The SoundCore 2 is curvy around the edges, reminding us of a swish pencil case, and is available in blue and red as well as the black of our review sample. There’s a built-in mic for talking to Siri, Google Assistant or for making hands-free calls, plus a 20m Bluetooth range. Once run-in (yes, that’s worth doing even at this end of the audio scale), this little curvy cuboid is initially quite fun – there’s plenty going on through the midrange and it’s well-balanced.
Lethal Bizzle’s Fester Skank doesn’t come across as thin or insubstantial through the midrange as we tap our feet along quite happily. However, despite the apparently bass-enhancing BassUp technology, the two-way design (each driver is powered by 6W of amplification) doesn’t offer much in the way of bass depth. Dynamics are also an issue; Lethal’s bolshy tone is present, but the detail required to fully deliver his emotional skittishness isn’t quite there. There’s a diminished space between notes – an absence of the kind of layers that would allow our ears to celebrate nuances between vocals and instruments.
Anker SoundCore 2 review
The Anker SoundCore 2 offers a ton of features for the price like water resistance, great battery life and a rugged body. The Anker SoundCore 2 offers a ton of features for the price like water resistance, great battery life and a rugged body. Take, for example, the Anker SoundCore 2, an affordable, durable Bluetooth speaker that proves you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get robust-sounding audio. For around $50 (£46, about AU$63), the SoundCore 2 gives you a staggering 24 hours of battery life, a ruggedized and water resistant body, and much better sound than your phone’s speaker. Anker won’t win any accolades for the SoundCore 2’s design; it’s a generic-looking black bar with power, playback, pairing and volume controls on the top. The body of the Anker SoundCore 2 is coated in a grippy matte black rubber, which is nice to the touch but quickly shows fingerprints.
In terms of size, the Anker SoundCore 2 measures in at 165mm x 54mm x 45mm, which makes it small enough to toss into a bag without fear of it breaking and not too large that it takes up a ton of space. The speaker sounds plenty loud listening in a quiet room but once it has to compete with ambient noises, you’ll quickly find the SoundCore 2’s volume limit.
Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with 12W Stereo Sound, BassUp, IPX7 Waterproof, 24-Hour Playtime, Wireless Stereo Pairing, Speaker for Home, Outdoors, Trave
The connection port is a flap and whilst it is a good fit, please do not get the impression it is watertight as it clearly won’t be. That being said the rest of the device is clearly one piece of rubber with no seals or gaps so water will not penetrate anywhere else other than the charging port, making them fine for a rainy day but I would not dump them in a bath or swimming pool. The Flex being a more simple robust solution, made sense to put that in the garage with some removable speakers and now that space is part of the main smart house. The base mid and high ranges were excellent and as I bought two, I paired them with the TWS standard and they produce a brilliant true stereo sound.
I would imagine with the size of the stated battery charge time may be overnight about 12 hours from dead.
Anker SoundCore 2 review: A good, cheap wireless speaker
Cosmetically speaking, the 11.2-ounce (318g) SoundCore 2 has a straightforward, low-frills design that’s highlighted by a soft-to-the-touch rubberized finish and nice, big buttons on top for power, volume control, pause/playback and Bluetooth connectivity. A rubber gasket covers the USB charging port and auxiliary input, which allows you to connect non-Bluetooth devices.
It plays bigger than its size would indicate but you’re still aware it’s a small speaker when listening to it — the sound just doesn’t comes across as all that rich or expansive. To be clear, this is par for the course for these little speakers, which tend to be strongest in midrange and have a harder time resolving complicated tracks that involve more instruments.
Anker Soundcore 2 Review
Unlike the previous model, it supports True Wireless Stereo (TWS), so you can pair two Upgraded Soundcore 2 speakers together to create a stereo pair.
The best Bluetooth speakers in 2021
The few noteworthy ones prove to be worth the investment and offer sound quality on par with the best headphones, long battery life, and a practical design that is either portable friendly or sits handsomely on your coffee table. If the budget allows, then consider dropping $399 on the Sonos Move, the brand’s first portable speaker with both WiFi and Bluetooth, and lots of features to boot.
UE Megaboom 3 The best Bluetooth speaker overall Specifications Size and Weight: 8.9 x 3.4 x 3.4 inches, 2 pounds Battery Life (Rated): 20 hours Water Resistance: Yes Maximum Sound Level: 90db Voice Controls: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at John Lewis Prime View at Amazon View at argos.co.uk 5 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Big bass and full vocals + Good battery life + Can pair with older Megaboom and Boom models for stereo sound Reasons to avoid – Big and heavy for a portable – No speakerphone Thanks to its excellent sound quality, long battery life and travel-ready ruggedness, the UE Megaboom 3 is the best Bluetooth speaker you can buy right now.
This big, bold portable speaker pumps out rich 360-degree sound complete with crisp highs and satisfying low-end, and maxes out at 100 decibels of noise. The Megaboom 3 is on the bigger side compared to other portable speakers, and unlike many of its competitors, it doesn’t have Alexa or Google Assistant support, or any other smart features.
For under $50, this tiny powerhouse delivers loud, well-balanced sound within an IPX7-rated design that can survive water, dust and snow. The speaker lasts a whopping 24 hours, thanks to Anker’s best-in-class battery technology, and the Soundcore 2’s dual neodymium drivers ensure you’ll get powerful sound in any setting.
The Soundcore’s compact, 6.5 x 2.1 x 1.77-inch design makes this speaker perfect for tossing into your bag for a quick road trip, and it comes in vibrant blue and red color schemes in addition to the standard slick black. It’s much more portable and more affordable than the Move, though, and its Auto TruePlay feature automatically adjusts the sound to suit its surroundings, whether you’re listening in a noisy, urban park or a quaint, airy campground. This tiny speaker delivers huge sound within a small 4-inch cylinder, complete with throbbing bass, balanced midtones and crisp vocals. It can survive being dunked in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes and is dust-resistant, making it perfect for your next trip to the pool, beach or park.
Other key features include an impressive 13-hour battery life and the ability to pair two Wonderbooms together for immersive stereo sound. UE Hyperboom The best Bluetooth speaker for parties Specifications Size and Weight: 14.3 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches, 13 pounds Battery Life (Rated): 24 hours Water Resistance: IPX4 Voice Controls: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at John Lewis View at Currys Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Big and balanced sound + Gets very loud + Good battery life Reasons to avoid – Pricey – Really, really big and heavy The UE Hyperboom is the best Bluetooth speaker for large gatherings, thanks to its massive size and big, booming audio output.
Pair that with seamless Bluetooth connectivity and plenty of volume, and you have the ultimate speaker for filling a big area with great sound.
Every Bluetooth speaker on this list delivers great sound and functionality, but only the LG XBoom Go PL7 does it while boasting awesome LED lights. The XBoom’s appropriately booming sound holds its own against the best Bluetooth speakers in this price range, delivering balanced bass and satisfying treble.
Sonos Move The best high-end Bluetooth speaker for outdoors Specifications Size and Weight: 9.4 x 6.3 x 5 inches, 6.6 pounds Battery Life (Rated): 10 hours Water Resistance: Yes (IP56 rated for splashes) Voice Controls: Yes (Alexa and Google Assistant) TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon View at John Lewis View at very.co.uk Reasons to buy + Superb audio quality + Built-in Automatic TruePlay technology + Easy Wi-Fi-to-Bluetooth connection conversion Reasons to avoid – Pricey – No smart features in Bluetooth mode Alexa and Google Assistant support allow you to do anything from check the weather to control your smart home, and the Move’s Auto TruePlay automatically tunes the speaker’s audio output for wherever you’re listening, whether you’re having a rooftop party or rocking out in your bedroom.
V-Moda Remix The best Bluetooth speaker for bass heads Specifications Size and Weight: 8.1 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches, 1.9 pounds Battery Life (Rated): 10 hours Water Resistance: No Voice Controls: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon 63 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Loud, balanced audio with booming bass + Stunning design + Lots of customization options + Daisy-chain multiple speakers Reasons to avoid – A bit expensive – No multi-room solution The base model looks slick in aluminum or vegan leather, while, people with bottomless budgets and a penchant for style can opt for steel or platinum finishes (the later of which will run you well over $300,000).
Most importantly, the Remix sounds great, offering plenty of bass as well as a built-in headphone amp for enhancing the audio of your favorite set of cans. The Remix’s 10-hour battery life certainly makes this speaker worthy of longer jam sessions, and its trusty microphone allows for crisp call quality whether you’re set up inside your house or out.
JBL Link 20 JBL’s best Bluetooth speaker with Google Assistant Specifications Size and Weight: 8.3 x 3.7 inches, 33.5 ounces Battery Life (Rated): 10 hours Water Resistance: Yes Voice Controls: Yes TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon Reasons to buy + +owered by Google Assistant + Portable and rugged + Well-balanced overall sound Reasons to avoid – Can’t make calls – Expensive That means you can ask the speaker for standard stuff like dinner suggestions or traffic info, or have it control any of best Google Home compatible devices. Let’s not forget that the Link 20 is an actual speaker system, and it delivers premium balanced sound with an emphasis on bass. Tribit StormBox Micro The best Bluetooth speaker that’s both cheap and waterproof Specifications Size and Weight: 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4-inch, 8 ounces Battery Life (Rated): 8 hours Water Resistance: Yes (IP67) Voice Controls: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Small and lightweight + Good bass for a small speaker + Water resistant Reasons to avoid – No app – Limited battery life The speaker has a plastic strap that makes it easy to attach to a backpack or bike, an IP67 water-resistant rating, so it’s fully protected against dust and dirt as well as submersion in water. While a number of wired speakers like the Amazon Echo provide excellent Bluetooth listening, you can’t bring them outside your kitchen or living room.
These smart features will not work beyond your home’s Wi-Fi, so opt for a non-smart Bluetooth speaker for the beach or other outdoorsy locales.
Anker Soundcore Mini Review
And it also has MP3 playback over microSD, a mic for hands-free calls and, the truly oddball extra, a built-in FM radio. A few issues with Bluetooth reception and the fact that the now-similarly-priced Creative Muvo 2C has deeper bass keep it away from the highest review scores.
Like a lot of Anker earphones and batteries, it uses a metal outer to give you the impression this isn’t a cheap piece of junk. While painted aluminium is likely to get visibly scratched quite quickly if you treat the Soundcore Mini carelessly, the look and feel is remarkably classy for something that costs just £20. While the Anker looks a lot smaller front-on, its cylindrical shape means it’s a fair bit deeper. But let’s deal with the most important part first: the Anker Soundcore Mini is a Bluetooth speaker, so you can hook it up to just about any phone wirelessly.
The signal is not ultra-reliable, and occasionally you’ll hear cut-outs, and then what almost sounds like a sped-up portion of audio as the speaker makes up for lost time. There’s an aux input for non-wireless sources, a microSD slot lets you play MP3s (and only MP3s apparently) and, oddest of all, an FM radio.
However, plug in a microUSB cable to act as an antenna, long-press the “play” button on the front and the Soundcore Mini starts scanning for stations.
Let’s get real — a speaker with no screen is not ideal as an FM radio or MP3 player.
Where the Creative Muvo 2C has a multi-colour LED on its top, the one on the Mini’s front only glows white and blue, so you have to learn the mode order. All the extra features wouldn’t mean much if the Anker Soundcore Mini sounded as bad as most tiny speakers, but it doesn’t.
Anker has maxed out the engineering of this little cylinder, packing in both an active driver and a passive radiator. This amplifies the bass of the main driver, to help avoid the thin, scratchy sound many older speakers this size have. The Anker Soundcore Mini is perhaps the smallest speaker I’ve used that can be classed as genuinely enjoyable to listen to. While that larger speaker has a solid 2-inch driver, the passive radiator here substantially lowers the bass floor so your music sounds fuller, beefier, more powerful.
As a result, singers’ voices tend to sound weightier and thicker here than through the rival Creative Muvo 2C. Slightly deeper bass makes it a shade more fun than the Mini, and its Bluetooth is a little more reliable.
Anker Soundcore Mini 3
Around the outer panel and just above the base are buttons for power, volume, and Bluetooth pairing, as well as a multifunction control that handles playback, track navigation, call management, and voice assistants depending on how many times you tap it. Bluetooth signals don’t work underwater, but the Soundcore Mini 3 is otherwise an ideal option for outdoor environments and can stand up to wet weather or poolside splashes. The Anker Soundcore app for Android and iOS lets you update the speaker’s firmware and adjust an impressive nine bands of customizable EQ (or select among the preset options).
You can argue that this feature is overkill for a single-driver, 6-watt speaker and that you might not even be able to detect a major difference most of the time, but as I discuss in the next section, the customizable EQ can be useful in some cases.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Soundcore Mini 3 tries to deliver powerful lows—but both the lows at the start of the song and the lower thumps that kick in around the 15-second mark are a bit out of range for its driver. On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its punch.
The speaker delivers the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat with admirable body, but not to a level that approaches real bass depth. On orchestral tracks, such as the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the Mini 3 produces a bright, clear sound with some added depth in the lows—again, it’s something you feel more so than hear because of the passive radiator that sends vibrations through surfaces. The Anker Soundcore Mini 3 delivers a full-bodied sound for its size, though its companion app with user-adjustable EQ is what sets it apart from most others in this price range.
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