Amazon.com: Customer reviews: JBL Flip 4, Black - Waterproof, Portable & Durable Bluetooth Speaker - Up to 12 Hours of Wireless Streaming - Includes Noise-Cancelling Speakerphone, Voice Assistant & JBL Connect+

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2018

Let me first say, this is my second JBL flip 4, the one I had prior to this was an absolute BRUTE. I’m talking tough! It had been submerged under water, dropped countless times, taken to the beach, withstanded super hot summer days for hours, getting caked with mud but alas, it got ran over by a car while off-roading one day... but guess what? It STILL WORKS. Even in its smashed up state nothing broke but the speaker cover protector. So bravo JBL, this is a great product. However I bought this one for my father for his birthday, he only used it a few times in his bedroom and now it won’t turn on at all, so I tinkered with it come to find out it was a remanufactured speaker put back together incorrect without water proof rubber gaskets for the speakers, keep in mind I payed full price for a NEW speaker! Now the return windows are closed and I’m unsure who to contact to hopefully make this right...

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Steven Waka

I'm a fan.

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2018

Color: TealVerified Purchase

I went and compared 3 similar portable speakers with each other (same price of around $100 each):

JBL Flip 4
- Best quality sound of the 3 (amazing quality - very similar to Bose Soundlink Mini)
- No noticeable crackle at max volume with high treble in music
- Strongest/deepest bass (my table was shaking on max volume)
- Very loud max volume

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM
- Smaller than JBL 4 but larger than Bose Micro
- Crackling at max volume for some songs with high treble (Was not expecting this)
- Bass is not as strong (very slight bass)
- Very loud max volume (similar to JBL 4)

Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth
- Smallest of the 3
- Max sound was at 75% that of JBL 4/Ultimate Ears
- Sounds "muffled" and not clear (quality is not even close to that of Bose Soundlink Mini)
- Exposed charging slot (is this really waterproof?)

Overall - I would pick JBL (amazing quality & very similar to Bose Soundlink Mini, but waterproof!) and Ultimate Ears for portability (75 % size of JBL 4). The Bose Micro, although very small, had really poor quality sound for the price (most disappointing).

1,136 people found this helpful

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D L

Bluetooth Speaker Comparison -- 2017 Edition

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

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

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Castor Gordon

One star

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

Really good sound - surprising bass coming from this little speaker.

Edit:
7 months later, JBL flip 4 doesn't hold a charge for more than 5 hours. I did drop it just once -- maybe that has something to do with it - idk. That audio quality is still there, though.

Edit 2:
1 Year. Wont charge at all now.

785 people found this helpful

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SundayShopper

Very loud and sound great

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Bought 2 of these, one white and one red so that we could take advantage of stereo and party modes. In party mode they both play the same exact audio and in stereo one is left and one right ( obviously ) I do recommend getting 2 different colors, when you open the app it actually identifies the speaker and its color so setting left or right for stereo is super simple since you can see each speaker pictured with its color. Reason I chose these JBLs is based on some reviews I have read and watched on youtube. They are not the loudest out there but plenty loud and for me the selling point was that even at max volume the sound was crisp and didn't distort. They are water and dust proof, I have dropped one under water already and it still works great. We take these along when we go paddle boarding and clip them to our boards without any worries of them getting wet. While paddling I operate my phone all via voice which works really well with this speaker. So as far as sound goes they are great, range is great, really are waterproof and plenty loud for a party. Reason I took away 1 star is that there is no way to go to previous track, not that I have discovered anyway, please msg me if I am wrong and I'll up the rating. The play button acts as play/pause/and with double tap next track.. Why not add a triple tap for previous? Or maybe use the Bluetooth connect button double tap for previous? Since the speakers get software updates maybe this is something that will get implemented. If you are wondering if the stereo and party modes and if its worth getting these for that alone I would say yes. We used them on a houseboat in both party and stereo mode and the sound filled the entire upper deck of the 80 ft boat with no problem.

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Johnston Family

Died in less than 90 days! UPDATE with more info.

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018

Color: GrayVerified Purchase

I am not rich and $80 is a pretty big investment for me to make in a speaker. I reviewed, reviewed and reviewed all these speakers for two weeks before being convinced this was "the best." And, for the first 60 or so days it was. But, out of nowhere, it has now just started turning off while playing music. Full charge, half charge, doesn't matter. It just turns itself off.

Do you know how annoying it is to be listening to music and have to go up to the speaker every 10 or so minutes and turn it back on? I mean, come on, that's ridiculous, no? Read ALL the critical reviews on Amazon about this item. You will notice a trend about this sort of thing.

The absolute BEST Bluetooth speaker I ever owned was the Soundfreaq SFQ-04 Sound Kick. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of letting my ex-wife have that, thinking I'd win by getting a brand new one. Wrong again. Also, the Soundreaq one was purchased about 6 to 7 years ago and guess what? Not only does it still work like a champ, but it has NEVER had any issues and sounds better than this one.

If you are flush and have $80 to spend for 3 months of listening, by all means by this. If not, stay away or better yet, get a Soundreaq.

UPDATE: Just realized the main reason I'm sure many of you want to buy this is due to it being waterproof. Just found out Soundfreaq made a follow-up to the model I had, the Sound Kick 2 and it is water resistant! You can find this on Amazon or even lower priced on eBay. Please, for me, buy this one instead.

254 people found this helpful

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Francisco Ramirez

Best Speaker You Will Find At $100

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

Before anyone assumes that I received any sort of discount, I bought this at the full price of $99.95

Price - As the title indicates, in my opinion this truly is the best speaker out there that you can buy with $100. At $99.95 this speaker is very affordable, of course if you live in most states you will pay about $7 more for tax but in certain states you won't be charged any. In the box you will receive a JBL Flip 4 speaker (with a paracord loop), a JBL tangle free Micro-USB cable, Quick Start Guide, Important Safety Instructions, and a Warranty Card.

Build - The JBL Flip 4 is considered a rugged speaker and also because it is IPX7 waterproof, it can be immersed in water up to 1 meters (or roughly 3 feet) for up to half an hour. Just remember to disconnect all cables and close the rubber flap. Although this is a rugged speaker, I would try very hard not to drop this or physically damage it. The Flip 4 has a total of 6 buttons: Play/Pause/Skip Track/Google or Siri/Answer/End Call, Volume Up, Volume Down, Bluetooth, Power, and JBL Connect+ (Connect+ allows you to connect 100 or more Connect+ enabled speakers for a surround sound experience or to full bigger areas). The Flip 4 also has 2 ports and an opening for your paracord loop, the 2 ports under the rubber flap are for a 3.5mm AUX cable and a Micro-USB charging cable. There is also a built-in microphone for calls or voice commands using Google or Siri.

Sound - I have few things to say about the sound quality of this speaker, simply because it is that amazing! The Flip 4 is unlike most speakers $100 and under. This speaker will not lose sound quality at max volume nor will it get distorted with bass heavy tracks. Even when under water, the sound will not suffer, it actually seems to increase your bass.

I highly recommend this product and encourage anyone looking for a speaker around $100 to purchase the JBL Flip 4

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Bryce

Expected a solid product but was greatly dissapointed

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2018

Color: TealVerified Purchase

I will be writing this view with a total and complete comparison to a $25 Anker speaker I previously purchased. The JBL beats the Anker in the most important category. It does sound better. However, with a much steeper price tag, it better.

The Anker is far superior in the other two categories. I beat the hell out of my Anker and even got it soaked in water only for it to keep on ticking. Supremely impressed. The JBL already has a tear in the mesh speaker portion. It has not been quite as road tested but I'm not very optimistic.

The Anker battery life is like a million times better than the JBL. This is the JBL biggest bust. I buy bluetooth speakers for convenience of use where power source is limited. The JBL battery lasts like 2 hours maybe.

***This is the most horrendous problem with this JBL***
When battery life is complete drained, you cannot listen to music while charging without the speaker turning off. Did you get that? You have to wait for the speaker to charge up enough before you can listen even if charging straight into a wall outlet. The speaker turns off with a power source plugged in??? In my opinion, this is unacceptable.

I really wanted to like this product but I don't. Unfortunately, spending more time to send it back with whatever cost is not worth my time. Instead, you get this review. Would spend a little extra money to buy a better sounding Anker. Sorry JBL.

Thanks for listening.

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lowrez

JBL Flip 4 Musing - My New #1

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2017

Verified Purchase

Although I'm not doing speaker reviews anymore I was so impressed by the JBL Flip 4 that I had to write a little something. The Xiaomi Mi has been my go-to BT speaker. It has really great sound; especially for the size. Sadly I accidentally played some frequency test tones at high volume and my Xiaomi Mi was blown. After 3 days of only having laptop speakers I was fed up. I needed something better. Good things have been written about the JBL Flip 3, and I always wanted to give it a try. Now the 4 is out and I hear it's even better! Being desperate for quality sound I bought one.

I really wasn't planning on buying any speakers and really couldn't afford it. I'm experienced and very picky about audio. From all I've read my expectations were very high. Given all of this the odds were stacked high against the Flip 4.

Once I heard the thing I was stunned at how full and well balanced it sounds! I have a thing for small speakers that sound big and this doesn't disappoint at all. Even better is that it manages to sound big without any lame DSP tainting the sound. There is no silly bass boost and no compression; just good full sound. This is my new #1.

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sean wallis

Love JBL, Hate this (defective) speaker

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2018

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

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I think I just got a defective one because most of the reviews rave over the sound quality. Mine just constantly farts (no smell) and sounds like its completely blown but I haven't even turned the volume up or listened to any heavy metal (yet)! They must have not given the sweat shop kids their daily peanuts and bread crust because this one is just brutal to listen to. I'm surprised it didn't come with a hidden note that said "help me". This is all i can guess because usually JBL does a great job. Watch my video for more info.

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5 star		87%
4 star		8%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

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