Short answer: the JBL Flip 5. It ranks #62 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $64.97; the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove ranks #90 and costs $89, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the JBL Flip 5 offers: Compact and light (1.1 lb) with a carry lanyard. Charges via USB-C, topping off in about 2.5 hours. IP67 rated. Watch for: Not stereo. Boosted upper bass. Piercing sound when turned up. Peaky lower treble at higher volumes.
What the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove offers: Pretty balanced sound. Distinctive mid-century design with real wood veneer and a woven grille, unlike most plastic/rubber portables. ~8 hour battery life. Watch for: Not stereo. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others its size. Gets distorted at higher levels. Wouldn’t generally recommend these old speakers as they can’t compete with modern speakers for bass performance and features.
Buy the JBL Flip 5. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
If water resistance matters to you, the JBL Flip 5 at IPX7 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove at IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip 5 | Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $64.97 Discontinued | $89.00 |
| Ranked | #62 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #90 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 59Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 200ms | - |
| Max Volume | 92dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs / 540 g | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm fullrange | 1x 3" full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 2.7" x 2.9" (181 x 69 x 74 mm) | 5" x 6" x 2.6" (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 20W RMS | 10W RMS |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Built in Microphone | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (via JBL app, sunsetted in 2024) | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Power Input | - | Micro USB |
| TWS | - | No |
| App | - | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Flip 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- Tribit Xsound Surf vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs JBL Flip 5
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Tribit Stormbox
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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
JBL Flip 5: $64.97 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Compact and light (1.1 lb) with a carry lanyard. Charges via USB-C, topping off in about 2.5 hours. IP67 rated.
Cons: Not stereo. Boosted upper bass. Piercing sound when turned up. Peaky lower treble at higher volumes. Discontinued.
Full JBL Flip 5 review and specifications →
| Aux Input | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 59Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 200ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 2.7" x 2.9" (181 x 69 x 74 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm fullrange |
| EQ | Yes (via JBL app, sunsetted in 2024) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 92dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers) |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs / 540 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beoplay A1 Denon 250bt JBL Flip 5 Anker Flare 2 More from alanrossreviews →
- DLX Willington: JBL Flip 5 vs Flip 4 :Sound Battle: Almost to the size of the JBL Charge 3? More from DLXWillington →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Sony XB23 vs JBL Flip 5 v Tribit Maxsound Plus
- Techder Audios: #JBL Flip 5 VS #JBL Flip Essential “IMPRESSIVE COMPARISON!?” More from techderaudios →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs JBL Flip 5 & Soundcore Boost - true stereophonic 🤓
- Reddit Search for JBL Flip 5 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove: $89.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Pretty balanced sound. Distinctive mid-century design with real wood veneer and a woven grille, unlike most plastic/rubber portables. ~8 hour battery life.
Cons: Not stereo. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others its size. Gets distorted at higher levels. Wouldn’t generally recommend these old speakers as they can’t compete with modern speakers for bass performance and features.
Full Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5" x 6" x 2.6" (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 3" full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 10W RMS |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Tribit Stormbox
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- See all 70 comparisons