Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker (2nd Gen)

Pros

• Water resistance rating ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 5.0
  Reviewers highlight the Flex 2’s IP67 rating, noting that it is both dustproof and waterproof and feels trustworthy for use in the shower, by the pool, or outdoors in bad weather.
• Float capability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
• Voice clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
• Build quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.7
  Long term use suggests the Flex 2’s mix of metal grille and rubberized shell feels rugged and trustworthy for everyday knocks, splashes, and travel, though the exposed front metal can scuff or mark if it lands face down.
• Dust resistance rating ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.7
  The IP67 rating means the Flex 2 is fully dust tight, and owners are comfortable tossing it into bags or using it outside without worrying about grit damaging the internals.
• Design & aesthetics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.6
  The Flex 2 keeps the clean, compact pill shaped body with metal grille and rubberized shell of the original, and reviewers still praise it as a subtle yet premium looking portable even if the exposed front grille can pick up visible marks if it is dropped or scraped.
• Multipoint connectivity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.5
  Reviewers appreciate that the Flex 2 can connect to two devices at once, making it easy for family members or friends to share control without constantly repairing.
• Bluetooth connection stability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.5
  Reviewers highlight that the move to Bluetooth 5.3 and Snapdragon Sound aims to improve connection stability and streaming latency, and in practice the Flex 2 maintains a solid wireless link during everyday listening with no major dropout complaints.
• Latency with TV (lip sync) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.5
  Reviewers report that latency is low enough that lip-sync is not a problem when watching videos on a phone or tablet, making the Flex 2 usable for casual video viewing over Bluetooth.
• Multi-speaker pairing reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  Those who use the Bose stereo or party modes find that pairing two Flex 2 units or linking with a compatible soundbar is straightforward, with stable playback and no notable echo or dropout once connected.
• Weight convenience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.4
  The Flex 2 is widely described as a compact, highly portable speaker that is easy to grab for hikes, showers, and small get-togethers, though its portability is limited more by the fixed strap than by its weight.
• Detail retrieval ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.4
• Bluetooth codec support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.3
  The Flex 2’s addition of Snapdragon Sound with aptX over Bluetooth 5.3 is still seen as a welcome upgrade that brings slightly higher quality, lower latency streams for compatible Android phones, though iPhone owners cannot benefit and some reviewers view it as a modest bonus rather than a must-have compared with bigger battery or hardware upgrades.
• USB-C charging ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.3
  Owners appreciate that the Flex 2 charges over USB C as expected, but the port is limited to power input only and cannot be used for wired audio or device charging.
• Drop resistance durability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 4.2
• EQ customization ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.1
  A simple three band EQ with several presets in the Bose app is widely seen as a much needed upgrade over the first gen, letting listeners noticeably reshape the Flex 2’s warm tuning by boosting bass or treble without the speaker breaking up, even if it still lacks more advanced multi band control.
• Frequency response balance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.1
  For its size the Flex 2 delivers a generally full, warm but well balanced sound with slightly boosted mid bass, and reviewers note that modest EQ tweaks to lift treble and bass can make it more engaging while still sounding controlled and a bit laid back compared with some more aggressive rivals.
• Bass performance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0
  Recent reviews continue to describe the Flex 2’s bass as rich, weighty and surprisingly controlled for its size, noting a bass-heavy tuning that stays clean without obvious distortion even at higher volumes, though dedicated bass heads may still want more outright slam.
• App reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.0
• Stereo imaging accuracy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
• Distortion at high volume ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.9
  Most listeners find the Flex 2 stays impressively clean even when played loudly or with bass and treble EQ boosts, with vocals remaining clear and bass controlled, and some note it resists the bass distortion they heard on the original Flex, though like many compact speakers it can sound a little congested right at maximum volume.
• Handle or strap quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.9
  Some reviewers criticize the fixed nylon loop for being stiff and hard to attach to things and wish Bose had included a flexible elastic loop or built in carabiner to make hanging the speaker easier.
• Smart features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.8
• Inter-speaker connectivity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.7
  The Flex 2 can stereo pair with another unit or play in sync with select Bose soundbars like the SoundLink Max to widen coverage, but the ecosystem is limited to two speakers at a time and some owners are disappointed that it cannot be grouped with the original Flex.
• Loudness / maximum volume ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.6
  Maximum volume comfortably covers a small room or outdoor hangout, but the Flex 2 is not as loud as bigger competitors like JBL’s Charge and UE’s Megaboom, and its processing reins in bass as you push toward top volume.
• Treble clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.5
  Reviewers generally describe the Flex 2’s treble as bright and easy to tune with the app’s EQ for extra sparkle without harshness, though some wish Bose had added a dedicated tweeter to further improve openness and instrument separation versus rival speakers.
• Dynamic headroom ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.5