Short answer: the Earfun Uboom L. It ranks #1 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $49.79; the JBL Flip Essential 2 ranks #71, rated 3.3/5, and costs $85.90, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The case for the Earfun Uboom L: One of the strongest small-speaker values for music: reviews praise clear vocals, a natural overall balance and a genuinely convincing stereo image when two are paired. Watch for: It cannot produce real low-bass rumble or fill a large, noisy space, and the top end loses some detail.
What the JBL Flip Essential 2 does well: Essentially a Flip 5 in a new shell: the same single 44 x 80mm racetrack driver and 20W amplifier, rated down to 65Hz. The tradeoff: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight.
Buy the Earfun Uboom L. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Flip Essential 2 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Battery life favors the Earfun Uboom L: rated for 16 hours against 10 hours for the JBL Flip Essential 2.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Earfun Uboom L | JBL Flip Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.79 after coupon UBOOMLWC | $85.90 |
| Ranked | #1 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes (firmware >= 1.2.6) | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 216ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | - |
| EQ | Yes (10 band, firmware >= 1.2.6) | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 400ms normal / 66ms low latency mode | - |
| Maximum SPL | 103dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (650 g) | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 3.1” x 8.3” x 2.8” (78 x 210 x 72 mm) | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 55mm drivers + 2x passive radiators | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 28W | 20W RMS |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Earfun Uboom L: $49.79 after coupon UBOOMLWC Amazon EarFun eBay
Pros: One of the strongest small-speaker values for music: reviews praise clear vocals, a natural overall balance and a genuinely convincing stereo image when two are paired. IP67 protection, indoor/outdoor sound modes and Video Mode make it unusually adaptable; Video Mode substantially improves lip-sync for a single speaker. Measured bass extension of 56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: It cannot produce real low-bass rumble or fill a large, noisy space, and the top end loses some detail. Low-latency Video Mode disables stereo pairing, so a two-speaker setup is not a good movie system. Firmware and app behavior have also varied over the model’s long life, and the physical controls can be easy to trigger in a bag. Latency is about 400ms by default and 66ms in Video Mode, which you enable by pressing the Bluetooth button twice.
Setup: Try setting up the Earfun App (Android or iOS) to see if that works. If not, you’ll need to flash firmware 1.2.7 to work with the app and set with Oluv’s EQ in the Earfun app which sounds the best. The instructions say that you need a USB3 cable, but most USB2 cables work just fine, try the one included with your phone. Check the current firmware version by turning it on, then pressing the power and Bluetooth buttons at the same time. To flash, turn the speaker off then hold down the Bluetooth button while plugging in the cable. To flash on a mac, see these instructions. In TWS mode, long press the outdoor button for 2 seconds to change TWS to Party mode and back.
Full Earfun Uboom L review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 28W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (firmware >= 1.2.6) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 216ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 16 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 400ms normal / 66ms low latency mode |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.1” x 8.3” x 2.8” (78 x 210 x 72 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 55mm drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (10 band, firmware >= 1.2.6) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 103dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (650 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Best portable speakers 2025 - get the best bang for your buck $$$ More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Boom 3i - first impressions & EQs
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: New Beats Pill 2024: sound demo
- CEONTHEMAKING: Earfun Uboom L - This Speaker Replaced My JBL Flip 6… More from CEONTHEMAKING →
- Techder Audios: EARFUN UBOOM L VS SOUNDCORE MOTION+ More from techderaudios →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Earfun UBoom L Review Speaker tuned by a Geek vs Soundcore Motion Plus $100 dollar best portable? More from alanrossreviews →
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Earfun UBoom L 💣(EQ2) 🆚 Tribit XSound Mega 🔥(XBass EQ)- Bluetooth Speaker Bedroom Bash. Who U Got?🔝 More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- DIY Subwoofers - Uboom L Measurements and Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JBL Flip Essential 2: $85.90 Amazon eBay
Older model: the JBL Flip Essential (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5).
Pros: Essentially a Flip 5 in a new shell: the same single 44 x 80mm racetrack driver and 20W amplifier, rated down to 65Hz. In a side by side loudness test it got louder than the JBL Grip, and listeners comparing it with the Marshall Emberton found it more open sounding and clearer. IPX7 waterproof, 520 g, USB-C charging and Bluetooth 5.1 with two phones connected at once.
Cons: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight. No app, no EQ, no PartyBoost or stereo pairing, a claimed 10 hours of battery, and IPX7 covers water but not dust.
Full JBL Flip Essential 2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- AudioTribe: JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Flip Essential 2 FULL TEARDOWN in Just 15 Minutes!
- Speaker Fan: JBL Flip 6 VS JBL Flip Essential 2 VS JBL Grip Loudness Test - Which Is Louder?
- HQ AUDIO Exchange: JBL Flip Essential 2 vs. Flip 6 | Bass Sound Test!
- Cristian Catalin’s Sound&Video: JBL Flip Essential 2 VS Marshall Emberton - sound comparison
- Angelicaaudio: Mini JBL Flip Essential 2 vs. JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth Speaker Review
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