Compare Bluetooth Speakers

The main advantages of Bluetooth speakers are portability and wireless connectivity within a certain distance.

Compare Bluetooth Speakers

The main advantages of Bluetooth speakers are portability and wireless connectivity within a certain distance. It’s important to mention that even the best bluetooth speakers don’t sound comparable to more serious speakers. This time, we compared the JBL Flip 5 and Sonos Roam bluetooth speakers.

JBL Flip 5

The JBL Flip 5 bluetooth speaker looks almost identical to the exterior of the previous model-the Flip 4. Waterproof to a depth of 1 meter according to IPX7 certification, and injuries can be avoided thanks to the rubber cover. Its power is 20 Watt RMS. It is equipped with 1 4.4 x 8 cm speaker and 2 side passive bass radiators.
Available in 11 colours, so everyone can find the one that suits their taste. The speaker is equipped with a free USB-C connector for the speaker. Unfortunately, for some reason, the 3.5mm Jack socket was left off. The Party Boost function allows you to connect 2 Flip 5 speakers to each other.
The manufacturer of the JBL Flip 5 promises 12 hours of operation, and the range of the speaker is about 10 meters. Unfortunately, there is no way to make phone calls hands-free. Speaker frequency transmission: 65 Hz-20kHz and weighs 540 grams. On the back is the power supply, Bluetooth pairing button and USB-C input. During operation, the buttons are illuminated. It has standard on / off and volume buttons.
As for its sound, the small, portable bluetooth speaker sounds nice and clear, although we found that the mid- and high-range sounds were a little weaker. The bass sounded surprisingly intense, which is really commendable for such a small speaker. The JBL Flip 5 is also excellent with computers, but it also performs well at parties.

Sonos Roam

Sonos Roam is, in our opinion, one of the best sounding portable bluetooth speakers we have tested so far. Roam detects where you are and adjusts the sound to the room using Trueplay tuning, and the Sound Swap feature transmits the sound to the nearest Sonos speaker. Roam is IP67 rated, which means it is dust and water resistant. Unfortunately, the speaker doesn’t turn off automatically when you exit an app, so if you don’t notice this, your device may run out quickly.

Roam allows 10 hours of continuous playback. To recharge, you can also connect the Roam speaker to the Sonos magnetic wireless charger, but you can also charge it with the included USB-C cable. It can be placed vertically or horizontally. Not only can the Roam be used as a portable speaker, it can also be part of a multi-room Sonos system, and with Google Assistant and Alexa voice control, it also functions as a smart speaker. If you move the speaker from outdoors to indoors, the speaker will automatically connect to Wi-Fi thanks to auto-switching. With Auto TruePlay, the speaker adjusts the sound to your environment. Roam’s sound is characterized by outstanding bass, sometimes with a slight lack of rhythmic accuracy. The shape of the speaker resembles a water bottle, so we can take it with us very easily, even in a small bag.

It is rugged enough and resistant to weather conditions. It is said to withstand up to 30 minutes under water. The front of the speaker features a white embossed Sonos logo; above it, an LED indicates the connection status of the speaker, while an LED at the other end provides information about battery life. On the left side of the speaker are the volume buttons, the play / pause button, and a button to turn the microphone on and off. The Roam can also be paired with another Sonos speaker. Available in black and white. Supports AirPlay 2 on Apple devices running iOS 11.4 and later, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Sonos Radio… and more. using the Sonos S2 application. Due to the intense bass, the details were a bit lost and the mid range was pushed into the background as well. There were also shortcomings in terms of accuracy and rhythm.

Which bluetooth speaker is the winner?

Both speakers did well on our test, but in terms of sound and features, the Sonos Roam was clearly our finish. The price is higher than that of the JBL Flip 5, but in return we get excellent connectivity, a rugged design, a number of smart features and a very serious sound.