Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) vs JBL Charge 6

Which Speaker Is Better?

Products

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
JBL Charge 6

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 26, 2025 01:01 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Oct 23, 2025 01:32 PM

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Our Verdict

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

JBL Charge 6

The JBL Charge 6 and the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) are both portable speakers designed for everyday and outdoor use, but they have different strengths. The JBL is larger, has a longer battery life, and gets louder. It also supports Auracast multi-speaker pairing with other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers, making it ideal for bigger spaces or group listening if you've a suite of compatible models. On the other hand, the Bose is smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. It offers a more balanced sound at moderate listening levels than the JBL, but only pairs with other 2nd Gen SoundLink Flexes.

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Variants

  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Alpine Sage)
  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Black)
  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Blue Dusk)
  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Citrus Yellow)
  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Petal Pink)
  • SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) (Sandstone)
  • Charge 6 (Black)
  • Charge 6 (Blue)
  • Charge 6 (Funky)
  • Charge 6 (Pink)
  • Charge 6 (Purple)
  • Charge 6 (Red)
  • Charge 6 (Sand)
  • Charge 6 (Squad)
  • Charge 6 (White)

Check Price

Black
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Alpine Sage
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Dusk
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Funky
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Pink
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Petal Pink
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Purple
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sandstone
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Sand
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Squad
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.6
6.7

Soundstage 
 

5.3
5.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.3
9.1

Dimensions Photo  

Volume 
 

56 in³ (919 cm³)
113 in³ (1,848 cm³)

Weight 
 

1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.7
9.2

Build Quality Photo  

Material Quality 
 

Good
Great

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx8)

Dust Resistance 
 

Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance 
 

Yes (IK rating unspecified)
Yes (IK rating unspecified)

Floats In Water 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Controls 
 

8.6
6.9

Controls Photo  

Controls Photo 2  

Ease Of Use 
 

Okay
Great

Feedback 
 

Great
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Tactile)
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

Yes (Tactile)
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.1
7.1

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Slope 
 

0.49
0.45

Std. Err. 
 

1.97 dB
2.72 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

64.4 Hz
55.8 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

17.5 kHz
18.2 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

5.3
5.8

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details

Directivity Index 
 

5.05 dB
4.17 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.2
6.3

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

84.5 dB SPL
89.1 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.73 dB
3.50 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

6.4
8.9

Battery Life 
 

6.6 hrs
13.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.4 hrs
2.5 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

5.7
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Speakerphone 
 

Yes
No

Siri 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Excellent
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
7.9

App Picture  

App Name 
 

Bose
JBL Portable

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

No
Yes

Other Ports 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.3
7.8

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.3
5.4

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

119 ms
204 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

135 ms
195 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

275.6 ft (84.0 m)
328.1 ft (100.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

0.0
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Check Price

Black
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Alpine Sage
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Blue Dusk
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Funky
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Pink
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Petal Pink
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Purple
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sandstone
SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Red
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Sand
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
 
Squad
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Charge 6
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

JBL Charge 6

Comments

  1. Comparison

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) vs JBL Charge 6: Main Discussion

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