JBL FLIP 7

They just don't do laurel-resting at JBL.

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Tlaurel-resting The Flip series of portable Bluetooth speakers has been setting standards ever since the first model launched in 2012, but the company seems determined to stay ahead... and with the Flip 7, it's perhaps as far in front as it's ever been.

The almost-cylindrical shape, the grabbable 183x72x70mm dimensions and the sturdy fabric-and-rubber build are familiar... but you don't get this standard of construction or durability from any old speaker.

Th Flip 7 is built to survive in the great outdoors (as long as that means stuff like the beach, the pool or the festival, rather than the Mariana Trench): IP68 means it's almost completely immune to moisture and dust.

The toughness extends to the big rubberised buttons for play and pause, volume, Bluetooth pairing, Auracast and power.

There's also the JBL Portable app for iOS and Android, which is stable, logical and useful.

It shows battery life, lets you create a stereo pair, and features a seven-band EQ as well as a selection of presets.

Stairway to 7 When it comes to sound, this is the best Flip so far - which is saying something. The Flip 7 easily outperforms its asking price. Stream via Bluetooth and it's a confident listen that hits the low end hard, and shapes bass sounds so well that rhythms are fully expressed. There's lots of variation too, thanks to detail that's just as impressive as in the rest of the frequency range.