Short answer: the Tronsmart T8. It ranks #52 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $49.99; the JBL Flip Essential 2 ranks #71, rated 3.3/5, and costs $85.90, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Tronsmart T8 does well: Two upward firing drivers, a woofer and two passive radiators spread sound evenly around the speaker, so placement matters less. The catch: Against the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, listeners in Mateusz Cholewa’s comparison found the T8 harsh and tiring, and Techder Audios’ test showed the Xiaomi Sound Party with deeper, heavier bass.
The case for the JBL Flip Essential 2: Essentially a Flip 5 in a new shell: the same single 44 x 80mm racetrack driver and 20W amplifier, rated down to 65Hz. Watch for: 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 T8. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Flip Essential 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.
Specifications Side By Side
| Tronsmart T8 | JBL Flip Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | $85.90 |
| Ranked | #52 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | 20W RMS |
| App | Yes (Tronsmart) | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | 18 hours at 50% volume, lights off (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Charging Time | 4.5 hours | - |
| Dimensions | 8.6”H x 3.2”W x 3.2”D (218 x 82 x 82 mm) | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x upward firing full-range drivers + 1x woofer + 2x passive radiators | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (app) | No |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes | - |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) | - |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (0.80 kg) | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Party Mode | - | No |
| Stereo | - | No |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Tronsmart T8 compares with other leading options:
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Tronsmart T8
- JBL Charge 6 vs Tronsmart T8
- JBL Flip 6 vs Tronsmart T8
- JBL Flip 7 vs Tronsmart T8
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tronsmart T8
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 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 T8: $49.99 Best Buy Tronsmart eBay
Pros: Two upward firing drivers, a woofer and two passive radiators spread sound evenly around the speaker, so placement matters less. In AudioPro Reviews’ and Dresser’s comparisons most listeners preferred it to the JBL Flip 6, JBL Flip 7 and Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 for its fuller body and less fatiguing treble, and Audioreviews.org found it stayed clean at maximum volume. It is rated for 40W, with IPX7 waterproofing, an 18 hour battery rating, app EQ, lights, a volume wheel, aux input, TF card playback, a lanyard and stereo pairing.
Cons: Against the Xiaomi Sound Outdoor, listeners in Mateusz Cholewa’s comparison found the T8 harsh and tiring, and Techder Audios’ test showed the Xiaomi Sound Party with deeper, heavier bass. Josh’s Gadgets and More preferred the cheaper Vortex Blast for smoother highs and deeper bass. Bass is rated only down to 56Hz.
Full Tronsmart T8 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Tronsmart) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 18 hours at 50% volume, lights off (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Charging Time | 4.5 hours |
| Dimensions | 8.6”H x 3.2”W x 3.2”D (218 x 82 x 82 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x upward firing full-range drivers + 1x woofer + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (app) |
| Frequency Response | 56Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Lights | Yes |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Strap | Yes (lanyard) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (0.80 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- AudioPro Reviews: Tronsmart T8 vs JBL Flip 6 | Which one sounds BETTER?
- Dresser: JBL Flip 7 vs Tronsmart T8 Bluetooth speaker sound test
- Dresser: Tronsmart T8 vs UE mega boom 3 sound test
- Mateusz Cholewa: Tronsmart T8 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor & Opinion in Subtitles More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Techder Audios: Xiaomi Sound Party 50w VS Tronsmart T8 More from techderaudios →
- Techder Audios: Xdobo X8 IV VS Tronsmart T8
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Tronsmart T8 vs Vortex Blast
- Audioreviews.org: Tronsmart T8 Portable Bluetooth 5.3 Speaker Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tronsmart T8 vs Tribit Stormbox Flow
- Tronsmart T8 vs JBL Charge 4
- Tronsmart T8 vs W-King D320
- Tronsmart T8 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Tronsmart T8 vs Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2
- Tronsmart T8 vs Earfun Uboom Slim
- Tronsmart T8 vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Tronsmart T8 vs Sony ULT Field 3
- See all 33 comparisons
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
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- JBL Flip Essential 2 vs JBL Flip Essential
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- See all 86 comparisons