Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen on measured sound quality, the Sony SRS-XE300 on price. The Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen ranks #33 of 136 medium speakers at $159. The Sony SRS-XE300 ranks #92 at $137, $22 cheaper.
What the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen offers: Pretty much identical sounding to the 1st gen Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail. Self drains the battery about 10% a week.
What the Sony SRS-XE300 offers: IP67 rated. Orientation-aware playback switches to stereo when laid flat. Party Connect links up to 100 speakers; fast charging (10 min charge = ~70 min playback). Watch for: Muffled sounding, not very deep bass. Hollow sounding. Worse than a XB43
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Sony SRS-XE300 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Battery life favors the Sony SRS-XE300: rated for 24 hours against 12 hours for the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen | Sony SRS-XE300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.00 | $137 |
| Ranked | #33 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #92 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 586 g | 2.9 lbs / 1.3 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.5" x 2" (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | 9.4" x 4.1" x 4.7" (238 x 105 x 119 mm) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Drivers | 60mm full-range driver with passive radiators | 2x 49x71mm X-Balanced speaker units + 2x passive radiators |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Output Power | - | 16W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Bose Soundlink Revolve+ vs Tribit Stormbox
- Bose Soundlink Revolve+ vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- B&O Beosound A1 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Marshall Emberton II
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Mifa WildCamping
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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 eBay
Pros: Pretty much identical sounding to the 1st gen
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail. Self drains the battery about 10% a week.
Full Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| 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 |
| 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 →
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen - sound demo
- Tô Thái Trí Hùng: Unbox & Sound Test - Bose Soundlink Flex 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen & Soundcore Motion 300 sound test
- Alan Ross: Hall of Fame classic vs latest Bose tech! More from alanrossreviews →
- CEONTHEMAKING: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd Gen VS Marshall Emberton III - What’s NEW??
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Small speaker, mighty sound, The Flex gen 2 shatters physics!
- Reddit Search for Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen Review
- 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 Soundcore Boom 3i
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Soundcore Motion 100
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge 5
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- See all 82 comparisons
Sony SRS-XE300: $137 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated. Orientation-aware playback switches to stereo when laid flat. Party Connect links up to 100 speakers; fast charging (10 min charge = ~70 min playback).
Cons: Muffled sounding, not very deep bass. Hollow sounding. Worse than a XB43
Full Sony SRS-XE300 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Sony Music Center) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.4" x 4.1" x 4.7" (238 x 105 x 119 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 49x71mm X-Balanced speaker units + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.9 lbs / 1.3 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XE300 vs JBL Charge 5
- DLX Willington: FINALLY! Sony SRS XG300, SRS XE300, & SRS XE200 Are Here. Binaural Sound Samples & First Impressions More from DLXWillington →
- GYMCADDY: Sony XE300 Review And Compared to Sony XB33 - A Muffled Mess More from GYMCADDY →
- GYMCADDY: JBL Charge 5 Vs Sony XE300 - How Can You Mess Up This Bad?
- Reddit Search for Sony SRS-XE300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs DBSONO X-Blast F37
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Tribit Stormbox
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Sony SRS-XE300 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
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