Design | Features | Sound | Value | Overall | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
65 USD | |||||
The design looks and feels premium | It has enough features, but we want the speaker to be waterproof instead of splash proof. | The lows are good, mids are ok, and the highs are bad | Great value, but is not the best product | As an overall, it is a high-quality speaker, phone and clearly, it is a smart investment | Now it costs 65 USD and it is discounted from 100 USD. |
PROS
CONS
In this article, we are going to review the third model from the Flip series made by the JBL Company. We are going to look over aspects such as battery life, good sound quality, features and price. Also, we are going to see how it is different from the previous version, Flip 2, or the new version Flip 4. In the end, we hope we will have given you enough information so you can make a decision on whether the JBL Flip 3 is worth buying or not.
It should also answer the question of whether it’s worth the upgrade from Flip 2 to Flip 3, and from Flip 3 to Flip 4. Is it worth the price difference as well? Keep reading if you want to find out the answer.
Introduction of JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speakers
Time has flown away, and we are already at the third installment of the Flip series from the JBL Company. Sounds like a movie review? Well, yes, but it is not a movie we are reviewing, but a portable Bluetooth speaker. Doesn't sound so exciting now, am I right? Well buckle up and be ready to be blown away by the specs and features that even movie critics can’t wrap their brains around.
With a splash-proof design, the JBL Flip 3 can brag that it can play your favorite music for up to ten hours. It connects to your Bluetooth device, probably your smartphone and the list doesn't end here. It can also be used through or with any other device such as the tablet or your personal computer it is compatible with almost everything.
The Bluetooth speaker can be easily carried around as it weighs only 15.9 ounces. You can impress your friends with one of the seven colours available. We prefer the black model, but we will not discuss taste here. You can put in a vertical or horizontal position, whichever you prefer, although, in a vertical position, you will get more bass, just so you know.
A downgrade or a negative point of this speaker when compared to Flip 2, the previous model, is that it doesn't come with a case, as its older brother did. Other than that, everything seems alright. It is durable and waterproof, perfect for those hot summer days when you go to the pool. The USB and Audio entrances are covered by a flap.
The answer/end button doubles as the play/pause button as well and if you double tap it, you can skip tracks backward or forwards.
If you are still reading this, probably you wonder why we are reviewing the JBL Flip 3 in 2019, a product that first launched in 2015, and there is a newer version on the market already. To answer that in a simple way is that it is still relevant and now you can buy for a great price. Which means you will get great value for money, thus making it your best purchase in 2019.
Who needs to buy JBL Flip 3?
A Bluetooth speaker has as a target, teenagers and young adults and the JBL Flip 3 makes no exception. The chances are that if you are reading this article, you belong to those categories. Buying something when money is tight it is a stressful thing to do, and you want to make sure that every buck spent is well-spent. This Bluetooth Speaker is an older version of the Flip 4, but even though the newer model has some interesting extra-features, the Flip 3 is still a great purchase.
The quality is still high, the sound is still crisp, the features are still cool, and all under 70 dollars. So if you are on a budget then we clearly recommend buying this product and we promise you will be satisfied with your investment. You will not even feel the need for an upgrade for a while.
What’s included in JBL Flip 3 Box?
If you decide to buy this product, you will find in the box the Flip 3, a micro USB and the warranty and we almost forgot the instruction book. Other than that, the box is empty. And in reality, you don't need anything else other than what is present in the box.
If you have a few minutes and you want to see exactly what’s in the box follow this link.
Build & Design
n terms of build and design, the Flip 3 has come a long way from the hunk of plastic that Flip 2 was. The newer model comes with an attached string which will come in handy on so many occasions.
The Flip 3 introduced the fabric covering; thus it made the splash-proof feature possible and on top of that, it gave to whole build a better grip. The button placement is identical with the Flip 4, which only means that they were perfect and a change was unnecessary. All the buttons are found alongside the speaker.
The design feels and looks premium, and there is simply no better design for this price when it comes to Bluetooth speakers.
Connectivity
With a range of 30 feet, the Bluetooth 4.1 won’t give you any headaches. It connects easily and fast with any Bluetooth device. Also, the in-built microphone works great, and it does not have any audio issues.
We tested the range as well, and we discovered that after 50 feet you start having connection issues. So the range is longer than 30 feet, but because JBL didn't want any complaints because of this, they said it is only for 30 feet. A nice marketing strategy right there, and they have extra points only for that.
Battery life
JBL has improved the battery as well, and it can play constant music for up to 10 hours. This is more than enough to get you through the day. The newer model, the Flip 4, has a playback time of up to 12 hours.
In our opinion, those extra 2 hours won't make a huge difference, and you will probably get home before needing to re-charge even with only 10 hours of battery life. But if you play only k-pop on your speaker, you might have the unpleasant surprise of someone smashing it. Luckily it is pretty sturdy, and it might survive the damage.
Sound quality
Flip 2 has gained its popularity due to the sound quality it offered for the price of 100 dollars. They haven't lost any sound quality with the Flip 3. The sound quality is good when compared to the top dogs, and it sounds great when compared to the direct competitors.
To narrow it down, the lows are good, the mids could have been better, and the highs are pretty harsh. But on overall you cannot complain too much. The Flip 3 delivers 8 watts of sound.
Cheap Bluetooth speaker has a mono output, which is garbage when compared with the stereo sound that the Flip 3 spits out. It is a powerful and loudspeaker with a nice bass of 85 Hz. But it lacks low sub-bass.
The quality of the sound differs from the place it is playing. It won’t sound the same playing music from your bed between the sheets as it will sound if you play music from a table. Everyone we know loves this speaker, and the goods exceed the bad’s so much that in the end, they don’t even matter.
If you want your sound to be even better than use the EQ enhancement for mids and highs, you will thank me later. If you appreciate music, the stereo sound is the way to go, and don't even consider buying a mono-sound Bluetooth speaker.
JBL Connect
This feature allows our JBL speaker to connect with each other and play music together, as a single unit. This way, if your friends have JBL speakers as well, you can all have such a big party together with good and loud music.
Alternatives
We are not trying to convince you to buy this Bluetooth speaker, but we are merely showing you the best budget option from the market at this moment. So if we haven’t convinced you yet, we are going to present some alternatives, and after that, you can decide for yourself which is the best choice if you want to buy a cheap Bluetooth speaker.
In the same price range, you could find the UE Roll. This speaker is waterproof, not splash proof, which is an advantage. But it doesn't have a speaker phone which means you cannot receive or take calls from it. The lack of this feature is a deal breaker for me. I almost forgot the sound is better on the Flip 3.
Other alternatives would be the UE Boom or JBL Charge 2. They offer better sound quality, but they are more expensive than the Flip 3, and we don't consider budget options.
If you want to spend a little more money than we suggest that you buy the JBL Charge 2, but the build is not as compacted as the Flip 3, and we thought we would make you aware of this fact.
Conclusion
Now that you know every feature of the JBL Flip 3, do you think is the best budget option for a Bluetooth speaker. Because we think so, and the fact that is made by a company with such a big name in the industry like JBL makes us trust the product even more.
It is perfect for carrying around at pool parties on those hot summer days, or you can bring it at the BBQ party, basically, in every place that is going to need a bit of atmosphere.
There are still better options on the market, but we are only talking about budget options, which mean that the other Bluetooth speakers come at a price that exceeds 100 dollars; thus they are not a budget option.
If you find cheaper speakers at the markets, they probably have a mono-sound which sounds terrible when compared to the stereo sound that is coming from Flip 3. If you know your way around speakers, then you probably know that the mono-sound is not a good choice, it doesn't matter how cheap the speaker is.
If you want to upgrade from the Flip 2 to Flip 3, then we support you in your decision and the price difference is worth it. But you should know it is hard to buy a Flip 2, because they are discontinued and this will make your decision even easier than it should be. With a Flip 3, you will get a better design and feel, the speaker is compact, the sound quality is better, and there is no reason why you would prefer the Flip 2 model over this.
But if you want to upgrade from the Flip 3 to Flip 4, we cannot say it is a bad idea, unless you don't want to spend those extra 30 dollars. The price of the Flip 4 version is just under 100 dollars on Amazon, while the Flip 3 version is 70 dollars. For those extra 30 bucks, you will get a waterproof feature, and the Flip 3 has only a splash-proof feature. Better sound. Better battery life, and on overall a better speaker. But the difference is not that big, and if you already have the Flip 3, then an upgrade would be useless.
Hopefully, now, after you’ve read this article, you know the answer to every question you could have had and you know exactly which Bluetooth speaker would be on your next purchase list. Remember to tune your favourite music on your favourite speaker with your favourite friends.
