Fixing JBL's poor design that turned this speaker into a paperweight (JBL FLIP 5 repair)

[@bruwin]

You know, props to JBL for actually making it relatively easy to repair. Might be a bad design for the cables, but there was nothing about this that was anti-consumer and anti-repair.

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Yeah it could have been way more glued together where it was destructive to take it apart!

[@skeezixcodejedi]

@@adriansdigitalbasement2 I had an earlier edition; can't charge while in use, is pretty annoying; the battery, being lipo, woudl only get a few hundred charge cycles before being mostly useless; further, the battery started to swell, like so many lipos did, so it became dangerous; at least it was, with trouble, openable and coulod replcae the battery and get more use of it .. but after a few more months, that battery too started to swell. But really, not having a bypass so it can run off mains power while in use, is absolutely anti consumer, since it guarantees battery use and then battery death and danger.

[@dparks256]

I bought the charge 3 because it sounded great, was waterproof, and then only because I read the battery replacement instructions and found the cell on amazon before purchase, hehe. It's been great, so many miles on that thing!

[@piwex69]

@@adriansdigitalbasement2 my charge 4 and charge 3 - they have all cables and flexes wrapped in foam sticky tape, which keeps it from rattling, disconnecting etc. Your must have been tempered by previous owners, unscrewed screws confirming it.

[@thomashenden71]

Such items should have a LiFePo4 battery under a lid, no fire hazard, and after the 3000 cycles+ this type of battery lasts, you can easily replace it, plus - LFE-batteries don’t have the issue about having to be not discharged or not fully charged to avoid aging.

[@GeekmanCA]

Anyone can look up how much these things cost new, even refurbished. We need more modern repair hobbyists! A little time spent tinkering is better than automatically making more e-waste.

[@volvo09]

I got a Bose SoundLink mini? Speaker from my work as a gift and loved it, sounded so rich, especially for a small speaker... Lots of bass. It stopped charging so I looked up another and it was over $200! I was pissed that it broke after less than a year of mild use. Battery is soldered in with a ribbon cable and the pack is fully potted in resin, not sure if I can replace it.

[@guilhermephsor]

there are some out there, live My Mate Vince and Stezfix

[@majorhayze]

I’m working on it! Lol.

[@maikelpeeters7328]

cost new? 90 dollar over here....used in good condition 40 buck...worth fixing a banged up one? no its not

[@Michael-oo4yc]

Mine has charging issues to​@@volvo09

[@pinealservo]

I used to work for Harman International, the parent company of JBL. I have a lot of the older Flip and Charge models; we'd often get them as company Christmas gifts. Shortly before I left, I got to visit the office in Shenzhen where they designed and tested a bunch of the Harman consumer electronics devices like this. Was interesting to see a bit into how products like that get designed and produced, and I'm happy to see that you got this one working so well again, though it's unfortunate that it had trouble in the first place!

[@nhnova1452]

Can you give me one

[@ipaschke]

Regarding removing the hot glued screws with IPA: You have to be *very* careful: Most speaker surrounds will disintegrate from even a single drop of IPA.

[@co2metal]

Yeah

[@Jpetersson]

Adrian, the lid for your iFixit kit is a sorting tray, that´s where you can put your screws while you work!

[@Teukka72]

Side note on USB connectors (C, mini-B, micro-B) from experience: Use canned air and a toothpick under magnification to clean the connector out, they tend to accumulate lint over time so the connector won't seat proper.

[@jnharton]

The mini-B type aren't too bad, but micro-B is tiny and a little obstruction is a big problem. Apple's lightning connector is just as bad as USB-C for getting gunk in it, link dust, lint from your jeans, etc.

[@Dee_Just_Dee]

@@jnharton Yeah it's just terrible all-around. Both microUSB and USB-C get sooo flaky after a few months of the device being pocketed. I'm at least happy to say that my USB-C smartphone still manages to do a super-fast charge after 3 years of ownership... but using OTG devices started being flaky after just a few months of use.... But yeah, Lightning isn't any better than USB-C, so it's for the best that Apple was forced to use USB-C so at least we're all in the same shitty boat rather than very slightly different ones.

[@oliverer3]

​@@Dee_Just_Deeon the bright side USB is easy to clean out without damaging it.

[@ianbruce6515]

Thanks for posting this! My JBL Flip 5 isn't charging right now. I loved my previous three JBL speakers. The Flip 5 has inferior sound to the others.

[@piwex69]

You connect it by replacing end caps (membranes) and then there is access to all cables without risking puncturing the speaker or the seal. With the "spiral" button you can pair it with up to 99 other JBL speakers of different kinds, it is called "party mode". If you do it with just two - it gives stereo. There is an app for the phone (JBL Portable) to upgrade FW and to control modes/names of the device, really neat.

[@PapiDoesIt]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering how useful it would be with just one speaker.

[@shawnstillman736]

I wonder how loud 99 of any of JBL's gear would be. Thats really cool.

[@TheErador]

I dunno about 99, but a pair of eons were pretty damn loud for their size

[@a64738]

I love the stereo mode, it also give a lot more bass when you run 2 of them... Only problem is the stereo mode give a lot of delay in the sound making watching films for example unwatchable because the sound is not synchronized anymore ;(

[@piwex69]

@@a64738 If you watch on smart TV, there might be the “lip sync delay” setting to factor in the delay.

[@kryskarr23]

Hey Adrian. Great video as always. One cool feature with that ifixit screwdriver set is that the top cover has a little grid on the bottom side where you can organize the screws you remove of whatever your working on. Very handy.

[@drewwilliams1337]

Came to say the same thing, I don't even own a screw tray specifically because the iFixit lid is so useful for organizing screws for some relatively large projects (used it a million times for complete laptop disassembly and the grid layout is a godsend).

[@garthhowe297]

Kudos to JBL for making this serviceable. The few similar items I looked at to repair were so glued together, that it was destructive to take apart.

[@annareismith6843]

It probably got dropped and that connector came off. Such a simple fix. Most people just through things like this always when they can fix them. A little glue from a hot glow gun would stop that from happening again.

[@andygozzo72]

doubt it, those type connectors usually hold pretty tight and you have to pull hard or lever them to remove them, likely wasnt pushed in fully when assembled

[@der.Schtefan]

I had a 250 Euro power bank die from a connector like this disconnecting internally. Looked the same way

[@BestSpatula]

Watching you repair something you're not familiar with is a rare treat. Thank you!

[@DavidLatham-productiondave]

Did the battery fully charge in the end?

[@DanielLancaster-q9t]

Every thing that is saved from the E-Waste is a victory for the planet! Thanks for taking the time to shoot a video fixing this little speaker. Most people wouldn't have thought twice about tossing it when it stopped working. There is so much carbon spent on manufacturing it! The best thing you can do for the planet in my opinion is fixing the stuff that has already been built instead of throwing it away and building more stuff. You are the man!

[@RacerX-]

Great to see a midweek video. I was bummed this past Saturday that there was no main channel video. But hey we all need a break, LOL.

[@Fixaj]

Hi, at 5:48 zoom making by camera lenses or microschop, (if it is just a camera lens can you share the specifications please) thanks

[@strangersound]

I'm not sure you fixed it. As much as you charged it, the bars never increased. I'm thinking the battery is bad and won't hold a charge and somebody started to try and fix it but gave up. Just a hunch. ???

[@LotoTheHero]

I have a JBL charge 5 that I bought (marked down) last year. It looks like it's pretty similar to that model that you have. Those things have really good volume and sound. I've been very happy with mine. If you don't have a quality portable blutooth speaker, I'd keep it. If I had to guess, I'd say that thing was maybe dropped a time or two. That probably caused the charge cable to pop out and maybe the loose screws as well. It was pretty neat to see inside of this thing, I was curious to see what kind of speaker(s) were in there to produce all that sound, now I know!

[@samcostanza]

I love my Charge 5. Fantastic speaker, and it sounds even better when you link another one and really fill the room with sound.

[@LotoTheHero]

@@samcostanza I'll bet it does. I think it'd be fun to link a whole bunch of them up and blanket an area. It's just a neat idea.

[@Dee_Just_Dee]

Just looking at the thing, for sure, it's been well loved and tossed around. And to be fair, that's what JBL's Bluetooth speakers have earned a reputation for. So, this one "got played with just a little bit too hard" and Adrian sorted it right out.

[@antibrevity]

Seems like a Flip 5. You are correct that the "extra button is for synchronizing with other speakers in what's often called "party" mode. You can sync more than 2 together, which basically makes them into a college kid's whole-house audio system ;).

[@Silverfoxwolfen]

I'm curious, what is that power bank you are using there? It looks like it's got some nice features.

[@LinusJohansson-yu7cy]

Went to the comments to ask the same thing. It sure seems neat, especially for testing devices! 😊

[@krisfromthe80s]

Oh, found it! Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus. It's $320 😮

[@LinusJohansson-yu7cy]

@@krisfromthe80s Wow! That's expensive! Guess forget getting that model. 😂

[@krisfromthe80s]

@@nemesis2264 I didn't. In fact, I still don't see it. The YT app showed "2 replies" when I first wanted to comment, but when I tapped on the link, it only showed one. Stupid bug I guess. Sorry for the redundant comment.

[@Silverfoxwolfen]

@@krisfromthe80s Ah, I experienced this bug too. Was wondering where the other comment was hiding.

[@kyky121911]

I love how easy these are to get into unlike other speakers so if a speaker blows you can easily get into it to replace it

[@IceCreamePudding]

What powerbank are you using?

[@Dark_eVader]

What power bank are you using? I've never seen one that has a built in volt amp meter.

[@TheSpongebobiwan]

Ditto

[@SanguineBrah]

Is it possible that all the vibration from use loosened the screws and the connector? To me, that feels more likely than something like a drop. I doubt anyone ever opened it up since factory.

[@andygozzo72]

unlikely , those type connectors hold well, likely not assembled correctly, not pushed in enough

[@DankNoodles420]

lmao. vibrations from a SINGLE 2" speaker HAHAHAHA!!! NO. It wasn't plugged in all the way fromt he factory and the screws never were tight to begin with. CHina quality for you.

[@chriholt]

Hi Adrian, great video! What is your powerbank? I have never seen one like that!

[@gregnelson9062]

Those speakers are great for your bottle holder on a bicycle!

[@AlexK-vy3tt]

Hi Adrian, Happy New Year! Thank for videos on all your channels! Sincerely, Alexander

[@styloroc2000]

what kind of powerbank is that?

[@glenerrington]

Adrian, whats the powerbank you are using?

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Not sure actually -- it was sent in on a Mail Call episode

[@MrAsBBB]

I may have said this before but when I was 10 our TV stopped working everytime we put it on text. I am 55 . Mum and Dad had no money to repair it so I said I will deal with it. I took it open, found the text board and removed it. They had another ten years of service. Please do not try this at home if you are 10. However it does prove a point. Intelligence , time and a need to do this often can come up with something. Always isolate and discharge caps please! Happy New Year Year. Much Love Alex.

[@senilyDeluxe]

You had Text in '78? Damn that's pretty early! At that time, text wasn't even introduced in most of the world (Germany where I live got it in I think 1980 and I have seen TVs from '82 or '83 that had it). Totally depends on your model of TV, on some you can literally just remove the text board and the TV will work, on others you have to install a dummy plug to route signals. (btw. for those reading it and wondering - UK was experimenting with text as early as 1973, so having a text module go bad in 1978 is not very plausible, but certainly not impossible)

[@Jon1LAW]

😂😂😂55? Still in the basement, huh?😂

[@llmrfantasticll]

Thank you for this video! It would be awesome if you did the whole series of these speakers, I have the bigger ‘boombox’ (which is pretty expensive) and the usb-c charge port is starting to get loose. I’d love to know how to open it up to fix it! This video is awesome, gave me a glimmer of hope for my boombox’s future!

[@alexriesenbeck]

Thanks Adrian for helping me get back into repairing and cleaning electronics. Your videos are great and you’ve inspired me to start repairing again

[@yofreak666]

What kind of PowerBank is this? 😊

[@martyb3783]

Cool. I have one of these and now know what to do if I have this problem. Thanks for making this video!

[@Mike2321x]

i kinda want to know what brand that battery bank is

[@TheSpongebobiwan]

Same here.

[@InfamousSabreMods]

its a locking connector. it doesn't need glue. No poor design here. Someone's been in there before and didn't reconnect the port.

[@patomahony9747]

Great tear down and repair. Was waiting for Clive to join in. We have 2 of these speakers the larger one that is also a power bank. One has spent several years, being bounced , around a large warehouse on a forklift and ride on pallet trucks. Often fallen off and bounced across the floor Looks a lot more decrepit than one you repaired. Turned up to full volume at a distance of 100 feet it’s hard to hold a conversation it’s soo loud. Battery lasts most of week between charges. So on basis of this I recently purchased a second one for the house and garden. Great pieces of kit

[@MrAluntus]

I love the tips. I have two of these speakers, never had any issues, but now I know what is inside. Thanks Adrian.

[@jameshorn7830]

What I like about Adrian, is that when he makes an error, he admits it and explains what he did wrong. Nice job...

[@OctavMandru]

Definitely opened before. Tried to open the charging part, pulled on the cable. Loose screws on the speaker tell the story. Maybe the battery is weak and ruined his party one too many times. When he saw the battery is not accessible, he just gave up.

[@sebastiendumais4246]

Thank you for preventing more e-waste :)

[@McTroyd]

18:40 I was disappointed to learn you _didn't_ have the 8-bit dance party on the playlist. Come on, Adrian!! 😉👍

[@onlyeyeno]

Nice work, but I think I personally would have checked the "battery condition" when I had it apart.. And I must admit that I'm both impressed and surprised by how "reparable" this thing was. Meaning that it was using mechanical assembly methods that ware able to be dis- and re-assembled, rather than being "welded, glued and potted" into an unrecoverable mess... Best regards.

[@--Zook--]

I got put in charge of our familys christmas party music this year about 3 days before it was happening. My wife works for a major beer company and handed me one of these speakers she got at sometime from her work. I was actually amazed at how well it filled the 1000 Sq Ft room with sound. Played for several hours with no issues.

[@Eremon1]

I don't blame him for wearing gloves...that thing looks like it would glow brightly under a UV light. 🤣

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

HAHA!

[@nickwallette6201]

Is this one of the infamous models with the sultry Australian voice prompts? "Bluetooth mode..."

[@battra92]

I admit I would've let it charge to full vefore reassembling but thats just my paranoia. You're more optimistic than i am.

[@mikeo9863]

I would be concerned there, they don't normally take that long to charge, especially so you can see more lights on. Could be an end of life battery in the mix there. At lest that would still be a simple repair and worth doing. They are great value speakers.

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

I have the previous version - probably the best portable speaker i have owned to date , sound quality wise! Wish you had shown how to get at the battery as mine no longer holds much charge 0 its supposed to last for 10 hours but i get less than 4 . Still at least i now have an idea how to get into the case without too much damage - hoping the battery is fairly standard & easily replaceable

[@Dee_Just_Dee]

Given the size of the speaker and the way JBL likes to modularize, hopefully you can practically drop in a new 18650.

[@FidgetyGiblet]

Gotta love those transferable skills. Well played, Sir!

[@fillg]

I have a FLIP 6 that I've been really happy with. It looks very similar to yours and when I saw it in your thumbnail I figured I better watch just in case it's a common problem that the 6s might have too. Thanks for making a video about it

[@UpLateGeek]

Guessing this one was assembled on Friday afternoon, and the assembly line worker just didn't push the connector all the way on (not to mention not screwing in the speaker screws fully). Eventually it would've worked its way loose from the bass and being bumped around in transit or whatever.

[@captainchaos3667]

Those things sound amazing. The amount of bass is unbelievable for such a small speaker.

[@TechTimeWithEric]

You often remind me of the electronics version of the KZbin channel Mustie1. If you’ve never seen him, the reason that is a compliment is because he will often get in a piece of machinery he’s never seen before and knows nothing about; and will figure it out and get it going. I love stuff like this where both me and the content creator are learning together.

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

Oh that's neat, with the infinity symbol button being pushed, that's the 'party boost' feature, you can connect from 2 to 100 (wow) speakers TOGETHER.. that's neat. I use the Oontz speaker and I have 2 of them and they are in stereo. They sound AMAZING together when I'm at work.. or in the garage even. Oontz was a good buy for me, they're GREAT little bt speakers, killer bass, great mid and high range and you can get them on sale for like 60 bucks for the big one.. Nice video Adrian. I'm super happy you're doing this full time now, thanks for all the hard work!!

[@mirekfurman173]

May I ask for the name of powerbank? Nice display!

[@TheSpongebobiwan]

Agreed.

[@JeffTiberend]

I replaced a batter in one some years ago. You're so lucky that you didn't have to replace the battery! It took a while to take mine apart and and then to push the swollen battery out. When I had it reassembled with a new battery, it work. But, there was a weird noise like something was loose inside. It's just a shame that JBL made these without replaceable batteries, which should be a crime!

[@robertbruce3091]

I've had one of these for a while and I love it! good to know its serviceable!

[@hcfornwalt]

I like it when you do more modern things sometimes, and when you do things you're not familiar with. you inspired me to take up retro computer fixing as a hobby, and i bought all this equipment. But I'm so busy that I haven't had time. But I have wound up using the equipment to fix my kids laptops, my dad's phone, my computer, and other more modern things. I appreciate watching you do that as well. One of my favorite moments from your videos was when your wife left her flat iron (I think) on your workbench with a sad-face post-it. I totally relate to that in my life. As much as I like the retro-hobby fantasy, i also like watching someone much better than me work through things I wind up working through in my own life.

[@SidebandSamurai]

Good Evening Adrian, what kind of power brick are you using, looks really cool

[@InconsistentManner]

I still have two JBL Flip 3 that is use regularly. I have replaced the USB ports and the battery in both and they work great 9 years later. I was blow away with a demo from a coworker. They are amazingly loud and clear from low to high volume. Good Fix

[@ASMRPoohbear]

Awesome video. Amazing to see some modern tech actually be fixed, even if it was a cable, most times modern stuff isn’t fixable or rebuildable after opening.

[@Autistic_Artist]

I have a flip 4 that I have to do the same thing to. I’m glad this popped up as now I know what to expect

[@dougdochstader8521]

Hi, Adrian. Thank you for slowing down the steady flow of electronic junk to the lanfill. I have a question for you,. What make and model of power bank are you using in this video? I was trying to check it out but couldn't find it anywhere? Also, BTW, I ran a Commodore repair buisness on the side for about 10 years in my former life... A blast from my past.

[@timjulius6886]

Mine looked a little different from this one, but it still worked like a charm! The LEDs were blinking oddly, and after a while, it died. Turns out it was the flex cable behind the speaker that had come loose.

[@MaverickGrabber71]

Yes, the figure 8 logo is for the multi-speaker feature.

[@andrewshearstone1101]

Adrian what is the battery bank u use please bud

[@adriansdigitalbasement2]

Unfortunately I don't have info for it -- it was a donation on a mail call episode. It's very handy though!

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

I must admit I did almost miss this video as it thought it was another generic 'fix it' channel that I’d given up on but fine for a 'one off'. 😮 Happy new year though!

[@Dries007BE]

I have one of these Flip 5s and it's a great little speaker, especially for the form factor and price I paid for it. I used to use my TV in my apartment for Spotify listening, but now I just use it instead. Glad to know it's at least somewhat serviceable.

[@frizfryy]

I found one of these tossed in some weeds over a year ago and it works perfectly, sounds amazing, and decent battery 🔋. Glad to know what to look for if mine ever stops charging!

[@gamernature]

Would like to see more of these type of repair videos on this channel.

[@SeattleSpursFan1882]

Great video. Commented, liked, subscribed.

[@MegaGreensanta]

@ 16:38, is the 88% on the display your power factor or something?

[@axemanracing6222]

Does anybody know how to kill the on/off sound? It is so loud compared to the music.

[@TinyIslandMaine]

Yes this drives me nuts. There should be a way to silence.

[@oggyosbourne]

Nice video and thanks for you found out how to open it. I have a JBL Flip 3 with broken MicroUSB connector. Iam thinking about try to hack with USB-C connector instead.

[@dhpbear2]

1:40 - When it connects to a device it plays the GIH-tar! :)

[@414RadioTech]

Wondering where you got that power bank at I'd like to get one myself

[@Techlifeandmore]

The button with two speakers is so that you can connect a bunch of these together. JBL also makes other speakers that can connect up with this one. The technology is called Partyboost.

[@dustinp9732]

I had this exact same one. Would freeze up like it. I looked up how to factory reset it and it fixed it every time.

[@1975Loeven]

Great video! I have a Flip 6 that i bought about a year ago which is more or less identical part from some logo details on the front. That weird symbol is suppose to be some EQ setting-thingy if my memory serves me right, but i've never bothered to tamper with it. Good to know how to open it if mine decide to malfunction some time. A pity these aren't stereo.

[@portlyoldman]

Recently replaced the USB port on my Flip 4. Almost identical tear down / rebuild. Mini USB port had been crushed inside. Part was easily available and the fix was finicky but easy.

[@fu1r4]

What kind of power bank are you using? I couldn't find it in the description ☹

[@JT-xs4br]

Damit! Literally threw one out last week because it wasn’t charging! Never dreamt it could be that! I looked all over KZbin to see if anyone had a fix!

[@grommdk]

any who knows the name of the powerbank? - it seams kinda nice

[@rolen47]

The speaker screws being loose could just be from vibration. Without locktite it's very easy for screws to come loose from constant vibration.

[@daemoncan2364]

Nice powerbank. May I have the model # pls?

[@briankatke1192]

I recall watching a video a while ago from someone who repairs amazon returns and when he took one of these appart, it was the same issue. I think this is a common problem due to poor design/manufacturing.

[@wrnrt]

What's the powerbank you're using?

[@godzil42]

Considering the state of the screw on the speaker, I have the feeling someone got in and did "something" and did not reconnect th thing properly (on purpose or not, no idea) From the connector, unless drop / big hit, I doubt this could disconnect, cables are not that heavy. Well the good thing is that that product seems to be fairly easy to openrepart at least.

[@vwestlife]

Junk Becoming Live again.

[@barrybpl]

Did you mention where the speaker came from? Was it a SMMC?

[@jameswilliem7831]

Thank you so much, it's work.

[@vzachariou]

Thank you bud. My cable wasn’t completely disconnected but removing it and reconnecting it worked. Poor connection I’m assuming.

[@RosieBee463]

Wow those crooks!! I have a flip 4 and I know it's stereo because I've had to open it up to replace the battery. I also have a flip 6, but it doesn't sound as good. I've never opened it but I guess it's probably a mono speaker too.

[@paveljelinek772]

I happen to have a similar one, wonder if i could put in more power.. i was thinking two 4500mAh LiPo batteries??

[@UrAvgRasian]

What kind of battery pack is that?

[@zakm0n]

Hello fellow T:Slim user! I'm about to hit 4 years with mine and I'm switching to Beta Bionics' Ilet pump. Hoping more algorithm means more better.

[@lindoran]

These little portable speakers are the best! by the way missed that main channel video this weekend but figured you were taking some time off for the holiday glad there was something to listen to over lunch today however! thanks for all you do :)

[@Doco72]

It fits great into a bicycle bottle holder. I use one to hold my flip in my workshop.

[@HFkepley9312]

The button that looks like two speakers is called the PartyBoost Button The PartyBoost button is located near the Volume down (-) button. The PartyBoost is a feature that allows the speaker to connect with multiple JBL Speakers and play music at the same time. The PartyBoost will connect only with other devices that have PartyBoost too. After connecting the JBL Flip 5 with another device via Bluetooth, press the PartyBoost button one time to allow other speakers to pair with you. Or, if there’s another device that’s already paired and activated the PartyBoost feature, press the PartyBoost button, wait a few seconds, and your speaker will pair with the other devices and play the same music. Note: The JBL Flip 5 won’t pair with JBL Flip 4 or other older devices that have the “Connect” or “Connect Plus” button. The speaker will connect only with PartyBoost devices. You can also activate the PartyBoost button using the JBL Portable application on your phone. Once the speaker is connected with your phone, go to the application and click the “PartyBoost” button to activate it.

[@edsanchez87]

FYI on some speakers it short press and long press for the second function. Love the content

[@GeorgeZ213]

When you fi f on a device that a simple 'cable unplugged' solves the problem, do you ever offer to send back the now working products back to the original sender?

[@ADMAFIA210]

I’ve had the jbl flip 5 for years and no issues… sometimes charge ports mess up to mishandling or it’s been refurbished and the owner didn’t know