Short answer: the JBL Flip Essential. It ranks #66 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $130; the Marshall Emberton II ranks #100 and costs $160.23, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the JBL Flip Essential offers: Aux input for wired sources. IPX7 rated. Genuinely portable at under a pound; a cheaper, more basic alternative to the Flip 5. Watch for: Less bass than a Flip 5.
What the Marshall Emberton II offers: 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. IP67 rated, durable rubbery build using 50% recycled plastic. Watch for: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear. Not very loud.
Buy the JBL Flip Essential. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Emberton II and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Battery life favors the Marshall Emberton II: rated for 30 hours against 10 hours for the JBL Flip Essential.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip Essential | Marshall Emberton II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $160.23 |
| Ranked | #66 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #100 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Weight | / 1 lbs / 471 g | 1.5 lbs / 700 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm fullrange | 2x 2" full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 6.7" x 2.5" x 2.5" (169 x 64 x 64 mm) | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 16W RMS | 20W |
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm) | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | No | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 62Hz |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 80ms |
| Max Volume | - | 88dB |
| TWS | - | No |
| Stereo | - | Yes |
| Power Input | - | USB-C |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Marshall Emberton III
- Klipsch Nashville vs Sony SRS-XB30
- JBL Pulse 5 vs Klipsch Nashville
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Marshall Emberton II
- JBL Flip 7 vs Marshall Emberton II
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Flip Essential: $130 eBay
Pros: Aux input for wired sources. IPX7 rated. Genuinely portable at under a pound; a cheaper, more basic alternative to the Flip 5.
Cons: Less bass than a Flip 5.
Full JBL Flip Essential review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm) |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.7" x 2.5" x 2.5" (169 x 64 x 64 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W RMS |
| Party Mode | No |
| Weight | / 1 lbs / 471 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Flip Essential vs Klipsch Nashville
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Charge 3
- JBL Flip Essential vs Sony XB23
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Charge Essential
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Charge 2
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Flip 4
- JBL Flip Essential vs JBL Flip 5
- JBL Flip Essential vs Beats Pill 2024
- See all 73 comparisons
Marshall Emberton II: $160.23 Amazon eBay
Pros: 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. IP67 rated, durable rubbery build using 50% recycled plastic.
Cons: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear. Not very loud.
Full Marshall Emberton II review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 80ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2" full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 88dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Output Power | 20W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 700 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs Marshall Stockwell 2 - little guy goes louder?? 🤓 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig MK3 and Marshall Emberton - best bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Flip 6 vs Marshall Emberton review - mono or pseudo surround sound? 🤷♀️
- Alan Ross Reviews: Marshall Emberton vs JBL Flip 5 & Soundcore Boost - true stereophonic 🤓
- Passione Speaker: Bass Test Marshall Emberton 2 vs Emberton 3
- Reddit Search for Marshall Emberton II Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Emberton II vs Marshall Emberton III
- Marshall Emberton II vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Marshall Emberton II vs Teufel Rockster Go
- Marshall Emberton II vs Sony SRS-XB30
- Marshall Emberton II vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- Marshall Emberton II vs Soundcore Flare 2
- Marshall Emberton II vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Marshall Emberton II vs W-King D8 Mini
- See all 75 comparisons