From beach parties to family gatherings, former DJ Olly Dixon says this compact JBL speaker delivers impressive sound wherever you take it—with a rugged, waterproof design that makes it ready for just about any setting.
“A portable speaker is something I’m a big evangelist on,” Dixon, a former DJ and producer turned award-winning brand and culture specialist, says. “Being able to play music at certain moments just totally changes everything.”
Dixon has used the speaker at beach parties, while hosting, and even brought it with him to a music festival to enjoy his custom playlists during the festival’s off hours. He also uses it to replace the “terrible” stereo in his “old” car as he drives the British countryside.
“As long as you’re being respectful to the people around you, I think it could really change the atmosphere,” he says.
JBL has been a mainstay in the music space for decades, and Dixon says the sound quality is still one of the best on the market.
“JBL makes quite decent sound systems,” he says. “They know what they’re doing.”
Aside from the sound, Dixon says the JBL Flip 7 is a good choice because it’s drop-proof, dust-proof, and waterproof.
“I have had other [speakers],” he says, “but they’re really robust, the JBL 7s. You can really chuck them around.”
The speaker boasts an IP68 waterproof rating, meaning it can be submerged in water up to about three feet deep and still work.
“At the time when I bought it, I didn’t think it would be that useful, but actually it’s really useful,” he says of the speaker’s waterproof nature. “You can just have it floating around.”
The IP68 rating also offers the highest level of dust protection, so if it’s a windy day at the beach, you don’t have to worry about sand particles breaking the speaker’s internal parts. JBL’s website says the speaker can work in temperatures in excess of 100 degrees.
At just seven inches long and weighing less than two pounds, the JBL Flip 7 won’t take up a ton of space in your bag, but don’t let its size fool you.
“They’re tiny, but they really work,” Dixon says.
With a full charge, which takes about two and a half hours with a USB charger, you can get up to 14 hours of continuous play.
Unlike other Bluetooth products that can be “quite annoying to connect,” Dixon says the JBL Flip 7s sync to your speaker or laptop with ease.
“This guy’s very keen to connect,” he says. “I really like that.”
The only criticism he has of the speaker is its color options, of which there are 10.
“They’re quite obvious,” he says. “I think they can be more elevated.”
JBL offers custom designs of the speaker for an additional cost.
At around $150, it’s not the cheapest speaker on the market, but Dixon says it’s a good investment for those who, like him, take their music seriously.
“You’ve got to like sound quality,” he says. “You can obviously get cheaper things, but they sound terrible.”
