I worked for several years at the Bose plant in Tijuana. When I got there I was very excited to work for them, it was a solid company but throughout the years they went very heavy with cost reduction implementation. Quality started to go down and what used to be a problem before was given a pass. It was disappointing to see how Bose started to allow all that. I guess they thought just having the name brand would be enough.

THIS was the video about BOSE I was waiting for. Definitely.

In my opinion Flex does not sound better than revolve plus 2 it's just better price wise

Got two bose flex and used it as party mode. Sounds amazing!

Bose does one thing I wish all other brands would figure out.... they have a repeat / back control for songs. I can't tell you how many time I'm by a pool or in the shower and my phone is obviously not near me and I want to repeat a song and so many speakers down allow this. It's one of the main reasons I reach for my Bose over otherwise superior speakers and it's become a deal breaker feature for me.

I've had the Bose Flex for several months and I'm pretty happy with it. The sound quality is surprisingly good. When deciding whether to keep it, I tested it side by side with my girlfriend's Marshall Emberton, which I really like. Everyone in the room agreed the Bose sounds better. Interestingly, the Bose sounds much better, to my ears, when it's laying flat on a surface rather than on its side. This is true even when I have it on its side pointing straight at me. It just sounds better laying flat. Only downside to me is its short battery life but that's not a deal breaker. I also agree with the reviewer that the Bose app sucks out loud.

Przed sylwestrem tego roku zakupilem Bose Revolve 2 plus, czyli ten wiekszy z rączką. Czytam te wszystkie opinie, że znaczna większość jest zachwycona dźwiękiem jaki płynie z tego głośnika i zastanawiam się czy ma on jakąś ukryta opcję typu podbicie basu, dźwięku itp. ponieważ szczerze powiem że z dźwiękiem szału nie ma, jest on głośny, lecz taki jakiś przytłumiony, jakby zza ściany. Dopiero po ściągnięciu na fona equalizera, dźwięk znacznie się polepszył, lepszy basik i wysokie tony o wiele wiele lepsze. Ale nikt tu nie pisze o tym, więc się zastanawiam o co chodzi z tym dźwiękiem.

Story at the end gave the video an uplifting and whimsical quality. I like it.

Just a Thank You for your insite and time. Your Flex review has me sold.

Wow, great video! Back when I purchased the Bose Flex in early December 2022, Best Buy had a display of all of the Bose Bluetooth speakers in the retail store to compare each speaker side by side. After I listened to them all, I was really impressed with the sound quality of the Bose Flex, especially for the sale price of $130, so I had to buy it. I really like the Flex and use it regularly, it sounds great. So thank you, Danny, for recommending it! I had originally intended on purchasing a 2nd Bose Soundlink Color II so I could pair it with the first SLCII which I bought in 2020, but the Flex sounds so much better. I have been able to pair both of these speakers successfully with the Bose App. And yes, the Bose app can be unstable and flaky, I learned that if you use the volume controls directly on each device, it will cause the app to lose connection. Always best to control the volume directly on my phone or iPad. With all the new Bluetooth speakers coming into the market, Bose is falling behind. Plus you can get much more for your money with other manufacturers, such as Soundcore. The new arrival that seems to be getting a lot of attention is the Soundcore Motion X600 - Hoping you will can please do a review of the X600, Danny. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.

I still think the soundlink color 1 is still one of the best Bluetooth speakers bose ever made

Great comparison, LOVE the editing, really nice job on the seamless audio comparisons as well as the length/format of your review overall. The Flex and the Sony were the surprises for me out of this, both seemed to sound great. I'll have to check them out in person now. I had a Revolve, and while it's great for its size, it always sounded a little muddy with recessed vocals... I was going to upgrade to the Revolve +, but I'll make sure to demo the Flex and the Sony model first before making a decision!

Just bought two Revolve+ IIs for a portable stereo speaker setup for my mobile projector. They work well and sound pretty good. I specifically bought them for the low latency, which is something Bose does very well. It’s frustrating though that, while the Revolve+ II does have exceptionally low latency, the regular Revolve actually has about 3-4x lower latency. Like WHY?? Why would they make the more expensive, higher tier product worse in some regards?? Also annoying that it doesn’t have USB C Might sell these and get the III series if they address these issues. Fingers crossed those geniuses don’t drop the aux port in the next version 🙄

This bus driver just subscribed in London , thanks Danny.

Well done! One additional test I would appreciate is a sound quality test from a distance (15+ ft away), since that is the most likely use case

New subscriber here from Japan. I like your contents which is relaxing and honest. Thinking of selling my Sony xb23 for the Bose SoundLink flex. Good upgrade for the end of 2023 or better to wait for next year?

Update to my comment below. I bought a Flex and a Revolve 2. To my surprise, these speakers sound very different to each other. Both are great and if I did not have them side by side I would have been happy with either. Both feel top quality and look great. For me, the Revolve 2 was calling me because of its shape. I envisage sitting around a little table with a bunch of people, warming up, getting ready to trek into a festival. The Revolve 2 will sit nicely on the little table amongst the many half-full beer cans and wine glasses. The Flex, might be a little intrusive and take up too much valuable beverage real-estate on the little camping table. And at the £50 higher price tag (current Amazon prices) the Resolve 2 must be delivering superior sound quality, right? Well, there is my issue. The little, cheaper Flex was banging out tracks from Dire Straits with tight and accurate guitar notes. It was holding on to Mick Karn basslines and Steve Jansen super-taught drums from Japans' "Sons Of Pioneers" to within a pinch of their lives. Then comes Beth Gibbons, "Portishead" angel-like vocals on Sour Times. Wow, this little speaker blew me away. The Flex is loud, punchy, tight and accurate with amazing levels of mid and bass and a clarity that is incredible. The Revolve 2 on the other hand delivers a slightly muddy, possibly warmer sound but could still be a little harsh at max. This made it a very hard decision. Do I want the convenience or the sound? Well, I took it outside and got my kids and their mates to try them out for an hour. It was unanimous - The Flex was the instant hit. So there you have it. I went for the Flex due to what I perceive as being the superior sound. I think I might buy another one so I can have a stereo pair 🙂 Thanks for doing the video. I would have never tried the Flex if it wasn't for you.

Right on Danny they need to update their speakers the micro especially and needs usb-c Flex is the best but I’d go with JBL SONY OR SOUNDCORE.

I had the exact same experience with the bose portable smart not so smart that I got a stroke and returned it tech support were so confused they didn't know if they were coming or going please bose get it together your almost there.

First off, just wanted to say great review. Extremely comprehensive, entertaining, and thorough. You also gave a legitimate stance at the end as opposed to a "It really just comes down to what you prefer" response which a lot of reviews have. I am definitely subscribing. I also wanted to give my opinion as I do not think the Revolve + 2 should be out of the running...when it is under $320. I just got both the bose flex ($130) and the revolve + 2 ($200). I would say the sound quality is almost the same in both, but the design of the speakers is what makes them different. If you have used open-back and closed-back headphones then you will understand what I am talking about. The revolve + 2 is the open-back which allows the sound to travel in all directions and gives it a bit more depth. This allows the sounds from the music to be more discernable and clear. This is better for more intricate and detailed music. The flex is closed-back so all of the sound is forced into a single direction. There is not a lot of depth to it and the sound is a bit more intense. This is better for EDM and rap music. Both of the speakers sound great. I don't think one actually sounds better than the other, when it comes to the actual output of the sounds, but I do think the revolve + 2 sounds better as I prefer the open back sound. Ironically, it comes down to your preference in music and how you like you're music to sound. However, if this is not of huge importance, then you should choose based on what you are going to use it for. The bose flex is honestly not much smaller than the revolve + 2, but it is water and dust proof while the revolve + 2 is only water and dust resistant. The flex is also stronger than the revolve + 2 as it is made of steel with a silicone back and sides while the revolve + 2 is aluminum with rubber on the bottom and top. The revolve + 2 has 360 degree audio and has a louder max volume. If you are throwing indoor parties this is a good choice to be in the center of a room. I think the revolve + 2 is worth $70 more than the flex and $200 (or even $220), but it is definitely not worth $320. The flex is definitely worth $150.

I have two Bose Revolve plus-es and two Bose Flex-es. For me they sound amazing. But you’re right about the app when it comes to pairing them. It is a nightmare and almost never works. It’s a little easier to pair them manually, but even that’s an unnecessary hassle.

Go Danny GO! Great work as usual! Keep it up! I was really wondering bout the sound quality comparison on the revolve + vs the home speaker. Thanks for that. It's definitely time for some updated speakers from bose. No doubt. The revolve ALREADY been around 6 yrs. Wish they would come out with a "FLEX XL" or something....

Thanks for this review ...I own several Bose speakers (recently sold 2 older ones) ...have just ordered the Flex...interested to test it out with my ( old) Bose colour.....it has a Aux-in plug at least ...don't own any of the Bose ..."round" ones you tested as I figure ....I don't get around to the back of my speakers.....I sit in FRONT of all them 😅😅😅

Helped me out on prime day here, I was about ready to pull the trigger on these

I get some of your thoughts but disagree with them. I have two of the Bose Revolve+ v1. They are excellent in a stereo pair, and the Flex does not even come close. Even the Flex in a team. To be clear, The Bose Revolve has 1 driver and 2 base reflectors, so using it in a stereo pair is gets you better-quality sound. Each speaker uses its own driver for a single channel, so it does not have to do the two-channel work. You have the driver available to deliver more of the sound from that single channel. When they are trying to provide two-channel sound from one driver, you don't get all the information getting to your ears. Some of the sound is compressed. NOT so when they are in stereo. You get a much cleaner and separated sound as per the recording- you hear more of the actual music. They each sound better in a pair than when on their own. When you take that pair outside - yikes - the impact is extraordinary. The bass that each speaker is able to deliver is sharper and cleaner, and the decay on the bass is more extended and more impacting. I have taken them worldwide to various rooms, and they have been amazing. ]They hide in plain sight, and their music is incredible at low and high volumes. The highs and the mids - are so very forward with authentic detail, and the bass extensions are great. Because they have base reflectors rather than a driver specifically for the bass, they can sound a little loose in the sub-bass, and the roll-off loses some slight definition, but for most people, they really bang. You get all the vocal nuances if you listen to a song like Spanish Harlem by Rebecca Pidgeon. If you listen to a song like Can't They Be Good by Fenomenon - you get all the atmospherics and the room-filling / garden-filling sound that these two speakers can produce. It is something to hear. WOW. Now, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you, Even if it is not a violent disagreement. 🙂 The Flex is excellent (I went and listened to one, and I liked it but found it to be a quite incomplete sound), BUT I would instead people put their money into a second-hand Bose Revolve + 1 or 2. I would not recommend getting the Revolve over the Revolve+. Even if it means waiting a bit longer to get the cash together to get the Revolve+m, it will be worth it. The difference in sound quality and dexterity is a real boon & you will notice it. You will thank yourself for waiting. These speakers last a long time, so 3 years after you have bought it - you will be grateful that you waited and got the better one. The Flex does have its place. It is a great outdoors camping, working on your car, working while you are building something, listening in the dorm, carrying in your backpack speaker. It is fab, and in a stereo pair, it is great. (I recommend that). HOWEVER ....if you can get the Revolve+ second-hand in a stereo pair - it is just a little bit more money but significantly better value. It is NOT as portable and NOT USB-C. Those are real things that need to be considered, but I wouldn't change mine for the world. If you get the Flex - it is a great speaker, and you will most likely NOT regret it. However, if you get the Revolve +, you will get a speaker with which the engineers have done absolute magic. That is why this almost decade-old design has lasted this long - it will be excellent in another 10 years. I have had two, and they look pristine right now. The only downside is that they only have a micro USB for charging. The battery has held up on both. They both last all day. Batteries can be changed. Videos for that exist. Love the video, by the way. Great work. The Bose Revolve+ for the win for me. The quality leaves the Flex in the dust - I don't think any of the other speakers have the same quality, and if you buy second-hand (both of mine were second-hand, and I have e had them for over 5 years), you get a real engineering feat. How did those engineers make one driver do all that work and do it so well? Amazing. A truly 360 speaker with power and definition. The only speakers of this ilk that might deliver a "better" sound quality, that come to mind are the Vifa Helsinki, the Bang and Olufsen Beoplay P6, or the Dali Katch, but they are all more expensive and less robust. I would love to get anyone else's thoughts.

Bose portable speakers are largely disappointing to me. I had the portable smart/home speaker and the sound was terrible. BUT! The sound link flex is in another league. It is an excellent sounding speaker. The driver in it is different to the other 3 - it’s made of a different material. It’s the best speaker Bose have made in years and I think the other 3 would be better if they use the same driver material in them as the flex.

I have a pair of Bose Flex speakers and the sound is awesome, especially in stereo mode. And with party mode I can fill a three story 2K square foot house with music.

Bose needs serious updates..no matter they sound good, but recently got the Emberton II

The motion boom often goes for around $75. And is tough to beat value wise

I got a Soundlink Revolve free from work, but was immediately disappointed with the lack of USB C. Also, it only charges from my powerbank. If I plug it into my Anker wall block it lights up orange but doesn't actually charge

I like how straight forward this review is

Sorry just wondering which one sounds more clear in terms of vocals ? Flex or revolve 2 thanks !!

Revolve II+ sounds best of the four.

my bose soundlink mini 2 just died and I bought a Marshall Middleton - NO comparison. The Marshall has better musical clarity, much more volume and more bass - it is excellent !

I`m with you, just bought the tiny Flex and I`m so impressed, and I got it for a good deal. I would`n`t buy any of the other 3 Bose portable speakers though... they did`n`t quite figure out the 3D sound yet...

To me the biggest upside to the portable smart speaker is that you can use it as a static home smart speaker as well as a portable bluetooth speaker, which you failed to mention.

Great test once again. Thanks!

You are right, I did the same thing 2* sound flex and boom with stereo is cool and also they have IPX rating for pools etc as you mentioned👍🏻

Awesome! I enjoyed your review very much and it is also really helpful.

I Am using bose portable smart speaker and it cunnects party mode with any speaker you need to create group...

Great video thanks. I am so confused about which speaker to get. I tried the Sonos Roam but sent it back as it was so hard to configure and wasn't compatible with all of my existing Sonos gear. Plus it didn't sound that great to me and had intermittent connection issues. So I ordered a Bose Soundlink Revolve 2 which will arrive anytime now. But after seeing this I also ordered a Bose Soundlink Flex. I will try them both side by side and report back.

I actually enjoyed your review! Just funny enough without getting silly LOL! Plus you stole some of my better dance moves. I went with the Flex. I subbed and hit the bell.

You'd be surprised with motion 300, i have the flex as well but i play my 300 more often. Im a bose fan and it's signature sounds, but boy sound core 300 is better than my flex in my opinion. It's louder, more spacious, clear sounding and it's cheaper.

What’s crazy is the Bose Revolve 2 (Not the Plus) is better than all of them 😂 it has the most crisp sound out of all of them, which is why I didn’t upgrade to the Revolve 2 plus and surely not the Smart lol

I agree, I just bought the flex at Costco on sale for 109$

How do they perform/sound in outdoor settings..i.e...backyards, swimming pools, wide-open(soccer fields/outdoor high school stadium) venues?

The Revolve plus sound is just immersing.

Plz answer should I go for two soundlink flex for stereo or one mono good , means the paying for stereo will add value as double or not.

So when you buy and sound/music devices do you buy it for the bells and whistles,for the color, for the app it works with? No you buy it for the sound quality the item will bring to your ears. If you make your choice on the gadgets,bells and whistles the item has as opposed to the sound quality then please come on down to Ernie bach new and used vehicles dealership, I'll get you into something really,really nice with all kinds of bells and whistles...lol even one with heated tires and duel volume buttons on the radio!

This was such a good review, thank you!

Bose Revolve II+ vs Bose portable smarthome ❤ which one sounds better?

Hi, nice video as usual. Considering value for money, which speaker would you recommend between the JBL flip 6 and Bose soundlink flex?

I've been a huge Bose fan up until I bought a Revolve Plus II and won a Flex shortly after at a work raffle. I had the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II for almost 10 years until one day it stopped working. I bought a Revolve Plus II because I loved my old Bose speaker and wanted my next speaker to be another Bose. I ended up being disappointed with the speaker. Not only was the sound mediocre for $330 + taxes, but the speaker felt cheap in comparison to the SoundLink Mobile Speaker II. Another disappointing discovery with this speaker is that they still use Bluetooth 4.2, which is outdated for 2023! And to top it off, they still use micro USB. When I won my Flex, I was shocked at how little difference the sound quality was between the Revolve Plus II and the Flex. I ended up returning the Revolve Plus II and will stick with the Flex for a while. I'll probably try Harmon Kardon or Marshall next.

Great video Danny! Please test Tribit Stormbox Pro

Really informative video thank you very much sir. Surprisingly the most expensive one isn't the best one in sounding OMFG. Now I'm in lov with your Marshall Middleton LMAO P.S. - superb demo song choice

Thanks for the tip on renaming for stereo pairing. Also h/k citation 200 is $129 at the moment.

I would get two wonderboom 3 with the cost of flex. My friend have the normal soundlink which is discontinued, is really great. But the flex sounds like a downgrade to the normal soundlink.

Thanks a lot for the info! It helped a lot!

Can Apple Music be played on Bose?

i have the revolve plus and at the beginning i did not like ir, but eventually it grew in me kinda. i use it in the kitchen mostly. my favorite speaker is the flex..

I wish the Flex worked with an app that contained an equalizer.

this is so helpful, thank you for the very honest opinion. i love it!

is it worthy to buy bose soundlink mini 2 in 2024? really love the design btw

I understand that the Bose SoundLINK Flex is a few years old, but I just purchased mine and I was surprised at its performance that I had to to have a second one to try stereo mode, and they really sound very good in this mode. Very happy with my purchase.

The battery on my revolve 2 stopped charging and the speaker wouldn't even work while plugged in. I tried everything to try to fix it including disassembly and reassembly, updates etc. I was sad because I loved the sound. I'm using a JBL Xtreme 3 now. It's ok sound wise but miss my Bose. I may consider another if they make some advances.

I love soundlink mini 2 but the fact that they do not have the loading shelf anymore is a total turnoff 😢

I had a headache what to choose between Revolve II and Revolve II+ and this video give me a final answer. Go for the Flex!! (LOL)

True...I have had the Bose 500 and the app is a whole mess to work with.

Hi danny, do you think the b and o explore worth buying, ive seen quite a few bad reviews, and i wondered what your thoughts were on it please.

This is why i switched to marshall. Only bose their headphones are still a solid pick. When i wanted to upgrade my (back then) 8 year old colour soundlink to a better and more premium model. I was impressed at first.. then i realised i found it impressive compared to a little outdated speaker. I looked at the price and was dissapointed. So i started searching for alternatives. And then i bumped into the tufton. Same price. Super well built, has character, goes supper loud and is acctually cheaper then bose their supper premium model. Such a shame cause i really liked bose their headphones 🙁

LOL... Bose owners don't compare. It's about taste and class. So, some people will try to look for flaws. Sorry, you're not within the frequency! LOL

I had The middleton but the highs sucks a lot... Was impossible to listen music on low volume due to this imprecision... Returned it

I just recently bought the Alexa bose because my revolve+ sound stop working for some reason. I tried resetting, rebooting and nothing worked. It powers on, connects to my Bluetooth but no sound. I wish I saw this video before I bought the Alexa version. It's ok but it doesn't WOW me. I just wanted my old speaker to work but it's out of warranty. 😮‍💨 I was actually looking for videos to see if I could find something that might have had this problem but came across yours.

Which of these have stereo separation within themselves (when not stereo pairing with an second unit)? Thanks.

You are very funny and brutally honest😂❤️

Just the fact no Bose speaker offers Bluetooth 5.x in 2023 is a BIG deal breaker for me. Wake-up Bose! Your products used to be the gold standard back in the days..

Great Video! Im still happy with my recommendation on the Flex! Now the app…YOU ARE SPOT ON! What a mess!

I have the $400 one and it sounds Amazing. I just bought a JBL Charge 5 for an outdoor throw around speaker. It sounds ok compared to the Bose but it is a fraction the price.

The cheapest bose is rhe best sounding full quality fidelity sound for me

I'm no expert in audio but I liked the acoustimass series and unfortunately Bose discontinued the 5 and 10 series. There have been no update from Bose if they are coming with new home cinema speakers

In portable smart speaker mic is not for calling its for alexa cammands

Hi Danny, Bose SoundLink Max review please

I am done watching this. these are great speakers

That Marshall speaker sounds the best. I have a soundlink flex and I think the flex is incredible for what it is though. The Bose revolve was a disappointment

Oi! (: I was hoping I could pick your brain as you have access to all these portable speakers..I love the Bose sound, but the one I currently have (Soundlink micro) doesn't cut it in volume when we're playing outdoors.. I wanted something with more UMPH without sacrificing quality. Do you think the Flex is the way to go for such needs? Only thing about the Sony was that I think it's a bit bulky to carry around..! Got a recommendation for me? (:

Hey Danny, any plans on reviewing the new Beosound A5? Specs put it very close to the Woburn but portable which sounds too good to be true..

do you also experience Static Noise on the Revolve plus 2? Is there any way around that?

Bose has redesigned all their headphones and soundbars. This makes me hopeful a redesigned SoundLink lineup is on deck for either 2024 or 2025.

Wow i was just considering buying bose smart speaker.....looks like ill be going with the flex....more nuggets please

Hey I recently bought a Bose Portable Smart Speaker and from what I’ve heard is when you turn on the speaker it should make announcements of battery percentage or when you connect to device it should make announcements but for some reason mine doesn’t. I tried going on the Bose music app to turn voice prompts off and on but still doesn’t work. Does anyone know why this is happening?

hi i want to get a portable speaker for my bedroom and for basketball with friends im thinking of bose smart portable speaker if not harman kardon onyx studio 7 do you have any other recomendations? (i prioritize sound quality but still dont want it to be too big) after fully watching your video i m considering marhsall middleston and marshall kilburn 2 please give your opinion about these 2 and harman kardon onyx studio 7

Is there something better than number one bose?

for me the best marshal is he just arrived nine and he will definitely get a new update. The bass b are much more powerful and warmer.

130 dollar one sounds the worse 399 is pretty terrible, considering it is the most expensive one also the 199 and 299 are the ones to buy.

I really hope that BOSE is watching this, you are so right in everything you say

I wish Bose would continue advancing the Bose mini link 1, 2, 3, 4...the mini link was in its own league👍🏼

Thanks for the honest review

Hi Danny, please review the fender newport 2 speaker

What you say about Bose sound link mini special edition ?

I own the smart home one it’s a printer with a card slot what I mean is it’s annoying