JBL Flip 7 vs Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2, loud JBL but bassy Bose

Flip 7 was released in April last year. I have done many comparisons that involve the JBL Flip 7 speaker. Check out my Flip 7 vs Flip 6 article. I have also wrote articles on the Bose SoundLink Flex speaker, check out Motion 300 vs Bose Flex article. The original Gen 1 Flex was released in 2021, then the Gen 2 came out in 2024. There is very little difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 of Bose SoundLink Flex in terms of sound quality. They sound pretty much the same but now changes the sound based on position - standing, laying and hanging. I forgot to do the comparison between the JBL Flip 7 and Bose SoundLink Flex. So, today I am doing it and it's gonna be an interesting one.

In terms of carrying mechanism, the new Flip 7 has an interchangeable pushlock mechanism. So you can swap the removable pushlock carrying strap with the included carabiner on the new Flip 7 speaker. You have added clipping options with the Flip 7, which is very good to have on the go. The carabiner probably can’t be used as a bottle opener. The exposed passive radiators on the Flip 7 look very cool and bold. In terms of protection, it is IP68 water, dust and drop-proof. When we are talking about design and build, the Flip 7 looks and feels premium with JBL's signature design and high-quality build.

The Bose SoundLink Flex on the other hand doesn’t attract me in terms of design. It looks like a puffed-up old design, which is not symmetric at all. The build quality is quite good actually. It has a silicone exterior with a steel grille on the front side. The most premium thing to me about the Flex is the IP67 rating, which means it’s water and dustproof - it floats too. The Bose Flex weighs at around 587 grams vs the Flip 7's 560 grams. It can sit on the side too, like in a landscape orientation. The Flex offers a non-removable carrying strap that feels old compared to Flip 7's pushlock strap. So, very good build on both but I only like the design of Flip 7.

The USB Type-C port on the new JBL Flip 7 speaker can do lossless audio. So you can use the Flip 7 via a wired connection, but you cannot do wired playback using the SoundLink Flex speaker. Flip 7 has a 1-woofer and 1-tweeter design, but Bose Flex only has a full-range woofer. These setups play stereo tracks in a mono configuration. So you will hear 1-channel mono sounding music from both speakers. In terms of passive radiators, Flip 7 has 2 radiators on the sides vs the Flex has a front and a back passive radiator - so each has 2 passive radiators.

The JBL Flip 7 is rated at 35 watts RMS vs Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2's 20 watts. On the Flip 7, the woofer is rated at RMS 25 watts and the tweeter is RMS 10 watts, making a total of RMS 35 watts. The Flex is only driven by a single active full-range woofer that is rated at 20 watts. So, based on the official ratings, the JBL flip 7 should be sounding more powerful. It has 15 more watts compared to the SoundLink Flex speaker. Check out my Flip 7 vs Charge 6 article if you're interested. More specs about the battery in the battery performance section.

Both the Flex and the Flip 7 are very portable light-weight but not pocket-sized speakers. They pack powerful punches for lower volumes. First let's take a look at their frequency responses. Their sound signature is very very different by looking at their frequency curves. The Bose SoundLink Flex has a v-shaped sound signature but the Flip 7 doesn't have that kinda sound signature. The mids are recessed heavily on the Bose vs an upper midrange push on the Flip 7. The mids-push is around 3.5 KHz on the JBL Flip 7 speaker. So there is gonna be a huge difference in how they sound.

In this comparison, the Flex plays standing on its side like normal. Both speakers sound punchy and bass heavy at lower volumes. The difference here for low level listening is that the SoundLink Flex sounds slightly deeper and the Flip 7 sounds slightly punchier. Also, the details on the mids are kinda muted on the Flex, but the Flip 7 sounds better on the mids. This is really hard to say which one sounds better for lower volume. Both sounds pretty good with good bass but it's just that the Flex is sweeter vs the Flip 7 is exciting sounding - that's the real world difference in them.

For average listening volumes at around 60 to 75 percent, the Bose kinda sounds like it has more rounded and slightly better extended bass. The JBL Flip 7 might sound punchy but the Flex sounds little more thick and warm. However, there is an exciting nature to the Flip 7's sound. There is more details on the mids vs lack of details on the Flex. The recessed mids and high-end push on the Bose SoundLink Flex make it sounding pretty thin and clear, not detailed though. The Flip 7 sounds more balanced but the pushed mids can be a bit of a problem in some tracks - may sound little harsh.

At higher volumes like more than 75 percent, the mids are kinda dirty sounding on the Flip 7. You can reduce the mids using the JBL Portable app, use the custom eq to fix this if the sound is harsh. The pushed mids kinda make the Flip sounding more harsh and bright than the SoundLink Flex speaker. Bose SoundLink Flex sounds like it has a better hold-on to its bass. The Flex is more listenable at higher volumes because of its less busy and noisy sound. They both sound unpleasant at higher volumes, but I will pick the SoundLink Flex for a more controlled sound.

For maximum volume, the JBL Flip 7 sounds a bit louder but not a significant difference. The SoundLink Flex sounds like it has a bit more bass than Flip 7 at 100% volume. Bose flex is a bit quieter and holds on to its bass better, which is why there is a perceived bass difference. Even though the SoundLink Flex sounds like it has more bass, on paper they are probably on the same league. The Flip 7 doesn't have a better sound that would justify the 15-watt advantage. I would still pick the SoundLink Flex even though the Flip 7 is a bit louder at max.

The JBL Flip 7 has a li-ion battery pack that holds 17.43 Wh of energy. This is kinda equivalent to 3.6 volts 4800 mAh. On the other side, the SoundLink Flex has a much lower capacity battery-pack at 3.67 volts 3100 mAh. Bose claims a playback time of 12 hours for the SoundLink Flex speaker. This is gonna be probably for 50% volume. The Flip 7 has a claimed battery-life of 14 hours at around similar average volume level. Flip 7 has playtime boost feature to expand the playback time. It takes around 2.5 hours at 5V / 3A to fully charge. The Flex takes longer at 3.5 hours to fully charge. So, better battery performance on the JBL Flip 7.

Check out those articles from above, you can click on those linked images to read the articles. A while ago I published a review of the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G smartphone, check that out if you are into budget phones. In case you are interested in portable speakers, I compared 3 Boombox type speakers from 3 different brands such as Soundcore, Tribit and JBL. So don't forget to also check out that detailed comparison article about the JBL Boombox 3 vs Tribit Stormbox Blast vs Soundcore Boom 2 Plus.

In my opinion, the JBL Flip 7 sounds slightly better for low to mid-level listening for its detailed mids. However, the pushed mids becomes harsh at higher volumes on the Flip 7 speaker. So, the Bose SoundLink Flex with its slightly quieter sound with better bass actually sounds better at higher volumes. If you need the absolute loudness, the Flip 7 is the winner by a slight margin. Both speaker come within the same price league at around $150.

Also, the build quality is pretty high on both. They both feel like expensive speakers. The Flip 7 is the more modern one with removable carrying strap. Even though I choose the SoundLink Flex for overall a better sound but I will not buy a Flex. In my opinion, the SoundLink Flex has a pretty awkward looking non-symmetric design. If I was buying, I would buy the JBL Flip 7 for its more attractive design, also the sound quality is on the same league. And I wouldn't play the Flip 7 at max volume - gets more harsh. Check out my 2x SoundLink Flex vs 1x SoundLink Plus comparison article if you're interested.

Also, please check out the JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5 story for highlights.
IF you're interested in mid-sized portable speakers, check my JBL Charge 6 vs Bose SoundLink Plus article. The JBL Charge 6 did better in the head-to-head comparison.