The Bose Soundlink Flex (2nd Gen) is the follow-up to the Bose SoundLink Flex. The sequel has a very similar design to its predecessor; it's still a small, portable, lightweight speaker that can accompany you on picnics or soundtrack kitchen dance parties, but there are a few notable changes. The control strip has been redesigned: it now has an easier-to-find Power button and a new Play/Pause button. And, unlike the predecessor, the speaker's companion app now has a graphic EQ so you can customize its sound. But does it have the same well-balanced sound out of the box? Read on to find out.
Our Verdict
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is alright for listening to music. By default, its treble and mid-ranges are well-balanced, presenting instruments and vocals with detail and clarity. Cymbals have just the right amount of sizzle without sounding piercing. Of course, this is a small speaker, so it lacks low-end thump and won't get loud enough to fill more than an average-sized room. There's enough warmth to keep dance music feeling full and engaging, but you'll need a bigger speaker if you plan to shake the floor (or get your garden party groovin'). Still, its companion app has a 3-band graphic EQ for sound tweaking, and you can also pair it with other second-generation SoundLink Flexes to get stereo sound, which can feel more immersive.
-
Companion app has a graphic EQ.
-
Needs a second unit to produce stereo audio.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is sub-par for watching videos and movies, but as a lightweight, portable speaker, it's not designed for this purpose. It isn't large enough to reproduce the low rumbles of sound effects like explosions, and it only works in mono, so it doesn't produce audio that feels immersive or enveloping. That said, you can link two of these together via the companion app to get stereo sound. Its treble and mid-ranges are well-balanced and reproduce dialogue clearly and accurately, so it'll work for this usage in a pinch, but you might be bothered by the lip-sync issues between your audio and video.
-
Uses Bose SimpleSync to connect with other Bose Smart Speakers or Smart Soundbars.
-
Needs a second unit to produce stereo audio.
-
Compression at maximum volume.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is good for podcasts. It has a well-balanced mid-range that renders dialogue accurately and clearly. It's portable enough to take with you from room to room, but it doesn't produce enough volume to fill larger rooms or gardens. You can place it either lying down or standing up, and it'll work well in the average kitchen so long as you ensure it's facing you most of the time, as it isn't a 360-degree speaker.
-
Uses Bose SimpleSync to connect with other Bose Smart Speakers or Smart Soundbars.
-
Companion app has a graphic EQ.
-
Mono, front-facing speaker results in less immersive sound.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is mediocre as a voice assistant because it doesn't have built-in voice-assistant capabilities. However, you can use it with your phone's Siri or Google Assistant, and it'll do an acceptable job; it will pick up your voice from far away and register what you're saying even in a noisy room.
-
Excellent far-field performance.
-
No built-in voice assistants.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is decent for the outdoors. It's remarkably portable and has excellent build quality, so it's a good choice for park hangs or hikes, especially since its IP67 rating means it'll survive being accidentally dropped in a shallow puddle. You can place it either standing up or lying down, and it will adjust its sound accordingly. If you're on a stroll, you can even attach the side strap to your backpack. Its battery life of roughly six to seven hours will get you through all but the longest hangs and hikes. Nonetheless, this small speaker doesn't get super loud, and its speakers are front-facing, so it doesn't produce 360-degree audio.
-
IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
-
Compression at maximum volume.
- 6.6 Music
- 5.8 Videos/Movies
- 7.5 Podcasts
- 6.2 Voice Assistant
- 7.3 Outdoors
- Updated Oct 31, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Oct 25, 2024: Early access published.
- Updated Oct 18, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Oct 11, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Oct 07, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen comes in four color variants: 'Black,' 'Alpine Sage,' 'Sandstone,' and 'Blue Dusk.' We tested the 'Black' variant, and this is its label. We expect our results to be consistent between variants.
If you encounter any other variants of this speaker, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review accordingly.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is the sequel to the Bose SoundLink Flex. The two generations have very similar designs, but the 2nd Generation features a redesigned control strip, a companion app with a graphic EQ, and support for AAC and aptX codecs.
Both generations of SoundLink Flex have front-facing speakers that produce a very directional sound. If you're looking for speakers that sound the same no matter what angle you're listening from, the 360-degree design of the Ultimate Ears BOOM 4 makes it a good alternative. While the SoundLink Flexes also both work with your phone's built-in voice assistants, if hands-free control is important to you, the Sonos Roam 2 is an excellent choice, as it has Amazon Alexa and Sono's own voice assistant built in.
Check out our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof speakers, and the best speakers under $100.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is a better speaker than the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex. The 2nd Gen comes with an app that lets you EQ the sound to your preferences, support for AAC and aptX codecs (with compatible devices), and an improved control strip. That said, the first generation gets a little louder.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and the JBL Charge 5 are very comparable portable speakers with different strengths. Both speakers have IP67 ratings for dust and water resistance, and both have flat mid-ranges that render instruments and dialogue alike with accuracy and detail. In our tests, the JBL's battery lasted a lot longer than the Bose's, but battery life varies with usage. If voice assistants are important to you, you'll want the Bose, as it does an excellent job supporting voice assistants through your smartphone.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) suits a wider variety of use cases than the JBL Flip 6. The main plus of the JBL is its slightly wider-sounding soundstage. On the other hand, the Bose produces a deeper bass than the JBL and does an excellent job supporting voice assistants through your phone. However, if soundstage is extremely important to you, you could also consider getting a second Soundlink Flex (2nd Gen) and pairing them together.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and the Marshall Emberton II have different strengths but, on balance, the Marshall is the better speaker. The main benefit of the Bose is that it supports your smartphone's voice assistant and is amazing at hearing what you're saying, even when you're far away or in a noisy room. On the other hand, the Marshall has a longer battery life and can play stereo content, so its soundstage feels wider and more immersive. It also gets a little louder than the Bose, albeit at the cost of increased compression.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and the Sonos Roam 2 target different kinds of customers. If you're invested in the Sonos ecosystem, the Sonos speaker is likely the better choice, especially since it has built-in support for the Sonos voice assistant and Amazon Alexa. If you'd rather use your Android or Apple device's voice assistant, the Bose is the better pick. Neither speaker is a great choice for fans of a wide soundstage, as they both downmix your audio to mono. However, the Sonos's wider directivity means it has the edge here, as it produces audio that sounds fairly similar regardless of your listening position. That said, the Bose produces a little more bass out of the box.
Test Results
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is almost identical to its predecessor, the Bose SoundLink Flex. Its body is coated in thick silicone, including the strong steel speaker grille that covers its driver. The speaker is horizontally oriented and can be placed either lying on its back or standing up. Bose's PositionIQ technology will detect whether it's lying or standing and will adjust the speaker's sound accordingly. It has two passive radiators that face forward and backward (or up and down) to help it produce lower frequencies. This speaker comes in four colors: 'Black,' 'Alpine Sage,' 'Sandstone,' and 'Blue Dusk.'
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen is incredibly portable. It's small and lightweight and runs on battery power, so it's easy to bring it to places like the park. You can also use the thick, rugged strap on the side of the speaker to attach it to your bag or suspend it from hooks and lines.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has amazing build quality. The steel grille covers the front of the speaker and is sturdy and doesn't flex at all, while the thick silicone that coats the entire body feels high-quality. The speaker doesn't have an impact protection (IK) rating, but Bose advertises that you can "toss it, drop it, it's all good." It does have an IP67 rating, so it's fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The buttons are more recessed than those found on the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex, which means they're less likely to suffer damage. They're also located under the same thick silicone that covers the whole body.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has excellent controls that are a slight improvement over those found on the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex. Like the first gen, the buttons are simple to use but a bit hard to press. You'll need to press with a decent amount of pressure to register a click, especially since the buttons are a bit more recessed than they are on the first gen. Still, the click is satisfying and lets you know you've registered a command. The Power button is now easier to locate since it's isolated in its own recessed enclosure. Bose has also added a dedicated Play/Pause button (which is slightly dimpled to make it easier to feel for) and a Shortcut button that replaces the multifunction button on the first gen.
When you power the speaker on, it plays a chime and voice confirmation and updates you on the current battery life. Similarly, when you use the Shortcut button to connect to a new device, the speaker will play a chime and voice confirmation. Finally, there's a chime when you reach the minimum or maximum volume. There is also a status light above the Shortcut button.
Check out this diagram of all the various buttons available, as well as this list of what each button does.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has decent frequency response accuracy. Like the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex, it has practically no low-bass, which is to be expected given its small size. This isn't the speaker you grab in order to feel thumpy hip-hop kick drums. However, there's enough mid-bass to feel the punch of those kick drums, and a small boost in the high-bass adds warmth to basslines. The mid-range and treble regions are virtually flat. Instruments are rendered accurately and with plenty of details, while the dialogue in podcasts is clear and present but never harsh or piercing. Overall, this speaker accurately represents a wide variety of audio.
We tested the speaker standing up since we expect most people to use it that way, but it can also be used lying down. Bose's PositionIQ technology automatically detects its position and adjusts the sound accordingly. We took one comparison measurement of its sound while lying down, which shows that the treble range is slightly reduced.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has a disappointing soundstage. Its speakers are front-facing, so you only get a full, accurate sound if you're in front of it, unlike the 360-degree sound you get from units like the Ultimate Ears BOOM 4. It's also a mono speaker, so it can't reproduce wide, immersive soundscapes, and stereo content like delay tails aren't as audible as they are on a stereo system. That said, you can pair this with a second unit to get stereo playback. However, you can't mix and match SoundLink generations: this speaker won't pair with the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has passable dynamics performance. It'll get loud enough to fill your kitchen with sound, but when you push it to its maximum volume, a fair amount of compression kicks in. That said, it doesn't get quite as loud as the Bose SoundLink Flex, and we noted a reduction in the mid-bass when on full blast.
This speaker has acceptable battery performance. Bose claims it lasts around 12 hours off a single charge, but in practice, you'll get more like six to seven hours. We got a full battery after 2.4 hours of charge time, which is quicker than Bose's advertised time of four hours. Nonetheless, battery performance is usage-dependent, so your experience may differ. The speaker also comes with an 'Auto-Off Timer' that will shut the speaker down after 5, 20, 40, 60, or 180 minutes of inactivity. That said, you can turn the feature off if you'd prefer.
Like the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex, the Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen doesn't have built-in voice assistants. You can still use your phone's Google Assistant or Siri with the device, as it does an excellent job of hearing your commands, even if you're far away from the speaker or in a noisy room.
The Bose app is very good. We've taken a video of it for you to view. It's compatible with Android and iOS and provides more options than the first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex's Bose Connect app. You can use the Bose app to view connected devices and toggle Bluetooth multipoint pairing. You can tweak the speaker's sound using a 3-band graphic EQ and presets, as well as customize what the Shortcut button does (you can choose between Speaker Link, Voice Assistant, and Spotify Tap). The app also lets you pair your speaker with other second-generation Flexes to use in stereo or party mode. Some users have reported that stereo-linking improves Bluetooth latency, but we haven't tested this. You can even use Bose SimpleSync to connect the speaker to other Bose Smart Speakers or Smart Soundbars. Bose provides a full list of compatible devices on their website. Finally, you can customize the auto-off timer and toggle various voice prompts.
This speaker doesn't have any inputs. There's only a USB-C port to charge it, but it can play audio while being charged.
The Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen has impressive Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with two devices simultaneously, which is handy if you like to switch between your laptop and phone throughout the day. Latency with Android and iOS devices is on the high-side, so you might encounter lip-sync issues while watching videos. This isn't a great choice of speaker for movie nights. That said, different devices compensate for latency in different ways, and some users have reported improved lip-syncing with when stereo-linking two speakers together, but we don't test for this.
The first-generation Bose SoundLink Flex worked with Bluetooth 4.2, but the second generation uses Bluetooth 5.3, which might explain the improved results in our range testing: you can take your connected device about 275 feet away from this speaker while maintaining its connection. The updated Bluetooth support also brings with it support for the AAC and aptX codecs (the latter comes via Snapdragon Sound). Compatible devices will default to those codecs in place of the more standard SBC codec, which can lead to improved audio quality.