Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex. It ranks #38 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $159. The W-King D8 Mini ranks #135, rated 2.6/5, at $49.99, $109.01 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The Bose Soundlink Flex is the better-sounding, deeper-bass option. IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. Its bass reaches about 56Hz before falling 10dB, against 63Hz for the W-King D8 Mini. At 1.3 lbs (589 g) it weighs much less than the W-King D8 Mini at 2.8 lbs (1.26 kg). Watch for: Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail.
The W-King D8 Mini is the louder, longer-running choice. 30W output with switchable indoor/outdoor EQ modes. Alan Ross Reviews measured it at 100dB at full volume, against 96dB for the Bose Soundlink Flex. It is rated for 24 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Soundlink Flex. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Bose Soundlink Flex lacks. Watch for: Recessed midrange, harsh treble.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $109.01 with the W-King D8 Mini does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex | W-King D8 Mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.00 | $49.99 |
| Ranked | #38 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #135 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (2 modes - Indoor/Outdoor) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX6 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) | 2.8 lbs (1260 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | 9.9” x 3.7” x 3.7” (251 x 94 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| MicroSD Playback | - | Yes |
| Amplifier Power | - | 30W |
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- Soundcore Motion+ vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked October 12, 2026 at 4:13 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: $159.00 Amazon $159.00 eBay
Newer model: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen, ranked higher, rated 3.8/5, released Sep 2024. It adds adjustable EQ, AAC and aptX Adaptive. See every Bose SoundLink Flex, Micro, Max and Plus generation.
Pros: IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. Around 12 hours of battery at moderate volume. Measured bass extension of 56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail
Full Bose Soundlink Flex review and specifications →
| Released | Oct 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| 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 (589 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Flex More from Oluv’Sone →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Plus & Flex compared
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig MK3 and Marshall Emberton - best bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Small speaker, mighty sound, The Flex gen 2 shatters physics!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Travel Speakers! Soundcore Motion 300 or Bose Flex or Tribit Stormbow Flow
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex Review! vs JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5. Travel heaven?? 🤞
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Boost vs Bogasing M4 - cheap or Bose?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or JBL Flip 6 (eq adjusted) or Denon Envaya - best speaker for travel!
- Alan Ross Reviews: 1 million views! Best Budget Tws? Tozo Pa1 Review and sound test
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beats Pill vs Harman Luna vs Bose Flex vs Soundcore Motion Plus
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Flow has deeper bass than the Bose Flex but………..
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex "Inspired" Speakers More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker?? Bose Soundlink Flex vs micro, Color II, and revolve + More from DannyPops →
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker? Bose is getting lazy.
- Patricio Benadon: Bose SoundLink Flex vs. Mini 2 SE. Music audio quality sound test. Listen 4 different genres!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
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- See all 142 comparisons
W-King D8 Mini: $49.99 W-King $49.99 eBay
Pros: 30W output with switchable indoor/outdoor EQ modes. IPX6 rated with a 5000mAh battery. Measured bass extension of 63Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Recessed midrange, harsh treble. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others.
Full W-King D8 Mini review and specifications →
| Released | Feb 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 30W |
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 63Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.9” x 3.7” x 3.7” (251 x 94 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 30mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (2 modes - Indoor/Outdoor) |
| IP Rating | IPX6 |
| Maximum SPL | 100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 2.8 lbs (1260 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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