Review on JBL Splashproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker by Jamie Hyatt

I went to Revain to buy the JBL Flip 3 based on the consistently positive reviews and wanted a speaker I could use outside without to worry about it. much about sudden downpours, dust and other natural disasters. However, when I searched, I came across Anker's latest entry, the SoundCore Sport XL. Considering the price, my overall satisfaction with Anker, and Revain's solid return policy, I decided to try both speakers. I would note that the SoundCore Sport XL is probably more comparable to the JBL Charge 2 as both have a USB port that you can use to charge your phone or other device. Flip 3 has no output charging port. If you want the shortest answer, we're keeping the Flip 3 and giving away the SoundCore XL. But the question of what would remain was almost abandoned. Sound: I wanted this speaker to be loud enough for modest outdoor gatherings (both meet that criteria, although the Flip 3 is likely a bit louder) and sound good enough that I wouldn't mind playing it indoors. I'm also biased towards today's trend in consumer speakers to emphasize low frequencies in every other frequency range. If you like your music, boom, I don't like the same speakers as you. Rock out and try to figure out what we like best. As it turned out, the answer was "it depends”. The Flip 3's sound is definitely not as "flat" as the SoundCore. Within what you can do with a small speaker, the Flip seems to place more emphasis on the low and high frequencies of the spectrum. The high frequencies sounded unnaturally "sizzling" even for a few songs. In others, the singer seemed almost buried under the rest of the mix, although this was never an issue. (We're talking nuance here, and your ears may have a different perception.) The SoundCore's sound is definitely flatter. It doesn't produce as much bass as the Flip, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and it never had a problem with sizzling highs. It just sounds right. However, people accustomed to the harsh sound emphasized by home speaker and headphone manufacturers might find that the music lacks vibrancy. What did we prefer? In the end it all came down to what we were playing. Folk, country and music from the 70's and 80's clearly mixed with intent to play on the radio, which is what we often preferred on SoundCore. More modern pop, rock and hip hop sounded better to us on JBL. Ultimately, JBL prevailed, but not by much. I've been listening to both for a few days, switching back and forth from time to time, and I've found myself leaning towards the JBL, but I don't mind the SoundCore. Size and Construction: SoundCore Sport XL size is about 7 x 3 x 1.75 inches and looks like very strong, slightly rubbery plastic. It's definitely heavy in your hand and gives you confidence that it can handle some serious outdoor use. The biggest issue with the design is that I kept grabbing the bass port on the back, which contains a metal cap over the elastic diaphragm for the passive woofer. I have no idea if pressing the cover will damage the passive woofer, but it confused me. The Flip 3 measures 6.5" x 2.5" and is covered in a thick fabric with hard plastic ends. It feels a little lighter in the hand and the cylindrical shape makes it easier to grip and carry. It feels solid, if not as robust as the SoundCore. The Flip3's dual bass ports are on the ends to keep it out of the way unless you have a very odd approach to lifting the cylinders.