JBL Flip 7 Review

Our JBL Flip 7 Experience

If you've ever used a JBL product, the interface of the Flip 7 will feel familiar and intuitive. We were able to connect and play music in just a few seconds, and we appreciate that we didn't have to download an app first.

The “Auracast” feature, which allows you to sync with other JBL speakers, came in super handy when we were setting up for a birthday party. We asked a few of our friends to bring their personal JBL speakers to spread music throughout the house (this is such a popular brand that someone in your friend group is bound to have a compatible model). Many Bluetooth speakers we tested claim to offer this feature, but with the Flip 7, it actually worked.

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This small, water-bottle-sized speaker produces impressively big sound and a fun thumping bass. The sound easily filled our large living room and was able to project throughout our backyard. The Flip 7 also has surprisingly good depth, something we usually only notice in larger speakers. Overall, we give kudos to this little guy for being able to hang with the big boys.

It's a step up from a micro speaker, so it's not what we would call pocketable (depending on who you are), but it's still light and compact enough that we didn't think twice about throwing it in a backpack or tote bag. That, combined with the big sound, made this our grab-and-go option if we were headed to a backyard BBQ at a friend's house and the group was counting on us to bring the tunes.

The Flip 7 is shaped like a water bottle.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

It's very lightweight and compact.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Flip 7 comes with small swappable loop and clip attachments, but it's easy to lose whichever one you're not using.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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The Flip 7 comes with two different carry options: a plain loop strap and a carabiner. We appreciate the effort, but in reality, both the loop and carabiner are so small that they aren't very practical. The carabiner clips onto a backpack strap no problem, but anything wider (like bike handle bar, or shower curtain rod) won't fit.

Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

The Flip 7 is all about the fun. This little speaker has a woofer and two tweeters, so while other pocket-sized models sound muddled and distant, the Flip 7 sounds much more lifelike, with clear, layered audio. The sound profile tends to emphasize bass and treble frequencies, and comes off as very sculpted. This can make for fun listening if you like a high-energy, punchy sound, but may feel unnatural or unbalanced for relaxed listening.

The bass manages to get deep for a small speaker, and at times we felt it was overemphasized, but it stays relatively clear and delivers a level of boom that made us want to wiggle it out in an impromptu dance party. Or at least it made us involuntarily tap our feet and bob our heads along to the music.

For reference, other speakers this size tend to sound muddled if the bass gets too complicated - not so with the Flip 7. Highs are also emphasized, but can come off a little aggressive and forward as well. This can sometimes up the fun factor by adding some flair. But with some songs where the singer is really wailing on the mic, like 'It's Good to Be Hot in the Summer' by Annie DiRusso, we had to lower the volume just a tad to keep the vocals from sounding shouty.

The mid-range brings lifelike textures that surprised us with their level of detail, but ultimately they were not quite as balanced against the lows and highs. On tracks like “Dancing in the Rain” (feat. Donnie Trumpet, Brandon Fox & Shay Lewis) by Taylor Bennett, the vocals take a back seat during the chorus. The very sculpted lows and highs were pushed to the point that they felt a bit overpowering.

After comparing the Flip 7 with previous generations of this speaker, the soundstage is where we noticed the biggest improvement. The sound spreads widely for such a small unit, and the clarity, separation, and detail are all better than what we hear in older versions. Even the location of instruments is more accurate. We could pinpoint instruments with greater precision, creating a more immersive listening experience. It doesn't compare to true surround sound; the music doesn't sound equally good from all directions, but it does well for its size.

Our senses were drowned in Lana Del Ray's mournful cover of “Once Upon a Dream”, which sounds dreamy and immersive. The hefty lows are grounded against Del Ray's swirling, layered vocals. The light rhythmic embellishments peppered throughout the track are clear and distinct. The sustained choral notes in the background are light and floaty against the hearty lower end of the mix.

The Flip 7 is small and packable enough for long journeys.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

You can easily clip the Flip 7 onto a backpack for sharing your music while hiking.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Flip 7 can hang around anywhere.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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Portability

This speaker weighs just over a pound and is about the same shape and size as a tall can. We were able to fit it in our pocket if we were wearing a bigger jacket, but generally we preferred to toss it in a tote bag to avoid the saggy jacket look.

The Flip 7 comes with a standard carry loop that works for hanging it on a coat hook or small tree branch. But we love that it also comes with a carabiner attachment. Though it's pretty tiny, it still opens up your options for where to hook or hang the speaker. The two carry options can be changed out via a clip mechanism on the speaker, but we ended up just keeping the carabiner clip attached because it was so much more convenient. Just be careful not to lose the one you're not currently using.

Volume

This little speaker is just as loud, if not louder, than many mid-sized speakers, reaching 99.8 decibels at its loudest. This is great for larger spaces, and close to unbearably loud when we were listening on our own in our room.

It has an impressive volume range, from a barely discernible quiet to front row at a concert loud. However, sound quality isn't maintained at the loudest volumes, high notes can be a little too harsh. So just because it can get loud doesn't mean you'll want to play it that loud all the time. It's not our go to for a party speaker.

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Durability

JBL boasts that the Flip 7 is drop-proof up to 1 meter and can still operate in high temperatures up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. We dropped it a little higher than that, and it had zero issues. The small rubber bumpers likely absorb most of the initial shock, and it simply bounced across the concrete.

This IP68 speaker can be fully submerged in water and will keep out sand and dust. We tested this out by tossing it into water at the beach, and it came out sounding and working just fine. That said, it does not float, so we were cautious about bringing it out on the lake or river. If it falls in the water, it will sink to the bottom. We had no qualms about using it at the pool where we could easily dive in a fish it out if needed.

Battery

The Flip 7 lasted 18 hours and 11 minutes. This is a few hours longer than JBL's claimed battery life, and several hours longer than previous generations of the Flip. However, compared to the other speakers in our lineup, it's just average. It will get you through about a week of listening after work every day, but you'll want to keep your charger cord close, and make sure you've got a full charge if you're taking it away from home for the day.

Ease of Use

While not required for setup, you can download the JBL app to customize how your music sounds by adjusting the bass, mid, and treble. The adjustments available through the app were more detailed than what other brands offer, and this helped to correct the unbalanced lows and highs.

Like all newer JBL speakers, this unit comes with “Auracast”, which allows users to connect with multiple other JBL speakers for a surround-sound experience.

This speaker does not come with modern conveniences that we have been spoiled with. There is no microphone for taking calls or using voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. You'll have to DJ the old school way, by picking up your phone and choosing songs manually. It also lacks an aux port, so it can't play audio from an older, non-Bluetooth device that requires one (like an old projector or turntable).

Should You Buy the JBL Flip 7?

This speaker isn't going to be giving Sonos a run for their money against a premium product. But for an approachably priced little brick that will last for years? Pretty stellar deal! Highly portable with punchy sound and a great volume range if you want it to get loud. It's effectively inv

If you want a rugged, but reasonably priced portable speaker that can withstand being dropped, handle dirt and water, and can still operate in hot summer temperatures with good sound quality, this is a great option. But, there are other great options with even better sound quality in its price range.

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