Short answer: the B&O Beosound A1 for better sound quality, the JBL Flip 6 for the lower price. The B&O Beosound A1 ranks #9 of 136 medium speakers at $200. The JBL Flip 6 ranks #12 at $114.95, $85.05 cheaper.
What the B&O Beosound A1 gets right: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen. The catch: Not stereo.
On the JBL Flip 6 side: A very neutral speaker, very small, almost pocket size, a huge sound quality leap over the Flip 5. Set against that: Not stereo.
Buy the B&O Beosound A1 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the JBL Flip 6 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If battery life is a priority, the B&O Beosound A1 is rated for 24 hours versus 12 hours for the JBL Flip 6.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A1 | JBL Flip 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200 Discontinued | $114.95 |
| Ranked | #9 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #12 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 98dB |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 589 g | 1.2 lbs / 544 g |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | AAC, SBC |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver | 44mm x 80mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| Output Power | 60W total (30W each driver) | 30W |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 116ms |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | - | 6.9" x 2.7" x 2.8" (176 x 68 x 72 mm) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs JBL Charge 4
- JBL Charge 6 vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Flip 7
- B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs JBL Flip 6
- JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Flip 6
The Two Speakers In Full
B&O Beosound A1: $200 Discontinued
Pros: Deeper bass than the A1 2nd gen.
Cons: Not stereo. Not quite as neutral as the A1 2nd gen. Pumping sound artifacts above 60% volume, only good for lower listening levels. Discontinued.
Full B&O Beosound A1 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 60W total (30W each driver) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 589 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: B&O Beoplay/Beosound A1 - all 3 generations compared
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beoplay A1 Denon 250bt JBL Flip 5 Anker Flare 2
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇
- Oluv Patreon: B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen vs Beoplay A1 outdoors with a bit of Anker Soundcore Motion+ too
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Reddit Search for B&O Beosound A1 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- B&O Beosound A1 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 2
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Minirig 3
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Charge 6
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- B&O Beosound A1 vs JBL Flip 7
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- See all 12 comparisons
JBL Flip 6: $114.95 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: A very neutral speaker, very small, almost pocket size, a huge sound quality leap over the Flip 5.
Cons: Not stereo. Some slight upper mids emphasis. The TL version (made in Vietnam) tweeter can sound somewhat scratchy and doesn’t sound as good as the GG version (made in China)
Full JBL Flip 6 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9" x 2.7" x 2.8" (176 x 68 x 72 mm) |
| Drivers | 44mm x 80mm woofer, 16mm tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 98dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs / 544 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: JBL Flip 6 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (Indoor Mode)⚔️ Battle of the Handheld Bluetooth Speakers.
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- Luan Tech: JBL FLIP 6 vs LG XBOOM XG5 COMPARATIVO COMPLETO!
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- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Reddit Search for JBL Flip 6 Review
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