Short answer: the Xiaomi Sound Party. It ranks #19 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $142.99. The JBL Flip Essential 2 ranks #71, rated 3.3/5, at $85.90, $57.09 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The case for the Xiaomi Sound Party: An unusually versatile 1.2kg outdoor speaker: IP67 dust/water protection, USB-C power-bank output, NFC pairing, lights, stereo pairing and a claimed 26-hour battery life. The catch: The sound evidence is mixed rather than universally glowing.
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. The catch: 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 Xiaomi Sound Party. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $57.09 saving on the JBL Flip Essential 2 is not enough to make up the difference.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Xiaomi Sound Party is rated for 26 hours, the JBL Flip Essential 2 only 10 hours.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Xiaomi Sound Party | JBL Flip Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $142.99 | $85.90 |
| Ranked | #19 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | - |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 10” x 3.6” x 3.6” (255 x 92 x 92 mm) | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1200 g) | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | 20W RMS |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) | USB-C |
| Lights | Yes | - |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Xiaomi Sound Party compares with other leading options:
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Minirig 4
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
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
Xiaomi Sound Party: $142.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: An unusually versatile 1.2kg outdoor speaker: IP67 dust/water protection, USB-C power-bank output, NFC pairing, lights, stereo pairing and a claimed 26-hour battery life. Several independent reviews describe a warm, generally balanced sound with clear vocals and useful bass impact when Bass Boost is off. It is also easy to carry thanks to the retractable handle. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-10dB).
Cons: The sound evidence is mixed rather than universally glowing. One lab review found it loud but flat and unclean with blurred treble, while others hear the Bass Boost mode as boomy upper bass that can bottom out at high volume. It is not the strongest choice for a large party: tested output is around 94dB and rivals such as the Soundcore Boom 2 play louder with deeper bass. SBC is the only Bluetooth codec and there is no aux input.
Full Xiaomi Sound Party review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10” x 3.6” x 3.6” (255 x 92 x 92 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm woofers (35W total) + 2x 15mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Lights | Yes |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect, up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C, 5V/3A) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2A) |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1200 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Xiaomi Sound Party - Best Bluetooth Speaker 2026 award More from Oluv’Sone →
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - first look
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party - outdoor test
- Oluv Patreon: Xiaomi Sound Party vs Boom 2 & Helsinki
- Alan Ross: JBL Charge 6 vs Xiaomi Sound Party – Honest No-BS Comparison More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross: Xiaomi Sound Party or Soundcore Boom 2 - 4 db louder?!
- Grimluck: XIAOMI Sound Party Review and Comparison (Jbl charge and Xiaomi outdoor)
- Jefferson C: XIAOMI Sound Party 2025
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Tribit Maxsound Plus/Thunderbox Plus
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna 2
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Miatone Boompro
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs JBL Flip 7
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- See all 120 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
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