Short answer: the Tribit Xsound Mega. It ranks #20 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $100; the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen ranks #33 and costs $129.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen: Pretty much identical sounding to the 1st gen. The catch: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail.
On the Tribit Xsound Mega side: Deepest bass of any medium size speaker. Watch for: Single driver, not stereo.
Buy the Tribit Xsound Mega. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If battery life is a priority, the Tribit Xsound Mega is rated for 20 hours versus 12 hours for the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen | Tribit Xsound Mega | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129.99 | $100 |
| Ranked | #33 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #20 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes (3 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 586 g | 2.2 lbs / 1020 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.5" x 2" (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | - |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Drivers | 60mm full-range driver with passive radiators | 60mm woofer + 35mm tweeter + passive radiators |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 47Hz |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 200ms |
| Max Volume | - | 100dB |
| Power Bank | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge 5
- Xiaomi Sound Party vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- JBL Flip 7 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen: $129.99 Amazon
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- 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 39 comparisons
Tribit Xsound Mega: $100 Amazon
Pros: Deepest bass of any medium size speaker. Use xbass mode for flattest frequency response.
Cons: Single driver, not stereo. Lack of detail. Lack of upper treble, peaky lower treble. Not great off axis. Keep in mind this speaker gives up some sound quality for deeper bass.
Full Tribit Xsound Mega review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 200ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Drivers | 60mm woofer + 35mm tweeter + passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 100dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 1020 g |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega Review vs Anker Soundcore Motion Plus - bang for buck champs! 😛 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: £50/$50 bluetooth speaker shootout! Tribit Xsound Mega vs Soundcore Boost and others…👍
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs Tribit XSound Mega 😲 Can the Budget Priced Speaker Hang With the Big $ One? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs XSound Mega - Sound Comparison, Stock EQ, Both Mono Sound 😶🌫️ A Family Feud
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Earfun UBoom L 💣(EQ2) 🆚 Tribit XSound Mega 🔥(XBass EQ)- Bluetooth Speaker Bedroom Bash. Who U Got?🔝
- Reddit Search for Tribit Xsound Mega Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs Xiaomi Sound Party
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs Tribit Maxsound Plus V1/V2/Thunderbox Plus
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs Harman Kardon Luna
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs B&O Beosound A1 3rd gen
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs JBL Charge 5 Wifi
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs JBL Charge 5
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs JBL Flip 7
- Tribit Xsound Mega vs Soundcore Boost “original model” pre-2021
- See all 25 comparisons