Short answer: the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus. Both are rated 3.3/5 for sound quality (#75 and #71 of 150 medium speakers), and the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus costs $49.99 against $85.90 for the JBL Flip Essential 2, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
Why pick the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus: A racetrack woofer and a tweeter rated for 50W, with IPX7 waterproofing, Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast multi-speaker sync, stereo pairing, USB-C audio input, app EQ and a detachable lanyard, at 0.81 kg. The tradeoff: In side by side tests by Clinch Audio Bass and Mateusz Cholewa, the Xiaomi Sound Party and Soundcore Boom 3i sounded more refined and fuller, and listeners described the C3 Plus’s treble as dull.
What the JBL Flip Essential 2 does well: Essentially a Flip 5 in a new shell: the same single 44 x 80mm racetrack driver and 20W amplifier, rated down to 65Hz. The tradeoff: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight.
Buy the Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $35.91 less than the JBL Flip Essential 2.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus | JBL Flip Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | $85.90 |
| Ranked | #75 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | 20W RMS |
| App | Yes (Tronsmart) | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours at 50% volume (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.1 |
| Charging Time | 4 hours | - |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Dimensions | 8.3”H x 3.1”W x 3.3”D (210 x 80 x 85 mm) | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x racetrack woofer + 1x tweeter | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (app) | No |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) | - |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (0.81 kg) | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
| Aux Input | - | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Flip Essential 2 compares with other leading options:
- JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- JBL Flip 7 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- JBL Flip 5 vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- JBL Flip Essential 2 vs JBL Flip Essential
Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 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
Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus: $49.99 Tronsmart Best Buy eBay
Pros: A racetrack woofer and a tweeter rated for 50W, with IPX7 waterproofing, Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast multi-speaker sync, stereo pairing, USB-C audio input, app EQ and a detachable lanyard, at 0.81 kg.
Cons: In side by side tests by Clinch Audio Bass and Mateusz Cholewa, the Xiaomi Sound Party and Soundcore Boom 3i sounded more refined and fuller, and listeners described the C3 Plus’s treble as dull. Tronsmart rates the battery at only 12 hours at half volume. It is a mono unit with no aux input.
Full Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Tronsmart) |
| Battery Life | 12 hours at 50% volume (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 |
| Charging Time | 4 hours |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) |
| Dimensions | 8.3”H x 3.1”W x 3.3”D (210 x 80 x 85 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x racetrack woofer + 1x tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (app) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (0.81 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Clinch Audio Bass: Mirtune C3 Plus 50w VS Xioami Sound Party 50w
- Clinch Audio Bass: Mirtune C3 Plus 50w VS SoundCore Boom 3i 50w
- Techder Audios: Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus - Real Sound & Bass Test! More from techderaudios →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Soundcore Boom 3i vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Importados Neto Rocha: Vale a pena pagar o dobro? Tronsmart C3 Plus vs JBL Flip 7
- GiT: Tronsmart Mirtune C3 vs C3+ blind test
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs Klipsch Nashville
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs JBL Charge Essential
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs Tronsmart Mirtune S100
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs Tronsmart T8
- Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus vs W-King D320
JBL Flip Essential 2: $85.90 Amazon eBay
Older model: the JBL Flip Essential (ranked lower, rated 3.2/5).
Pros: Essentially a Flip 5 in a new shell: the same single 44 x 80mm racetrack driver and 20W amplifier, rated down to 65Hz. In a side by side loudness test it got louder than the JBL Grip, and listeners comparing it with the Marshall Emberton found it more open sounding and clearer. IPX7 waterproof, 520 g, USB-C charging and Bluetooth 5.1 with two phones connected at once.
Cons: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight. No app, no EQ, no PartyBoost or stereo pairing, a claimed 10 hours of battery, and IPX7 covers water but not dust.
Full JBL Flip Essential 2 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- AudioTribe: JBL Flip 6 vs JBL Flip Essential 2 FULL TEARDOWN in Just 15 Minutes!
- Speaker Fan: JBL Flip 6 VS JBL Flip Essential 2 VS JBL Grip Loudness Test - Which Is Louder?
- HQ AUDIO Exchange: JBL Flip Essential 2 vs. Flip 6 | Bass Sound Test!
- Cristian Catalin’s Sound&Video: JBL Flip Essential 2 VS Marshall Emberton - sound comparison
- Angelicaaudio: Mini JBL Flip Essential 2 vs. JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth Speaker Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons