Best Portable Speakers for Portability (2024)

1

Sony SRS-XB100

Score: 9/10

Sony SRS-XB100

The speaker is extremely portable and lightweight, with a convenient strap for easy carrying. Its compact size enhances its portability.

Portability

9/10

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The Product Lab

The SRS xb100 is compact and very portable. It is just over 5 inches tall, about 4 inches in diameter, and weighs just over half a pound.

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The Product Lab

It comes with a specially engineered strap, which further increases the convenience factor.

Sound Quality

8/10

The Sony SRS-XB100 offers powerful and clear audio with deep bass, making it impressive for its size. However, it struggles with high frequencies and can sometimes overshadow vocals.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

It produces powerful and crystal-clear audio with a deep bass that resonates with every type of music.

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The Product Lab

The SRS xb100 boasts a sound diffusion processor, which expands into surround sound that fills the room.

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The Product Lab

You do not compromise at all on the details regarding the audio part.

Battery Life

9/10

The speaker boasts a remarkable battery life of up to 16 hours, making it ideal for outdoor use. It charges via USB type-C, though the charging time is relatively long.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

Battery life is key for portable speakers, and the Sony SRS xB 100 stands out with its remarkable playtime of up to 16 hours.

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The Product Lab

It has a really handy battery indicator that eliminates guesswork and ensures users are always aware of the remaining playtime.

Connectivity

7/10

The speaker provides a stable Bluetooth connection with easy pairing, but lacks additional connectivity options and advanced app features.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

It's straightforward, hassle-free, and best of all, the speaker remembers the device for future use, making reconnection even more effortless next time.

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The Product Lab

Maintaining a consistent and robust Bluetooth link to connected devices ensures an uninterrupted music stream.

Durability

9/10

With an IP67 rating, the speaker is waterproof and dustproof, making it highly durable for outdoor use. However, the design may show fingerprints easily.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

It has an IP67 rating, meaning it's waterproof and dustproof.

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The Product Lab

The rugged design means it can accompany all kinds of adventures, whether hanging out at the beach, hiking through dusty trails, or just lounging by the pool.

2

JBL Charge 5

Score: 8/10

JBL Charge 5

The compact cylindrical design makes it easy to carry, weighing around two pounds. Its trapezoid shape may affect vertical stability.

Portability

8/10

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The Product Lab

It features a compact cylindrical design, weighing only around two pounds, and can easily fit into a bag or backpack for enhanced portability.

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The Product Lab

The JBL Charge 5 is easy to use and offers an intuitive setup process.

Sound Quality

8/10

The JBL Charge 5 offers powerful and balanced sound with strong bass and clear mids. It includes an additional tweeter for improved clarity but may experience distortion at higher volumes.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

Inside, the speaker utilizes a single high-quality 20-millimeter, 10-watt tweeter and a 90-millimeter, 30-watt woofer to deliver surprisingly powerful audio, considering its compact size.

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The Product Lab

It produces a clear and reasonably balanced sound, with plenty of low end for bass-heavy genres, bright and punchy treble for vocals and lead instruments, and a solid mid-range response to round out your audio and add some texture.

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The Product Lab

While it does occasionally produce compression artifacts at higher volumes, the overall sound remains controlled, and the digital signal processing doesn't thin out the bass too much.

Battery Life

9/10

The speaker boasts an impressive 20-hour battery life and can function as a power bank. However, it takes around four hours to fully charge and lacks fast charging.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

It's rated to deliver up to 20 hours of continuous playtime on a single charge, depending on your usage habits, which is longer than many premium models.

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The Product Lab

Unfortunately, it takes around four hours to fully charge and lacks a fast charging function, unlike some competitors in this range.

Connectivity

7/10

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.1, the speaker provides a stable connection and supports multi-point pairing. However, it lacks a 3.5mm jack and built-in microphone.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

The speakers support Bluetooth 5.1 protocols, which is impressive considering the sub-$200 price, and they provide a more stable and efficient wireless connection than previous models.

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The Product Lab

It also offers Bluetooth multi-point pairing functionality, allowing you to connect with multiple audio sources simultaneously and seamlessly switch between them.

Durability

9/10

With an IP67 rating, the speaker is water and dust resistant, featuring a rugged design. Its angled ends may cause it to lean when placed upright.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

The speaker is wrapped in a durable mesh fabric, providing an impressive IP67 water resistance rating, so you can safely use it poolside or at the beach.

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The Product Lab

It also has rubberized feet on each end for added stability and impact resistance. However, the ends are somewhat angled, causing it to lean when placed upright.

3

JBL Go 4

Score: 8/10

JBL Go 4

The JBL Go 4 is ultra-portable and lightweight, fitting easily into a back pocket. However, it lacks an integrated carabiner and is limited to mono playback unless paired with another speaker.

Sound Quality

7/10

The JBL Go 4 delivers clear sound with good bass for its size, and offers customizable EQ settings. However, it lacks depth in default settings and the bass quality diminishes at higher volumes.

Quotes from Reviewers

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GadgetByte

The sound that comes out of the Go4 is absolutely phenomenal, considering it only has a 1.75-inch driver.

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GadgetByte

The go4 sounds very impressive for its size, and at maximum volume, it's usable in the shower. You'll be able to easily hear your music if you're on a bike ride or a hike.

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GadgetByte

The go4 has a 40 mm transducer paired with a passive radiator for the bass, and it puts out 4.2 watts.

Battery Life

8/10

The battery life of the JBL Go 4 exceeds expectations, lasting nearly 10 hours. However, the PlaytimeBoost feature, while extending battery life, compromises sound quality.

Connectivity

7/10

The speaker supports Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connection and can pair with other JBL speakers. However, it only supports the SBC codec and may have initial connectivity issues with some devices.

Durability

8/10

With an IP67 rating, the JBL Go 4 is dustproof and waterproof, and additional silicone protection enhances its durability. However, the fabric material may wear over time.
4

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Score: 8/10

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

The Wonderboom 3 is lightweight and compact, with an attached loop for easy carrying. However, the micro USB charging requires an extra cable.

Sound Quality

7/10

The Wonderboom 3 offers 360-degree sound with good audio quality for its size. It includes an Outdoor Boost mode for enhanced outdoor sound. However, it can become distorted at higher volumes and lacks powerful bass.

Battery Life

8/10

The speaker boasts a 14-hour battery life, exceeding expectations in testing. However, it lacks fast charging and takes 2.6 hours to fully charge.

Connectivity

6/10

The Wonderboom 3 supports Bluetooth multipoint and can pair with another unit for stereo sound. It uses a micro USB port and lacks an aux port.

Durability

9/10

The speaker is highly durable with an IP67 rating, making it dust and water-resistant. It can withstand drops from up to five feet.
5

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

Score: 8/10

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

The Wonderboom 4 is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry. It includes a fabric loop for attachment, though it lacks a built-in carabiner and the strap is not very useful.

Sound Quality

7/10

The Wonderboom 4 offers impressive 360-degree sound with strong bass for its size. However, it experiences slight bass drop and distortion at high volumes, and the Outdoor Boost mode can reduce sound quality.

Quotes from Reviewers

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New Stuff TV 2

The quality held. Did you feel a bass drop? I did. Did you? Yeah, I don't know. Let me see. Just a little, a little, a little bit. It's like not even enough to be worried about.

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New Stuff TV 2

In its normal mode, the bass is impressively strong for something of its size.

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New Stuff TV 2

The smaller Wonderbon 4, unfortunately, doesn't boast the same acoustic upgrades, but we do get some unique new functionality with a new podcast mode.

Battery Life

9/10

The speaker boasts a solid 14-hour battery life, often exceeding expectations during testing. There are no significant drawbacks noted for its battery performance.

Connectivity

7/10

The Wonderboom 4 features USB-C charging and Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint connection. However, it lacks an aux-in, microphone, and app support for additional features.

Durability

9/10

The speaker is highly durable with an IP67 rating, making it water and dust resistant. It is also drop-proof and can float on water, ensuring reliability in various environments.
6

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

Score: 8/10

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

The speaker is compact and lightweight, with a built-in strap for easy attachment. It is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor, which may affect its fit in small spaces.

Portability

8/10

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Flossy Carter

This speaker is perfect for your bike, and it also has a little strap right here.

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Flossy Carter

The new StormBox Micro2 is slightly larger than the original model.

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Flossy Carter

It fits, you know, roughly in the palm of your hand.

Sound Quality

8/10

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 delivers impressive bass and clear sound for its size, thanks to its 48mm neodymium driver and X-bass technology. However, sound quality can degrade at high volumes, with distortion occurring at 80% volume and above.

Quotes from Reviewers

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Flossy Carter

The sound coming from this little speaker is unbelievable.

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Flossy Carter

The bass is a little bit better in the brand new StormBox Micro2 at 50 to 75 percent volume.

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Flossy Carter

At 100 percent, both of them become slightly distorted.

Battery Life

8/10

The speaker boasts an upgraded battery life of 12 hours, a significant improvement over its predecessor. It also functions as a power bank, though this can reduce music playback time.

Quotes from Reviewers

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Flossy Carter

The battery life of this device is 12 hours.

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Flossy Carter

It now has an internal 3.6-volt, 4700 milliamp-hour lithium-ion battery.

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Flossy Carter

You can also charge your phone in a pinch.

Connectivity

7/10

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, the speaker offers a 120-foot range and supports true wireless stereo pairing. It also features multipoint connectivity, though it lacks wired input options.

Quotes from Reviewers

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Flossy Carter

This device uses Bluetooth version 5.3.

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Flossy Carter

It features true wireless stereo, allowing you to pair multiple devices.

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Flossy Carter

Bluetooth 5.0 versus 5.3: I honestly don't really care.

Durability

8/10

With an IP67 rating, the speaker is dust and water-resistant, making it suitable for outdoor use. It features a robust design but does not float, which could be a concern near water.

Quotes from Reviewers

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Flossy Carter

It is IP67 dust and water-resistant.

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Flossy Carter

This part feels similar to a really tightly woven thread.

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Flossy Carter

The speaker has an IP67 rating.

7

Sonos Roam 2

Score: 8/10

Sonos Roam 2

The Sonos Roam 2 is compact and easy to carry, with a minimalist design. It can be used vertically or horizontally but lacks strap attachments for convenience.

Portability

8/10

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SoundGuys

It's compact enough to carry anywhere, and I mean anywhere, since it has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

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SoundGuys

There are no ropes or strap attachments dangling from anywhere, so it's still very packable while looking nice and sleek.

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SoundGuys

It's slightly bigger than the original Roam, but the difference is not noticeable, and it weighs around 430g.

Sound Quality

8/10

The Sonos Roam 2 delivers excellent sound quality with clear high and mid frequencies, making it suitable for various music genres. It offers a wide soundstage and decent bass for its size, though bass response diminishes at higher volumes.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoundGuys

The Sonos Roam 2 has not received any hardware upgrades; it remains a mono speaker with one tweeter and one midwoofer.

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SoundGuys

Turning the volume up past 75% drastically reduces the bass response, which is nothing new for smaller Bluetooth speakers.

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SoundGuys

It's the same great sound you got with the first-gen Roam. Inside are two amplifiers that power a single tweeter, providing fantastic high-frequency response, and a single midwoofer that brings out the vocals really well.

Battery Life

6/10

The Sonos Roam 2 offers up to 10 hours of playback, which is decent but not exceptional compared to competitors. It supports USB-C and wireless charging, though the wireless charging puck is costly.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoundGuys

Sonos still advertises 10 hours of playback with the Roam 2, which is slightly less than some of its competitors.

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SoundGuys

You can charge it either with the supplied USB-C to USB-C cable or by using wireless Qi charging.

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SoundGuys

The puck costs an eye-watering £49, and it's not even cheaper when bought as a set.

Connectivity

7/10

The Roam 2 features versatile connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple AirPlay 2. It has a dedicated Bluetooth button for easy pairing but lacks Google Assistant support.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoundGuys

The Roam 2 now features a dedicated Bluetooth button on the back of the unit and no longer requires you to download the Sonos app just to establish the initial Bluetooth connection.

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SoundGuys

Unfortunately, it was the same case with the Roam 2 once I was finally able to connect via Wi-Fi.

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SoundGuys

The Roam 2 connects via the slightly outdated Bluetooth 5.2 and supports only SBC and AAC codecs.

Durability

8/10

The Sonos Roam 2 is durable with an IP67 rating, making it dustproof and waterproof. It features rubberized endcaps for protection but lacks extended bumpers for drop resistance.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoundGuys

The Roam 2 retains its IP67 rating, making it both dustproof and waterproof.

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SoundGuys

Sonos claims that this unit is drop-proof, but it doesn't have the extended rubber bumpers like those on the Sony.

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SoundGuys

It's drop-resistant, which, let's be honest, is disconcertingly vague.

8

Soundcore 3

Score: 8/10

Soundcore 3

The Soundcore 3 is lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry with its included lanyard. However, its small size may limit sound quality in larger spaces.

Portability

8/10

Sound Quality

8/10

The Soundcore 3 delivers improved sound quality with its 16-watt stereo speakers, offering fantastic highs and mids with clear vocal clarity. However, it struggles with deep bass reproduction and can sound flat compared to larger speakers.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoulOfTech

This speaker is definitely an improvement compared to its predecessors.

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SoulOfTech

The highs and the mids on the speaker are fantastic, and the vocal clarity really took me by surprise.

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SoulOfTech

Unfortunately, the lows are definitely on the weaker side, so the bass won't be as impressive as the highs and mids are.

Battery Life

9/10

The Soundcore 3 boasts an impressive battery life, claiming up to 24 hours of playtime, though realistic usage shows about 20 hours at 75% volume. It includes a power-saving feature to extend battery life.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoulOfTech

Anker claims that you can get up to 24 hours of use on a single charge.

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SoulOfTech

In my realistic test at 75% volume, I achieved about 20 hours of playback before needing to charge it again.

Connectivity

7/10

The Soundcore 3 offers modern Bluetooth 5 connectivity with easy setup and automatic pairing. However, it lacks a headphone or auxiliary jack and cannot connect to home Wi-Fi.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoulOfTech

You have a USB-C charging port, but I don't see any sort of headphone jack.

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SoulOfTech

Bluetooth 5 definitely provides it with the most modern-day standards in terms of general communication.

Durability

9/10

The Soundcore 3 is designed for durability with an IPX7 water resistance rating and a rugged design. However, the black version may show fingerprints easily.

Quotes from Reviewers

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SoulOfTech

This device has an IPX7 rating, meaning it can easily withstand a splash in the shower.

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SoulOfTech

Its design is rugged, and it can definitely survive falls from arm's length.

9

Tribit XSound Go

Score: 8/10

Tribit XSound Go

The speaker is lightweight and easy to carry, featuring a sleek design and a lanyard for convenience. However, its curved edges may affect compactness.

Portability

8/10

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HarryWT

Because of its sleek and ultra-compact design, it is absolutely perfect to just toss in the bag and carry along anywhere you go.

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HarryWT

I received this speaker, a black lanyard, a user manual, and a micro USB cable.

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HarryWT

The updated version includes a Type-C cable instead, since the new X Sound Go now comes with a Type-C port.

Sound Quality

8/10

The Tribit XSound Go delivers rich, clear sound with minimal distortion, even at high volumes. It outperforms competitors like the Anker SoundCore 2, though it has weaker bass and struggles with complex tracks.

Quotes from Reviewers

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HarryWT

This compact yet powerful speaker delivers rich, clear, and room-filling sound at an affordable price.

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HarryWT

The highs are crystal clear, and the mids are very crisp, unlike most speakers.

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HarryWT

Even at maximum volume, there is no distortion whatsoever, and the bass, specifically, is super rich and heavy.

Battery Life

9/10

The speaker boasts an impressive 24-hour battery life, outperforming more expensive models. However, it takes 4-5 hours to fully charge via Micro-USB.

Quotes from Reviewers

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HarryWT

The company claimed 5 hours of charging time with 24 hours of continuous playtime.

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HarryWT

In my experience, it took me over a week to drain the battery, and I listened to a lot of music on this device.

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HarryWT

It takes about four to five hours to charge this device from a dead battery to one hundred percent.

Connectivity

7/10

The speaker offers stable wireless connectivity with Bluetooth 4.2 and includes a 3.5mm jack. However, it uses older Micro-USB charging technology.

Quotes from Reviewers

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HarryWT

Bluetooth connectivity provides a stable wireless connection and works well, even if you have the speaker placed in another room in the house.

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HarryWT

The Bluetooth version 4.2 compared to version 5.0 and the newer version.

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HarryWT

This is actually Bluetooth 4.2, so for compatible devices, this should have a range of over 50 feet.

Durability

8/10

The speaker is designed with a rugged, waterproof body, making it durable for outdoor use. However, the Micro USB port has had issues in some cases.

Quotes from Reviewers

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HarryWT

This speaker has an IPX7-rated waterproof design.

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HarryWT

The entire build of the speaker consists of a very tough black rubberized material on the outside, with a metallic grille at the front.

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HarryWT

The micro USB port stopped working on two separate occasions and had to be replaced.

10

JBL Flip 6

Score: 8/10

JBL Flip 6

Compact and lightweight, the JBL Flip 6 is easy to carry with its lanyard loop. However, the rubber kickstand is not very stable, and it is slightly heavier than some competitors.

Portability

8/10

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The Product Lab

Weighing in at 1.2 pounds and measuring 7 inches long, it's certainly a smaller Bluetooth speaker.

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The Product Lab

A small rubber kickstand stabilizes the Flip 6 on surfaces, although it's not the most stable design choice, in my opinion.

Sound Quality

8/10

The JBL Flip 6 delivers powerful bass and clear treble, providing a warm and well-balanced audio experience. However, at maximum volume, the treble can become harsh, and it only offers mono sound.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

The woofer delivers powerful bass and rich mid frequencies, while a separate tweeter provides high levels of clarity for treble tones.

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The Product Lab

Despite its small size, the JBL Flip 6 easily reaches loud volumes, and the sound doesn't distort as you crank it up.

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The Product Lab

Increasing the audio to the highest volumes can lead to some harsh treble sounds, but generally, the audio performance is warm and well-balanced, with an excellent sense of clarity.

Battery Life

8/10

The battery life of the JBL Flip 6 exceeds expectations, lasting over 18 hours with quick USB-C charging. However, the battery indicator is not very accurate, and the life reduces significantly at full volume.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

JBL states that the Flip 6 should last for approximately 12 hours of playback.

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The Product Lab

I was able to listen to music for a little over 18 hours.

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The Product Lab

At 100% volume, the backup is around Rs. 7.5R.

Connectivity

7/10

With Bluetooth 5.1, the JBL Flip 6 offers stable connectivity and can pair with two devices simultaneously. However, it lacks built-in mics and AUX-in, and stereo pairing is limited to other Flip 6 speakers.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

The connectivity currently comes in Bluetooth 5.1, so you shouldn't experience any annoying connectivity dropouts while using the Flip 6.

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The Product Lab

You can use the party boost function to pair two compatible JBL speakers in stereo or multiple speakers, actually up to 100.

Durability

9/10

The JBL Flip 6 is highly durable with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Its rugged design includes rubberized end caps, though it does not float in water.

Quotes from Reviewers

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The Product Lab

Its IP67 rating means you can happily take the Flip 6 to the beach without needing to worry about a little sand or a splash of sea water breaking it.

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The Product Lab

The Flip 6 feels just as rugged as the Flip 4, but this time, JBL has introduced dust resistance alongside water resistance.