One of Sonos’s Biggest Rivals Just Gave Its Affordable Speaker a True Hi-Fi Upgrade

Bluesound is essentially a high-end rival to Sonos.

The Canadian hi-fi manufacturer is best known for its lines of Node wireless streamers and Powernode streaming amplifiers, but it also makes numerous wireless speakers that work in that same multi-room ecosystem.

Plus, Blusound makes the BluOS multi-room streaming platform that is used by many hi-fi manufacturers (such as NAD, PSB Speakers, and DALI), which allows listeners to create a really high-end and diverse multi-room speaker system for their home.

Since 2015, the Pulse Flex has been Bluesound’s most entry-level and most popular wireless speaker — in Sonos terms, it sits somewhere between the Era 100 and Era 300 — and now it’s releasing a new-and-improved version.

Bluesound Pulse Flex (2025)

Bluesound

With the 2025 iteration of the Pulse Flex, Bluesound has made wholesale changes. It features a drastically different industrial design, now teardrop-shaped with rounded edges. And the speaker comes with an interchangeable fabric grille, making it more stylish and customizable.

By comparison, the previous version, the Pulse Flex 2i, which is more rectangular and metal, looks quite dated.

Bluesound

Naturally, Bluesound improved the sound quality of the Pulse Flex, too. It features a custom-designed 50-watt amplifier powering a 4-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch tweeter.

The speaker now supports higher-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz, MQA decoding, and DSD256 playback. According to the brand, “it’s designed to meet the highest sonic standards.”

Bluesound

Just like before, the Pulse Flex can be used as a standalone wireless speaker or grouped in a BluOS multi-room system.

Additionally, two Pulse Flex speakers can be configured in a stereo pair or as rear surrounds in a home theater system (if you have Bluesound’s Powernode, Pulse Cinema or Cinema Mini).

Bluesound

The Pulse Flex has built-in Bluetooth, too, for the times when you want guests to play music but don’t want them to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi.

For wired playback, there’s USB-C input and an optical/analog combo jack on the back of the speaker, too.

Bluesound

Price and availability

The Pulse Flex will be available starting December 16, 2025. And it’ll cost $349 and come in three finishes: Black Charcoal, White Pebble Grey, and White Tan.

Additionally, Bluesound will sell optional accessories, including a wall mount, adjustable stand, and interchangeable fabric grilles in tonal weaves.

Bluesound

Bluesound Pulse Flex (2025)

• $349 at Bluesound

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