Flex launched a new $300 Stack Pack radio that connects to their other modular tool boxes.
The new Flex Stack Pack Radio, model FX5361, features dual speakers, a 5-1/4″ subwoofer, AM/FM radio, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Flex says you can pair up to 2 radios together for synced playback.
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Additional features include an AC power cord, built-in Flex 24V Max battery charger, USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and weather resistant construction.
Price: $300
Discussion
I’m wondering – aside from how awkward this looks to carry with one hand due to the seeming lack of any large briefcase-style handle – is whether products like this can help Flex and their Stack Pack tool box system make a comeback.
Flex Stack Pack seemed to have been squeezed out of Lowe’s stores last year, with ToughBuilt and Klein winning over the pro tool box placements, at least at all of the stores near me.
This is one of very few Stack Pack products that Flex quietly launched since last year’s expansion.
Milwaukee’s Packout radio/speaker is regularly $299, and at the time of this posting Home Depot has a bundle deal with a free cooler bag. Dewalt seemed to give up on ToughSystem music players a couple of years ago.
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I tested the Packout speaker for a while – again and again – and it sounded fantastic. It has full-range speakers, tweeters, and a subwoofer with passive radiator. Milwaukee says it has 10 speakers for balanced 360° surround sound.
For a matched $300 price tag, Flex offers “dual full-range speakers and a 5-1/4-inch subwoofer.”
Milwaukee can get away with charging $299 for a jobsite radio. Makita just launched a boxy-looking XGT Bluetooth speaker for $249 (via Acme Tools).
Bosch’s Bluetooth-capable Power Box jobsite radio and power station is $159 at Amazon.
I guess this is one for ardent Flex fans. I’m not impressed with the design, feature set, or the price. Maybe I’m wrong – what do you think about it?
Robert
Unless Chervon handed over design and manufacturing to a subcontractor, I would say this is a good sign for their commitment to the storage line. Since it seems it would require more R&D than for a storage box.
The Lowes around me still have Flex storage and Toughbuilt storage on shelves, though not overwhelmingly so.
G-man
I highly doubt this radio only has 3 drivers. If so, flex really didn’t do the homework. From other pictures I’ve seen, I assume there is a pair of front facing mids(towards the corners) and 2 tweeters in the front grille. 2 more rear facing mids and a rear facing sub also in the grille.
Stuart
“Dual speakers plus a subwoofer” seems very specific.
S
More doesn’t equal better, but overall sizing would indicate to be about right on in terms of space and acoustics for 2 full range drivers and a subwoofer.
They should also be using a passive radiator design to make it far easier to shield everything from job site elements, but ported designs are possible with a little additional attention to sealing between components.
Typically passive radiators aren’t going to count towards the “speaker count” because they’re non-powered, though some brands cheat on that too.
For the cost, I’ve never been impressed with the Milwaukee radio despite some job site auditions.
The Bosch has always been a weird one. It offers better sound quality, and additional outlets for power tools/charging, but is far larger than any competitor.
There’s also the important note that the Milwaukee and Bosch designs are 360 degrees around the unit, where the stack pack is only facing one direction. If they properly implemented the acoustic chambers and amplifier circuits, It’s a design that could offer better output because the full range drivers are larger. But flex’s radio’s so far have been lackluster to me in terms of audio quality, and I don’t expect them to pull the rabbit out of the hat now without partnering with an audio company for better tuned acoustics.
bob
There are so many simple bluetooth speaker options for under $50, I’m not sold on the need to spend $300 because it matches my toolbox.
Farkleberry
Exactly.
Everyone has USB charging, so tool battery compatibility is a non issue.
The argument that most Bluetooth speakers have sealed not easily replaceable batteries vs using packs holds some merit, but not with the exponential price difference.
This Flex version is much bigger than most Bluetooth speakers. I see they couldn’t make it any shorter without further compromising speaker size. The widest sides are top and bottom which are a no go for sound propagation.
I was thinking a half size would be more reasonable and allow even larger diameter speakers but then…
I hadn’t considered the 360 sound field on Milwaukee. That could be a pro or con depending on situation. I wonder if that’s the case here, and if either are adjustable?
I don’t think this is some Hail Mary to save Stack Tech. Branded tool battery platform Blue tooth speakers, especially fitting the brands modular storage system, seem like low hanging fruit with a VERY high profit margin.
They seem to all calculate a certain percentage of early adopter, fantatics or daily users will pay a hefty premium to keep everything convenient or on brand and visually compatible.
Hopefully one day competition will drive prices down a bit, but value conscious buyers will always be able to find equivalent sonic and runtime performance from standalone speakers for less.
Jared
Even if the modular tool box has a proprietary battery slot it would be nice if it was also equipped with USB-C charging. That way you could simply use whatever brand battery you had with an adapter. E.g. the Dewalt DCB094K.
I realize power tool companies want to trap you into a particular battery platform, but it doesn’t seem like you should have to use only modular tool boxes from that brand too. If I use batteries from Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc. make it so I can still buy into a different tool box platform without feeling like I made a compromise.
Scott K
This was my thought exactly. I bought a Wonderboom 3 that sounds great, has good battery life, and is IP67 for about $80.
Bonnie
Yep. I’ve used that Bosch, and it’s really not any better than a cheapo no-name unit (I’ve beaten the hell out of a little Oontz and it’s been going strong for almost a decade now).
A-A-Ron
For that price, one should just get a Tribit Stormbox Blast. Best sounding bluetooth speaker I’ve ever owned.
Either way, the Flex’s design is gross and the sound quality doesn’t sound like it’ll be anything special going by those specs. How many of these do they expect to sell?
Jason M
I’m kind of a Flex hater just being honest but this one looks decent to me, I think the corner handles would be fine to carry it. Milwaukee’s on/off button I found to be easy to grab with gloves but also easy to bump and turn off. I like that their controls look a little more recessed. Better be dang good premium sound though for the price.
I remember Ryobi launching their original charging radio and to hit a good price point they sacrificed the most important part of the radio… the sound.
Ken
The most important feature of this product category is how good it sounds and that is simply not possible to deduce from specs. I’m curious if Flex tried to make their radio sound noticeably superior to the Milwaukee radio.
ElectroAtletico
Dunno what Lowe’s you speak of. There are some FLEX products in my nearby Lowe’s but just 3 Toughbuilt items (1 roller cart, 1 cooler, and a pathetically lonely tote bag). 3 individual items. That’s it. 😡
Robert
SoCal.
Flex and Toughbuilt have been the most tempting, so I keep an eye out for them. And with the past talk on Toolguyd on how rare they are, I check in at various Lowes on my wandering around SoCal. Almost all I’ve gone into have one set of shelves in the tool section, maybe 15 or so feet long devoted to the two brands together. One or two Lowes had an additional half shelf facing that with a bit more.
Steven B
Tool brand speakers make no sense. They’re ALL expensive!!!
The Earfun UBoom is $50 and sounds better and is waterproof/dustproof…probably just as much so as the $300 speakers.
I get that Packout and ToughSystem models can charge a premium….I can only fathom the purchase as “advertising” that you’re a serious professional and have pro-grade tools….like how every real estate agent needs a luxury car. I know bauer and ryobi would work just fine on a job site, but having a pro-brand makes you look like a serious pro. Similarly, having an overpriced modular radio makes you look more like a pro for the convenience that you can put it on top of your toolbox instead of in one.
But think about it, you’re spending between $240 and 180 (depending on whether you consider a pair of speakers or a single speaker to be the equivalent) just for extra tough housing and the opportunity to buy an extra battery on the platform of your choice. The consumer ones are already waterproof and dust proof….many you can actually use in the shower.
What I don’t get is that TStak costs the same amount. It’s probably the most expensive TStak module…and I’ve heard these radios before. They don’t sound 6x better than normal Bluetooth speakers. I have compared my pair of UBooms to the Packout and ToughSystem and they definitely sound better, even outdoors. Now Flex wants to charge the same as Packout for something that is, at best, a lateral move?
I don’t get what Flex is thinking here.
Frank D
I like that it is not red … but to make people jump ship you have to ( ideally ) beat the competition on features -and- price.
I just don’t think the price is justifiable. These things don’t sound ” that great “.
Battery operated boomboxes aplenty on the market.
Having been stuck for pretty much a month without internet and thus mobile entertainment, and quite limited mobile data on 1 bar of service … I bought a little boombox that has Radio, CD, cassette ( I know ) and bluetooth. $35. Sounds fine.
If I want it to mate to my Packout Stuff ( I actually don’t ) I could glue it to a board with 4 cleats. Not going to carry C batteries, so it plugs into a small solar battery ” generator “. Easy peasy.
Goodie
Eh… I’ll just keep carrying a JBL powered speaker or use my earbuds.
JoeM
Uh… Thoughts? Not the first in-system radio/speaker/charger device, won’t be the last by a long shot. If you can count on anything, from any company in the tool industry, it’s that they can’t let go of Radios or Speakers at any point, at any level. There will always come new ones, regardless of how well the system sells, and regardless of how outdated a technology it uses. There will always be a call for System Radios and Audio Systems.
Personally? I don’t typically work with a team, nor do I ever find value in an in-system radio. But that’s me. Literally just me. I will absolutely play some MP3s on my phone, or through my headphones, or whatever else, if I’ve got to keep motivated on a task. But, I really don’t think they have “Jeweller” or “Inventor” or “Writer/CAD User” on their demographics when designing these radios.
Now… If you genuinely want someone like myself to be interested in something like this? Gimme a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system that locks into one of these, so you can blast the music at ultra high quality for everyone. Wireless connected speakers so you can spread them literally around the site, potentially scalable so you can link 2 5.1 surround Dolby Atmos or THX Gold rated rugged site speakers together for a full 10.2 Theater Sound system on the jobsite, and I will finally be on board with understanding why there’s a radio or Bluetooth speaker on the worksite. For such a large worksite, even if it’s only 5-10 people working there, all the tools going, two or four little speakers and a subwoofer all built in? Is going to be awfully quiet. If it was a massive system you could unlock and roll into place every day, then start blasting the tunes? I’d see it as worth it. Couple it with on-site walkies for calling Eachother, and I’d finally see some practical value that doesn’t under-serve the crews.
That is the closest to a rant on this topic that I’ll get. Go big or go home with these things. But until someone does that? I expect more of the same underpowered “Why?” Level In-System Radios for every company.
Bob
Do you plan on watching movies on a job site? Surround sound adds nothing to most music. Atmos is about adding height which does nothing for music – it’s all about sound effects such as hearing a helicopter hovering above you.
For a job site (with people actually working), Id say volume, bass, and clarity are all that matters.
MM
It wouldn’t even work properly in a jobsite. Surround sound, or even just basic stereo, only works properly if the speakers are positioned correctly relative to the listener. Even if someone set up a whole bunch of speakers arranged in a proper 5.1, 7,1, etc, arrangement the effect only works right in the center. Someone standing off to the side wouldn’t experience any sort of surround effect. That kind of system works OK in a theater or auditorium where you know the speaker locations relative to the audience. It’s completely pointless on a construction site where nobody will be standing in the right spot facing the correct direction the entire time.
I agree with what your concluding statement: clarity is really what matters most, and the radio needs to have enough power to play at a reasonable level without some crazy amount of distortion. Bass response is always nice. But there’s no need at all for fancy surround functions. In fact, I’d argue that a mono speaker would be good enough. That’s functionally what these radios are anyway when the L&R speakers are two feet apart and the listener is many times that distance farther away and off at some angle.
Will
For true stmos you’d need to be i side surrounded or at least in front of the speaker. They could try to add atmos but if you work outside it wouldn’t work even if in front of it. As far as 7.1 thats what these have. They have the woofers and tweeters and a sub so they’re at least 5.1 though the flex would be 2.1. Who knows maybe it sounds better, having 10 speakers in a tiny box doesn’t give the sound room to breath I guess. I’ve only heard the older Dewalt and Bosch on job sites so can’t tell which is best and unless toy have an acme or some similar store you’ll never hear most major brands in the same store. Maybe home depot but I wouldn’t know since ours closed within a year,sadly Lowes beat them out. Location,location,location was why and timing of course. If home depot opened in the same spot now they’d be surrounded by rich people and probably survived but this was over 15 years ago.
MM
5.1, 7.1, etc, aren’t about the number of drivers (woofers and tweeters), but more specifically how many channels there are and where they are located. To have 5.1 surround sound to work you need a total of 6 channels: One center channel straight in front of you, Front left & right channels, rear L&R positioned behind you, and a subwoofer. If you don’t have those 6 separate channels located in the correct position around you it doesn’t work. Typically each channel (except the subwoofer) will have at least two drivers–a tweeter and a midrange. A unit with enough channels could theoretically play 5.1 (or fancier) surround sound, but unless the speakers were positioned in the correct places around you the effect wouldn’t work.
Frank D
Surround sound or any kind of home theatre or beyond spec is a complete waste of resources and just will not work.
Extra wireless speakers. Sure.
But, personally, I hate the radio giant blaster worksites. It is rude and inconsiderate to neighbors and co-workers; and makes the worksite less safe when individuals can’t communicate as well. A bit of common popular audio to keep help things flowing, sure. Beyond that. Not for me.
JoeM
So, you guys see now? Why I don’t find these little In-System Radios to be worth having? Over a large site, the clarity goes down, negating its range. Truly quality speakers, with honest-to-goodness clear sound to compensate for that, don’t serve anyone on site at all, except the one in the center. I’m truly unimpressed by these stereos. All the arguments I’ve ever heard amount to “It’s better than nothing.” Well, no. There is something better, and likely simpler.
IsoTunes are hearing protections with built in audio. A Stereo this size, or one of the many other brands’ stereos of similar function, would do well to broadcast a wireless signal to the hearing protection sets everyone uses, including a little plug for the walkie to act as a comms. Then the worksite would be silent except for what is piped directly into the crew’s ears. But that would cease to be a radio, that would be a PA or Comms System. That I could see some purpose for crews.
But to Impress Me one of these systems would have to be useful as a proper surround system. At least that would be innovation. Otherwise… I genuinely don’t see the point in these on-site radios. For any brand. A PA system that integrates hearing protection with Comms would be far better. Integrating the tunes into that would be easy, like an afterthought with a huge improvement. Yet they keep cranking out Bluetooth Speakers and Stack-Integrated Radios.
See why I have the opinion that I do about these systems? I don’t even take the surround idea seriously, but off the top of my head, it’s a better idea than yet-another In-System Radio/Speaker system.
Frank D
And would you want to listen to other people’s preferred playlist?
Plus bluetooth has limited range … insert some block or concrete walls plus a bit of distance and the idea of having a central broadcast of the same music to everybody’s earbuds is totally moot.
BigTimeTommy
Overpriced radio for dumb dumbs who will overpay for anything with their favorite tool brand on it. Works for Milwaukee not for Flex.
Saulac
Why bands make modular components that do not look different, which cost them more? What is everyone reference? Do you like the radio looks just like a box as much as possible? I think TB Stacktech is the best in maintaining the DNA across everything.
MM
I’ve got no problem with Flex Stack Pack, except for the fact that Lowes totally flubbed marketing the line.
As far as this radio goes? This and the Milwaukee both seem pointlessly expensive to me. Now don’t get me wrong: I’m a huge audio nerd who will gladly spend massive amounts of money on my home audio system, but a jobsite radio is a totally different beast and there is no need for high fidelity. In fact, focusing on audio quality seems silly when work noise and PPE is thrown into the equation, and the chance of you standing where you need to in order to get proper stereo imaging from the speakers is nil. Who cares how low the noise floor is when there’s a guy running a chop saw ten feet away? It could have more woofers and tweeters than a pet shop but when you’re standing on a ladder away from your stack are any of them in the right location to matter, and even if they did would you notice when you have more important things to focus your attention on?
The things I value in a work radio are durability and simplicity. There’s no reason that has to cost $300. There are just so many other options these days that are much more economical and practical, not just radios but also bluetooth speakers, headphones or earbuds, etc.
Will
I feel same way about radios in our new skid steers. It’s not like yoy can hear much anyways but it just adds to the danger unless you’re on your own doing cleanup. Most of my cleanup was surrounded by framers,siders and other underground utility workers. So you’re talking 15 people minimum and you need to know where everyone is, because the new guys are all idiots who’ll walk right behind you. We had one guy who would walk up behind you and he got hit with the bucket of a backhoe,he then fell in a 5 foot hole. He was lucky it wasn’t to the face. I never hit anyone, because I’d make sure I knew where everyone was on the jobsite. Oh and you guys who run cords 100 feet,I’m going to run them over,sorry but I’ve got a job to do as well.
Harrison
Idk. This just seems like another very middle of the road product from Flex, no more no less.
I’m sure it sounds fine. Chervon (or one of their subcontractors) probably manufactures half the other brand’s cordless radios anyways.
It will find its niche with Flex / Stack Pack users, but doesn’t push the category forward. Pretty much sums up Flex for me in general, other than a few unique products like the ‘inline’ saw. Stack Pack is basically just grey Packout, no surprise the system speaker doesn’t break the mold.
The pricing does seem high though. I purchased this Makita Bluetooth radio ($229 US) and while it isn’t a charger and only has a 4” subwoofer, it still bumps for its size. It takes all three of Makita’s battery platforms, and goes for about two work days on a 6Ah. It also ships with a power adapter to plug it in.
The pricing is on par with name brand Bluetooth speakers like Ultimate Ears, Sony, Bose, etc that have similar power, and sounds about as good. I’m sure you can get a white label Bluetooth speaker off Amazon for much cheaper, but that’s not really a fair comparison.
Personally I really like the compact upright form factor, vs these flat, wide Packout style. There is always space for it, (even on cluttered surfaces) to position it strategically around the job site. Also really convenient to bring it in the house, bonfire, or take it in the fishing boat for leisure listening. It’s genuinely our handiest audio device.
Harrison
Whoops, forgot the link: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-40V-Max-XGT-Cordless-Bluetooth-Job-Site-Radio-Tool-Only-GRM03/317345950
tjb
I understand the whole patent thing with Milwaukee and radios that charge etc. All that aside, personally I don’t want a whole bunch of junk stacked up or wheeled in that all needs to be plugged in. If my gear needs a cord, it needs to have ONLY ONE cord.
So, kudos to Flex Stack and anyone else that sells a radio that also runs off and charges batteries!
A stackable thing that plugs in – to be worthwhile for me – must do its thing (radio/speaker in this case), AND charge batteries, AND be able to charge USB devices. Plugging into the wall (outlets are a limited common on most construction sites) MEANS I’m getting juice.
Stuart, what do the different stackable manufacturers offer in regards to a stackable power station? It would be helpful to see them collected and compared in one post for referral.
What features do they offer, and how well are they implemented? A seriously versatile hunk of plastic in my stack could quickly become a necessity.
Does it charge batteries? How many? Does it open up and the batteries charge inside it for weather protection, or do they slide on the outside for charging?
Does it HAVE to be the topmost item in the stack to use every feature? If so, that’s a huge miss. Such a product would ideally just live towards the bottom of the stack and just remain there.
Is it a radio/bluetooth speaker? Sound quality?
Does it have multiple USB ports? B/C/micro? Charge rate?
Is it also a power station? Battery size if internal? Or can it utilize tool batteries when it can’t be plugged in?
Does it have multiple 120V outlets? Does it simultaneously act as a power strip?
That would be a hugely helpful article, and could get updated over time.
Caveat: I personally have zero desire for a jobsite speaker. I stick a single earbud in and mind my own business.
Stuart
Stackable power stations? There’s not much. Many different products have USB charging, usually as a convenience or added value.
As far as jobsite radios go, I’m guessing that most are used in garages, home workshops, and similar.
ParamountPaint
I appreciate the am/fm aspect. Hard to find such things anymore.
I could be wrong..maybe they all have am/fm, but I haven’t seen a Bluetooth speaker with such a function. Sometimes, it’s nice to get local live info, especially car accidents that will cause commute issues.
Also, I appreciate some local talk radio that is focused on local issues.
MFC
What I have learned from all of these power tool manufacturers is that they are power tool manufacturers.
They aren’t audio engineers. They aren’t an audio company.
You want good exterior audio? Don’t get a cheap boombox shoved into a packout/toughbuilt shape.
I have the large Dewalt and Packout Radios and neither one of them sound as good as some of the cheaper speakers I’ve purchased. The packout is deep and muffled, the DeWalt is very monotone and blends everything together.
Are they fine for a jobsite? Of course. Especially if your guys are blaring Heavy Metal. Can’t understand any of it anyways.
Plain+grainy
Still wish they would incorporate an auxiliary antenna jack in these radios. My Packout standard antenna just seems underwhelming.
Munklepunk
I don’t get the point of these radios. I haven’t been on any job site in over 20 years where blasting music is allowed. You can blame the butt rock/country/classic rock lovers trying to out loud each other for that. The rest of us just wanted to listen to our Brittney Spears and go home. Nearly everyone uses ear buds or some other type of noise cancelling hearing protection with Bluetooth. If you are in the garage there are far better and cheaper options.
Bawmbah
Every job site I’ve gone to has had radios, none blasting. They really don’t want you to be wearing noise canceling headset phones, for reasons that should be painfully obvious.
Munklepunk
Oh, you are one of those who doesn’t understand how sound works, or a pause button, or volume control. Bluetooth headsets and noise cancelling hearing protection are perfectly safe, even when combined. If you think noise from a stereo that you can hear and noise from a headset are different when it comes to safety you are wrong.