Short answer: the B&O Beosound A1 for sound quality, the Bose Soundlink Flex if you want something currently sold new. The Beosound A1 ranks #10 of 182 medium portable speakers against the Flex’s #38, a large gap for two speakers this close in price. The B&O Beosound A1 is discontinued; its replacement is the B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen. If you are buying new, get the B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen.
Both speakers share a weakness: neither is stereo. Beyond that, their notes diverge. The Beosound A1’s pros highlight deeper bass than its own A1 2nd gen successor, while its cons flag pumping sound artifacts above 60% volume that limit it to lower listening levels, plus being not quite as neutral as the newer 2nd gen. The Flex’s notes lean the other way: it is warm sounding with overly boosted bass that drowns out midrange detail, a coloration rather than a distortion problem.
The Flex wins on durability and battery. Its notes call it IP67 rated and rugged enough to survive drops from several feet, and it floats, with around 12 hours of battery at moderate volume. The Beosound A1 runs a higher-power 60W total output across a 15mm tweeter and 83mm mid/bass driver with AAC codec support, against the Flex’s single 60mm full-range driver with passive radiators and SBC only.
Buy the B&O Beosound A1 for the better-measured sound if you find one, keeping in mind it is out of production and best sourced used.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex if you want a currently available, more rugged speaker and can accept its warmer, bass-boosted tuning.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the B&O Beosound A1 is rated for 24 hours, the Bose Soundlink Flex only 12 hours.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Measured Differences
- Output: the B&O Beosound A1 was measured at 99 dB maximum against 96 dB for the Bose Soundlink Flex, so it gets somewhat louder before it runs out of headroom.
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Specifications Side By Side
| B&O Beosound A1 | Bose Soundlink Flex | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200 Discontinued | $79.99 |
| Ranked | #10 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #38 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Digital Aux Input | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) | 1.3 lbs (589 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Drivers | 15mm tweeter + 83mm mid/bass driver | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 60W total (30W each driver) | - |
| Dimensions | 5.2”W x 5.2”D x 1.9”H (133 x 133 x 48 mm) | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Strap | Yes (built-in strap) | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 33ms |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
Watch Them Compared
Videos and reviews that test both speakers side by side.
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
Where the Ratings Come From
- B&O Beosound A1: reviews by Joy & Oluv’Sone, JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show and Oluv.
- Bose Soundlink Flex: reviews by Joy & Oluv’Sone, Oluv and Alan Ross.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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