Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Review

Our Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Experience

We're not gonna lie, we were excited for this one. The sweet lemon-lime color and smooth silicone casing felt lux yet fun right out of the box. Like most of the speakers we tested, pairing was quick and straightforward; we were up and running in about 5 seconds, and we never had any weird connectivity issues as long as we were within range. We spend the majority of our listening hours at our desk while working, and in this setting the Flex 2 excels. It doesn't take a ton of room next to our laptop, and it produces a realistic representation of voices and instruments that makes us feel like we are sitting front row at an impromptu jam session among friends.

The Flex (2nd Gen) has a very small and slim profile that can get surprisingly loud. It's not a party speaker by any means, but we brought it to an evening yoga class, and even when played loud in the large, open space, we didn't notice any distortion. The music maintained a fun, colorful sound mix that the whole class enjoyed (without overpowering the yoga instructor's voice).

We also brought this speaker to the lake a few times for picnics and group paddle days. It floats and is waterproof, so we took it out on our paddleboard every chance we got, but we tried to avoid setting it down on the sand, since smaller grains can get stuck in the front grille or the charging port.

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It may not look it, but the Soundlink Flex is tough enough to clip onto the outside of a backpack and take on a hike without suffering any damage, and we brought it with us for a few outdoor climbing days. The smaller carry loop is underwhelming; it's not really meant to carry the speaker on its own, but it slides onto a carabiner just fine.

We usually like a plug-and-go operation for our speakers (which the Flexlink does seamlessly), but if you like a good app, Bose has one that you can use to fine-tune EQ settings with drag-and-drop controls. We used this to boost the bass and treble when listening to dance music. When we swapped to audiobooks, we'd increase the mids to make the narrator's voice sound clearer and more resonant.

The appreciated the convenient control button for answering and declining phone calls.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

While we wish this speaker had tactile feedback, the controls were still very responsive.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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Since we had two Bose speakers already in our lineup, we experimented with “Party Mode”, which plays music from two speakers simultaneously. Pairing wasn't totally seamless, but the speaker issues vocal instructions to walk you through pairing, and we eventually found success without having to consult the instruction manual. This creates an immersive, theater-like surround sound that we ended up using a lot for movie nights. It also comes in handy when listening to an audiobook while cleaning the house. We put one speaker in the laundry room and one in the bedroom, so we never missed a beat when walking between rooms.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

The SoundLink Flex 2 delivers a cohesive, controlled mix that sounds deep and rich. Vocals come through clearly, making it the perfect little speaker for most music genres and great for listening to your favorite books and podcasts. While you can adjust EQ settings through the app, we found the sound great right out of the box. It sounds pleasant and harmonious across the lows, mids, and highs.

While it doesn't produce true booming bass, it still sounds much fuller than similarly sized speakers. Listening to “Old Dog” by J.Cole will give you a good idea of the precise control this speaker has with its lows. The punchy bass beat drives the track yet never sounds muddy against the vocals. Even when listening at a loud volume, the bass stays tight and emphatic without becoming blown out. We would prefer a touch more presence, but overall we can't complain.

There is a nice natural quality to the mids that sounds rich and present. The vocals in “Tomorrow” by Shakey Graves from 0:10 to 1:20 sound astonishingly real and clear, as though the artist is singing at the desk in front of us. Because the Flex 2 is a mono speaker with one driver, the sound is processed through the same channel and tends to portray vocals in a very lifelike way, so if you want an immersive audiobook, podcast, or even movie experience, this is a great option. Even on busy tracks like “Doug Fir” by Goth Babe, which features many layered instruments and low vocals, the mids don't get lost behind the bass or the treble. The track sounds rich and intimate, with lifelike vocals and a good reproduction of the ukulele and other instruments.

The trebles sound light and airy, giving the music a cheerful, energetic tone and making bright songs like “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies sound even livelier. Even with spirited instruments like harmonica or violin (which can often come across as piercing in their upper registers if handled poorly in the mix), these highs felt consistent and smooth for most of our listening sesh.

The clarity and vividness of the sound really come to life when you're listening directly in front of the speaker, but an extra grille plate on the back lets sound travel through, creating a fuller sound. Listening from other sides - even from the back of the speaker - still presents an enjoyable audio experience, but you don't get as much of a presence from the lows.

We really enjoyed the clean separation of layers in our music. It's easy to sort out instrumentation and intended location. The accuracy of each instrument or voice's timbre is well-preserved and lifelike, and the spread is wide with decent height. This speaker gives audio the room it needs to spread out and fill a decently large space, which is unique for such a small speaker.

Portability

The SoundLink Flex 2 is small and light, weighing only 1.3 pounds. Most speakers that sound as good as the Flex 2 are often heavier and much larger, as they have to fit several woofers, tweeters, or subwoofers. The Flex 2 uses a single 54-millimeter driver and lightweight passive radiators instead, making it the best-sounding speaker we listened to in this size range. It's smaller than a tall can of Arizona Iced Tea, and while it's not technically a mini speaker, we could fit it in the pocket of a larger jacket.

We appreciate the small loop for simple carrying.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

It's easy to clip the SoundLink Flex 2 onto anything, though you'll need to purchase a separate clip.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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The small webbing loop on the end is just big enough to fit a finger through. We give it a C for effort, since it didn't really make it easier to carry the speaker. We appreciate that slips easily onto a carabiner or a wall hook, but for transport, we prefered to just toss it in a tote bag or backpack along with our water bottle, wallet, and an extra jacket before heading to the park to meet up with friends.

Volume

The SoundLink Flex 2 is a quieter speaker with a narrower volume range than larger options; however, this is one of the only personal-sized speakers we tested that sounds crisp and defined at the loudest volumes, skillfully handling built-in dynamic shifts like Hozier's layered, ethereal outcry/crescendo at the outro of “Francesca”.

It maintains a clean output up to 88.4 decibels, which is roughly the same as a crowded bar. In other words, you'd have to speak up to be heard over the Flex 2 at its loudest volume. We brought it to gatherings of about 10 or so people, and the Flex 2 could hang.

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Durability

The Soundlink Flex 2 looks smooth and suave, like it's meant to stay safely tucked away indoors. Our durability tests say otherwise. We drop tested this speaker a few times, and it only came away with a few barely noticeable scuff marks on the silicone wrap, with no other damage. It helps that the grille plates are made of steel, and don't dent easily.

Four small silicone feet help keep this speaker upright, but the profile is so slim that it has a tendency to tip over more easily than speakers with wider bases.

This speaker has an IP67 protection rating, meaning it is dust- and water-tight for up to 30 minutes. You could chuck in into a lake and you'd still be able to listen to your favorite podcasts and music with high fidelity. That said, we're not sure we agree with the dust-tight rating. The holes in the front plate are large enough for grit and sand to get inside. While it may not affect the internal tech, our speaker is slightly clinky after a few trips to the beach.

Battery

We measured the SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) battery life to be 10 hours and 46 seconds, which is much shorter than most speakers. It's enough to get you through a full day of music on a full charge. But even if you only use it casually for a few hours a day, you'll still need to charge it every couple days. TLDR, keep your charger cord handy.

Ease of Use

Pairing the Soundlink 2 takes less than 10 seconds. Once connected, it stays connected, even up to 133 feet. This range is a little above average, and well above Bose's claim of 30 ft. The speaker sounds great right out of the box and we love the inventive “PositionIQ” technology, which adjusts the sound profile based on the speaker's orientation for the best sound.

It also features an adjustable audio equalizer (EQ) that lets us fine-tune our sound preferences. It can be synced to “Party” or “Stereo” mode, where multiple Bose speakers can be paired to play music simultaneously across multiple rooms in the house. More often, we would pair just two and designate a right and left speaker for a more stereo-like sound when watching movies. Finally, we love that we can name our speaker during setup, which makes the product feel much more personal.

Should You Buy the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd gen)?

Yes! We would easily recommend this speaker to a friend, and would not hesitate to buy it for ourselves. It's light and little, aesthetically cute, and has pleasing sound mix for its price class. Beyond that, we were comfortable and happy listening to a variety of genres at our preferred noise level without ever needing to adjust the volume from fatigue or pitchiness. We found everything we needed in the Bose, and think most everyone will, too. If you never plan to take your speaker out of the house, you could probably splurge on something a bit bigger, and get a bigger return on sound. But if your listening habits take you from podcasts in the bath, music floating down the river, or ambiance entertaining guests, the Bose can tackle almost any challenge and sound exceptional while doing it.

What Other Bluetooth Speakers Should You Consider?

For not much more, you can get the JBL Charge 6, which gets much louder and can carry sound even further. While the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) sounds balanced and neutral, the Charge 6 sound has enhanced lows and a thumpy bass that gives music that extra “umph”. That being said, the Charge 6 is a pound heavier and about twice as big, so it'll take up a lot more real estate in a bag or pack.