Put the JBL Flip 6 next to its predecessor, the Flip 5, and, on the outside at least, it’s a match where you can tell the difference. JBL has toned down the “rugged” rubber accents on the edges of the tubular speaker, and the passive bass radiators now feel cool, textured and metallic, rather than smooth and rubbery. The layout of the power and Bluetooth buttons next to the USB-C port remains the same, but they are on a slightly smaller rubber plate that no longer spans the entire length of the speaker. The Flip 6’s stability is now aided by a small rubber foot under the panel to ensure it doesn’t tip off the desk. Previously, the speaker’s fabric jacket connection point was hidden by the larger rubber plate, but now it is fully visible. The Flip 6 has a real ace up its sleeve if you download the JBL Portable app. Here, thanks to the Partyboost buttons, you can find other JBL Partyboost-enabled speakers and pair them in “party” mode or stereo if you have another Flip 6. It’s not possible to pair a Flip 5 and a Flip 6 in stereo, which is a shame, but that’s not a new surprise. In the Flip 6’s in-app dashboard, there’s now a three-band equalizer above the feedback tones control that lets you tweak the sound – a new feature we’ve been wanting for a long time. After spending some time with the bass, mid and treble sliders. Sadly, bass fiends won’t glean much from sliding the bass tab up to its maximum, even if they minimise the mid and treble tabs, but in a design roughly the size of a hotdog, that is hardly surprising – and this speaker does not lack in the bass department.
