Anker SoundCore 2 vs JBL Flip 5 - Which one is better?

The Anker SoundCore 2 is a much cheaper alternative to the JBL Flip 5, but does a higher price also mean better quality? Let's take a look at the two Bluetooth speakers in comparison.

Comparison table

Differences between anchor SoundCore 2 and JBL Flip 5

The characteristics of the JBL Flip 5 and Anker SoundCore 2 are relatively similar. This was already the case with the predecessor of JBL, as you can read in the comparison between JBL Flip 4 and Anker SoundCore 2.

Size and weight

In terms of weight, the anchor SoundCore 2 continues to perform better. It weighs only 414 grams. The JBL Flip 5 weighs 540 grams and is therefore a good deal heavier.

Anker's SoundCore 2 is slightly smaller than the JBL Flip 5, while Anker's speaker measures 5.4 x 16.5 x 4.5 cm. JBL here measures 6.9 x 18.1 x 7.4 cm. This also makes the SoundCore 2 a good deal more compact. The JBL Flip 5 is even slightly larger than its predecessor, the Flip 4.

However, both units are still well suited for transport and use on the road. In my opinion, however, the JBL speaker makes a slightly more elegant impression than the Anker SoundCore 2 in terms of appearance, which is of course also a reason for the significantly higher price at JBL.

Battery life

The anchor's battery life of up to 24 hours is twice as long as that of the JBL Flip 5, which was also the case with the Flip 4. Both JBL units have a battery life of up to 12 hours.

The battery life naturally depends on use and volume. Both speakers take about 3 hours to fully charge.

Waterproof

Both speakers are waterproof with IPX7. This allows the units to be used up to 1 meter under water. There is a time limit of 30 minutes. This is also known from many smartphones. So neither JBL nor anchor is better here.
Connections
The JBL Flip 5 is slightly in front of the connections. There we have a USB-C port for charging. The anchor SoundCore 2 still has a MicroUSB port. Technically a bit outdated. Since the port is only used for charging, this is not really relevant in my opinion.

Neither device has a power port. So none of the speakers can be used as a power bank. This is only possible with the JBL Charge series.

AUX, i.e. a blade connection, is available on both speakers. So you can also play music on both devices directly via cable, without Bluetooth.

Both Anker and JBL have Bluetooth version 4.2 installed.

Sound

The JBL Flip has 1x20 watts of sound power built in. The anchor SoundCore 2 has 2x6 watts installed here. So the JBL Flip 5 offers a little more volume.

Which speaker is better?

In the overall view, the JBL Flip 5* is not convincing in many points. You have a little more sound power in terms of watts. Then the JBL Flip 5 offers you a USB-C connection, but this does not have much of an advantage.

The design may be a plus point for JBL. But here you have to ask yourself if it is worth the much higher price. JBL Party is also worth mentioning, with which you can connect several JBL Flip 5 devices together. However, this function will be relatively uninteresting for most people.

With the Anker SoundCore 2 you get in my opinion a very good loudspeaker for a reasonable price. For this reason I also recommend the cheaper Anker SoundCore 2*.

However, if you attach great importance to the design, you can also take a look at the JBL Flip 4*. This model is less expensive than the JBL Flip 5, but still more expensive than the Anker SoundCore 2*. First of all, you can look at the differences between the JBL Fip 4 and Flip 5. Of course, the comparison between JBL Flip 4 and Anker SoundCore 2 is also interesting in this context.