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It’s smaller than the Charge, but has gotten features previously reserved for JBL’s higher-end waterproof speakers.
With that in mind I tested the Flip 4 a little differently than I would a normal Bluetooth speaker.
Instead of focusing primarily on audio quality, I wanted to see if it could live up to JBL’s durability and connectivity claims. That’s not to say the Flip 4 sounds bad, in fact it sounds pretty good, but there are a couple of features that make this speaker stand out.
Its IP7 rating means the Flip 4 should be able to sit in up to six feet of water for a half hour without getting damaged. It’s a little too chilly for pool season, so I thought I’d fully submerge it in a pitcher of water for a little over 10 minutes, more than enough time to kill a standard electronic. Not only did the Flip 4 survive, I was able to stream music to it while it was fully submerged.
The audio sounded garbled, but that’s still an impressive feat, and unlike other speakers I’ve tried, JBL’s didn’t need to be fully dried out to sound good again. Given my test, I have no trouble believing that the Flip 4 could live up to its waterproof rating, although I doubt most people will be in a situation to fully test it.
If you’re afraid of a speaker falling or being thrown into the water this summer, this is the one you should get.
In addition to solving that summertime problem, JBL’s speakers also want to solve a common backyard question: who gets to control the music? In social situations it’s easy for one person’s playlist to dominate an afternoon, which is fine in some situations, but annoying in others. The Flip 4 can be paired with multiple devices at once, letting you share DJ duty between up to three people.
Setting this up was easy. I paired the Flip 4 to my phone, hit its Bluetooth-pairing button again, and paired it with my tablet. I could switch between playing songs on both seamlessly, it almost worked too well. That said, I see one small problem: If you’re streaming a song from one device, another paired device can cut it off at any time to play its own track.
The feature itself is very impressive, but it does require a little civility between the people sharing control of the music — agree on a DJ-sharing system and you’ll be fine.
I mentioned this speaker’s sound quality earlier, and in my testing it sounded above average. I listened to music from a few genres and there was no obvious audio flaw. The only problem is that the Flip 4 does distort more at higher volumes; I assume that’s because of the way it had to be constructed. It’s not bad enough that you’ll notice it from far away, but you’ll hear it more up close. It’s by no means a deal breaker, but something you should be aware of.
If you’re getting ready for a summer full of time spent by the water, JBL’s Flip 4 would be a nice addition to your beach bag. It’s small, relatively light, very durable, and comes in easy-to-spot colors.
Having lost electronics to water before, I’m always a little apprehensive about what I take with me to the pool or beach. But after my testing, I’m confident the Flip 4 could handle my clumsiness or bad luck.
JBL Flip 4, $ 99.95, available at Amazon
