Short answer: the JBL Flip Essential 2. It ranks #80 of 182 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $85.90; the Sonos Roam 2 ranks #94, rated 3.2/5, and costs $178, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The JBL Flip Essential 2 is the tougher choice. A compact, affordable waterproof speaker that gets fairly loud for its size and connects to two phones at once. It is rated IPX7 against IPX5 for the Sonos Roam 2. Watch for: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the JBL Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight.
What the Sonos Roam 2 does well: A small Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker with water resistance, Alexa built in and Sonos multiroom support. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the JBL Flip Essential 2 lacks. It has an adjustable EQ, which the JBL Flip Essential 2 lacks. The tradeoff: Exact same sound quality as the original Sonos Roam.
Buy the JBL Flip Essential 2. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sonos Roam 2 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Prices on this page were last checked November 14, 2026 at 6:17 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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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip Essential 2 | Sonos Roam 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $85.90 | $178.00 |
| Ranked | #80 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #94 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators | 1x ~45mm racetrack mid-woofer + 1x tweeter + 2x passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS | - |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX5 |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Party Mode | No | - |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| App | No | Sonos S2 App |
| EQ | No | Yes (via app, limited in Bluetooth mode) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (520 g) | 0.9 lbs (429 g) |
| Dimensions | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) | 2.4” x 6.6” x 2.4” (62 x 168 x 60 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 63Hz |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa (Sonos Voice Control also built in) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 95dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Strap | - | No |
Where the Ratings Come From
- JBL Flip Essential 2: reviews by Speaker Fan, Angelicaaudio and AudioTribe.
- Sonos Roam 2: reviews by The Product Lab.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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