Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging cable
weight: 430g
Battery life: up to 10 hours
Sonos Roam offers powerful sound, a rugged design, and great connectivity. The deep bass audio performance is great for outdoor use, but a clever auto-switching feature makes the Sonos system easy to use indoors, though audiophiles may hate the overwhelming low frequencies.
for
- powerful audio performance
- Portable design
- Great connectivity
- Google Assistant and Alexa support
Against
- pretty expensive
- Bass can be overwhelming
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C
weight: 550g
Battery life: up to 12 hours
The JBL Flip 6 is a simple Bluetooth speaker that lets you enjoy great music wherever you go. Its rugged and robust design makes it easy to carry around, and dual bass radiators make the bass sound powerful without being bloated. No Wi-Fi, but that’s fine as long as the Flip 6 meets all other criteria.
for
- Balanced deep bass sound
- Easy to use
- Rugged design
Against
- No cell phone charging port
- No voice assistant
- Can only be stereo paired with other Flip 6 speakers
If I had to pick one device that I think everyone should have in spring and summer, it’s one of the best Bluetooth speakers. You can listen to music whenever you are in Choose a waterproof one so you can take your favorite tunes to the beach or pool. But which one is the best portable speaker for you?
We’ve rounded up our top picks in our guide to the best waterproof speakers, but we’ll save you some time and tell you that two of our current favorite Bluetooth speakers that offer great sound, portability, and a robust design are the JBL Flip 6. And Sonos Roam.
In this guide, we’ll give you a head-to-head comparison of these two great waterproof speakers, comparing price, design, features, and sound quality to help you choose the best speaker to become your new BFF at parties and holidays this summer. Or just step outside while soaking up the sunshine. Which Bluetooth speaker is better, the Sonos Roam or the JBL Flip 6?
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: Pricing and Availability
The Sonos Roam will be released in April 2021 and will cost $179 / £179 / AU $299. The JBL Flip 6 launched later that year in December 2021 for $129.95 / £129.99 / AU$175.
The Sonos Roam is more expensive, but that’s no surprise considering Sonos is a premium audio tech brand and packs more technology. Conversely, JBL is known for its high-quality, high-value products, usually at a more affordable price point. The difference between the two prices is especially worth keeping in mind as we proceed to the next stage of comparison. Especially if you have a limited budget.
Don’t forget that there is also a cheaper version of Sonos Roam. The Sonos Roam SL is practically the same, but without the voice assistant feature (we’ll get to that in a moment).
Comparing those prices to the wider market, there are plenty of cheaper waterproof speakers out there: the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 ($60 / £60 / AU$86) and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 ($99.99 / £89.99 / AU$129). )I like. But while these devices are fairly cheap, their small size makes them a bit less in terms of pure audio power.
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: Design
The Sonos Roam and JBL Flip 6 speakers aren’t identical, but they’re very similar. Both feature a long cylindrical design. Considering these speakers are marketed as portable, this makes sense. Most people can wrap their hands around it and carry it easily.
Both also have IP67 dust and water resistance ratings. This provides some degree of waterproofness. For this rating, it can “survive” for 30 minutes after being dropped in fresh water up to 1m deep. It can be accidentally splashed or accidentally dropped in a pool, but it’s not designed to be submerged for long periods of time. (Seawater is a little different and more likely to cause problems.)
That’s the similarities covered. So let’s see how these waterproof speakers measure up.The Sonos Roam measures 168mm X 62mm X 60mm (HXWXD) and weighs 430g. A Sonos Roam review likened it to a small water bottle.
The JBL Flip 6 measures 178 x 68 x 72 (HXWXD) and weighs 550g. So the Flip 6 is a little bigger and a little heavier than the Roam, but in our review of the JBL Flip 6, we had no trouble carrying it in the palm of our hand.
If you love buying tech in bright colors for summer, JBL has you covered anytime. The Flip 6 comes in 10 shades including dark blue, pink, mint green, red and even camouflage. Sonos has cut back on the Roam’s shade options, but he likes that it offers bold colors like red and unusual colors like a lovely powder blue.
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: Features
The Sonos Roam and JBL Flip 6 are both great devices, but the products are pretty simplistic. It delivers great sound from a compact and durable design (more on that in a moment) and features a dedicated app for adding upgrades and fine-tuning performance. That said, there aren’t that many features to go into detail here.
One Sonos Roam feature we tried and enjoyed in our review is Sound Swap. This allows you to “throw” music from Sonos Roam to the nearest available Sonos speaker and vice versa. This is a handy feature if you plan to use Sonos Roam outside in your garden, but want the music to continue when you return indoors. The JBL Flip 6 has Party Boost that lets you connect two JBL speakers for stereo sound.
Neither speaker has a built-in smart assistant to take you to the park or beach.you intention Access Sonos Roam’s voice assistant over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. This leads him to one of the main differences between the two speakers. The Sonos Roam has Wi-Fi connectivity, the JBL Flip 6 does not. If you’re looking for an outdoor-only speaker, that’s not a problem. But if you’re looking for a versatile speaker that can connect to Wi-Fi while you’re at home or in the garden, the Roam is a better choice.
If you’re looking for an option that gives you the portability benefits of wireless, but you don’t want to take it with you on vacation, to the pool, or far from home, check out our guide to the best wireless speakers instead. , all wireless and Bluetooth-enabled, but with a range of speakers that aren’t quite as robust or compact as the Flip and Roam.
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: Sound Quality
The JBL Flip 6 sounds great. The audio performance offered here is warm, balanced, and has excellent clarity.
During my review, I noticed that the woofer provided strong bass and rich midrange, while a separate tweeter provided treble-to-high-level clarity. Extending it further, I found it delivered a satisfying, heart-thumping bassline that wasn’t bloated or muddy.
I listened to Little Simz’ Woman, and the radiators pulsated pleasantly as vampire basslines bounced around the mix. Additionally, Sims’ relaxed rap delivery sounds clear amidst jazzy piano chords, while Cleo’s soul-lacing vocals have a rich, lush quality that seems to float above the other instruments. Proud. Performance at high volumes is always a concern for compact speakers, but the Flip 6 performed well overall at high volumes.even when cranked up soft shock At max volume, there was a harsh high-pitched sound.
The Sonos Roam was equally impressive during our testing, offering strong sonic performance with very pronounced bass.Inside the speaker are two Class H amplifiers, a high-efficiency motor that Sonos said increases the power and range of the audio output, a custom racetrack mid-woofer, and a tweeter. it was a lot of fun to listen Feels Like Summera thumping bassline driving smooth synths and clear, rich falsetto vocals soared above the mix.
If we’re into finesse, some of the detail is lost in that powerful bass, so we wanted to hear a little more from the mids and lower highs. If so, you can also adjust the EQ settings to boost the high frequencies. These powerful low frequencies work very well outdoors where there are no walls to bounce the sound off of, but indoors we found them to be slightly overpowering.
The Sonos Roam lacks the rhythmic accuracy and dexterity of an audiophile speaker. But for a speaker of this size, we weren’t disappointed at all with the overall presentation of the music.
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: battery life
The Sonos Roam has a 10-hour battery life, but during testing I found it to be closer to 9 hours when playing music at medium volume. When you stop playing music, Roam goes into “sleep mode” for 10 days of comfortable use at no additional charge.
The Sonos Roam can be charged with Qi-certified charging devices, but the brand also sells a dedicated wireless charging stand with magnets to hold the speaker in place for $49 / £44 / AU$79. The box also has a USB-A to USB-C connector so you can use your own adapter.
The JBL Flip 6 tops the Roam in the battery department, lasting 12 hours on a single charge. This was found to be accurate during testing. With a USB-C cable, you can refill the battery in less than 3 hours.
As for competition, both the Sonos Roam and JBL Flip 6 perform well in the battery department. Most of the best waterproof speaker guide devices boast 10-12 hours of battery life. But if you’re looking for all-day battery life (literally), check out the 20 hours offered by the JBL Charge 5 or the 24 hours offered by the JBL Boombox 2.
Sonos Roam vs JBL Flip 6: Recap
We love Sonos products and enjoyed testing the Sonos Roam. It’s compact with a premium look and feel and sounds great. If you’ve already bought the Sonos ecosystem, we recommend the sound swap feature is cool.
But unless you want to stay in the Sonos family, stick to Wi-Fi, or play on a big budget, there’s not enough difference between the two devices to justify the Roam’s higher price tag. On top of that, the JBL Flip 6 is great value for money, offering a compact design, powerful sound and a great battery while being slightly larger and slightly heavier than the Roam.
You can’t go wrong with one of these best waterproof speakers. The choice is largely a matter of personal preference and whether you want Sonos’ cool points and Wi-Fi extra, or his reliable and affordable JBL Flip 6 designed for sound on the go. It depends on what you need.
