Short answer: the JBL Flip Essential if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Roll 2 if price matters most. The JBL Flip Essential ranks #66 of 136 medium speakers at $130. The Ultimate Ears Roll 2 ranks #125 at $100, $30 cheaper.
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 Ultimate Ears Roll 2 offers: Thin, flat profile fits easily in a bag or purse; light at 0.73 lb. Built-in bungee cord for hanging from a hook, nail, or door handle. Life-resistant waterproof/dustproof shell. Watch for: Not stereo. Barely any bass, rolled off treble off axis
Buy the JBL Flip Essential if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Ultimate Ears Roll 2 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Ultimate Ears Roll 2. It ranks near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip Essential | Ultimate Ears Roll 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $100 |
| Ranked | #66 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #125 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | Yes (UE Roll app) |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 9 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | - |
| Party Mode | No | - |
| Weight | / 1 lbs / 471 g | 0.7 lbs / 330 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm fullrange | 1x 2" full-range + 2x 0.75" tweeters |
| Dimensions | 6.7" x 2.5" x 2.5" (169 x 64 x 64 mm) | 5.9" x 5.3" x 1.6" (149.5 x 135 x 40 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 16W RMS | - |
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | No | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | - | No |
| Power Input | - | Micro USB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Klipsch Nashville vs Sony SRS-XE300
- JBL Charge 3 vs JBL Charge 2
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs JBL Charge 3
- Sony XB23 vs JBL Flip Essential
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Ultimate Ears Roll 2
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 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
Ultimate Ears Roll 2: $100 eBay
Pros: Thin, flat profile fits easily in a bag or purse; light at 0.73 lb. Built-in bungee cord for hanging from a hook, nail, or door handle. Life-resistant waterproof/dustproof shell.
Cons: Not stereo. Barely any bass, rolled off treble off axis
Full Ultimate Ears Roll 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (UE Roll app) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 9 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5.9" x 5.3" x 1.6" (149.5 x 135 x 40 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 2" full-range + 2x 0.75" tweeters |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs / 330 g |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs EFM Toledo
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Beats Pill+
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Skullcandy Terrain/Terrain XT/Terrain XL
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
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- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Zealot S61
- Ultimate Ears Roll 2 vs Sony SRS-XE200
- See all 72 comparisons