Summary
The JBL Flip 5 provides a slight improvement over its predecessor, the JBL Flip 4 both in terms of design and volume output. The JBL Flip 5 has 20 watts of output power while the JBL Flip 4 has 16 watts, making the JBL Flip 5 much louder. Both speakers have dual bass radiators and a roughly equal amount of bass output, but the JBL Flip 5 has the added advantage of being slightly larger with larger speaker drivers.
That being said, both the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 4 are roughly equal in terms of sound quality and both are IPX7 waterproof (which means they can be submerged under water to a depth of 1m for 30 minutes). The only key difference here is that the Flip 5 has a new racetrack-shaped driver for louder volume. Both the Flip 5 and Flip 4 have an equal battery life of 12 hours of playtime.
We conclude that the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 4 are almost equal in terms of sound performance and design, although you should go for the Flip 5 if you want much louder volume.
If you already have the JBL Flip 4 speaker, we wouldn’t recommend upgrading to the Flip 5 unless you really want the additional 4 watts of power that the Flip 5 has to offer.
Comparing the Specs
JBL Flip 5
The JBL Flip 5 has an improved and slightly larger design than the Flip 4 with a new racetrack-shaped driver which delivers high sound output and deep booming bass. The battery life has also been improved – the JBL Flip 5 now delivers 12 hours of continuous music playtime on a single charge with JBL signature sound output.
Apart from the sound performance and battery life, the JBL Flip 5 is IPX7 waterproof which makes it completely waterproof and can even be submerged three-feet deep underwater for up to 30 minutes. The Flip 5 speaker also supports multiple daisy pairing with JBL party boost functionality to create a much wider listening field. The JBL Flip 5 also comes with 11 distinct color options with its bass-heavy signature sound, making it ideal for outdoor party use.
JBL Flip 4
The JBL Flip 4 is a fully waterproof Bluetooth speaker that is designed especially for outdoor enthusiasts. The sound quality of the Flip 4 is a vast improvement over its predecessor – the JBL Flip 3 – with stunning midrange, crisp highs and punchy bass that feels powerful and present. It features dual external passive bass radiators on the side of the speaker to enhance the bass response, which provides punchy beats in outdoor spaces to keep the party going.
It features a built-in 3000mAh rechargeable battery which provides an incredible 12 hours of playtime on a single charge. You can also simultaneously connect up to 2 mobile smartphones or tablets to the JBL Flip 4 for wireless music streaming and switch between them at any time. Overall, the JBL Flip 4 is a really solid Bluetooth speaker that delivers great sound performance both indoors and outdoors and comes highly recommended.
Sound Performance
JBL Flip 5
Where the JBL Flip 5 shines is in its outdoor sound quality. This speaker delivers full-range audio performance with deep bass output. The speaker is designed with two passive bass-radiators at the side which greatly enhances the overall bass output, giving depth to bass-heavy music genres including hip-hop, rock and electronic dance music.
The Flip 5 speaker is a little bigger than the Flip 4 speaker and has balanced sound performance with a great deal of volume. You can practically crank up the volume on the Flip 5 without hearing any distortion; the volume output is suitable for outdoor use and you can feel the bass output coming from this speaker even in outdoor environments. The Flip 5 handles a good variety of music genres including classical, instrumental, rock, vocal, hip-hop and EDM without any issues – the sound quality is consistently clear and the highs and midranges are well-balanced. In terms of sound quality, the JBL Flip 5 delivers slightly more bass and impact than the Flip 4 with better volume output.
JBL Flip 4
The sound performance of the JBL Flip 4 is pretty good with extremely detailed midrange and crisp highs, with deep low-end frequency bass response that is enhanced by its passive bass radiators. Music performances through the Flip 4 sounded clear, crisp and well balanced; it can also go louder than its predecessor, the JBL Flip 3 which is an added improvement.
The sound quality feels rich and detailed, and you can crank up the volume on this outdoor speaker without any distortion at near maximum volume levels. Vocal performances sounded detailed with amazing soundstage and music separation which felt incredibly life-like. Listening to electronic and hip-hop music also sounded very good and enjoyable to listen to with deep and punchy beats. We were truly impressed with the sound performance of the JBL Flip 4 considering its compact and portable size. It is a really well-designed rugged Bluetooth speaker you can rely on to deliver great sound performance in an outdoor open environment.
The Verdict?
Both the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 4 are awesome JBL speakers to have, and both deliver really good sound performance with deep bass response. While the JBL Flip 5 has 4 watts more power than the JBL Flip 4, they sound pretty much the same and look the same as well. Although the JBL Flip 5 has a slightly larger design, both the JBL Flip 5 and Flip 4 have the same battery life of 12 hours.
We’d recommend going for the Flip 5 only if you don’t already own the Flip 4, otherwise it’s better to simply stick with the JBL Flip 4 for now.