Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen, if you are buying new. The Huawei Sound Joy measures as well as it (#40 vs #37 of 175 medium speakers, 3.8/5 vs 3.8/5) but is discontinued, so only consider it used; the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen is still sold new at $159. The Huawei Sound Joy’s replacement, the Huawei Sound Joy 2, is rated 3.5/5 at $154.73.
Why pick the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen: A very portable 1.3 lbs (586 g), IP67-rated speaker with a clear, well-balanced midrange that keeps voices and instruments intelligible. It supports aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, which the Huawei Sound Joy lacks. The tradeoff: One Flex remains mono and cannot deliver genuine low-bass rumble; RTINGS also found the elevated treble can turn hi-hats and other high-frequency detail piercing.
The Huawei Sound Joy is the longer-running option. Use Devialet and +6db EQ for best sound quality. It is rated for 26 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen. The catch: Boosted treble, not quite as deep of bass as a JBL Charge 5.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen, since the Huawei Sound Joy is discontinued and only worth hunting down used.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen | Huawei Sound Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.00 | $180 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #37 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #40 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (3 microphones) |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (with G-sensor orientation switching) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (5V/2A, 9V/2A, 10V/4A) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (586 g) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | 8” x 2.9” (202 x 73 mm) (height x width) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Drivers | 60mm full-range driver with passive radiators | 1x 50x75mm racetrack woofer (20W) + 1x 19mm silk dome tweeter + 2x passive radiators |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | AAC, SBC |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 56Hz |
| Maximum SPL | - | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Amplifier Power | - | 30W total (20W + 10W) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen compares with other leading options:
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs EarFun Uboom L
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Motion 300
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Motion+
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked October 15, 2026 at 5:41 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen: $159.00 Amazon $159.00 eBay
Older model: the Bose Soundlink Flex (ranked lower, rated 3.8/5). See every Bose SoundLink Flex, Micro, Max and Plus generation.
Same family: the Bose SoundLink Max (larger model, rated 4.3/5), the Bose Soundlink Micro 2 (larger model, rated 3.6/5) and the Bose SoundLink Plus (larger model, rated 4.2/5).
Pros: A very portable 586g, IP67-rated speaker with a clear, well-balanced midrange that keeps voices and instruments intelligible. The second generation adds a Bose app with 3-band EQ, better-placed controls and stereo pairing with another Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen. It supports AAC and aptX Adaptive in addition to SBC, making it a stronger wireless option than most small rivals.
Cons: One Flex remains mono and cannot deliver genuine low-bass rumble; RTINGS also found the elevated treble can turn hi-hats and other high-frequency detail piercing. The claimed battery life is only 12 hours, and some owners report accelerated standby drain after firmware updates. It is expensive for its size, so the added app and codec support, not a transformational sound upgrade over the original, are the main reasons to choose it.
Full Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen review and specifications →
| Released | Sep 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) |
| Drivers | 60mm full-range driver with passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (586 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Flex More from Oluv’Sone →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen & Soundcore Motion 300 sound test
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen - sound demo
- Alan Ross: Hall of Fame classic vs latest Bose tech! More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Small speaker, mighty sound, The Flex gen 2 shatters physics!
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: DBSONO X-Blast F37 vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2 - They all want to be me 😊
- Mateusz Cholewa: JBL Charge Essential 3 SE vs BOSE SoundLink FLEX 2 More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- CEONTHEMAKING: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd Gen VS Marshall Emberton III - What’s NEW?? More from CEONTHEMAKING →
- Tô Thái Trí Hùng: Unbox & Sound Test - Bose Soundlink Flex 2
- Musou1: JBL flip 7 vs KEF muo vs Bose flex 2
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Cleer Audio Scene
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge 5
- See all 146 comparisons
Huawei Sound Joy: $180 Discontinued AliExpress $180 eBay
Newer model: the Huawei Sound Joy 2, ranked lower, rated 3.5/5, released Sep 2024. See every Huawei Sound Joy generation.
Pros: Use Devialet and +6db EQ for best sound quality. Measured bass extension of 56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Boosted treble, not quite as deep of bass as a JBL Charge 5. Very expensive. Discontinued.
Full Huawei Sound Joy review and specifications →
| Released | Nov 2021 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 30W total (20W + 10W) |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 26 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (3 microphones) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8” x 2.9” (202 x 73 mm) (height x width) |
| Drivers | 1x 50x75mm racetrack woofer (20W) + 1x 19mm silk dome tweeter + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (with G-sensor orientation switching) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/2A, 9V/2A, 10V/4A) |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Huawei Sound Joy vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Huawei Sound Joy vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- Huawei Sound Joy vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Pulse 5
- Huawei Sound Joy vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- Huawei Sound Joy vs JBL Charge 5
- Huawei Sound Joy vs W-King D320
- See all 55 comparisons