When I’m on a backcountry yurt trip, I gotta have my tunes, man. Nothing makes time better spent in a yurt cooking dinner, drinking brews, and chatting with friends, than a little background music. So on a recent trip to the Puffer Lake Yurt in Utah’s Tushar Mountains, I brought along the JBL Clip+. I like this portable speaker because it’s small, Bluetooth compatible, and it sounds great considering its diminutive size.
The JBL Clip+ features:
- Splashproof design
- Clip-on carabiner
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Built-in microphone
- Rechargable battery
- Auxiliary connection
Along with the yurt trip, I’ve been rocking out to music with the JBL Clip+ at home while doing mundane things like washing dishes. The small size means I can keep the speaker on the kitchen counter so I don’t have to blast treble and bass from the living room stereo (which tends to wake the baby.) The Bluetooth connectivity means it’s super easy to stream music from my iPhone to the speaker so I can play my music that’s already loaded, or try something new on Pandora or Spotify. The auxiliary connection means I can also use my older-model iPods with it if I need my phone for other uses.
The JBL Clip+ is such a small size that I had my doubts about sound quality. But upon the first use, those doubts were put to rest. The bass is impressive for a tiny speaker, and the volume can get pretty loud. At the yurt, I had to turn it down in order for us to have a conversation. A friend brought a much larger portable speaker and we compared the two side by side. While his speaker was louder and had more depth, he was seriously impressed at how well the Clip+ performed despite its small size.
Other features are nice such as the built-in carabiner. I could hang the speaker on a myriad of things at the yurt. But it also did well just sitting on the table like a grey hockey puck. The microphone is another nice touch if you need to use the phone hands free, and while I’m not one to use such a feature, I did test it out and it worked fine. Also, it’s “splashproof” which means you can’t submerge it, but if you happen to get caught in a freak rain storm, or spill your whiskey flask on it, the speaker will survive no worse for wear.
The only real downside is the range of the Bluetooth connection. I wasn’t able to get too far away from the Clip+ with my phone while playing music before it cut out. I only took a few steps out of the yurt with my phone in my pocket when everyone complained that the music suddenly stopped. Also, the battery only lasts 5 hours on a full charge, which I was disappointed in, but my friends tell me that’s pretty typical for portable speakers in general. The plus is that it doesn’t take long to recharge through USB.
The Good: Packable size, good sound and volume, Bluetooth compatibility works great.
The Bad: You can’t stray far if you’re using Bluetooth to play music.
Final Word: The JBL Clip+ is a very cool portable speaker. Considering its small size, the sounds quality is impressive, you can hang it from just about anything for on-the-go soundtracks, and it’s super packable. I’d say this is a solid choice for anyone needing some tunes on backpacking trips, yurt trips, or just rolling around town.
You can purchase the JBL Clip+ at their website, www.jbl.com