Why 2 small Bose SoundLink Flex beat a beefy SoundLink Plus at the same price

SoundLink Flex was originally released at the end of 2021, then the SoundLink Flex Gen 2 was released in September, 2024. The sound quality between the gen 1 and gen 2 is very similar, but the gen 2 has some software upgrades. Later Bose released the SoundLink Plus speaker, a beefier looking version of the slim SoundLink Flex. The SoundLink Plus (SL Plus) is priced at $270 vs the SoundLink Flex's $150 price-tag. However, you can get the SoundLink Flex (SL Flex) at around $130 often and on sale even at $110. So, this article is to show you why 2 units of SoundLink Flex is a much smarter buy for music lovers.

After a quick look, their design look very similar from the front. But the SoundLink Plus is a bit bigger with more depth towards the back side. The carrying loop on the right side has a pretty different look between them. The SL Flex has a flat strap kinda loop vs SL Plus has a thick braided rope type loop. There is a huge 900 grams of weight difference between them, this is crazy. The Bose Flex is only 590 grams vs the SoundLink Plus is way way heavier at 1492 grams.

That beefier SL Plus is 2.5 times heavier than the Bose Flex. Later you'll find that the sound quality difference is not as crazy as weight difference. Smaller Flex has the type-c charging port on the left side vs the SL Plus has the port on the back side. The back side looks significantly different on them. Even though the back of SoundLink Plus has a similar looking grille that looks like the front metal grille, the back grille is probably plastic. The Flex has a different, kind of a unibody plastic back with a small grille. In terms of available colors, the Flex has 7 colors vs SL Plus has 3 colors where some are limited edition colors.

There is significant difference in their configuration. The smaller SoundLink Flex has only a woofer in the front side as an active driver. The single woofer on the Flex drives 2 passive radiators located one in the front and another one in the back. On the contrary, the SoundLink Plus is driven by 2 active drivers, a woofer and a tweeter both in the front side. Interesting enough, the SL Plus has 4 passive radiators, 2 in the front and 2 in the back.

So, the Bose SoundLink Plus has an extra tweeter and 2 more passive radiators compared to smaller Flex. The woofer is bigger and beefier on the beefy SoundLink Plus, but their actual power ratings are not officially available. When we are talking about 2 units of SoundLink Flex vs a single unit of SoundLink Plus speaker, the Flex has a huge advantage as 2 of them can play in stereo configuration now vs a single SoundLink Plus's mono setup. More about the quality of stereo vs mono sound on them in later sections.

Let's talk about the sound quality first, then I will tell you about how crazy the difference is when you have a couple of SoundLink Flex. So, the much bigger and heavier SoundLink Plus, being around 2.5 times heavier, you would expect the sound to be much louder with noticeably deeper bass response and less bass limitations at higher volumes. The most important thing I look for in a bigger beefier expensive speaker in the mid-sized category is how well the bass keeps up at higher volumes - this defines quality and control.

Usually, with smaller speakers like the SoundLink Flex, the bass doesn't increase after 75% volume. So you get an unbalanced screamy sound that is not pleasant to listen to. In terms of the sound quality, at lower volumes, the Bose SoundLink Plus has a bit more punchy bass than the SoundLink Flex speaker, but the bass on the SL Plus is not noticeably deeper as you would expect from a much beefier speaker. SoundLink Plus does sound powerful but it has more faults in the sound signature than the Bose Flex.

For the sound signature, the SoundLink Plus has a very prominent V-shaped sound at lower volumes. On the other hand, the SoundLink Flex has a more balanced sound signature, which is totally different from SL Plus. So, you get a lot less details in the mids with the SoundLink Plus speaker, but a bit more kick in the bass and highs. Even though the SL Plus sounds more clear and powerful, the SL Flex is a more detailed listen as it has decent bass, mids and highs. The SoundLink Plus can sound pretty bass heavy, which can be a bit too much sometimes. So it can go both ways but I prefer the more musical SoundLink Flex's sound.

As you go up in the volume, one thing that surprises me is that the bass doesn't go much deeper on the SoundLink Plus speaker. On their frequency response, both roll of from 60 Hz and down. The SoundLink Plus has around 5+ dB more there, which is why it sounds more punchy and powerful but lacks deeper 50-Hz-like bass. So, the boosted bass and highs starts to balance out a bit at around 60 to 70% volume. The SL+ is boomier than the Flex speaker. Bigger SL Plus plays louder at the same volume. The difference is not that crazy, just their sound signature is different. It's not like the bigger SoundLink Plus has a huge advantage in the bass.

Bose SoundLink Plus sounds boomy and hollow in the mids. At these average listening volumes, the SL+ sounds clear with boosted treble reflecting still slightly a V-shaped sound signature. However, the much smaller Bose SoundLink Flex by not lagging behind, sounds more right and balanced with more details in the mids. Now, if you go to higher volumes like near maximum volume, when the SoundLink Plus is at 85% volume, to get the SoundLink Flex at similar loudness, the Flex needs to be at full 100% volume. Surprisingly, the beefier SoundLink Plus kinda sounds muddy at around 75 to 85% volume compared to SoundLink Flex, and the Flex still doesn't lose to the SoundLink Plus even when it's at maximum volume.

However, the big boy isn't done yet, it still has 15% volume left on top of SoundLink Flex's 100% volume. Based on my analysis of sound-test samples available online from trusted creators, the SoundLink Plus gets noticeably louder with more bass when both are at 100% volume. So, the SoundLink Plus is at -23.4 LUFS vs SoundLink Flex's -27.7 LUFS max loudness according to Dominik Reviews video. That means the bigger SL Plus is around 4 LUFS louder at maximum volume than the SL Flex speaker. Overall, the SoundLink Plus is significantly louder and wins for who goes louder but both speakers have noticeable dynamic compression issues at max volume.

If you add another SoundLink Flex you gain around 3 LUFS, which makes the Flex couple only 1 LUFS lower than the SL Plus's max loudness. Now with 2 SoundLink Flex speakers, the loudness is similar with a better sound signature. Most importantly, with 2 units you get nice immersive wide stereo sound separation. This is a whole new level of added listening experience. On top of that you will not need to push the speaker to near max when you have 2 units, they can produce a pleasant sound with decent bass, mids and highs. Finally, the price of 2 SoundLink Flex speakers is almost always cheaper than the SoundLink Plus, as the Flex is not new anymore.

Good thing that the price is not an issue in this comparison. But there are some downsides while dealing with 2 units and planning to play them together. There are increased hassle with 2 speakers, like you need to charge them both. If you want to charge them at the same time, then you need 2 cables and 2 chargers, one after another requires more time. The portability can be an issue, but compared to the SoundLink Plus's 2.5 times heavier weight, portability will not be an issue with 2 SoundLink Flex units. However, the immersive wide stereo provides a next level imaging scenario, which is a much better experience even with the maintenance hassle that comes with it.

Check out those articles from above, you can click on those linked images to read the articles. Check out Dominik Reviews for more sound tests. You find quality content on Joy's channel too. I did a comparison between the Soundcore Motion 300 and Bose SoundLink Flex, check the article to know why the Motion 300 offers pound for pound way more value.

Music lovers don't wanna miss out on details when listening to music through their devices. You wanna have a listening experience that is as close to as how the music was meant to be listened to. A single mono SoundLink Plus is nowhere near the original stereo. With 2 SoundLink Flex speakers you can get much closer to the original as it already has a more balanced sound signature. On the other hand, the SoundLink Plus goes loud but fails to deliver a controlled well-rounded sound at its expensive price and 2.5 times heavier body.

So, even with a single unit of SoundLink Flex you don't miss out on much till 85% volume. The SL Plus doesn't go any deeper, rather it goes much louder at max volume. For this you can enjoy a Flex with a better balanced sound till 80% and with the 2nd unit it solves the loudness problem plus adds the immersive listening experience. So, 2 SL Flex units is a better deal than a SoundLink Plus. If you need more information check out the official pages of Flex and SL Plus speakers.

Also, please check out the JBL Flip 7 vs JBL Flip 6 story for highlights.
IF you're interested in portable small speakers, check my Soundcore Motion 300 vs Bose Soundlink Flex article. Both speakers did well in a head-to-head comparison.