JBL has announced new versions of two of its popular Bluetooth speakers. The JBL Flip 7 features a more rugged design, an upgraded tweeter, and two extra hours of playtime, while the JBL Charge 6 gets an upgraded woofer and four more hours of battery life. Both speakers also feature JBL’s AI Sound Boost technology, which the company says can boost volume without introducing distortion.
The AI Sound Boost technology isn’t new, but it’s the first time it’s being introduced on JBL’s Flip and Charge lines. The feature “analyzes audio in real time with an AI algorithm to optimize the acoustic output level, leading to more powerful and less distorted sound,” according to the company. Distortion is a common side effect when maxing out the volume on many portable Bluetooth speakers designed to be small and compact, but we haven’t tested how effective JBL’s solution to the problem is.
The JBL Flip 6 offered up to 12 hours of battery life on a full charge, but the new Flip 7 pushes that to 14 hours. JBL says that can be further extended to up to 16 hours using its Playtime Boost feature, but according to SoundGuys.com, that option is essentially an EQ preset that reduces lower bass frequencies and overall sound quality so the speaker doesn’t have to work so hard. The feature is also offered on the new Charge 6 which offers up to 24 hours of playtime now on a full charge, or up to 28 if you don’t mind losing a lot of the low-end frequencies.
The JBL Flip 7 also features an upgraded IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, an interchangeable carrying strap or carabiner attachment, multi-speaker connectivity using Bluetooth Auracast, and high-resolution lossless audio when connected to a device and supported service with a USB-C cable.
The JBL Charge 6 features the same waterproofing, dustproofing, and wireless connectivity, including high-res lossless audio when using a USB-C cable instead of Bluetooth. It includes a removable carrying strap that can be attached to one end of the speaker like a wrist strap, or be connected to both ends so it can be used as a carrying handle.
