Bose SoundLink Flex, analysis and opinion

For some years, bikes and Bluetooth speakers are for summer. But since in January it is not that you particularly want to dive into a pool, we have decided to throw ourselves into the mountains and putting Bose’s latest portable Bluetooth speaker to the test.

Bose stands out as a premium brand in sound quality, but will it be able to withstand a hike in the woods or work outside? We have put it to the test with some outings to nature and the truth is that it has complied.

The 169 euros cost of this model clearly place it in the high end bluetooth speakers. Is it worth betting on Bose’s proposal? We find out in this in-depth review of the Bose SoundLink Flex and we give you our opinion.

Analysis of the Bose SoundLink Flex by sections:

Holds it all without losing style

We start our analysis talking about its design. This is a key aspect for this device that must not only be able to perform well in its main task, which is to reproduce sound, but must also do so effectively outdoors. A hostile environment for any electronic device.

To achieve this, Bose has covered the entire back and sides of the SoundLink Flex with a protective silicone that offers a very good touch. This coating fulfills the triple function of making it more impact resistant, prevent it from slipping when placed on surfaces and waterproof the inside of the speaker.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is available in three finishes: Black, Smokey White and Stone Blue. This last one is the finish that the unit that Bose has sent us for this analysis looks and really it is a very long-suffering finish in which the stains are not noticeable after getting wet with rain or dirt.

The power, Bluetooth pairing, multifunction and volume control buttons are located on the top. On one of the sides is the USB C charging connector, while on the opposite side we find a strap made of a very resistant fabric that allows the speaker to be hung.

We would have liked the speaker to also include its own carabiner with which to make it easier to hang it on the backpack or anywhere else. Nails on dimensions 20.1 x 9 x 5.2mm it is not too bulky and its flat shape allows it to be carried in the external racks and compartments of the backpack.

Bose has managed to keep it in a contained 600 grams of weight, which is perfect to carry in your backpack. The lower part has some small legs but they do not contribute much to vertical stability.

The back is also covered by the same protective silicone than on the sides and has legs to keep it flat when lying down, leaving enough space for the sound to be projected from the rear grille.

This opening helps oxygenate the sound preventing it from feeling too encapsulated, but it does not affect the tightness of the interior that maintains the IP67 certification against liquids and dust.

In fact, don’t panic if the speaker falls into the water. It is submersible to a depth of one meter for 30 minutes and will float so you can recover it while it works normally.

On the front we find a change of materials with the presence of a high-resistance polycarbonate that retains the same finish color as the rest. An acoustic grille covers the entire front, leaving only the upper strip where the brand logo stands out.

In our test the Bose SoundLink Flex got wet with raindrops before we could get to cover, we didn’t have much hesitation in leaving the speaker on the forest floor while we rested and it went on the outside of the backpack without showing the slightest scratch or noticeable mark.

It is controlled from the mobile and it is very easy to connect

The ease of connecting to devices is something that we take into account in this type of device. In this section we have found some lights and shadows.

The loudspeaker does not present any complication for connect to a device via Bluetooth 4.2. Just activate the pairing from the speaker and select it from the device to start using it.

The connection remains stable even with several walls in between, but always within the 10-meter coverage established in the Bluetooth standard.

What’s more, the speaker saves the connection of the last 8 devices keeping the Bluetooth link active, although it only receives the transmission of one, and it eliminates the least used ones when a new one is connected.

This allows you to easily and intelligently select the audio source without having to pair devices again or having to turn off the Bluetooth of the rest.

The negative point is that we are limited to Bluetooth connections since does not include audio jack to connect devices by cable. The USB C connector could fill that gap, but it only allows you to charge the device’s battery, not transmit data.

Despite this simplicity when connecting to devices, it is recommended to use the app de Bose Connect available for both devices Android how to iOS and iPad OS.

Bose Connect is a very simple app to use, albeit with fairly basic functions. From here you can see which devices the speaker is connected to, set a language for the speaker’s status voice, or set a timer that will automatically turn off the speaker when you’re not using it.

In addition, from the app you can activate the party mode, a function that allows link two compatible Bose speakers so that they form a perfectly synchronized stereo sound system.

The voice status indication indicates the battery status every time the speaker is turned on, but from the app you can monitor the battery level in real time without interrupting the audio transmission.

We would have liked to find a equalizer that allows you to customize the sound of the speaker from the app, but it is not possible to adjust it.

From the loudspeaker we can control content playback using the volume controls and using the multifunction button which, with different presses, allows you to pause or resume the playback of the content, go to the next track or go back to the previous one.

This is a point that has not fully convinced us because, in our opinion, add a problem where it doesn’t exist forcing the user to learn that with one press it pauses, with two presses it advances and with three it goes back.

It would be completely understandable if there was no physical space for three more buttons, but this is not the case and the decision to put only one button makes it less intuitive for users to use.

The Bose SoundLink Flex does not have a built-in voice assistant provided by the intelligent component, it has a built-in microphone that acts as an extension of the microphone of the smartphone.

This allows summon the default voice assistant on the smartphone by pressing the multifunction button to speak directly to the speaker. This microphone also acts as a hands-free to take calls from the speaker, offering good sound quality.

Full-bodied sound for over 9 hours

we arrived at most important section of this analysis of the Bose SoundLink Flex which is where we value sound quality and power.

Just turn on the speaker and start playing any audio track to appreciate the great bass presence it offers. This translates into a warm and full-bodied sound, but in which there is a risk of reducing the dynamic range of the rest of the frequencies.

Count with one 60 mm controller as the main element on which all the weight of reproduction falls, but it has the support of a double passive radiator which is the one that emphasizes the depth of the bass.

We believe that its sweet spot is at medium volume where the sound seems to shine, something that is not surprising since it is supposedly a speaker designed to be heard outdoors. However, at a more contained volume, the sound seems to be darkened with more dominant basses muddying everything.

We have been surprised by the excellent performance of the Bose SoundLink Flex with volume at maximum, where it delivers surprising power, without losing control or showing distortion.

Bose debuts a new technology in this speaker called PositionIQ. Depending on the brand, the speaker is able to detect its position and adjust the equalization of the sound to adapt it, varying the setting if it is vertical, horizontal, lying down or hanging.

To be honest, as much as we have tried to change position and listening point, we have not been able to appreciate any difference in the sound profile. Of course, in any of the positions that we have tried it (which have not been few) it has always sounded with impeccable quality and 360º around the speaker.

Is it precisely that feeling that nothing changes in the sound by changing the position of the speaker the great virtue of this technology, or are we facing a goal from the Bose marketing department?

The good news is that we will be able to enjoy the Bose SoundLink Flex sound quality for many hours since it has a large capacity battery that, according to Bose, would allow you to play music for 12 hours.

This depends a lot on the volume and quality of the Bluetooth connection. In our case, the main use has been outdoors at a volume between 60% and 70%, delivering a autonomy of just over 8 hours in two days.

Indoors at a volume of between 5% and 10%, and always based on the data from the app, it has consumed 5% of the battery each hour of use, so the autonomy would be greater than the 12 hours announced .

The speaker does not include its own charger., so the charging time will be highly conditioned by the power of the charger used. In our case, we have used a charger that delivers a power of 65W through the USB C port and it took 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete 100% Y 50 minutes to reach 50%.

For field trips or work, the Bose SoundLink Flex handles it all

We reached the final stretch of this análisis del Bose SoundLink Flex, a speaker that has left us with a very good taste in our mouths due to its off-road character and the good sound quality it has offered in all usage scenarios.

The build quality and strength of materials given us enough confidence to use it in the middle of nature without too many considerations.

We liked the simplicity of the connections and how solid they have been, with no dropouts or dropouts while music was playing. From here invite Bose to add more features to your app, starting with a built-in equalizer.

Too we have missed an auxiliary connector that allows us to expand the connectivity of the wired speaker and not be limited to wireless connections.

The 169 euros that it costs place it slightly above the price of rivals, such as the Sony SRS XB33 with a price of 115 euros or the LG XBOOM Go PL7 that we already analyzed by 122 euros or of JBL Charge 5 for 137 euros. It is also true that some of them have been on sale for months and the Bose SoundLink Flex just a few weeks.

In short, this Bose SoundLink Flex can become an excellent alternative to enjoy your favorite music with very good sound quality by the pool, on a hike in the mountains, or as an outdoor co-worker.