The world of audio equipment has seen a lot of evolution in recent years, with modern speaker technology getting more and more impressive as time goes by. Gone are the days of clunky speakers, oversized audio devices, and countless cables tangled up all over the place; nowadays, it’s possible to have a portable, wireless, high-powered speaker right in the palm of your hand. JBL is one brand that consistently excels in creating stellar Bluetooth speakers, with the Flip 4 and Flip 5 models being particular standouts. But which is better when comparing JBL Flip 4 vs. Flip 5?
JBL Flip 4 and Flip 5: Bring the Party With You
Both the JBL Flip 4 and Flip 5 wireless, Bluetooth speakers, make it so much easier for people to enjoy their music on the go. Both speakers allow listeners to become capable of effectively carrying around their own personal speaker system, ideal for parties, get-togethers with friends, long road trips, vacations, and so on.
JBL is widely regarded as one of the very best brands in the speaker business right now. The Flip 4 and Flip 5 models are perhaps the most popular of all Bluetooth speakers. In this guide, we will take a comprehensive look at how the JBL Flip 4 compares to the Flip 5.
JBL Charge 4 Charger
At first glance, there isn’t much about the Flip 4 that sets it apart from the previous Flip 3, and that’s because aside from a few minor design changes like the phone button being turned into a more fitting triangle for pause or play, there really isn’t too much difference between them. The Flip 4 is still rocking the iconic cylindrical shape with exposed passive bass radiators on either end to match the rest of the JBL line-up.
That said there is one key difference that makes this a worthy upgrade to the previous model – waterproofing. The JBL Flip 4 isn’t bad for music. It has a well-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, making it suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content.
It has a well-balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments are accurately reproduced in the mix, though higher-pitched vocals may sound a bit dull at times.
That said, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you can’t feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music, and there isn’t a graphic EQ to tweak its sound. It also doesn’t get very loud, and there’s some compression present at max volume, so your audio doesn’t sound as clean at louder volumes.
JBL Flip 5 Charger
The Flip 5 is marginally bigger and heavier than its older sibling, but we hardly notice the difference. The new racetrack-shaped driver hiding under its jacket is 4mm wider in diameter – 44mm from 40mm – and the Flip 5 also features 20W of amplification, so you also get an extra 4W of power over the Flip 4. JBL claims the Flip 5 is waterproof to an IPX7 rating.
This means you should be able to submerge it in water at a depth of one meter for 30 minutes. There’s no cover for the USB-C charging port and though it is waterproofed, it isn’t tested against salt or sand ingress at the beach.
We test the JBL’s resolve by filling our sink with water and submerging the unit for a few minutes. Music plays throughout and it soon dries off when we take it out. Nothing has been compromised and all is well.
Although JBL claims you can stand the Flip 5 on one of its ends or lie it lengthways for listening, when placed upright it doesn’t stand entirely vertical. For testing, we place it in landscape mode so that both passive bass radiators are open to the elements.
The Flip 5 scores highly for portability, and once resting in our palm, the wrist strap slips comfortably over our hand and the buttons feel easily accessible.
Aside from a light-indicator to denote charging next to the Flip 5’s only port, there are light-up power and Bluetooth buttons along its rubberized spine, plus a play/pause button, volume controls and a PartyBoost button on top of the casing.
How To Pair JBL Earbuds
You should only pair your earbuds when they have reached a complete charge if it is your first time pairing them. Turn on your earbuds if they haven’t turned on automatically and activate the Bluetooth pairing mode. For most earbuds, this will be indicated by a blinking blue light on the earbud.
Follow these steps:
- Bluetooth mode can be activated by a dedicated Bluetooth button on your earbuds or by holding down the center button for five seconds until it shuts off, then turning your headphones back on.
- When your earbud is blinking blue, it is in pairing mode.
- On the device you wish to pair it with, make sure that the Bluetooth capabilities are toggled on and it’s actively searching for new Bluetooth connections.
- The JBL earbuds should show up in your list of selectable Bluetooth options if it hasn’t automatically connected already.
- Once you have completed this process, your headphones should be stored in the Bluetooth options of your preferred device.
If you are having difficulty getting pairing mode to start on your earbuds, hold the middle button on the right earbud for five seconds until it turns off. When it turns on it should be in pairing mode.
Some JBL earbuds will not have a Bluetooth button but they should have a center button in the middle of the volume buttons, hold this to begin pairing.
How To Pair JBL Flip 4
You can connect your iPhone with JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker using Bluetooth technology. Here are the simple steps to pair both of these devices together.
- Turn your JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker ON and press the Bluetooth button to enter pairing mode. Make sure it is not connected to any other device to prevent auto connect.
- Turn ON Bluetooth in your iPhone by entering Bluetooth settings of iPhone and look for JBL Flip 4 by clicking on other devices. Select your JBL Flip 4 speaker and connect to it.
- Make sure you are now connected to JBL Flip 4 by playing a song from your iPhone. If you hear the sound in JBL Flip 4 rather than your iPhone factory speakers, you are fully connected. Enjoy more sound.
- If you have two JBL Flip 4 speakers, you can pair them together to get a better left and right side sound experience. Power gets doubled resulting in increased bass and loudness plus stereo sound experience.
- Here are the steps to pair two JBL Flip 4 speakers together.
- Turn on both your JBL Flip 4 speakers. Make sure none of these is connected to any other device except the one you are going to connect.
How To Pair JBL Flip 5
To pair the Flip 5 JBL speaker with a Bluetooth source device for the first time, or to revise the connection information stored on that device, you must know how to kick off pairing mode on the speaker.
In this mode, the Flip 5 sends out its Bluetooth name and current linkage data over the BT airwaves.
Follow these steps to pair the JBL Flip 5.
- First, turn on the speaker by rapidly pressing its power button.
- For example, see this button, pointed at by the bright green arrow, in the next picture.
- Press the Pairing / Discovery Mode Button and Release when the Power Button Starts Flashing
- Now, to be able to discover your speaker on your source Bluetooth device, place it into pairing mode. For that, press and release the the Pairing button
- Now when you press this Pairing button, the speaker makes a plucking guitar pairing sound. Plus, the Pairing button lamp begins fast-flashing white. See this in the last picture, pointed at by the green arrow. Done with How to Put JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker into Pairing Mode
- Finally, while the Pairing button is blinking, you should be able to see your JBL Flip 5 on any in-range phone, computer, tablet, or smart speaker that is within several feet of it, as shown next. You can feel free to name your speaker, such as “Rachel’s Flip 5”, although if you haven’t renamed yours, it will show up as “JBL Flip 5”.
How To Connect Multiple JBL Flip 4 Speakers
You certainly can pair most types of speakers by JBL with each other. So, you most likely won’t have a problem with connecting them together. You can even connect up to a hundred JBL speakers.
However, you should make sure that both devices have a JBL Connect (or JBL Connect+, or JBL PartyBoost) option. In case they do, you can move on to the next portion of this article where you’ll find the exact steps on connecting your gadgets.
One thing to have in mind is that only speakers featuring the same pairing/daisy-chaining technology are compatible with each other. So, JBL speakers featuring JBL Connect+ are not compatible with speakers featuring JBL PartyBoost.
In order to connect two JBL speakers together, you’ll first need to pair at least one with your phone or computer. If you’re not sure how to do that, don’t worry! We’ll cover the topic in this section. No matter if you have an iOS or Android device, pairing your speaker to a smartphone will be a simple job, just follow these steps:
- The first step will be disconnecting your speaker from the device it was paired with before.
- In case it isn’t your first time using your speaker, you should know that it will try to connect to the source it was previously linked to automatically. So, you’ll have to hold the Bluetooth button for 3 seconds or more so your speaker disconnects.
- You will know that it got into pairing mode by the blinking light coming out of the speaker.
- In case you’ve never used your JBL speaker before, you should simply turn the Bluetooth on by clicking the button on the speaker.
- Then, go to the Bluetooth settings on your phone and turn on Bluetooth. Your phone will detect all of the devices that are around in a matter of seconds, so wait for that and then connect your speaker with your phone when you see it on the list.
- Phones with the IOS operating system will most likely just pair with the device and the process will be over. On the other hand, most Android devices require a password to connect.
- The code is usually four zeros, but in case it isn’t, you can find it in your speaker’s manual. Put on some music to ensure that everything is connected and you’re done!
How To Connect Multiple JBL Flip 5 Speakers
To connect multiple JBL Flip 5 speakers, follow these steps:
Step 1: Turn On Your Speaker
To connect multiple JBL speakers together, you need to turn on all of your JBL speakers first.
Step 2: Connect All JBL Speakers To Device
First, you need to activate pair mode in all of your JBL speakers. To activate pair mode, press and hold the Bluetooth button of your speakers for 3-5 seconds and then release. Now, turn on your Device’s Bluetooth function, then scan for JBL speakers and click to connect all.
Step 3: Play Music From Your Devices
Go to YouTube or any other platform to play videos or audios to check if you can hear the sound coming from your speaker.
Step 4: Tap The Connect Button On All Speakers
Because you’re using JBL speakers now, you’ll need to link them with one another as well. Press the “Connect” button on your first JBL speaker
Step 5: Wait For Connection
The number of speakers you wish to connect will be paired within 30 seconds. As soon as this is done, the audio will be played through all other JBL speakers.
Is JBL Flip 4 Waterproof?
The Flip 4 is IPX7 rated for waterproofing, which means it can be submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. This is pretty standard for portable bluetooth speakers, but we were still pleased with the Flip 4’s waterproofing and durability. Many users never feel like they are risking breaking it, or worried about water seeping into the ports.
The flap on the back of the speaker covers the ports well, with a watertight seal even a tsunami couldn’t conquer. Well, perhaps not, but we’d like to think the Flip 4 can hold its own in that battle. It also doesn’t hurt that replacing the speaker costs less than a grocery run at your local grocery store.
It might not be quite as affordable as the $35 Cambridge Oontz Angle 3 Plus yes, that name is a mouthful – but that speaker isn’t waterproof and doesn’t come with half the features found on the Flip 4.
Is JBL Flip 5 Waterproof?
You can bring the JBL Flip 5 into the shower without damaging them. They are partially waterproof, making them a great option for listening in the shower, in the rain, or poolside. They have some performance issues when submerged completely underwater, but a shower is fine for the JBL Flip 5.
JBL’s last few generations of the Flip speaker have been partially waterproof.
In other words, you could bring them around water, even into the shower, but you risked damage if you submerged them in water.
If your kid accidentally splashed the Flip 4, it might not have been a big deal. But if they dragged it underwater because it could make for a really cool make-believe submarine? Yeah, say goodbye to your poor speaker (haha).
If the seals on your Flip 4 were not properly closed, then even just humidity from the shower could wreak havoc.
Some folks even reported that, with the seals totally closed, exposure to humidity had them turning the speaker on and off and going to the Connect+ mode until they forced it to permanently power down.
Now, the JBL Flip 4 was IPX7 waterproof, which the JBL Flip 5 is too.
But there seems to be a difference in how well the JBL Flip 5 handles everything from a few drops of water to full submergence to encountering humidity from a hot shower.
So, if you are thinking about taking your Flip 5 into the shower with you, you can get some peace of mind from knowing that it is pretty hard to ruin this thing with water.
But there are a few details you should know before taking the Flip 5 in certain other water-related locations.
This means that you can submerge these speakers in up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) of water without causing any damage.
In other words, in order to be certifiably waterproof, a product has to be assigned the IPX7 or higher.
Some manufacturers take advantage of the “waterproof” term and apply it to products that are actually a lower-rated IPX (such as IPX4, which can get splashed but not be submerged without damage).
This is actually a really common practice, so be sure to check labels and read customer reviews before you buy anything.
JBL Flip 4 Portable and Durable Bluetooth Speaker
JBL Flip 4 is the next generation in the Flip series; it is a portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers surprisingly powerful stereo sound. This compact speaker is powered by a 3000mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery that offers 12 hours of continuous, high-quality audio playtime. Sporting durable, waterproof fabric materials that are available in 6 vibrant colors, Flip 4 is the all purpose, all weather companion that takes the party everywhere.
It also features a built-in noise and echo canceling speakerphone for crystal clear conference calls, and JBL Connect+ technology that can wirelessly link more than 100 JBL Connect enabled speakers together to amplify the listening experience. With a simple button press, you can activate and talk to Siri or Google Now from your JBL Flip 4.
This is an all-Purpose Bluetooth Speaker, which means you can take the party everywhere with Flip 4, a portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers powerful stereo sound.
With durable, waterproof fabric, this speaker features up to 12 hours of continuous, high-quality audio playtime.
Key feature of the JBL Flip 4 are:
- Wireless & Noise Canceling – Wirelessly connect up to 2 smartphones or tablets to the speaker & take turns playing impressive stereo sound. Plus, take crystal-clear calls from your speaker, thanks to the noise and echo-canceling speakerphone.
- Waterproof & Durable – No more worrying about rain or spills: Flip 4 is completely waterproof—you can even submerge it in water. Plus, the improved, durable fabric material and rugged rubber housing protects the speaker on your outdoor adventures.
- Extra Features – Link over 100 JBL Connect enabled speakers together to amplify the party. Plus, access Siri or Google Now from your speaker with a simple button press.
- Includes Bass Radiator – Hear the bass, feel the bass, see the bass, along with dual external passive radiators that demonstrate how powerful your speaker is.
JBL Flip 5 Portable and Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Bundle
With this incredibly versatile speaker, you can take your tunes on the go with the powerful JBL Flip 5. This lightweight Bluetooth speaker goes anywhere.
Bad weather? Not to worry. With its waterproof design, you can rock out to JBL’s signature sound rain or shine. You can move more without having to worry about consistently charging or connecting your speaker. Pair two JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers together for stereo sound or link multiple JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers to create a bigger party.
Enjoy more than 12 hours of play time for your favorite music. Stand it vertical or horizontal and be bold with your choice of 11 vibrant colors. You can feel your music since the Flip 5’s all new racetrack–shaped driver delivers high output. Enjoy booming bass in a compact package. Don’t sweat the small stuff like charging your battery. Flip 5 gives you more than 12 hours of playtime.
Keep the music going longer and louder with JBL’s signature sound. Bring your speakers anywhere. Pool party? Perfect. Sudden cloudburst? Covered. Bash on the beach? Flip 5 is IPX7 waterproof up to three–feet deep for fearless outdoor entertainment.
As mentioned, the PartyBoost allows you to pair two JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers together for stereo sound or link multiple JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers to pump up your party. A Hardshell Speaker Case keeping the Flip 5 speaker blemish free is as easy as putting on a slipper. The hardshell case lines the inner shell with a soft velvet lining that won’t leave a mark.
Secure the speaker with the elastic band keeping the speaker snuggly in place. The EVA foam body protects your music from taking bumps and bruises from the ride. Need to bring the charger or cables along as well? You will be pleased to know that this speaker pack includes a storage compartment that keeps Flip 4/Flip 5 accessories organized neatly in the lid.
When you need to get back on the road, zip up everything safely inside.
The standout feature for me is definitely PartyBoost, which allows you to pair two JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers together for stereo sound or link multiple JBL PartyBoost–compatible speakers to pump up your party.
The Flip 5 sounds better than ever with tuned JBL signature sound.