How to distinguish a real JBL Flip 4 speaker from a fake one

Box

The cardboard quality is low. The box is all wrinkled at the corners. But that's not all:

• The JBL icon on the fake speaker is blurred out and is replaced by a regular orange square.
• Poor print quality, images are unclear.
• All the functions and capabilities of the device are not listed on the back of the box.

  
  The fake box just has an orange square instead of the JBL inscription

⇡#Technical characteristics

* Average price on Yandex.Market at the time of writing.

At the heart of the JBL Clip 4 speaker is a single one and a half inch speaker - for a pocket speaker system this is not so small. The frequency response is slightly cut down at the bottom, which is explained by the dimensions of the speaker. At the same time, the emitter power is quite high: 5 W should be quite enough to organize a small disco around you.

The new product does not have a wired input - sound sources can only be connected via Bluetooth. In this case, a modern Bluetooth 5.1 module with A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.6 profiles is used. But JBL again doesn’t mention codecs: most likely, the speaker only works with the SBC codec. Note that the previous generation model, JBL Clip 3, had a wired audio input, but, apparently, its demand has already dropped quite significantly.

A modern USB-C port is used to charge the built-in battery, so you won’t have to search for a suitable cable for a long time if you lose the standard one. According to the manufacturer, the built-in battery charge lasts for about ten hours of continuous operation. But the most important thing is that the JBL Clip 4 is capable of working in literally any conditions. Protection according to the IP67 standard ensures that nothing will happen to the speaker not only when traveling through a dusty desert, but also when briefly immersed in water to a depth of one meter. So you can safely take the new product with you to the pool or to the sea, or walk with it in the rain and snow.

Appearance _

Compared to the previous generation model, the shape of the new speaker has changed - it has transformed into something between an oval and a rectangle. And the carbine - the highlight of the JBL Clip models - has become much larger, thanks to which you can hook the speaker not only to the loops of backpacks or clothes, but also to some more voluminous structures. For example, JBL Clip 4 can be hung on a bicycle handlebar, football goal or exercise machine.

The only pity is that only the opening part of the carabiner has a soft coating. The second part is stationary - it is made of metal and, depending on the design, can have different colors. In our case it is a gray-violet metallic. The soft coating of the carabiner would prevent scratching the painted and varnished surfaces on which the speaker could be hung. However, perhaps it would have scratched itself.

A large oval carabiner wraps around the perimeter of the plastic body of the speaker, completely covered with fabric with a large weave that is pleasant to the touch. The fabric fits as tightly as possible to the body - it cannot be moved even if you apply a noticeable force. At the same time, the manufacturer managed to apply directly on top of the fabric strongly protruding soft symbols behind which the buttons are hidden, as well as a huge corporate logo on the front part and a special corrugation on the back side - it serves as a kind of legs on which the speaker rests when you put it on a table or any other flat surface. This design solution has long been a hallmark of JBL portable devices - and it looks great.

The speaker has five control buttons. Three of them are on the front, above the logo. With their help, you can adjust the sound volume, activate and stop playback, and also move to the next track. For some reason, unfortunately, there are no buttons or functions to go to the track of the previous composition. Two more buttons are located on the side. They are designed to control the device's power and Bluetooth module.

At the top, under the arc of the carabiner, there is an indicator informing the user about the remaining battery charge, as well as about the Bluetooth connection, and at the bottom there is a USB-C port for recharging the built-in battery. It is not closed with a plug, but there is no need to worry about water getting into it.

Separately, we note the soft corrugation applied on the back of the case. The two strips located closer to the edges have protruding tips, on which the column rests when it lies on the table. This design allows you to effectively dampen vibration and prevent the tabletop from sounding instead of the speaker. This is exactly the element the carbine is missing. But by and large, this is nitpicking. In general, the design of the new product is carefully thought out, and the design allows for comfortable use.

Column appearance

Externally, the fake column is made quite well. It can easily be confused with the original Flip 4 at first glance. But if you look closely, you will notice that:

• The fake speaker has a button "telephone"(there is no such icon on the original column);

  
  Phone icon on fake Flip 4

• in weight ;
• On a fake speaker, the body does not come into contact with the fabric in all places;
• The original speaker has external speakers Exclamation point, the fake has a poorly printed JBL sign.

  
  There is an exclamation mark on the speaker of the original Flip 4 speaker (left)

She won't drown

Flip 4 is protected from dust, water and dirt according to the IPX7 standard. This means that you can use the speaker in the shower, in the pool, and even dive. The standard implies protection from water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. I didn’t risk swimming with Flip, but the tactile sensations from the speaker make me believe in the manufacturer’s words.

By the way, the charging connector and mini-jack are protected from water by a thick plug, and the buttons on the plastic case are made of thick rubber and are directly soldered inside.

Column internals

But it’s not just the external differences that give away a copy that’s perfect. For the purity of the experiment, you can remove the top rubber layer and see how the original JBL Flip 4 speaker and the fake are assembled:

• Domestic speakers Made from low quality soft material.

  
  Speakers of fake (top) and original JBL Flip 4 speaker

• All bolts are painted black; on the fake they are silver.
• The entire “head” of the original column is closed silicone lid.

  
  The internal structure of the original speaker is hermetically hidden

• The fake speaker cannot be immersed in water, since, unlike the original speaker, it is not waterproof.

JBL Flip 4 special edition and colors

What I really respect the JBL company for is its wide selection of colors in almost all models of headphones and speakers ! The JBL Flip 4 special edition is no different in characteristics from the regular JBL Flip 4 (at least I didn’t notice any differences and the characteristics are identical on the official website), the only difference is the colors.

Regular JBL Flip 4 models:

JBL Flip 4 special edition:

Management and functionality

On the JBL Flip 4 body: 6 keys. 2 on a rubberized “frame” and 4 on a fabric covering.

1. 
   The 1st of 2 main keys on the frame is responsible for turning it on/off. When turned on/off, the speaker makes a characteristic sound, this is very convenient and without looking, you can understand whether the speaker is turned on or off.

2. The 2nd is responsible for group pairing of speakers for synchronous playback. There is also a soundtrack.
3. 3rd on the body. Bluetooth pairing.
4. Reduce volume.
5. Increase volume.
6. Play/pause, double-click to switch tracks forward. Unfortunately, there is no option to switch the track back