JBL Flip 7 Review: Party Time Refined

Over the years, JBL’s Flip has become my favorite Bluetooth speaker, offering the best bargain between sound, size, and durability. My trusty Flip 5 may not be the most hi-fi model in my arsenal, but it offers clear and full audio performance, and its convenient mix of usability and mobility makes it the one I turn to when I need music on the go (or on the patio). The Flip has gotten a notch better with each iteration, and the new Flip 7 keeps pace. It adds a welcome battery boost, new features like a removable carry strap, sound upgrades in a tweeter tweak, and a new “AI Sound Boost” DSP system for more punch. Sadly, the feature creep comes with a price rise (thanks, inflation). It’s only $20 over the Flip 6, but that thin margin of separation between rivals like the UE Boom 4 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and Beats Pill (8/10, WIRED Recommends) was part of the Flip’s appeal. The new speaker also trades JBL’s convenient PartyBoost system that connects multiple older models in tandem for ... Read full article.