is securely fixed in it, so you don’t have to be afraid that anything will happen to it during transportation.

This is the box it came in

The foam case is a cool solution, you can carry it with you and not be afraid

Experience using JBL Flip 5

I had a Flip 4 speaker for a long time - it’s hard to even remember how many picnics it went on. Subsequently, I began to get out of the house less and preferred the Charge line, but I would also take the Flip 5 for the new cycling season. Still, for travel, the Charge is too big for me personally, but I find the Flip form factor optimal.

It's nice that the ergonomics of the Flip 5 haven't suffered at all, even despite the slight increase in size. The speaker fits easily into a backpack, great for the beach, train, bus - due to small sizes The device will fit anywhere. Protection from water and dust in accordance with the IPX7 standard has also not gone away - you don’t have to worry about its performance even after prolonged immersion in water. Dust and sand are also not a problem for this speaker, so if you suddenly plan a trip to a warm country for the upcoming holidays, take a closer look.

And if necessary, the new Flip will also become a good home companion - JBL somehow manages to make even small speakers (including the Clip line) sound better than fairly large speakers from other manufacturers.

Sound JBL Flip 5

We should talk about sound separately, because there is a really important change here - instead of two less powerful speakers, like the Flip 4, JBL installed a single powerful driver in the Flip 5 speaker. JBL Flip 4 had 2 8 W speakers, and now it has one and, by the way, 20 W. Of course, it is unlikely that anyone will constantly listen to such a device at its maximum peak power, but the performance gain is always welcome.

One speaker, but very powerful

The speaker connects in a few seconds

Someone might think that two speakers are still better, and one powerful one cannot compare with them, but I can safely say that there is practically no difference in sound. Moreover, the bass of the Flip 5 is more rich - the “four” simply produces a little more detail high frequencies. Their volume reserve is almost identical. In any case, the sound is not just loud, it is well designed - you can listen to it yourself in the store to see for yourself.

The sound is very clear - vocals come through especially

To work in conjunction, the JBL PartyBoost function is provided, which allows you to combine several speakers in a bundle for overall playback of one stream. This takes the sound to a whole new level. Even a few small JBL Flips allow the system to sound like cool stationary equipment - the speakers are divided into channels, and the sound comes out really cool. If one of your friends has the same speaker, you can arrange a good disco. The difference will be really significant.

By the way, time battery life remained the same - the same 12 hours at medium volume. But the speaker charges in 2.5 hours, unlike 3.5 in the previous generation.

Convenient carrying solution

Is the JBL Flip 5 worth buying?

If you already have previous version Flip or an older speaker, we recommend upgrading, because with the new generation of speaker you will not only get better sound, but also fast charging, Type-C and a couple more goodies. Well, for lovers of hiking and cycling who have not yet acquired compact wireless speakers, we can safely recommend Flip 5. For the 5-6 thousand rubles that are being asked for this speaker, it is unlikely that you can find something better.

JBL Flip 3 review | Introduction

Just a year ago, you would have had to pay about $200 for a high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker that would please your ears. But the current generation of $100 speakers have brought similar sound quality to the lower price segment. JBL Flip 3– just from this series. The updated acoustics sound much better than their predecessor and are also moisture resistant. As a result, it can be considered one of the most interesting solutions on the market in its price range.

JBL Flip 3 review | Device

Like previous models, JBL Flip 3 is a cylinder with dimensions of 17 x 6.4 cm with rounded edges, covered with mesh material. Inside there are two 1.5-inch speakers and a micro-subwoofer at each end. For such a compact size it has a very rich filling.

Exterior color options run the gamut from yellow, turquoise, red, pink, orange, grey, blue and black. And only the subwoofer plugs at the edges always remain black.

The control panel provides volume controls, Bluetooth connections, and a speakerphone button. But the panel is located on the reverse side, so access to it is not so convenient. The panel is painted in the same color as the body and looks harmonious.

Below the panel there is a battery charge indicator and a power button. Nearby, under the moisture-proof rubber cover, there are USB input and a 3.5mm AUX jack. You can also use a button that allows you to connect two devices. JBL Flip 3 or establish a connection with JBL Pulse 2 or JBL Xtreme.

JBL Flip 3 review | Strength tests

One of the features of the new model JBL Flip 3– moisture protection. You can safely place the speaker next to the pool or don’t be afraid to leave it in the rain during a hike.

As an experiment, we placed the column under running water for a few seconds, and it continued to work normally. However JBL Flip 3 does not have full protection against water, while its $100 brother UE Roll has full IPX7 protection and can even work underwater for at least 30 minutes.

JBL Flip 3 review | Sound

JBL Flip 3 has noticeably better sound than the previous generation models, and may well compete for the title of best compact acoustics in the $100 range. Previous incarnations of the Flip lacked high-quality bass, but in the current version with two additional drivers, this problem is eliminated.

In terms of bass JBL Flip 3 sounds great better than that Same as UE Roll, but slightly worse than Charge 2+. Mid frequencies are also reproduced quite well. We listened to a number of compositions, consisting mostly of modern pop. And I would like to note that in all cases the vocals sounded excellent.

In Miles Davids' "Round Midnight" JBL Flip 3 and UE Roll, the brass instruments sounded a little muffled, but the piano and drums JBL Flip 3 were reproduced much more fully. Likewise, Lindsey Buckingham's guitar and vocals on "Never Going Back Again" sounded equally clear on UE Roll and JBL Flip 3. But JBL had better bass, which made the sound richer.

With speakers 8 watts each JBL Flip 3 Has good volume for such a baby. We measured 90 decibels at maximum volume, but the sound begins to distort at this level. At 85 decibels, the speaker sounds more decent, which will be quite enough for listening to music in a medium-sized room.

JBL Flip 3 review | Speakerphone

Play the voices of your interlocutors JBL Flip 3 It turns out better than other Bluetooth systems. The sound is quite rich. At the same time, the interlocutors noted that the author’s voice also sounded a little better than when using the speakerphone on the iPhone itself.

JBL Flip 3 review | Battery life

JBL says the system can last up to 10 hours of playback, which is average among Bluetooth speakers, but better than the UE Roll's claimed nine hours. However, after 10 hours of operation at low and medium volumes, the charge indicator on the system showed that only half of the energy was used.

JBL Flip 3 review | Software and setup

The speaker connects quite easily to Android and iOS devices. The operating distance is also quite satisfactory. For example, at a distance of one and a half meters, the devices show the maximum signal level.

JBL Connect software has limited functionality when working with a single speaker. It can be used to update the firmware, but it lacks equalizer settings and a number of other functions available with the UE Roll. If you have another speaker at your disposal JBL Flip 3, Pulse 2 or Xtreme, you can combine them into one system and thereby create a wide acoustic landscape.

JBL Flip 3 review | Conclusion

If you need high-quality and relatively inexpensive portable acoustics, then JBL Flip 3 should definitely be on your list. With good bass and high-quality sound, the acoustics also have protection from water and good battery life.

Compared to the UE Roll, the latter lacks high-quality bass and does not have a speakerphone mode. However, Roll has more functional software and it has an alarm clock and equalizers.

If you need acoustics for hiking or camping, then UE Roll will be preferable in this regard, although JBL Flip 3 sounds better than her. And if you value bass and need the speakerphone function, then in this case JBL Flip 3 would be a more suitable option.

Pros: good bass for a portable system, high-quality speaker, splash protection.

Minuses: distortion at high volume.

Today I want to talk about JBL Flip 3, a budget wireless speaker from JBL, which is famous for its speaker systems.

It seems that the next model has already come out and you ask why review this model, and I will answer you, because it is still relevant. The column was published a little over a year ago and on this moment costs, on average, 5000 rubles. Among young people, JBL Flip 3 is in great demand due to its fairly low price for such a high-quality speaker. But first things first.

JBL Flip 3 Features:

• Frequency range 85 - 20,000 Hz
• 2 x 40mm speakers
• total power 16 W (2x8 W)
• two passive bass radiators
• Bluetooth 4.1
• profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5, HFP 1.6, HSP 1
• battery: 3000 mAh; battery life up to 10 hours
• splash and moisture protection
• connect up to two devices simultaneously
• connectors: Micro USB, audio output 3.5 mm
• dimensions: 169 x 64 x 64 mm
• weight: 450 grams

Equipment:

• Column
• Packaging, waste paper
• USB charging cable

Design and ergonomics

JBL Flip 3 is made in the shape of a cylinder. The company logo is located in the middle of the case, most of which is covered with synthetic fabric.

There is a small plastic strip where the control buttons and the input for mircoUSB and AUX are located, on the sides there are passive radiators bass The plastic part is very easily soiled, which cannot be said about the fabric part.

The speaker is very pleasant to carry in your hand and on your arm (on a strap); it easily fits into the cup holder on a bicycle, which is undoubtedly a huge plus. The column can stand either vertically or lie on the table.

Thanks to the splash protection, you don’t have to worry if the JBL Flip 3 gets caught in the rain; we can wash the speaker under water if the part with the fabric suddenly gets dirty.

The control elements of the column, in my opinion, are made unusually. Half on the fabric part and half on the plastic part. The fabric part has buttons for volume control, pairing and voice assistant/call answer control.

Buy JBL Flip 3 is available in seven colors: red, blue, yellow, black, light green, purple, orange. But it seems to me that you should take the black version. It is more practical and inconspicuous, although some users, on the contrary, will want to stand out due to the color of the column.

Functionality and ease of use

What really surprised me were the cool sounds of turning on and off, it seems like a small thing, but it’s nice. The connection is purely via Bluetooth, there is no NFC here and this is a minus. With it, connecting to a smartphone would be much easier and faster.

JBL also made an application for a smartphone (there is a version for Android and iOS), where you can very slightly, but still customize the speaker for yourself, namely, change its name and change the purpose of the call button (belly/voice assistant). One great feature is that you can pair two JBL speakers that are supported in the JBL Connect app .

The speaker has a 3000 mAh battery, which is enough for 2-3 days of moderate use at full volume. This is a worthy result among competitors, but a record one.

Sound quality

Of course, we care about quality first. JBL sound Flip 3, not its design. The sound is loud enough for such a small speaker, rich, rich, voluminous.

I look at the sound quality from the outside regular user and take my word for it, the sound here is very smooth and pleasant, without dips or artifacts. In general, what users need portable speakers, audiophiles will pass by (but they don't buy such things anyway). The volume of the speaker is enough in a room of up to 20 square meters, but it will not be enough at a noisy party.

A few words about Flip 4

JBL Flip 4 was released in the spring of 2017 and costs a little more than the previous Flip 3, only 6,500 rubles, the price is more than justified. This model is not much different from the Flip 3. It has a higher protection class of IPX7. It has a larger body, and the design of the buttons is also slightly different.

Thanks to Connect+ technology, you can connect more than 2 speakers to one network at the same time. But unfortunately there is still no support for the aptX codec.

It's up to you to decide which one to choose, whether to pay extra for a couple of new features or not. Personally, I chose the more budget-friendly Flip 3, because the sound quality here is almost completely parity, and I don’t need more advanced protection.

Results

The JBL Flip 3 speaker turned out to be balanced, and here it becomes clear why it is popular. The device is perfect for the mass user. I did not touch upon the topic of the speaker kit, since everything is very simple: a charging cable and pieces of paper.

The only thing in the design of this model that I don’t like is the loop on the speaker itself; for me, it would be better if they provided a separate case with the same loop for the hand. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality, everything was clear and smooth. Another small minus is the lack of NFC, but you can connect two speakers to one network.

When I took this speaker for testing, I was afraid to be disappointed again, because JBL Charge 2/2+ left an unpleasant impression, but the JBL Flip 3 dispelled all my doubts.

I would buy one for myself, but I still prefer solutions from Sony (for example).

Good sound in a compact case, decent battery life.

Minuses

The electronics used are glitchy, which negates all the advantages.

Review

I received the speaker as a gift, it was brought from another city and the purchase receipt was left 900 kilometers away. And it was needed because the service was requested almost immediately. At any moment during operation, a cyclic uncontrolled constant reboot could occur with loud sounds on and off, connection and disconnection. Didn't respond to the buttons. Then, left somewhere where this disgrace could not be heard, after some time it “came to its senses” and was able to work for a long time and well - until next time. Still, she waited for her check and warranty repair and her board was replaced. It worked flawlessly for 3 months and suddenly one day it didn’t turn on. In the midst of the summer season, when you need it! No response to the buttons or to connecting the charger. And the warranty is over! I really didn’t want to take it to the service center for money, because it could cost half the price of a new speaker. It lay there until October, when I decided to connect the charger again. A miracle happened - one charging LED blinked! Then I managed to turn it on! Then it charged completely. And working! What was it? Unclear. There is still some sediment left. You can hardly rely on her - she will let you down at any moment. And in general, I began to be wary of JBL products. The beautiful design was ruined by glitchy electronics.