With the latest release of the JBL Flip 6 September 2021, many audiophiles immediately wondered what the differences are between its predecessor, the JBL Flip 5, which was also noted to be one of the best portable speakers back in 2019.
JBL Flip 5 owners are eager to know their differences and if it really is worth the upgrade. On the other hand, those who are planning to buy a portable speaker are confused if they should go for the cheaper option or the latest one.
For you to make a clear purchase decision, here are the differences between the two JBL Flip speakers:
Table of Contents
Flip 5 vs Flip 6 Overview
| Pros of the JBL Flip 6 | Cons of the JBL Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| All-new Design | No Carrying Case |
| Comes with a Rubber Stopper | |
| Emphasized Vocals | |
| Crispy Highs | |
| Decent Bass | |
| Wide Sound Stage | |
| Comes with a 10W Tweeter | |
| Has EQ Settings | |
| IP67 Waterproof | |
| Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Pros of the JBL Flip 5 | Cons of the JBL Flip 5 |
|---|---|
| Cheaper | Needs Improvement in Highs |
| Competitive Sound Quality | Outdated Features |
| Rugged Design | |
| More Color Options | |
| Punchy Bass | |
| Comes with a Carry Case |
Get the JBL Flip 5 if: Budget is your Priority.
View JBL Flip 5 Price on:
The JBL Flip 5 does lack in highs but that does not mean the JBL Flip 5 is no longer worth considering. The JBL Flip 5 is still a decent speaker but its overall sound and features are slightly behind compared to the JBL Flip 6.
Get the JBL Flip 6 if: Sound quality is your priority.
View JBL Flip 6 Price on:
Price
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✖ $130 | ✔ $90-$110 |
For starters, the JBL Flip 6 speaker is automatically the expensive option here since it is the latest model and they currently cost $130 while the JBL Flip 5 can be bought somewhere around $90-$110.
You can get a discount on both speakers if you schedule your purchase on a sale day since JBL stores routinely go on sale.
Colors
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✖ 5 Color Options | ✔ 10 Color Options |
When it comes to colors, the JBL Flip 5 comes in 10 colors which are gray, teal, sand, pink, blue, green, mustard yellow, black, red, and camouflage.
On the other hand, the JBL Flip 6 only has 5 colors which are teal, grey, red, black, and blue.
Design
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ New Design | ✖ Typical Design |
| ✔ Has a Rubber Stopper | ✖ Lacks a Rubber Stopper |
At first glance, you will be able to notice the difference right away in their front design. The JBL Flip 5’s front design has the same JBL logo emblem as the Flip 4, 3, 2, and 1 as well as other old JBL speakers. (e.g., old JBL Boomboxes, JBL Clips, JBL Pulses, and JBL Charges).
Whereas the JBL Flip 6 sports the new logo design of JBL, which is no longer in a red emblem but rather engraved into the speaker’s body. The passive radiators of the JBL Flip 6 are different from the old JBLFlip speakers as well since it has the “!” instead of the word “JBL” on them.
Another unique feature of the JBL Flip 6 is its small stub or rubber stopper which prevents the speaker from moving around or rolling on unbalanced surfaces.
The JBL Flip 5 and JBL Flip 6 buttons are exactly the same.
Battery
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ 4,800 mAh Battery Life | ✔ 4,800 mAh Battery Life |
The battery of the JBL Flip 5 and JBL Flip 6 are the same.
They both have the same 4,800 milliampere battery which is capable of playing music for 12 hat medium volumes. In terms of their charging time, they also have the same 2 hours and 30 minutes of charging time. Both speakers also charge via USB C.
JBL Party Boost
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ JBL Party Boost Enabled | ✔ JBL Party Boost Enabled |
In case you did not know, JBL has a party boost feature where you can connect up to 100 JBL speakers together. The JBL Flip 6 is capable of connecting with JBL Flip 5s, JBL Pulse 4s, JBL Charge 5s, JBL Xtreme 3s, JBL Boombox 2s, and JBL Boombox 3s.
Bluetooth Version
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ Bluetooth 5.1 | ✖ Bluetooth 4.2 |
The Bluetooth 5.1 of the JBL Flip 6 is definitely a big upgrade from JBL Flip 5’s Bluetooth 4.2.
This means that the Bluetooth 5.1 version of the JBL Flip 6 has a better range (200 meters), transfer rate, audio field, connection advertising, and is more efficient in terms of energy consumption.
Waterproof Rating
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ IP67 Waterproof Rating | ✖ IPX7 Waterproof Rating |
When it comes to the waterproof rating, the JBL Flip 6 has a better rating since its IP67 rating comes with dustproof protection, whereas the JBL FLIP 5’s IPX7 rating lacks so.
Regardless, both waterproof ratings are decent and both speakers can be carried to dirty places or poolsides since it is capable of being fully emerged into waters of 1-meter depth for 30 minutes.
Software
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ Has Equalizer Settings | ✖ Lacks Equalizer Settings |
An important element that the JBL Flip 5 lacks is the equalizer. There is simply no equalizer for the JBL Flip 5 in JBL’s app whereas the JBL Flip 6 has one.
But you can use other apps to customize or tweak the sound of the JBL Flip 5.
In JBL’s app, you can adjust the Treble, Mid, and Bass of the JBL Flip 6. The JBL Flip 5 only has one sound signature in JBL’s app and is it is not customizable.
Speaker Specifications
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ Comes with a 10W Tweeter | ✖ Lacks a Tweeter |
Both the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 6 have the same power rate of 20 watts RMS (Root Mean Square) for their single woofer.
They have the same passive radiators on the sides as well. In addition to that, both speakers also have a single frontward firing oval transducer woofer.
The upgrade of the JBL Flip 6 is its new added tweeter which the JBL Flip 5 lacks. The tweeter of the JBL Flip 6 has an output power rating of 10 watts.
With the new tweeter of the JBL Flip 6, this speaker handles mids and lows significantly better than the JBL Flip 5.
Sound
| JBL Flip 6 | JBL Flip 5 |
| ✔ Crispier HighsSeparation | ✖ Lacks Highs |
| ✔ Better Instrument | ✖ Needs Improvement in Instrument Separation |
| ✔ Wider Sound Stage | ✖ Lower Reach |
| ✔ Emphasized Vocals | ✖ Flatter Vocals |
The new tweeter of the JBL Flip 6 has improved the speaker’s overall instrument separation and sound stage, which is noticeable between the JBL Flip 5 and JBL Flip 6.
This new speaker setup has made the JBL Flip 6 sound more open and live compared to its predecessors.
Final Thoughts
Get the JBL Flip 5 if: Budget is your Priority.
View JBL Flip 5 Price on:
The JBL Flip 5 does lack in highs but that does not mean the JBL Flip 5 is no longer worth considering. The JBL Flip 5 is still a decent speaker but its overall sound and features are slightly behind compared to the JBL Flip 6.
Get the JBL Flip 6 if: Sound quality is your priority.
View JBL Flip 6 Price on:
Although the JBL Flip 6 is a little more expensive, there is no doubt that the JBL Flip 6 is a solid upgrade to the JBL Flip 5 thanks to its new tweeter.
As mentioned, the tweeter of the JBL Flip 6 does an excellent job in terms of instrumental separation and sound stage.
There is a con to the JBL Flip 6 compared to the JBL Flip 5, which is the lack of a hard carrying case bag.
But despite that, the durability build of the JBL Flip 5 and 6 are just as solid as the case itself.
However, the IP67 rating of the JBL Flip 6 is more commendable since it is sand and dustproof unlike the JBL Flip 5.
You will definitely notice more of the big change in sound quality and loudness if you are using old JBL Flip speakers like the JBL Flip 3 and JBL Flip 2.
Keep in mind that this does not mean that the JBL Flip 5 is not worth considering. It is still a durable and good-sounding speaker but the JBL Flip 6 simply has a better waterproof rating, Bluetooth version, software, and most importantly sound.
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