No... because people do drop them and into bad places, What good is a speaker that only plays for 20 min, and finally If they take a month of sundays to charge and are hard to use? WHAT GOOD ARE THEY? None :) Into the bin with them. I think some of them are ugly and resemble suppositories but for 99% of the people out there buying a speaker, this is good enough.
Yes. That’s why I purchased the Bose Soundlink Flex. 12 hours of battery life, water sealed and you can run it over with a car and it’ll still work. And most importantly, sound is second to none.
I’m thinking about the flex, but the revolve I have has terrible battery. I use it sparingly, but when I do it’s always almost dead. So the idle battery is my biggest issue.
@@Tiggaknock - I am sure the flex is the best choice out there because of battery life, the USB C charging, and it works as a full duplex speakerphone which is invaluable to me with a laptop and my phone or tablet I can set up a conference call with colleagues or clients and the quality on Skype, WhatsApp, or phone call is stupendous. We don't use the china spy app zoom for teleconference... Not secure especially for financial, proprietary IP, gov't, or medical.
I went with the Bose Flex according to your reviews and I'm very happy to done so. Normally I like to tweak the EQ setting to get the best results but with this speaker it sounds amazing straight out of the box. I like electronic music, Pop music etc. of which I prioritize bass over everything else, and this speaker delivers me exactly those punchy basses. Given it's relatively small size it kicks very powerful. I highly highly recommend it.
The Flex has 3 preset EQ settings based on its orientation. Upright is the warm Bose signature sound. On its back is a treble boost with a little bass roll off. And vertical (like if hanging from its loop) is in between the 2. I like on its back the best, next vertical. I do prefer a slightly brighter sound, and on its back or vertical I get that. I am extremely happy with my Flex.
bought the Flip 6 today gotta say: the Hype is REAL..... i am VERY happy with it! what a great speaker. the bass is superv for it's size, it also has a great bass response at low playing volumes (something that is important to me) the high/mids are precise and crisp thanks to the 20w driver / 10w tweeter separation adding in the insane durability, sleek comfy design, a fair retail price.... simply an amazing portable speaker.
I got the Bose and I’m very satisfied with it. I picked it for the microphone cause I do Zoom meetings and don’t always want to use my Airpod Pro 2’s which are also an excellent current choice. It has a full sound while using it to play TH-cam videos and watching movies in bed. For my main speaker for my tv I have a Marshall Stanmore which sounds great but isn’t Bluetooth and doesn’t have a mic.
I love how you guys explain your subjective priorities at the beginning and then have a friendly debate through the video; it really really helps as a viewer
I bought my SoundLink flex blind and boy i also got surprised by the quality of the sound at that price and still getting that premium feeling that comes with Bose materials absolutely fantastic
I tried both the Bose flex and the emberton 2. In my opinion and based on my own research the Bose flex and emberton have the best sound quality for the money. Both speakers are fantastic and I wouldn’t regret buying either. I went with the emberton because the battery is far superior and I don’t like needing to charge my speakers constantly. The emberton has a very balanced and clean sound profile whereas the bose has an advantage in the low end. The emberton isn’t lacking bass the Bose just has more. I will say that I prefer the sound profile on the emberton for live recordings like a video of a concert or something of that nature.
Thanks for the good summary. I went to the nearest electronics store, where I tried JBL, Sony, Sonos and Bose with my own ear, and finally Bose Soundlink and JBL Charge 5 were left (Yes Charge not the Flip 6) . Bose convinced me with its compact size and surprisingly high-quality sound image. In terms of bass, I couldn't tell much of a difference between Charge what was actually surprising. Even though the JBL Charge was a cheaper offer, I chose the Bose because of the compact size. Otherwise, both are good choices.
@@X22GJP No, because of the sound quality and practical size :) I can say that I use it a lot because its easily fits in any bag and has big sound. Ps. I dont like older bose speakers because they lack of base and are somehow sharp sounding.
Got the Bose Flex, I somewhat disagree with the durability cause boy this speaker could endure drops. It feels heavy and solid. I kind of wondered why JBL had higher durability score when its rubber chipped off as what you complained with Bose powder paint-covered grills.
I have both speakers and the bose feels more robust. Yes the damage on the bose will be more noticeable because it's painted but metal construction is far more durable than a plastic based construction. Overall I think the bose should have taken the top but that's my personal opinion. Appreciate the video. 🤙
the only complaint i have about marshall is that they are not really designed for outside even if they have the ip67 rating the lack of a hook and the fact that they are not as loud as bose and on top of that if u crank up the volume more than 80% the sound quality becomes bad makes them for me much suited for house. Battery life is also amazing on them
@@georgealexandrescu5369The video clearly stated that bose got 10/10 and marshall got 7/10 in term of sound quality. 😂 Btw I have both bose flex, max and marshall emberton, middleton. I bought bose bc of sound quality and bought marshall bc of design.
I’m curious about the Bluetooth connection on the Bose Flex speaker. I have the old Bose Color speaker, and I love it, but the Bluetooth isn’t the best. It can be a bit finicky, even with a thin wall between us. Do you think the Flex has a stronger, faster, and wider Bluetooth connection?
Ordered the Flip 6 yesterday and this re-assures that I made the right decision. However, the battery life and the aesthetics on the Emberton are appealing.
@@lawyewjun6554 the sound quality is amazing. It’s also very loud for its size. I used it when we’re out in the patio and it does the job. Bass is great. Only downside is the battery life, it’s not bad but could be better when compared to others.
Interesting thing, the Emberton will have the widest soundstage because it doesn’t down mix stereo content like the other speakers, which are mono channel
I ended up buying two Bose Soundlink Flex speakers. Small package, great stereo sound with two. Much easier to tote around than the two non-portable Samsung MX-ST90B Sound Tower's I have, which are at a whole other level.
@@mmcpa you are correct. I deleted my previous reply. There is only a little snippet In the instructions online which tell you that you have to hit the Bluetooth and plus button again in order to put it in actual stereo mode. My mistake.
The Bose was the clear winner for sound. And when you’re buying a speaker that’s kind of the most important thing. Was pulling for the Emberton but the Bose is clearly the best sounding. Which, frankly, matters most.
Agreed. They should have said “which should you buy?“ and mention the price, too. I’m surprised they didn’t mention the fact that the Flip 6 fits perfectly in cup holders on bicycles which is why I went with that one (plus I got for only $85).
Great comparison video guys! Agree with most of your final results. For me… Roam fits into my ecosystem with all its features and quality . For travel…the Bose Flex with phone mic, great sound, stereo pairing and features win out. Sonos … if your listening, add phone mic and stereo pairing! Looking forward to next SHS video. You all do great work!
The instructions for setting up the Bose SoundLink Flex speakers in true stereo mode is on their website. Take one speaker and press the Bluetooth button and the plus button and hold down for 10 seconds until you hear the instructions to press the Bluetooth button and volume down button on the second speaker. Once you press the Bluetooth button and the volume down button on the second speaker for a couple seconds you will eventually hear a message that says “party mode“. You don’t need to go back to the original speaker and press and hold the Bluetooth and plus buttons again until you hear “stereo mode”. The original speaker is your left speaker. Once I did this I was extraordinarily happy with the sound from the speakers.
I've own Bose, JBl, and other small bluetooth speakers that claim that you can link two speakers together but wasn't able to verify those claims with any speakers. How do you link up two speakers if the device you have your music on (i.e. phone, tablet, etc.) is connected to one speaker and switches, disconnect from one device to pair and connect to another device. How do you link up two speakers and why doesn't anyone show this linkage of two speakers in their reviews? Many speakers make this claim but I'm yet to see it be truthful. For all those "reviewing" products why are you sleeping on testing out the product claim of linking 2 speakers?
Of the speakers you reviewed, the two that caught my eye was the bose and the sonos. I have the bose. I like the sound tremendously. The sonos seems more premium but I purchased the sonos move. I was said to be their first Bluetooth speaker but I found out that initially it is wifi set up then Bluetooth. To me it was far more confusing to set up than others I have.
Scores were spot on. I agree with just about all of them. I actually went with the Emberton II but agree that the JBL has better bass and volume but want a milder sound with retro styling for my offices. So A+ on the review guys I watched a lot of reviews and this one was by far the best. Thank you for posting.
@@EvanLovell lol that’s not true) check reviews and you will find out that bose flex is pretty good portable speaker for its value and also very balanced. I had jbl flip 6 and marshall emberton II, but I like warm bose signature sound more.
@@IceQuiky the reason why it has good reviews because bose pushes the mids so dam high making people think "wow this has good bass" when it just the mids all bose does it pushes mids and some vocal and overprice it
I have decided I somehow NEED both the Sonos Roam and the Bose. I just love them both so much. I’m in BOTH the Sonos and Bose ecosystems now… like help, lol
I bought two flex’s a black and white one and I pair them up left and right for the ultimate Bose experience 😎. I sold my bose revolve plus And gave my micro to my mom. It’s awesome.
When i listened at the end it seemed like the Bose was best, Sonos 2nd, JBL 3rd in terms of sound in the room. I did notice something unique about the JBL, it might have been the loudness with the vocals. But the Bose and Sonos had more immersion i guess. I preferably like the shape of the Sonos when it comes to portability. Plus the Bose wasn't rated well for durability and it seems more likely to get scratched during traveling in a bag since it's so bulky. The sonos is more compact and can probably be more easily cushioned during travel. In the end it's still a hard pick
I have been using UE boom 2. Planning to go with one of these. But after using UE boom 2, I have realised 1 thing that 360 degree makes a huge difference when talking about overall listening experience.
Sound Quality is the #1 measurement in a speaker, for me. ThanQ to the 2 wonderful reviewers for this very important component.. Other reviewers give a lot of baloney, minimizing the importance of sound quality.
IT’S LONG BUT PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS. Just a thought on the JBL Flip 6 vs the Bose SoundLink Flex. They are the same size and according to the internet the bose has a larger transducer than the JBL but the JBL has a tweeter and an adjustable equalizer within the app where as at this time on the bose connect app there is not an equalizer to adjust the sound. But I have another bose speaker and it uses a different music app and it runs on the bose msuic app and in the bose music app it has an equalizer so you can adjust the bass and the treble to your liking. And in the JBL portable app you can do the same thing except you can also adjust the mid-range. Bose could add an EQ to there app in the future/near future. Bc I read on the internet that when the JBL flip 6 was released it did not have an adjustable eq within its app for its speakers. But now it has an eq in the app. I think with the equalizer off on the JBL the bose sounds better but with the eq on I think the JBL sounds better. So if bose added an equalizer that could change things. I know the speaker has position IQ technology where it’s supposed to adjust the sound depending on which way you lay it but it would be nice to be able to turn that off if you wanted to. A similar portable speaker called the sonos roam has a similar feature but in the sonos s2 app you can turn that feature off. In the bose app you cannot do that or on the speaker itself either. And also Sonos has an adjustable EQ within the app like the JBL. The bose is behind the times with that but I bet they’ll change for the better. I would turn position IQ off and have an equalizer set to my liking if I could. I prefer my bose soundlink flex to sit upright so it’s pointing at me but they say it will produce more bass if you lay it flat, in my testing this is true. A little more bass for sure. Which I like. But I shouldn’t have to lay it flat to get maximum bass output. And the speaker needs better rubber feet on it because sometimes it will move it self. Or vibrate itself off the table. So I would recommend not placing it near the edge of a table if you don’t have to. Thank you for whoever actually takes the time to read this.
I agree and the difference is very noticeable. As a former sound engineer, my opinion is none are perfect or even close to it, but the JBL at least tries to be.
Personally felt like the Marshall was more articulate with the sound test. the atmosphere of the reverb on the vocal and the tighter bass are appealing to me. Felt liek the others had either a flabby bass response or chinky highs. wish the marshall had more feature however. Tough choice indeed.
Pretty much I agree with your comparisons and rating except on the durability. I believe Bose flex is more durable it didn’t have chip just marks compare to JBL you showed it have small chip plus the scratches. So I believe Bose would have been the winner 😁👍
For me, stereo is really important as I would sometimes use it for an under monitor speaker. In future videos, please mention whether each of them are mono/stereo! Thanks!
I find that these small BT speakers never sound stereo unless you are pairing two. I own a Bose Flex (which is mono ) and also bought another speaker that was highly raved about on TH-cam and Reddit that was stereo (supposedly). And the Flex sounded way more dynamic. I actually bought a second Flex and have paired for true stereo and while it does sound better and even more dynamic, when I disconnect and go back to one I really don’t feel like the music lost anything. Now if using for movies or TV that is a different story. But I can only contest to the Flex as sounding amazing for a mono speaker.
key feature - can a speaker works while it is charging? - to check actual range? - to check battery life on max volume? Other than that great job with this review
Hi, thank you for your feedback. We decided to use the Roam SL on this occasion as this put it more on a par with the other speakers in terms of price. None of the other speakers have voice control and felt this was more of a fair comparison. We did mention in the video there is an option for an upgrade and the voice support and Auto-Trueplay would have given it another couple of points in the Features field. Hope this helps!
@@smarthomesounds but only in the “Features” section, not on the “Sound Quality” section? I ask you this because I thought the TruePlay as a feature of the Sonos Roam, enhanced the sound quality as well.
I have a pair that with truplay make good stereo pair for on the go. The Sonos app is poor, and they can be a pita to hook up, sometimes when change wi fi networks.
Great video! This way I am able to apply my own weighting into your scores and come up with the best alternative. Sound quality for me is more important than the rest of categories combined! Cheers
I got the marshall middleton and i had a lot of speakers bose soundlink mini 1/2 the soundlink revolve+ house of marley jbl extreme 3, and the middleton sounds better than all of them! The emberton 2 also sounds great almost the same as the middleton except for the volume and bass punch, the middleton is a lot bigger and has more drivers so more power!
the marshal's vocal have some magic , like live shows , the music hits when it comes to vocals wow! maybe It's for the amp shape. Definitely have science behind it .
@@user-bu9su2xt6x do you own one ? no , it have better bass than Bose xD . get one . if you have money . do you know different bass instrument sounds ? no :) . its not for CH@pris .
Listen to the Sono just yesterday. Have been disappointed. Even the techs had problems connecting to it. The Marshall on the other hand. Liked it very much.
Sonos isn’t user intuitive. Very troublesome connection and it doesn’t power down when you think it has, which means it’s dead when you get to the destination
I agree. I own Flip 6 and Soundlink Flex and the latter sounds the best. I want to purchase another portable speaker but I dunno if there is one that can surpass the Flex when it comes to sound quality and clarity. 🤷
Hi, I also bought myself a JBL flip 6 and thinking about bose flex. I can still return the JBL. I will use it mostly in the hotel rooms to play some music and watch some movies on my laptop. Due to it's older bluetooth technology, does it have any delay when watching movies? That's my only concern.
I would like to correct a couple of replies I had about the Bose Soundlink Flex speakers. They do in fact have a true stereo mode. The trick is to press the Bluetooth and plus symbol again on the primary speaker until you hear “stereo mode”. The primary speaker will become your left speaker.
I had 3 diferent jbl flip 4, i was really happy with their sound but they would not last more than a few months. After that i bought a flip 5, it had more bass and less volume on mids and treble than the flip 4. The flip 5 lasted me 4 years and it finally died. I ordered a flip 6 without doing any research on it since i been using jbl for so many years. I hated the sound quality on the flip 6 right away, i was super disappointed. Saw a few vids and this one being the most informative one (thank you). I just went and bought a bose soundlink flex to compare it to the flip 6 before returning it. In my opinion the bose sound is superior. It does sounds distorted on full volume. The JBL feels easier to carry and looks more modern and sturdy than the bose. I will give the bose soundlink a chance and see how it holds. Thank you for this video.
A little high on your numbers, most of them could drop 3 points. Especially the sonos when talking sound quality. Decent reviews and thorough testing, i enjoyed watching this. Thank you.
I'm very new on bluetooth speakers and I bought the JBL Flip 6 because my workmates were using Flip 6 and Charge 5 at work compulsibly. JBL is very mainstream at least in my country not any single sign of the other speakers. Surely the Bose sounds better than the other speakers the very little experience I had with Bose is they make top notch devices with an incredible sound I tried headphones and a SoundDock ll in showrooms back in the day. I'm very happy with my Flip 6 it has an amazing sound despite the small size and no wooden cabinet. I can take my music to the shower and not dying in the process!
Great review! Thank you. Adding, the entire UE line still charges with micro USB. There is no USBC charging whatsoever as of this date with UE speakers.
One of my favorite videos every year! Personally I’m more one the side of Jonathan using my speakers in the garden and around the home. For the next time: better use the regular Roam instead of the SL. A lot more options make that one totally worth it (for me)!
Great video, you guys do an awesome job. I love that you define what you both are looking for at the beginning of the video. Priority 1 for me is sound quality. My Bose mini just got waterlogged so I'm looking for a new device, back to Bose it is. Thanks
You should put important weight on each category, like 40% for sound quality, 15% for battery, 10% for durability etc. In this video they are all equal at 20% each.
when it comes to sound quality it all depends what kind of music you test also each individual has a different taste in sound and each human ear hears sounds different same as we see the colour shades different. to me bose does separate lows from highs way too much and i feel that all that is in between lows and highs is missing. UE boom it sounds like is playing from underwater is muffed and flat. Jbl could be nice but i tend to hear noise on lows. sonos and marshall are quite dynamic but i tend to like more the marshall signature sound than sonos somehow sonos i think sound signature is more optimized for cinema while marshall has that concert stage sound signature
I built my own for $100. 10" Kicker sub with a pair of 4x6 Sony speakers and Sony Bluetooth, USB head unit (ac to dc power I also built but dc power works also). Twice as good at half the price.
Did I miss where it was mentioned that the Bose Soundlink floats? This is huge for a speaker that you might want to use by the water I mean, part of durability has to be whether or not you can actually retrieve the unit from the water. I like to listen to music by the pool, and being able to float is a huge selling point. I would have liked them to mention which speakers float, and which ones sink
What a wonderful video, thank you for such a comprehensive review. I just found someone selling a brand new/boxed Flip 6 for £55, and bought it because of your recommendation.
Thanks for the reviews..you’ve made my decision more complicated 😫😜 Here in Canada, we don’t have the 2nd generation of the Marshall (well at the few stores I’ve shopped in)but oddly enough have the upgraded colours (black front “grill” and copper/bronze writing) and all the old technology 😔.
@mavinapril1303 The Uboom l sounded too boxy too me. I didn’t like the vocals at all. Compared to the Flex it lost big time. I sent it back within the 30 days.
I'd like to hear the connection/disconnection and low battery sounds of different brands. Like I'm annoyed by JBL speaker notification sounds but I don't know if other brands are any better...
Your reviews came across biased because the JBL for example got 8 for durability and it took damage and reviews Marshall got 7 with no damage? Make it make sense
Best video that helped me decide which to buy between jbl and marshall 😄😄😄.. thank you so much… im so lucky jbl flip 6 is on super sale right now.. in the Philippines..thank you so much…
I got the flip 6 for Christmas and it came broken but they sent us a new one but kind of a disappointment but by far it’s the speaker I want the two ones I recommend are the Bose one and flip 6
@@lukabosnjak3829 can’t say anything about that. I haven’t heard any of speakers tuned by him. It’s easily visible how he’s trying to put earfun above every other speaker.
@@Nogitsune_Yako He is right and literally providing best binural demo on youtube so you just need to listen to speakers... Also he says and demonstrated that Helsinki still sounds better, which other brand will compare their product with competitors and say that there are better ones 🤔
Thanks for the detailed comparison but shouldn’t sound quality score be weighted more since they are speakers first 😀
No... because people do drop them and into bad places, What good is a speaker that only plays for 20 min, and finally If they take a month of sundays to charge and are hard to use? WHAT GOOD ARE THEY? None :) Into the bin with them. I think some of them are ugly and resemble suppositories but for 99% of the people out there buying a speaker, this is good enough.
Yes. That’s why I purchased the Bose Soundlink Flex. 12 hours of battery life, water sealed and you can run it over with a car and it’ll still work. And most importantly, sound is second to none.
I’m thinking about the flex, but the revolve I have has terrible battery. I use it sparingly, but when I do it’s always almost dead. So the idle battery is my biggest issue.
@@Tiggaknock - I am sure the flex is the best choice out there because of battery life, the USB C charging, and it works as a full duplex speakerphone which is invaluable to me with a laptop and my phone or tablet I can set up a conference call with colleagues or clients and the quality on Skype, WhatsApp, or phone call is stupendous. We don't use the china spy app zoom for teleconference... Not secure especially for financial, proprietary IP, gov't, or medical.
What good is sound quality if your speaker always dies or has bad connectivity
I went with the Bose Flex according to your reviews and I'm very happy to done so. Normally I like to tweak the EQ setting to get the best results but with this speaker it sounds amazing straight out of the box. I like electronic music, Pop music etc. of which I prioritize bass over everything else, and this speaker delivers me exactly those punchy basses. Given it's relatively small size it kicks very powerful. I highly highly recommend it.
Glad we could help!
The Flex has 3 preset EQ settings based on its orientation. Upright is the warm Bose signature sound. On its back is a treble boost with a little bass roll off. And vertical (like if hanging from its loop) is in between the 2. I like on its back the best, next vertical. I do prefer a slightly brighter sound, and on its back or vertical I get that. I am extremely happy with my Flex.
Can you do a review on ultimate ears wonderboom 3 or just a durability test on it please @@smarthomesounds
bought the Flip 6 today
gotta say: the Hype is REAL..... i am VERY happy with it! what a great speaker.
the bass is superv for it's size, it also has a great bass response at low playing volumes (something that is important to me)
the high/mids are precise and crisp thanks to the 20w driver / 10w tweeter separation
adding in the insane durability, sleek comfy design, a fair retail price.... simply an amazing portable speaker.
@Dasbomber what he said
Love my flip 6 it sounds incredible
@4070super yea they are 50 50 but I must have got lucky with all my jbls I have never has one die on me and I have used jbl for 8 years
Brought mines 2 days ago and this shit is 🔥
@@JerryBoyd-qj4zd same it is a incredible speaker
I got the Bose and I’m very satisfied with it. I picked it for the microphone cause I do Zoom meetings and don’t always want to use my Airpod Pro 2’s which are also an excellent current choice. It has a full sound while using it to play TH-cam videos and watching movies in bed. For my main speaker for my tv I have a Marshall Stanmore which sounds great but isn’t Bluetooth and doesn’t have a mic.
Marshall has its signature sound thats why it differ from others. But all in all its a good portable speaker with friends.
I love how you guys explain your subjective priorities at the beginning and then have a friendly debate through the video; it really really helps as a viewer
I bought my SoundLink flex blind and boy i also got surprised by the quality of the sound at that price and still getting that premium feeling that comes with Bose materials absolutely fantastic
You sound like a Bose fanboy.
@@X22GJP well aren't u a smart one I'm glad you got it across in ur mind
I tried both the Bose flex and the emberton 2. In my opinion and based on my own research the Bose flex and emberton have the best sound quality for the money. Both speakers are fantastic and I wouldn’t regret buying either. I went with the emberton because the battery is far superior and I don’t like needing to charge my speakers constantly. The emberton has a very balanced and clean sound profile whereas the bose has an advantage in the low end. The emberton isn’t lacking bass the Bose just has more. I will say that I prefer the sound profile on the emberton for live recordings like a video of a concert or something of that nature.
Thanks for the good summary. I went to the nearest electronics store, where I tried JBL, Sony, Sonos and Bose with my own ear, and finally Bose Soundlink and JBL Charge 5 were left (Yes Charge not the Flip 6) . Bose convinced me with its compact size and surprisingly high-quality sound image. In terms of bass, I couldn't tell much of a difference between Charge what was actually surprising. Even though the JBL Charge was a cheaper offer, I chose the Bose because of the compact size. Otherwise, both are good choices.
Thanks for sharing and good choice 👍
you have good ears. Bose is another level of sound quality. fuck the battery life. sound quality is my only requesite.
It’s not Sonose it’s Sonos
You mean you chose Bose because of the name?
@@X22GJP No, because of the sound quality and practical size :) I can say that I use it a lot because its easily fits in any bag and has big sound. Ps. I dont like older bose speakers because they lack of base and are somehow sharp sounding.
Got the Bose Flex, I somewhat disagree with the durability cause boy this speaker could endure drops. It feels heavy and solid. I kind of wondered why JBL had higher durability score when its rubber chipped off as what you complained with Bose powder paint-covered grills.
Same
I have both speakers and the bose feels more robust. Yes the damage on the bose will be more noticeable because it's painted but metal construction is far more durable than a plastic based construction. Overall I think the bose should have taken the top but that's my personal opinion. Appreciate the video. 🤙
@@lincolnbliss6046 yes. Anyway one could buy a rubber sleeve that would protect the front grills, so all is good 👍
The powdered paint coming off gives it a nice used look over time imo.
Coz these boys can't do reviews
the only complaint i have about marshall is that they are not really designed for outside even if they have the ip67 rating the lack of a hook and the fact that they are not as loud as bose and on top of that if u crank up the volume more than 80% the sound quality becomes bad makes them for me much suited for house. Battery life is also amazing on them
_I always go for the sound quality. So, Bose Flex for me._
agreed
except marshall sounds better. You go for brand, not for quality, say it as it is.
@@georgealexandrescu5369except it doesn't, to me and most as well unless it comes to a very specific type of music.
@@georgealexandrescu5369The video clearly stated that bose got 10/10 and marshall got 7/10 in term of sound quality. 😂
Btw I have both bose flex, max and marshall emberton, middleton. I bought bose bc of sound quality and bought marshall bc of design.
I’m curious about the Bluetooth connection on the Bose Flex speaker. I have the old Bose Color speaker, and I love it, but the Bluetooth isn’t the best. It can be a bit finicky, even with a thin wall between us. Do you think the Flex has a stronger, faster, and wider Bluetooth connection?
Ordered the Flip 6 yesterday and this re-assures that I made the right decision. However, the battery life and the aesthetics on the Emberton are appealing.
Just saw your comment and would love to know hows the experience so far coz i was thinking of buying it as well. Thanks for sharing
@@lawyewjun6554 the sound quality is amazing. It’s also very loud for its size. I used it when we’re out in the patio and it does the job. Bass is great. Only downside is the battery life, it’s not bad but could be better when compared to others.
@@lawyewjun6554 buy the JBL but make sure the serial number on the box starts with GG and not LT. you won’t be disappointed. I got it and love it.
@@omgeoh thanks bro!!!
@@stogie0608 thanks man
Interesting thing, the Emberton will have the widest soundstage because it doesn’t down mix stereo content like the other speakers, which are mono channel
Depends on your music taste after all. For me its still emberton, love the marshall signature sound
I ended up buying two Bose Soundlink Flex speakers. Small package, great stereo sound with two. Much easier to tote around than the two non-portable Samsung MX-ST90B Sound Tower's I have, which are at a whole other level.
You then have no idea how to set it up in the Bose app. I get great stereo from a pair.
@@mmcpa you are correct. I deleted my previous reply. There is only a little snippet In the instructions online which tell you that you have to hit the Bluetooth and plus button again in order to put it in actual stereo mode. My mistake.
The Bose Flex is a game changer. Size sound and durability. They nailed it
The Bose was the clear winner for sound. And when you’re buying a speaker that’s kind of the most important thing. Was pulling for the Emberton but the Bose is clearly the best sounding. Which, frankly, matters most.
Agreed. They should have said “which should you buy?“ and mention the price, too. I’m surprised they didn’t mention the fact that the Flip 6 fits perfectly in cup holders on bicycles which is why I went with that one (plus I got for only $85).
I own 2 Flexes. Can confirm. No regrets with my purchases.
@@JohnSmith-ns6dp nice i'm looking for a speaker for my bike as well, gonna pick up the flip 6 for this reason
Have a Marshall Kilburn so I was rooting for the brand but the Bose plays louder and cleaner but 4.2 Bluetooth give me a break .
Great comparison video guys! Agree with most of your final results. For me… Roam fits into my ecosystem with all its features and quality . For travel…the Bose Flex with phone mic, great sound, stereo pairing and features win out.
Sonos … if your listening, add phone mic and stereo pairing!
Looking forward to next SHS video. You all do great work!
"Never seen a pill shaped portable speaker"
Beats Pill: 😭
Ye i thought that because the beats pill was one of the most popular speakers back then not sure why it doesn't sound good
lmao i was just searching it online and i couldnt even find it!!! hahahah had it back in the day dayum
@@SHR3DDY lmao still got my beats pill it still works too
I have two Bose SoundLink flex to use as stereo pair. Just amazing from such small speakers.
The instructions for setting up the Bose SoundLink Flex speakers in true stereo mode is on their website. Take one speaker and press the Bluetooth button and the plus button and hold down for 10 seconds until you hear the instructions to press the Bluetooth button and volume down button on the second speaker. Once you press the Bluetooth button and the volume down button on the second speaker for a couple seconds you will eventually hear a message that says “party mode“. You don’t need to go back to the original speaker and press and hold the Bluetooth and plus buttons again until you hear “stereo mode”. The original speaker is your left speaker. Once I did this I was extraordinarily happy with the sound from the speakers.
I've own Bose, JBl, and other small bluetooth speakers that claim that you can link two speakers together but wasn't able to verify those claims with any speakers. How do you link up two speakers if the device you have your music on (i.e. phone, tablet, etc.) is connected to one speaker and switches, disconnect from one device to pair and connect to another device. How do you link up two speakers and why doesn't anyone show this linkage of two speakers in their reviews? Many speakers make this claim but I'm yet to see it be truthful. For all those "reviewing" products why are you sleeping on testing out the product claim of linking 2 speakers?
Sound test:
24:00 & 24:50 Bose SoundLink Flex
24:10 & 25:00 Marshall Emberton II
24:20 & 25:10 UE Boom 3
24:30 & 25:20 JBL Flip 6
24:40 & 25:30 Sonos Roam SL
Thank you so much !!! That's so helpful for comparison!!
@@AnnaAkuku No problem, glad I could help >_0
Of the speakers you reviewed, the two that caught my eye was the bose and the sonos. I have the bose. I like the sound tremendously. The sonos seems more premium but I purchased the sonos move. I was said to be their first Bluetooth speaker but I found out that initially it is wifi set up then Bluetooth. To me it was far more confusing to set up than others I have.
I got the Sonos for Christmas. What a nightmare to set up. Apparently, I’m not alone. Returning.
You can't beat bose. They are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition in terms of sound.
Scores were spot on. I agree with just about all of them. I actually went with the Emberton II but agree that the JBL has better bass and volume but want a milder sound with retro styling for my offices. So A+ on the review guys I watched a lot of reviews and this one was by far the best. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for the feedback, hope you enjoy the Emberton as it’s a great speaker 🔈
Budget+bass • JBL
Looks+battery life • Marshall
Crystal clear sound+bass • Bose
BOSE is for boss)
@@IceQuiky lol bose are a joke
@@EvanLovell lol that’s not true) check reviews and you will find out that bose flex is pretty good portable speaker for its value and also very balanced. I had jbl flip 6 and marshall emberton II, but I like warm bose signature sound more.
@@IceQuiky the reason why it has good reviews because bose pushes the mids so dam high making people think "wow this has good bass" when it just the mids all bose does it pushes mids and some vocal and overprice it
@@EvanLovell ok. what portable speakers do you like more?
Thanks to your video i called BOSE directly and was able to get the carmine red edition such a great color thanks.
no way you guys gave a 6 to ue boom. it's multifunction button is so useful for Spotify playlist and its design is so simplistic and timeless
I have decided I somehow NEED both the Sonos Roam and the Bose. I just love them both so much. I’m in BOTH the Sonos and Bose ecosystems now… like help, lol
I bought two flex’s a black and white one and I pair them up left and right for the ultimate Bose experience 😎. I sold my bose revolve plus And gave my micro to my mom. It’s awesome.
How did you pair left and right separately? Thanks
By using the Bose App.
@@pradeep2086 yes by using the Bose app. Sorry just saw this!
@@jimjohnson9813 do you pair flexs? Isn’t it amazing or is it just me?
I know the Bose sound profile gets knocked by the audiophiles but in my opinion they produce the best full sound bar none!
I took a test in between emberton 2 & bose flex in a nearby mall ... Bought emberton 2 it just had me at first beat
Excellent review! I too own the Bose. The JBL’s soundstage was a little too bright for me. Also, I love the build quality of the Bose.
Actually, the best among the 5 I think is
bose Flex
1. Bose flex
2. Marshall emberton
3. Ue Boom 3
Where does Harman kardon sit?
@@jj..- I think 4th
Although I am in love with JBL speaker and always have had them but that Sono sounds super clear and lively
I got BOSE! Sounds better for me than other speakers in this budget
I will always have the opinion that the flip 6 is the best without a dought!
So basically if you are going for what the speaker is originally designed for like hmmm SOUND.. the Bose is your best option 👌🏾
When i listened at the end it seemed like the Bose was best, Sonos 2nd, JBL 3rd in terms of sound in the room. I did notice something unique about the JBL, it might have been the loudness with the vocals. But the Bose and Sonos had more immersion i guess. I preferably like the shape of the Sonos when it comes to portability. Plus the Bose wasn't rated well for durability and it seems more likely to get scratched during traveling in a bag since it's so bulky. The sonos is more compact and can probably be more easily cushioned during travel. In the end it's still a hard pick
Which makes the Jbl really good for listening to podcasts
I've had 2 Flip 5's and both packed it in after a minor drop.Needless to say I won't be buying JBL anymore.
I have been using UE boom 2. Planning to go with one of these. But after using UE boom 2, I have realised 1 thing that 360 degree makes a huge difference when talking about overall listening experience.
It’s better UE for u?
@@GGal-m4x 360 degree sound is superb with UE Boom. The others lack in this
Sound Quality is the #1 measurement in a speaker, for me.
ThanQ to the 2 wonderful reviewers for this very important component.. Other reviewers give a lot of baloney, minimizing the importance of sound quality.
IT’S LONG BUT PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS.
Just a thought on the JBL Flip 6 vs the Bose SoundLink Flex. They are the same size and according to the internet the bose has a larger transducer than the JBL but the JBL has a tweeter and an adjustable equalizer within the app where as at this time on the bose connect app there is not an equalizer to adjust the sound. But I have another bose speaker and it uses a different music app and it runs on the bose msuic app and in the bose music app it has an equalizer so you can adjust the bass and the treble to your liking. And in the JBL portable app you can do the same thing except you can also adjust the mid-range. Bose could add an EQ to there app in the future/near future. Bc I read on the internet that when the JBL flip 6 was released it did not have an adjustable eq within its app for its speakers. But now it has an eq in the app. I think with the equalizer off on the JBL the bose sounds better but with the eq on I think the JBL sounds better. So if bose added an equalizer that could change things. I know the speaker has position IQ technology where it’s supposed to adjust the sound depending on which way you lay it but it would be nice to be able to turn that off if you wanted to. A similar portable speaker called the sonos roam has a similar feature but in the sonos s2 app you can turn that feature off. In the bose app you cannot do that or on the speaker itself either. And also Sonos has an adjustable EQ within the app like the JBL. The bose is behind the times with that but I bet they’ll change for the better. I would turn position IQ off and have an equalizer set to my liking if I could. I prefer my bose soundlink flex to sit upright so it’s pointing at me but they say it will produce more bass if you lay it flat, in my testing this is true. A little more bass for sure. Which I like. But I shouldn’t have to lay it flat to get maximum bass output. And the speaker needs better rubber feet on it because sometimes it will move it self. Or vibrate itself off the table. So I would recommend not placing it near the edge of a table if you don’t have to. Thank you for whoever actually takes the time to read this.
With the second sound test you can clearly hear a difference with the Marshall and Sonos they picked up more details for me it’s between them
The JBL sounded the best in the sound test hands down. Crisp and clean with the perfect balance in everything 👌
I agree and the difference is very noticeable. As a former sound engineer, my opinion is none are perfect or even close to it, but the JBL at least tries to be.
Personally felt like the Marshall was more articulate with the sound test. the atmosphere of the reverb on the vocal and the tighter bass are appealing to me. Felt liek the others had either a flabby bass response or chinky highs. wish the marshall had more feature however. Tough choice indeed.
Thanks for the helpful comparison. To me, as a fan of more highs than lows, the Flip 6 takes the lead.
After flip 6 tests give back it to vendor for a Bose Flex. No regrets, its a blast❤
Pretty much I agree with your comparisons and rating except on the durability. I believe Bose flex is more durable it didn’t have chip just marks compare to JBL you showed it have small chip plus the scratches. So I believe Bose would have been the winner 😁👍
For me, stereo is really important as I would sometimes use it for an under monitor speaker. In future videos, please mention whether each of them are mono/stereo! Thanks!
I find that these small BT speakers never sound stereo unless you are pairing two. I own a Bose Flex (which is mono ) and also bought another speaker that was highly raved about on TH-cam and Reddit that was stereo (supposedly). And the Flex sounded way more dynamic. I actually bought a second Flex and have paired for true stereo and while it does sound better and even more dynamic, when I disconnect and go back to one I really don’t feel like the music lost anything. Now if using for movies or TV that is a different story. But I can only contest to the Flex as sounding amazing for a mono speaker.
key feature - can a speaker works while it is charging?
- to check actual range?
- to check battery life on max volume?
Other than that great job with this review
Thanks for the feedback, our 2023 ultimate portable speaker showdown will feature these 👍
@@smarthomesoundswhen is it out?
I got emberton 2 im happy with it
I wish you guys would’ve used the sonos Roam (no SL) as it has the built in mic for true play tuning
That’s right
Hi, thank you for your feedback. We decided to use the Roam SL on this occasion as this put it more on a par with the other speakers in terms of price. None of the other speakers have voice control and felt this was more of a fair comparison. We did mention in the video there is an option for an upgrade and the voice support and Auto-Trueplay would have given it another couple of points in the Features field. Hope this helps!
@@smarthomesounds but only in the “Features” section, not on the “Sound Quality” section? I ask you this because I thought the TruePlay as a feature of the Sonos Roam, enhanced the sound quality as well.
I have a pair that with truplay make good stereo pair for on the go. The Sonos app is poor, and they can be a pita to hook up, sometimes when change wi fi networks.
@@smarthomesounds how is Harman kardon or are these better?
Great video! This way I am able to apply my own weighting into your scores and come up with the best alternative. Sound quality for me is more important than the rest of categories combined!
Cheers
I got the marshall middleton and i had a lot of speakers bose soundlink mini 1/2 the soundlink revolve+ house of marley jbl extreme 3, and the middleton sounds better than all of them! The emberton 2 also sounds great almost the same as the middleton except for the volume and bass punch, the middleton is a lot bigger and has more drivers so more power!
the marshal's vocal have some magic , like live shows , the music hits when it comes to vocals wow! maybe It's for the amp shape. Definitely have science behind it .
Ye youre right marshall dont have much bass bcz its mean bass = low quality
@@user-bu9su2xt6x do you own one ? no , it have better bass than Bose xD . get one . if you have money . do you know different bass instrument sounds ? no :) . its not for CH@pris .
Appreciate the video guys yall did great and i made my purchase bose flex for my friend for xmas
You forgot to mention that you can turn on/off UE Boom 3 from your mobile, very usefull from your bed or when you can't find it.
Was torn between the Bose & JBL. Thanx for the video
I have already jbl flip 6. Its amazing.
Like this comparison ❤
what baffles me is how the sound quality doesn't have priority when it comes to the final score. It's a SPEAKER and it's the most important quality!!
Listen to the Sono just yesterday. Have been disappointed. Even the techs had problems connecting to it. The Marshall on the other hand. Liked it very much.
Sonos isn’t user intuitive. Very troublesome connection and it doesn’t power down when you think it has, which means it’s dead when you get to the destination
@@gbuvb5021 Just use the Bluetooth function instead of the wifi if having issues pairing
I love ur reviews! 👍 I own 3 of these speakers. The flip, the flex, and emberton. Love em all but my fav if I had 2 pick is the bose flex.
I agree. I own Flip 6 and Soundlink Flex and the latter sounds the best. I want to purchase another portable speaker but I dunno if there is one that can surpass the Flex when it comes to sound quality and clarity. 🤷
Hi, I also bought myself a JBL flip 6 and thinking about bose flex. I can still return the JBL. I will use it mostly in the hotel rooms to play some music and watch some movies on my laptop. Due to it's older bluetooth technology, does it have any delay when watching movies? That's my only concern.
I would like to correct a couple of replies I had about the Bose Soundlink Flex speakers. They do in fact have a true stereo mode. The trick is to press the Bluetooth and plus symbol again on the primary speaker until you hear “stereo mode”. The primary speaker will become your left speaker.
I had 3 diferent jbl flip 4, i was really happy with their sound but they would not last more than a few months. After that i bought a flip 5, it had more bass and less volume on mids and treble than the flip 4. The flip 5 lasted me 4 years and it finally died. I ordered a flip 6 without doing any research on it since i been using jbl for so many years. I hated the sound quality on the flip 6 right away, i was super disappointed. Saw a few vids and this one being the most informative one (thank you). I just went and bought a bose soundlink flex to compare it to the flip 6 before returning it. In my opinion the bose sound is superior. It does sounds distorted on full volume. The JBL feels easier to carry and looks more modern and sturdy than the bose. I will give the bose soundlink a chance and see how it holds. Thank you for this video.
Just get the Marshall because it looks badass 😎🤘
A little correction for you guys. Emberton II and Flip 6 are rated IP67, not IPX7.
Great comparion video, though. 👍👍
A frog's ass is rated IP100. Water tight.
A little high on your numbers, most of them could drop 3 points. Especially the sonos when talking sound quality.
Decent reviews and thorough testing, i enjoyed watching this. Thank you.
I'm very new on bluetooth speakers and I bought the JBL Flip 6 because my workmates were using Flip 6 and Charge 5 at work compulsibly. JBL is very mainstream at least in my country not any single sign of the other speakers. Surely the Bose sounds better than the other speakers the very little experience I had with Bose is they make top notch devices with an incredible sound I tried headphones and a SoundDock ll in showrooms back in the day. I'm very happy with my Flip 6 it has an amazing sound despite the small size and no wooden cabinet. I can take my music to the shower and not dying in the process!
Great review! Thank you. Adding, the entire UE line still charges with micro USB. There is no USBC charging whatsoever as of this date with UE speakers.
Yeah I would have bought a Wonderboom 3, but no USB C, not buying anything with micro usb,
@@PaulMathews-p4o same. Got the Sonos Roam, small, airplay and auto tuning. No regrets.
I just ordered the JBL Flip 6, got it for £72 (995kr here in Sweden 😊). A no brainer for that price I feel. 🔊
One of my favorite videos every year! Personally I’m more one the side of Jonathan using my speakers in the garden and around the home. For the next time: better use the regular Roam instead of the SL. A lot more options make that one totally worth it (for me)!
Great video, you guys do an awesome job. I love that you define what you both are looking for at the beginning of the video. Priority 1 for me is sound quality. My Bose mini just got waterlogged so I'm looking for a new device, back to Bose it is. Thanks
I went for the Harman Kardon Luna, and I ain't disappointed at all.
You should put important weight on each category, like 40% for sound quality, 15% for battery, 10% for durability etc.
In this video they are all equal at 20% each.
True, but the weights would vary for each individual depending on what they want most for their speakers, so they leave that up to you to decide on.
@@faisalboushehri9626 yes
Bose Flex for me
when it comes to sound quality it all depends what kind of music you test also each individual has a different taste in sound and each human ear hears sounds different same as we see the colour shades different. to me bose does separate lows from highs way too much and i feel that all that is in between lows and highs is missing. UE boom it sounds like is playing from underwater is muffed and flat. Jbl could be nice but i tend to hear noise on lows. sonos and marshall are quite dynamic but i tend to like more the marshall signature sound than sonos somehow sonos i think sound signature is more optimized for cinema while marshall has that concert stage sound signature
BOSE SoundLink FLex a JBL Flip 6 are really amazing! - Good scores!
Thanks this was really helpful. JBL seems ideal for my use. Cheers! 🙌
Glad it was helpful!
I built my own for $100. 10" Kicker sub with a pair of 4x6 Sony speakers and Sony Bluetooth, USB head unit (ac to dc power I also built but dc power works also). Twice as good at half the price.
Sounds good, but not very portable.
@@DuncanSmart It is the size of the big boom boxes of the '70s. It is AC/DC.
@@carlsitler9071 is it possible to get a parts list from you?
Hofmann's Iron Law. Anyone?
With no amplifier to power the subwoofer I don't think you can turn it up very much if at all even...
Did I miss where it was mentioned that the Bose Soundlink floats? This is huge for a speaker that you might want to use by the water
I mean, part of durability has to be whether or not you can actually retrieve the unit from the water.
I like to listen to music by the pool, and being able to float is a huge selling point. I would have liked them to mention which speakers float, and which ones sink
What a wonderful video, thank you for such a comprehensive review. I just found someone selling a brand new/boxed Flip 6 for £55, and bought it because of your recommendation.
Y lo compraste original?
Por que en el mercado hay demasiada replica del flip 6
Listening on my Flip 6 bought few days back 👏🙂
Tthx for the comparison. As i think sound quality and portability is the most important for me, i’d go with the Bose Soundlink flex
Great choice 👍
One of the best comparison videos i‘ve ever watched.
Just bought the Bose...super satisfied. Also has the JLBlove that as well
How can the timeless design of the UE only get a 6.5 😮
Thanks for the excellent reviews👏Bose Flex is the clear winner for me.
You guys upped your lighting really nicely!
Soundcore is simply the best , yet goes unnoticed . Cheaper and innovative .
Flip 6 is the winner for me. JBL has always done an amazing job. The base and clear sound is for me the reason to always go for JBL.
Thanks for the reviews..you’ve made my decision more complicated 😫😜 Here in Canada, we don’t have the 2nd generation of the Marshall (well at the few stores I’ve shopped in)but oddly enough have the upgraded colours (black front “grill” and copper/bronze writing) and all the old technology 😔.
Earfun Uboom L Is the answer :)
@mavinapril1303 The Uboom l sounded too boxy too me. I didn’t like the vocals at all. Compared to the Flex it lost big time. I sent it back within the 30 days.
I'd like to hear the connection/disconnection and low battery sounds of different brands. Like I'm annoyed by JBL speaker notification sounds but I don't know if other brands are any better...
The JBL didn't deserve the 8 on durability. It took quite a bit of damage
Your reviews came across biased because the JBL for example got 8 for durability and it took damage and reviews Marshall got 7 with no damage? Make it make sense
Best video that helped me decide which to buy between jbl and marshall 😄😄😄.. thank you so much… im so lucky jbl flip 6 is on super sale right now.. in the Philippines..thank you so much…
Bose Soundlink Flex has Great Sound Quality with Mic for phone calls make an Edge overall 😍✨
I got the flip 6 for Christmas and it came broken but they sent us a new one but kind of a disappointment but by far it’s the speaker I want the two ones I recommend are the Bose one and flip 6
Ue boom 3 has a microphone
And it has a low power Bluetooth which allows you to power on and off your speaker with the phone
I agree sound quality is more important. JBL flip 6 is the best all rounder
The best comparative, congrats for the video.
Thank you very much!
This video right here sealed it for me. I’m getting the flex.
Get the new earfun uboomL which sounds better in every way for 60$...
@@lukabosnjak3829 olav’s fanboy?
@@Nogitsune_Yako Good natural sound fanboy (Vifa, Etymotic etc.)
But can you really argue against Oluv's tuning?
@@lukabosnjak3829 can’t say anything about that. I haven’t heard any of speakers tuned by him. It’s easily visible how he’s trying to put earfun above every other speaker.
@@Nogitsune_Yako He is right and literally providing best binural demo on youtube so you just need to listen to speakers...
Also he says and demonstrated that Helsinki still sounds better, which other brand will compare their product with competitors and say that there are better ones 🤔