JBL Flip 2: Crisp, Affordable Bluetooth Speaker

BreakingModern — Bluetooth speakers are all the rage. In fact, when you go into an electronics store to purchase one you are presented with so many choices that you might feel like you’re in the shampoo aisle of a drug store. If you want a speaker with good build quality, that sounds great, has excellent volume, is well-priced and comes from a company with a superb reputation, look no further than the JBL Flip 2.

Design

The Flip 2 is a well-built textured metallic cylinder 2” in diameter and about 6” long. It weighs 13 oz. and comes in red, blue, yellow, black and white. The ends are covered in a rubberized material and are slightly angled. There’s a rubber strip along one side of the cylinder that allows it to sit on a flat surface without rolling off, and it comes with a hard zippered case.

JBL Flip 2 with Case

Sound

The sound quality of this Flip is excellent. Dual 40mm drivers and a custom tuned built-in bass port produce stereo sound with a lot of depth. There’s a nice even balance between the treble and bass, which can be distorted on some bluetooth speakers. The SoundClear echo/noise cancellation produces a crisp, clear sound that is often lacking in devices of this size.

Function

The Flip 2 is easy to set up. The controls are located on one end of the device — they aren’t raised, simply marked in gray. Just turn on the device and press the clearly marked Bluetooth symbol. Then start the Bluetooth connectivity on your device and it will search and find the Flip. This device also has NFC tap-to-pair capability, which is a nice touch.

JBL Flip 2 Controls

One additional control marked with a telephone symbol allows you to answer the phone through the built-in microphone. The noise cancellation works very well and no one that I talked to through the Flip suspected that I was talking through a Bluetooth device.

Slightly raised symbols on the same side allow you to raise and lower the volume. If you’re looking for a loud device, this may be the one for you. You can crank the volume up quite high without distortion. There’s no pause/play button or forward/back on the Flip, though, so everything will be controlled from your own device.

The bottom of the Flip has a micro-USB port, an auxiliary input jack and five small lights that flash to indicate the battery level. The rechargeable battery will last about five hours. You can use a USB cigarette lighter to charge the Flip in your vehicle.

Bottom of JBL Flip 2

The Flip 2 is lightweight, durable and easy to hold in one hand. In can also be placed vertically in a cup holder. It’s actually called the Flip because you can stand it up vertically or lay it down horizontally. I got good connectivity with the Bluetooth range — about 30 feet. However, it’s not waterproof, so don’t jump in a pool with it your pocket.

The Flip 2 is from JBL, a very reputable company with a long history. If you’re unfamiliar with the company, I recommend that you check out The JBL Story on the website.

Admittedly, some Bluetooth speakers have longer battery life. But at $99, the Flip 2 provides an excellent size/weight ratio to sound output.

For BMod, I’m .

All Screenshots: 

Sandy Berger

Author: Sandy Berger

Based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Sandy Berger is a veteran tech journalist and reviews editor at aNewDomain.net covering tech tips and tricks, apps, gadgets, and consumer electronics. Follow @sandyberger on Twitter, +SandyBerger on Google+, and on Facebook.

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