This summer I needed a new BT speaker and I tried a bunch of them in this size range and this one is by far my favorite. It’s about 95% perfect, which is about 50% better than all the others I tried. It sounds AMAZING – it’s among the loudest of the bunch, and it definitely has some of the best bass of them all thanks to the TWO side-mounted bass radiators. It sounds better than all of the cheaper models, as well as better than most of the more expensive models. Probably the SONOS and Bose Soundlink Mini sound better, but they are considerably more expensive and are not waterproof. That’s the thing – the FLIP 4 checks pretty much every box except two, which are relatively minor flaws. I wanted something rugged, with a decent battery, good controls, great sound, and that was not too bulky. Probably what we are all looking for.PROS:Form factor – the beer-can size and shape is the best for carrying around. The attached lanyard makes it even better, as you can hang it or swing it.Sound – incredibly rich, best-in-class bass, and great definition all around. Gets loud, too.Build quality – this thing is waterproof and dustproof, and feels pretty indestructibeBT controls/features – easy-to-use buttons control volume, music, and speakerphone, as well as letting you link multiple JBL speakers. Newest BT version (4.2)Battery – lasts all day, supposedly 12 hours, but varies by usage – and I’ve yet to have a problemCONS:No REW/Previous track. This is what bothers me the most, I just don’t understand why this isn’t implemented somewhere.Directional, rather than 360-degree sound. Not sure if I care.Other speakers I compared this to were the Marley Chant, two different iHome speakers, an old Bose Soundlink Mini, a Philips Shoqbox, something by OutdoorTech, a Magnavox speaker, and the UE Boom2. I also spent way too much time researching other models online. All of them had more shortcoming than this one – most just sounded worse or were underpowered, many were not waterproof or had lousy batteries, or no music controls. Only a few let you link multiple speakers together.The speaker I bought first was the UE BOOM 2, because it gets the best reviews. It costs at least $50 more than this and does not sound as clear. It is a little more stylish I guess, and has a similar app to the JBL and is well supported by firmware and software updates. However, it uses a stupid “tap” system to pause and FF (also no REW) that rarely worked. The JBL has nice big buttons that work great. Dedicated volume buttons control speaker/source volume, and double-pressing the play button skips a track. I would LOVE a REW feature, a triple tap would do it, but I can ultimately live without it. Ultimately, the UE BOOM 2 was not worth the extra money – it sounded worse in most situations (it was possibly louder and has 360-degree sound), and was infuriating to control.None of the cheaper speakers sounded better than this. There was one, the MagicBox I think, that was louder than all of them and has awesome buttons for volume and music, but it’s not waterproof at all. The Fugoo looks amazing but it is only 6 Watts total, which is never going to be loud enough for anything other than a personal speaker.There are bigger speakers out there that have additional features like external charging and last for 24 hours at a time and pump out considerably more decibels, but they are also too big to fit my needs. Honestly this one is nearly perfect, and maybe they can add REW in the future via an update and get it 100% right.

I was in need of a new portable speaker, and like many of you, I was a little overwhelmed after doing an Amazon search and finding literally tens of thousands of options to choose from. It’s especially frustrating because probably the most important part of the product — how good it sounds — is not something you can really evaluate until after you physically have it. So I picked four speakers to compare: Cambridge Soundworks OontZ Angle 3 Plus, Anker SoundCore Sport XL, Geek Beats Jolt5, and the JBL Flip 4.First, the Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 PLUS Bluetooth Speaker with 30-Hour Playtime – Richer Bass Greater Sound Quality & 10W+ Loud Volume, Water Resistant Splashproof, Portable Wireless Speaker , is a slightly larger version of the best-selling speaker on Amazon with over 17,000 reviews and a $30 price tag, and this only costs $5 more, so why not give it a shot? I chose Anker SoundCore Sport XL Outdoor Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 16W Output and 2 Subwoofers, IP67 Waterproof & Dustproof, Shockproof, 66ft Bluetooth Range, 15H Playtime, Built-in Mic, USB Charging Port , partially because I have other Anker products that I’m pretty happy with, but also because the 66-foot advertised range seemed like it could come in handy if I were working in the backyard with my phone in my pocket and the speaker sitting on the porch. I selected the GEEK BEATS JOLT5 10W X-Bass Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker and USB Power Bank – Green. IP65 Water and Dust Resistant with 5200mAh Samsung Battery. because it’s the same price as the Anker, it has an average of 4.9 stars (wow!), and it can be used as a battery to charge your phone. And finally, I chose the JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Black) because in my search, I kept seeing the JBL Flip 3 pop up in reviews for other speakers, and this is the newest (and supposedly slightly better) version of that speaker.Sound Comparison: Sitting in my living room and swapping around between the four options, it’s clear that the Flip 4 is the most, well, clear. Considering it’s also the most expensive, I kinda expected that to be the result. Surprisingly, the OontZ was a solid second place with a bit more rumble in its bass compared to the Flip 4 but at the cost of less clarity. The Anker and Jolt5 were noticeably flatter in their sound, seeming to favor the lows instead of an overall range, and this caused some distortion at higher volumes. When I took the speakers outside, it’s a slightly different story. With the speakers on the patio, I walked into the yard about 25 feet and compared the sound quality again, and again I’d put the Flip 4 in the top spot. This time, however, I’d actually say the Anker was a solid number 2. At this distance, the distortion from having the volume up the whole way was not very noticeable and didn’t detract from the music I was playing, and the Anker is a bit louder than the OontZ. The Jolt5 is a distant last place being not only flat but also not as loud. It’s comparable to listening to the radio on a boombox from the 90s.Bluetooth Range: With the speakers inside, all four started cutting in and out around the same spot about 30 feet away. It’s around a corner, so having a wall in the way seems to even the odds here. Having an open space outside didn’t seem to make a difference to the Jolt5, though, as it still broke up around 30 feet. The product page on Amazon says 33 feet, so that’s pretty accurate. The OontZ fared a bit better and almost made it to the back gate about 60 feet away. The Anker is pretty spot on with its advertised 66-foot range as it went a bit further than the OontZ, even onto the other side of the gate and almost into the road. The Flip 4 was still going strong when I got to the other side of the road and couldn’t go any further in a straight line, maybe 75 feet.Other Things: Depending on what exactly you plan on using your speaker for, and just for comparison’s sake, there are some differences that may be worth note:– All four speakers come with a mini-USB to USB charging cable but not the plug. If you’ve charged a cell phone in the last 10 years or so, however, you should probably already have one.– The Jolt5 and OontZ come with a 3.5mm cable so you can plug your phone right into it instead of using bluetooth (though all four speakers have this option, just not the cable).– The Anker and Jolt5 have a USB port so they can be used as a portable battery to charge your phone.– The Anker, Flip 4, and Jolt5 have hand straps. The OontZ does not come with one nor have a place to attach one.– The Anker, Flip 4, and Jolt5 have audible cues when they power on or off. The OontZ is silent. All four speakers do, however, make a noise when you successfully pair a device through bluetooth.– All four speakers are splash resistant, but only the Anker and Flip 4 are likely to live if they fall into the water (submersible up to 30 minutes)– The Anker and Jolt5 are shock resistant, so they likely won’t shatter if you drop them– The OontZ has the longest battery life (30 hours) and the Flip 4 has the shortest (12 hours)– The Flip 4 can be paired with other Flip 4’s (through an app) to provide a wireless multi-speaker experience. There are Bluetooth adapters that would allow you to do this with the other speakers if you wanted, as well as physically connecting them with 3.5mm cables.– The Flip 4 comes in a variety of colors.– They are all roughly the same size, just differently shaped (see pics)Conclusion: The best bang for your buck is the OontZ Angle 3 Plus. It’s a measly $35 and sounds almost as good as the $100 Flip 4, especially inside. In addition to being inexpensive, you can literally keep it blaring music for an entire day. It’s not quite as loud outside as the Anker or Flip 4, but it’s also half the price. If you’re willing to pay for premium sound, go with the Flip 4 or even the Flip 3 if you want to save 20 bucks. Supposedly the sound is comparable, just the Flip 4 has a longer playtime. It really is noticeably clearer compared to the other options, so if you were using it with a projector to watch a movie, for example, the rumbling and distortion aren’t going to drown out the dialogue, and likewise vocals on a music track don’t get lost in the rest of the noise. If you’re planning on a bunch of outside activities, like mountain biking or camping, the ruggedness of the Anker and ability for it to charge your phone makes it your best bet. I didn’t do a drop test with any of these, but the Anker feels like a rubberized brick and would probably survive a fall. Other than battery life, there’s no reason to ever choose the Jolt5 over the Anker, especially considering they are the same price. The Jolt5 is just worse in every way, and I honestly don’t understand its 4.9 rating.The Jolt5 is going back. The Flip 4 is staying. I’m still debating between the Anker and OontZ and may keep them both since the cost combined is still less than a Flip 4.EDIT: After further testing, the Anker is going back and I’m keeping the OontZ. When plugged in with a 3.5mm cable, the sound is dramatically better with way more bass and a louder volume. And it’s still somehow the cheapest one.TL;DR:– On a budget? Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle 3 Plus– Best sound? JBL Flip 4 (though I do wish it had a bit more bass)– Most likely to survive your abuse? Anker SoundCore Sport XL

I’ve had these for about 2 1/2 months….and all I can say is….Wow!! These are so much better than I expected!I bought 2 for stereo sound and they are astounding! I love them!!SOUND QUALITY:Fantastic! It is amazing that sound this good comes from such small speakers. Great bass too.They make my ears happy…and the cost of them made my wallet happy too!! Win-win!LOUDNESS:I compared 2 different brand bluetooth speakers in a gym 72ft x 40ft. I couldn’t even hear the 1st test speaker. Then I tried the 2nd brand speaker JBL FLIP 4 and had no difficulty hearing it anywhere in the gym. I then connected two JBL FLIP 4 speakers and the sound was amazing and it filled the gym.You can easily entertain with background music with these speakers.PHONE CONNECTIVITY:I wasn’t planning on testing this feature. I didn’t think I would use it and there was one review that said it didn’t work that well anyway. Well fast forward, I had my phone connected to this speaker and was listening to music while showering and the phone & speaker started ringing. I pushed what I thought was the ignore phone call button on the speaker only to be met with silence from the speaker. I thought what is going on? I then thought let me say hello just to make sure I didnt answer the call. I said Hello and immediately was greeted by someone calling me on business. That was awkward and a little embarrassing. I apologized that I was in the shower. But did ask them if they could hear me okay. They said they could hear me just fine. So, I asked if I could call them back and a better time. So I guess that review saying it didnt work well was wrong. HahaBATTERY LIFE:I usually have my two JBL 4s bluetooth connected to each other AND my music device PLUS i have the speakers turned ALL THE WAY UP…and the battery life is good but not as good as I had read. I’m probably getting 7 hours +/- out of each one before I have to recharge them both. But they recharge quickly and sound amazing!!PRODUCT QUALITY:The JBL Flip 4 feels really well made, not cheap in any way nor does it look or feel like they cut any corners when making it. It is sturdy and seems like it should last a long time.JBL CONNECT:Starting with the JBL FLIP 4 there is a new feature where other JBL FLIP 4’s and newer JBL bluetooth speakers can connect to each other. You can connect up to 100 JBL speakers together for an incredible array of sound.COMPARISON WITH OTHER SPEAKERS:I watched a number of excellent bluetooth speaker reviews and read review articles before finally purchasing these speakers. I really enjoyed 2 YouTuber’s video reviews, Oleg’s Gadgets and JimsReviewRoom. The best review was on Oleg’s Gagets Youtube Channel who played each speaker reviewed with the same song at the same volume level. He did a brilliant job!! You have to listen to his video review with headphones on to get the best sound quality and his audio recording of the speakers was SO GOOD that while he was off screen and walking across his hardwood floor to his couch, I whipped my head around because I thought someone was walking up behind me. I had to double check to make sure it was sound coming from his review and not my house. Lol.Enjoy hours of listening to these speakers!God bless!

Bought as a gift for 13 people. Everyone who received it said they really like it. I have my own unit and I love to use it when working in the garage, cleaning the car, etc. Good sound, connectivity, battery life.

Esta bocina la utilizo en mis rutas de MTB y pues a pesar del agua y el lodo que se a tenido que enfrentar nunca ha dicho que no, con el paso del tiempo la vida de la batería ha ido mermando antes duraba 4 o 5 horas a todo volumen ahora (pasado 3 años ) solo me dura 2.5 a 3 horas, estoy analizando cambiarle la pila en vez de comprar un modelo mas reciente.