Bose - SoundLink Flex (1st Gen)
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Last updated: Jan 13, 2026 Scoring
Ive left mine on my patio one full night of heavy rain, work like a charm.
r/BuyItForLife • The best bluetooth speaker worth buying now? (sound quality and portability) ->We have one of those still going that is older than 2017. Not sure when we bought it, but have had it forever. Only travel speaker we take on our adventures.
r/BuyItForLife • Bose SoundLink bt speaker 2017 - best battery I have seen on any electronics ->I found myself the Bose Soundlink Max the best in terms of sound quality. If too expensive, then a Bose Flex Soundlink, the small one sounds powerfull and amazing, even outdoors for small parties and its only about 100 bucks and the beauty of it is that they can be paired in twos so it gives an wide stereo effect, still cheaper then a Max.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Best speaker for bedroom ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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I got this deal on the Bose flex last time they had it and I'm really happy with the speaker. Overall I prefer the Bose sound profile to the JBL. That being said JBL has a great speaker and I use them for parties where I might want louder sound. For personal use at 50-70% volume and I'm within 20ft of the speaker the Bose is great. My preferred orientation is facing up on a counter. I listen to everything but country with emphasis on metal and electronic generas. Some old skool hip hop too. Battery life and loudness aren't going to be as good as the JBL, but I got it for the sound profile which I'm more happy with. OH - and the costco version of the Bose doesn't have a microphone so you can't use it to make calls.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Costco Deals ->Totally agree - and that fact isn't readily apparent either! Considering it's shortfalls in loudness and battery life Bose needs additional features to stay competitive considering it's cost. On paper the Bose is a dog! It's a simple single speaker/radiator setup which is antiquated now. The only leg the Bose has to stand on is it's sound profile. Now this works for me personally but $100 is still $100 and I would have been happier had I gotten the microphone (which is likely in there, just disabled in software).
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Costco Deals ->The JBL Charge 5 and Bose SoundLink Flex were everywhere, and from what I’ve used, they deserve it.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • I analyzed Reddit for the 25 most recommended portable bluetooth speakers in the past year (Mar 2025) ->Diggin my Bose Soundlink. Thin for portability. The bass isn't mind blowing but I was surprised for the size. Sounds great.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers in 2025 ->I do. for me. so I'm the guy who rarely listens to music around others. I don't like listening to others music especially out side, at a park or beach for example. so I don't listen to my music loud out of consideration. this little bose unit sounds great to just chill with on the back porch, not loud enough for the neighbors to hear but it's able to reproduce great sound at moderate levels. I like this flatter form over the round speakers, it will pack better. if it packs better the chance is higher it will go more places with me.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers in 2025 ->Yes. I can hear the bass at low volumes. All frequencies are well produced.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers in 2025 ->Using an old Bose sound link Bluetooth speaker when I need more sound that the mini provides.
r/macmini • Which speakers are you using? ->I have several models of Bose Soundlink, left one at my previous work facility, all have lasted years and all are in excellent working order. Great sound, and at least 10+ different employees linked to one of them without issue.
r/BuyItForLife • The best bluetooth speaker worth buying now? (sound quality and portability) ->motion 300 sounds better to my ears than the flex, especially with some eq. the bose always sounds muddy and closed in due to it being mono
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • Help me choose the BEST portable speaker (BASE on your own experience) ->Yep, mine, too. Annoying, as my other cheaper/less prestigious-branded Bluetooth speakers stay mostly charged even of if I don’t use them for a few months or even a year. The Flex is down to 50% in just a few weeks. Not good, Bose.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I have a Bose soundlink and a soundlink mini and I think they’re both pushing 15 years. The mini has been drug all over golf courses and gotten wet countless times. The soundlink has been outdoors on patios or back porches everywhere I’ve lived that entire time
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →Bose soundlink flex any day. powerful audio experience for its compact size. Have had it and has delivered the performace every single time while staying so portable
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Bose Soundlink is a champ, our first died after many years and we got a replacement instead of something different. I was gifted a JBL mini-clip and holy SHIT this thing is loud and has pretty decent sound quality-around $70 I think.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →I got bose flex (1st gen) , pretty good. Just bought a Marshall acton iii, and the bose is no shame at all compared to that. Of course Marshall fills the room with and of course goes 10-20 Hz lower, so you can distinguish drum kicks better in rock music for example. So still like the Bose Flex as portable Bt speaker.
r/audiophile • View on Reddit →The Bose SL Plus will likely be a solid fit for you as Bose has a pretty balanced sound, out of the box. Not sure if you’re looking for indoor v outdoor but you might look into getting two SL Flex and setting them up in stereo mode. They sound incredible.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I got the Bose sound link flex (two pair for stereo mode)
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Oh bose is no competition to the charge 5, crossover on the soundlink series is horrible and it made the speaker sound muddy. Your gonna get better speakers cheaper than the bose, their just really greedy with their shit. It just looks more premium, thats all.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Based on my experience in owning both speakers I have to say the Soundcore Motion+ and the Bose SoundLink Flex are very clear sounding audiophile level speakers with great details.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I do like the little soundlink bt speaker
r/audiophile • View on Reddit →I have the Home Speaker 500 and it has wonderful sound… and I have been tipping my toes in the audiophile waters. Yes my 2 channel component hifi system sounds better, but it’s not practical to have that in every room! Also my go to portable paddle boarding speaker is my Bose Soundlink Flex, which sounds great!
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I also owned both and returned the X600 after using both for 30 days indoor and outdoor. My EARS and those of my guests are the basis. X600 needs tweaking when genre changes - not consistent in SQ. No need to tweak on the sound link, sounds great at all volumes
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →The Bose Soundlink Flex speakers are really good. You can find them on eBay at a decent price around $100, Costco also currently has them on sale for $98. Bose still cares about the quality, their products are well made. You're paying up for the quality and sound. I am yet to run into a person who doesn't love their Bose speakers. It's pricey, but you're buying a product for a decade or more of use, pay up a little.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →motion 300 sounds better to my ears than the flex, especially with some eq. the bose always sounds muddy and closed in due to it being mono
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →When aesthetics meet longevity.. When design and sound goes hand in hand.. When simplicity is 100% purposeful. Thats this speaker.. Sounds so nice for what it is than the current generation of so called advanced Bluetooth speakers. If you are afraid that you will loose this Gem, take the soundlink mini version 2 SE, which has almost double the battery life with slightly better sound quality. i have tested Soundlink Mini 2 SE and also the latest Bose soundlink Flex.. Mini can be used as a computer speaker and sound profile (staging, vocals, treble / bass) is same. Only thing that bose couldnt do in this small speaker is the volume level. Flex gets too loud, Flex 70% volume = 100% sound link mini volume.. And of course, Flex has some volume adjustments based on the speaker position .. And it is water proof and can be carried anywhere.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →+1 on all the Bose Soundlink love. I have a Soundlink Micro that is over 7 years old. A year ago I got a Soundlink Flex and it is terrific, too.
r/buyforlifetips • View on Reddit →If you want portable that you can take outdoors and get wet, check out the Bose Soundlink Max and Soundlink Flex. I have the flex and take it paddleboarding and camping and love it! Bonus: it floats!
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I found myself the Bose Soundlink Max the best in terms of sound quality. If too expensive, then a Bose Flex Soundlink, the small one sounds powerfull and amazing, even outdoors for small parties and its only about 100 bucks and the beauty of it is that they can be paired in twos so it gives an wide stereo effect, still cheaper then a Max.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →For under $300 I’d say the Bose SoundLink Flex or the Sonos Roam are probably the best balance of sound quality, durability and ease of use. Both pairs instantly feel premium, and the battery life is solid. If you want something tougher for outdoors, JBL Xtreme 3 is a tank and still sounds great tbh.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →The RGB and app interface made me put this speaker down and instead opt for a Bose Soundlink Flex- the option to link two speakers together for a more robust sound experience or to simply spread out sound without blasting volume clinched it for my personal use case. The smaller volume intervals isn’t a terrible feature though and something that could absolutely stand to be shared among other manufacturers. Not surprised that LG decided to put pressure on you- the $200 price point is hard to swallow and absolutely on the higher range of what I would want to spend on any portable speaker- I was able to pick up two of the Bose speakers for $229 from my local Club store not too long ago
r/overlanding • View on Reddit →Hello, i have the JBl Charge 5 and the Bose soundflex. They both sound absolutely great! While i love the Bose ( it looks oldschool just like me) i would recommend the JBL. It has USB-C and it can charge your phone. It has unbelievable battery time.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I have several models of Bose Soundlink, left one at my previous work facility, all have lasted years and all are in excellent working order. Great sound, and at least 10+ different employees linked to one of them without issue.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →No, you have no idea what you're talking about. The Bose Flex has a standby battery drain issue. It'll eat 30% a week
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I use Bose Soundlink flex and I liked it so much that I bought another 3. It's portable while having reasonable depth and clarity with deep bass and a balanced Bose sound signature as well. It fills small indoor environments with ease.
r/MusicIndia • View on Reddit →I tried several models during my search - Bose SL Flex (1 Gen), UE Hyperboom 4 and B&O Explore. The Bose by far sounded the best (out of the box - there’s no EQ) then the others (with EQ). I believe the 1st Gen can get a bit lower bass than Gen 2. If you can get a refurbished gen 1 direct from Bose it’s a pretty good price! If you get a pair I’m sure it will sound even better. I enjoy EDM and beats that have a bit more thump. Obviously the low, lows won’t produce in this size of speaker but the mid thumps are definitely there. For the size, the Bose (IMO) is the best sounding.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Almost all speakers are made in china Even JBL, WHAT THE FCK ARE YOU TALKING ??.. if you want speaker brand that was not made in china maybe take Sonos and Bose.. f I know Bose are made in Malaysia. Specially the max . that's why the battery is not the best your speaker will be sitting dock .. from my experience I have 2 Bose flex and both are now not working battery problems Malaysia doesn't know how to make battery.. so stop making fan about Chinese made speaker.. I HAVE MIDDLETON 2 it SOUNDS GREAT.. SPECIALLY NOW THAT IT WAS UPDATED TO 3.0.3.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Sony’s last wave of portable speakers were not great so I think a lot of people didn’t bother trying the new ones. For context, I prefer not having to mess with EQ to find the best sound, but I will do it to see if there’s any improvement over the default or the included extra bass mode (xbass, ult, etc). Speakers used to need to be EQ’d but the newest ones sound great without needing to mess around (for my ears). For portable, the sony ult field 1 is my sweet spot for sound quality and size. I used to carry around the bose soundlink flex, but it lays flat or on the side while this one can stand straight up, taking much less space. The passive radiators give it a ton of bass and I honestly prefer the sound over the flex. The tribit micro is “smaller” but takes up more space when using. The tribit stormbox 2 is a good budget option. Boom 4 was not worth the price. For home, the partyboxs are great but so big, also too big are the boombox, blast, motion boom plus, etc. The bose soundlink max is big but still pretty small in comparison and it sounds massive. Really easy to take room to room. The speakers that I am looking at that might replace it are the brane x, or the sony ht-ax7 for portable surround. Will be checking out the tribit lava soon.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I have the Bose Flex and have just ordered the Flex 2. I haven’t heard the other models pictured so I can’t say which is better.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I got the Bose sound link flex, and that’s a great price for prime day
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Still love my SoundLink. Great little sturdy stereo pill speaker. Can really sound good in the right spot in a small room. Noise cancelling headphones are solid, too.
r/audiophile • View on Reddit →Using an old Bose sound link Bluetooth speaker when I need more sound that the mini provides.
r/macmini • View on Reddit →Bose. SoundsLink. I got one for chrismas 3 years ago. I took on a 16-day rafting trip down the Grande Canyon and even lost It in the bottom of the raft for several days where it was wet. Still work perfectly. It's pretty bomber.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →Beats is okay for its size, same for Bose flex and Sonos, Marshall emberton 3 is really good, so is jbl flips.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →One thing I'll mention from my experience with the max it's the battery has some issues. It drains as much as 10% per week - completely unused. Never noticed that problem with the flex. It seems to be on discount often.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Jbl charge series doesn’t have a microphone and doesn’t accept input from microphone via usb-c. I believe the Sony utl series and Bose SoundLink both are great speakers and have a mic ??.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →Bose soundlink flex I think sounds better than anything and is a good size.
r/BuyItForLife • View on Reddit →Knife sharpener is a game changer! I also bring my own coffee and I have a travel Aeropress. Generally, I also carry my Bose Flex speaker so I can have music in whatever room I’m in. It also doesn’t hurt to bring some laundry detergent pods if the place has a washer.
r/digitalnomad • View on Reddit →Great in stereo mode if you have two units
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →I bought the Bose SoundLink flex. I found it very 'light' and portable. The music is loud enough to fill a room. If you turn on at full volume it will last about 4 hours, for normal usage it's about 10 hours. There's a strap attached to the flex and it's so easy to grab it from within a backpack in the dark. The music is detailed and crisp. It's more just thumping bass. Of course it has bass too but not too overwhelming. I love the sound signature. BT connection is intuitive. Basically charge and use.
r/Bluetooth_Speakers • View on Reddit →