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JBL manufactures It means a Bluetooth speaker, and the brand’s Flip series has been my all-time favorite for generations. the JBL Flip 7 It’s the best of the best, with good sound, a travel-ready size, and subtle but effective upgrades over the previous two models in terms of sound and features. I love this speaker and its nearly indestructible design, and now it’s finally getting some good sales. Right now, you’ll find it for $50 off its retail price of $150, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet.
I’ve used the Flip 5 as an audio companion at home and on the road for years. The Flip 7 is even better, delivering clearer, more powerful sound to enhance everything from barbecues to dialogue while watching movies from my computer in the hot tub (what can I say, I love multitasking!). The Flip design works great for a hot tub since it’s fully submersible, and provides convenient controls for my slippery hands when I need to adjust the volume or pause the fun.
The Flip 7 offers some great new features, including a new detachable ring that comes off with the push of a button (just make sure you don’t lose it), an upgrade to IP68 dust and water resistance, and a new shock-resistant case that’s been tested to withstand drops from three feet. The Flip line has always been easy to use, and I can personally attest to dropping this thing a lot With no ill effects.
JBL has also started adding Auracast to its new line of speakers, a futuristic-looking feature that uses a new Bluetooth protocol for latency-free transmission to an endless number of devices. Auracast is still new, but it’s a very promising technology, and it currently lets you connect the Flip 7 to other JBL Auracast speakers side-by-side. The only downside is that JBL has done away with the old PartyBoost feature, so you can only bundle the Flip 7 with newer speakers like Charge 6 and Clip 5.
As far as sound quality is concerned, this facet is more refined, with slight upgrades to instrument definition, noticeable in instruments such as brass, strings and vocals. It’s not a big change Face 6but it’s good to see an improvement, and the speaker has lost some of the more aggressive touch that sometimes led to slight distortion in older models. Like almost any Bluetooth speaker, it will still distort if you push it too hard, but I recorded it at over 75dB in my review without any audible issues.
You’ll also get a little longer battery life this time around, from 12 hours on previous models to 14 hours (depending on size), so you can take it off the grid for a little longer. You can also push that up to 16 hours with the new Playtime Boost mode, although that cuts out some of the bass.
It all adds up to a sweet little package. It’s my number one recommendation when anyone asks me about a great portable speaker, offering the perfect compromise between size, sound and durability. Although its price has been going up and down lately, now is a good time to get it at the lowest price we’ve seen so far.
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