Short answer: the Flip 7 for sound quality, the Charge Essential 2 if you want a power bank in the mix. The Flip 7 ranks #15 of 179 medium speakers against the Charge Essential 2’s #39, a gap of 24 spots, at essentially the same price.
The Flip 7 is the more neutral-sounding speaker of the two. Its own notes describe it as “a very neutral speaker” with slightly more treble and slightly deeper bass than the well-regarded Flip 6, with only a small bump at 4kHz keeping it from being fully neutral. The Charge Essential 2’s notes are shorter and more modest: it gets “close to Charge 5 performance at a lower price,” which reads as a step below the Flip 7 rather than a genuine sound-quality contender.
What the Charge Essential 2 offers that the Flip 7 doesn’t:
- A built-in power bank with USB-A output, so it can charge a phone. The Flip 7 has no power bank function at all.
- Nearly 50% more rated battery life, 20 hours against the Flip 7’s 14 hours.
- A larger driver array (a 53mm x 93mm woofer plus a 20mm tweeter, versus the Flip 7’s 45x80mm racetrack driver and 16mm tweeter), though this doesn’t translate into a sound-quality edge in the notes above.
Buy the Flip 7 if sound quality is the priority. It’s the more neutral speaker of the two and comes with an app, EQ, and Auracast that the Charge Essential 2 lacks.
Buy the Charge Essential 2 if you want a speaker that doubles as a power bank and want the extra battery runtime, and can live with a step down in sound quality and no app or EQ.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM 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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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip 7 | JBL Charge Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.95 | $129.99 |
| Ranked | #15 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #39 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 59Hz | ~55Hz |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes (7 band) | No |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | No | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (560 g) | 2.1 lbs (930 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Drivers | 45x80mm racetrack driver + 16mm tweeter | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| Amplifier Power | 35W total (25W main + 10W tweeter) | 40W |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 2.7” x 2.8” (182.5 x 69.5 x 71.5 mm) | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V 7.5W-15W) | USB-C |
| Strap | Yes (detachable PushLock accessory) | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
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