Short answer: the JBL Flip Essential for better sound quality, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 for the lower price. The JBL Flip Essential ranks #66 of 136 medium speakers at $130. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ranks #84 at $59.99, $70.01 cheaper.
What the JBL Flip Essential gets right: Aux input for wired sources. The tradeoff: Less bass than a Flip 5.
What the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 offers: Small size. Set against that: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy.
Buy the JBL Flip Essential if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Flip Essential | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $59.99 |
| Ranked | #66 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #84 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | No |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Weight | / 1 lbs / 471 g | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 5.2 |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm fullrange | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Dimensions | 6.7" x 2.5" x 2.5" (169 x 64 x 64 mm) | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 16W RMS | - |
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm) | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | No | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | - |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | - |
| Max Volume | - | 87dB |
| Power Input | - | USB-C |
| Stereo | - | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Tribit Xsound Surf vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Beats Pill 2024 vs Klipsch Nashville
- JBL Flip Essential vs Tribit Stormbox Flow
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Flip Essential: $130
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- 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 23 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4: $59.99 Amazon
Pros: Small size.
Cons: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy. Not much improvement over the previous Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 besides the USB-C charging port.
Full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 87dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Soundcore 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- See all 39 comparisons