Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Soundcore Flare Wireless Speaker by Anker, Waterproof Party Speaker with 360° Sound, Enhanced Bass & Ambient LED Light, IP67 Dustproof & Waterproof and 12-hour Battery Life
Flare
Driven by 2 back-to-back drivers and dual passive radiators, Flare drops 360° of intense, bass-drive
But Flare is for more than just your ears. A multi-colored halo of light phases and pulses to the beat of your music to take your musical experience to stratospheric heights.
A synergy of light and sound that transcends the senses.
- 360° Sound & BassUp Mode
- Beat-Driven Light Show
- Wireless Stereo Pairing
- IPX7 Waterproof
- Works with Soundcore App
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360° Sound
Flare drops powerful 360° sound through dual back-to-back drivers and thumping bass radiators. With seamless all-around sound, you get a fully immersive audio experience that covers every square-inch of any space. | BassUp Technology
A customized digital signal processor first analyzes, then enhances your music’s bass frequencies in real time. This signal is then turned into intensified sound via state-of-the-art neodymium drivers. | Customizable EQ
Every type of music sounds at its best with a specialized sound profile. Hip-hop beats need big bass and classical compositions need crystal treble. The Soundcore app not only tunes the EQ perfectly for any genre, it completely customizes the sound for you personally. Every type of music sounds at its best with a specialized sound profile. Hip-hop beats need big bass and classical compositions need crystal treble. The Soundcore app not only tunes the EQ perfectly for any genre, it completely customizes the sound for you personally. |
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Illuminate Your Sound
Watch a halo of LEDs phase, pulse, and shine with the rhythm of your music for a completely immersive audiovisual experience. 5 color themes create the ambience for the occasion, then 5 adjustable illumination patterns give you the freedom to choose the perfect light show to suit your music, and most importantly, your mood. | Alexa Compatible
Connect Flare to your Echo Dot or other Amazon speaker to give Alexa the most beautiful voice possible. | Pool Party Proof
No matter where the music needs to be, Flare is suited up and ready. Impermeable IPX7 protection brushes off spills, rain, and even complete submersion in water. |
360° Sound: Dual drivers arranged back-to-back in combination with passive bass radiators deliver intense all-around sound.
BassUp Technology: Precision EQ adjustment and driver configuration inject low-end power for heart-thumping beats.
Beat-Driven Light Show: A halo of LEDs reacts and phases in time with the beat—multiple themes and illumination patterns can be customized via the Soundcore app.
Wireless Stereo: Connect 2 Flare speakers via a single device for seamless stereo sound* or double the volume.
Waterproof & Dustproof: IP67-rated casing offers impermeable protection, even during complete submersion. (Charging cover should remain closed when near water.)
Soundcore App: Simple-but-powerful software that allows complete customization of Flare’s sound and lights via smartphone or tablet.
12-Hour Playtime: Soundcore’s Anker heritage offers world-renowned power management technology. Enjoy almost 250 songs from a single charge.
Note: For optimal performance in Wireless Stereo Mode, position speakers within 16 ft (5 m) of each other indoors, or 48 ft (15 m) in open spaces.
| Dimensions: | 9.14 x 9.14 x 15.24 cm; 530.7 Grams |
| Model: | AK-A3161011 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Anker |
| Origin: | China |
Great speaker for the money, really strong sound quality with depth and volume with plenty of headroom – not a huge fan of the lights but then I just turn them off, personal preference but at least they’re there if that’s your thing.
Great sound for it’s size and the lights an added bonus.
Sound quality is tremendous, couldn’t be better and great price! Also easily connect to all our phones!
Compact, easy to use and providing good sound quality. Not exactly boom bass, but certainly not tinny either.
Amazing sound quality, battery life and very good value for money. A great buy!!
The sound quality is excellent, though I found, as mentioned by others, the mid range frequencies lack a little. Just a little. It’s solid and well protected against water/dust/sand so it will be coming everywhere with me. Very happy with this product!
Looks great, sounds great. A present for my husband and he loves it.
Amazing sound, easy to use and great value for money. Very highly recommended!!
he Speaker does look and feel a quality item. Lighting effects I like but prefer focusing on the sound so now keep it off. Probably reflects my age though!! Sound is great and I would highly recommend for the price .
I enjoy the sound clarity and quality. It feels like it is solidly constructed and good quality- especially for the money.
I needed a speaker that could be heard across an entire tennis court and was waterproof. I’m not up on all the ins and outs of sound quality but I’m really happy with the quality of the sound. It’s clear and bassy. It doesn’t have to be up very loud to be heard from quite a distance, I’m assuming that’s because of the 360 degree design. I haven’t used it long enough to judge the battery life. I hope it lasts! It was easy to connect with my phone. It was easy to use but you can’t skip tracks using the speaker. I haven’t checked to see how far away from the speaker I can get with my phone before losing connection but it works brilliantly for what I need. I would happily recommend this speaker!
A very nice little bluetooth speaker with a powerful punch! At first testing it seems to provide music over 30′ or so (ideal to get into the garden nicely) Perhaps the markings on the top (volume buttons, etc) could be clearer.
Having read an interesting Which? magazine article on the Soundcore Flare, I wanted a price competitive Bluetooth speaker mainly to enhance the sound on Zoom sessions. I looked at Sonos, Bose, etc but pricewise they could not compete. The Flare is excellent, good sound, easy to use and setup. Music seems better on the Flare than on my 1980s hi-fi system! It has a quality fabric finish and adjustable mood disco lights! The built-in microphone allows hands-free mobile calling. It has excellent battery life although I confess to not having used it for a beach party in the rain to test its waterproof properties!
Brilliant sound and great quality. Just what I was looking for to go with my new turntable. Old vinyl records sound as good, if not better, than when I originally bought them.
For the size of the speaker the sound quality is amazing! The 360 sound makes it an even better experience. Very pleased with my purchase. I highly rate Anker products as I have many of their other products and love them!
I listen to music everyday and I like it with good sound quality and sometimes at events with others, this speaker definitely gives you the options to do that. The light shows isn’t bad either, and I love how it has different settings for different situations.
However, the battery life is a little shoddy, a 12 hours battery life isn’t exactly enough for the added features the speakers has especially if you like playing music all day. You can charge it and use it at the same time though if you don’t mind wires.
I bought a pair of speakers and I am impressed by the sound quality both individually and when working as a pair – either in stereo mode or ‘boost’ which allows me to place one speaker in different rooms and enjoy music in both.
I’ve used it outside a lot with my class for P.E. lessons and the sound quality is excellent.
I read the reviews on this before I bought it and I am not disappointed. A great sounding speaker with a good baseline. The app for it is easy to use and you can get different tones or equalise it to what you prefer also you can use different light settings to from the app. Obviously if you have the lights and the sound up loud you will use your battery up quicker but I find the battery is pretty long lasting between charges. The sound is as it says 360 so you don’t just have to sit in front of it to enjoy it.all in all a great all round speaker and cheaper than most for the sound quality.
I’m fussy about speaker sound and don’t find it easy to get a nicely balanced speaker. This one is perfect. Really nicely balanced sound for such a small speaker. Highly recommended.
Excellent speaker. Clear and bass is great, gets very loud. Love the rgb lights too
This is very easy to set up and works well, I feel the battery life could be longer and not quite a long a range as I thought , but certainly a good enough sound , brilliant for listening to radio or Spotify whilst in the garden or showe
I love the sound and how portable it is. Had no problem in having lots of water trowed at it.
Just a quick note to say you can rely on Anker customer support if there’s a problem. Our original speaker stopped taking a charge and was quickly replaced free of charge within the warranty period.
Bought this for my sister as a Christmas present. She says it’s brilliant so am considering buying one for myself!
Fantastic speaker. Small but fills the room with sound. Simple and effective.
… with any Top Brand Leaders, in absolutely any regard.
…and it was one of the first that was waterproof.
Very good sound for such a small speaker. Very portable especially if you get the appropriate case. Playing with the EQ can be fun also. There are better sounding speakers out there but this is probably the best one at that price point.
I bought this speaker after reviewing them on Which and haven’t had a moment’s regret. I’m no music buff, I simply like to listen to music I like, played well with a decent volume level. This ticks all the boxes and was an excellent price. Highly recommend.
Easy to use and control. Good volume from such a small device.
This was a Christmas present which is loved by the receive
Incredible sound and loudness. Excellent feel in hand and overall footprint is small. The lights add a brilliant touch. Really good battery life.
I wanted a quality bluetooth speaker this one ticks all the boxes.Easy to set up, great app and nice styling.Now to the sound it’s dynamic and the lights just add to the experience I liked it that much I bought another to pair with for true stereo I highly recommend this speaker also recommended by which magazine as a best buy and value I was guided by this and don’t regret it.
Great sound and battery life, not quite as good as my Bose but considering the difference in price you get a great product for your money.
This is a Which Best Buy, and OMG the sound is amazing! I have just received it today, got it working without reading any instructions, and the sound coming out of one little speaker is just awesome! Wish I’d bought 2 whilst it was on such a good deal. Love i
GREAT SPEAKER , GOOD SOUND EASY TO USE AND PAIR UP TO MP3 AND APPLE IPOD , THE LIGHTS ARE FUNKY AND MAKES IT STAND OUT ALL ROUND 5*
I got this to replace my 5 year Bose speaker that just stopped working and I honestly can’t tell the difference. I only use it for streaming music and podcasts so I am not blasting it at top volume…but it is perfect for this use. Not sure what it is like at the top end of the volume. Long battery life. Great value for money.
Bought on a recommendation from Which and was not disappointed, good sound, battery life. So good I bought another one.
Update – I’ve bumped this up from 4 stars to 5 as I’ve discovered how to work the app and change the eq. The treble roll off I mentioned below has been remedied and the sound I now have is great. Sure it’s not a perfect product, but I use it every day and I like it and it’s worth 5 stars for sure.
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This is a decent Bluetooth speaker. Sound quality is good, depending on positioning. The bottom end is satisfyingly rich and full when using the bass-up function. The mids are balanced and clear. There’s a little bit of roll-off at the top end which mutes the sparkle slightly and is not quite to my taste, however the overall sound signature is perfectly good for background music in a room and creates a nice laid back feel.
The button placements have left me scratching my head. The feature buttons that most people will use only once after unboxing (bass-up and light show) are conveniently placed on the top of the speaker, whilst the functional buttons that get used most of the time (power on/off and Bluetooth) are hidden at the back near the bottom. It’s only mildly irritating and you get used to it pretty quickly.
Overall this is a pretty good speaker and great for what I want to use it for. If you’re looking to use it to watch video I would approach with caution as there is a short delay in processing the sound. I am told that this is resolvable with a firmware update, but I have not been able to validate this. If this is your intention then check with other users.
Anker customer service is second to none so buy with confidence, if you have any concerns about your new Anker product just get in touch with them and they’ll help you out.
Excellent speaker. Sound is not quite as good as the Bose, but far better value for money
LEDs use a lot of power but just turn them off and battery lasts ages. highly recommend especially when it’s on sale.
The speakers have great sound quality although the battery life runs out too quickly especially when you have the colour change lights on. Not sure the 12hr battery life is accurate
Connects easily to music players and has a very decent sound. Is easy to use and charge with a super battery life. Very pleased with the quality. Very solid piece of kit for the price.
Very impressed with this speaker, sound is nice and clear and balanced. Bass is pretty good but could be a big stronger for a speaker of its size. The lights look really good and I use the app to set the speaker up as a soothing night light while listening to my podcasts
I received this item as a replacement for a faulty unit of a different model.
That being said, I’m really pleased with it and would definitely buy it again if I ever need a replacement. The key points:
– The sound quality is good across the range, with a very slight bass emphasis.
– Pairing is simple, even when switching between devices.
– The battery life is phenomenal. Outlasts my phone several times over.
Very nice for the price and well made with good quality sound
Can’t fault this speaker. Brilliant and good value for money.
Disclaimer – I received this item direct from Anker Customer Service after having issues with their Soundcore 2 (upgraded) speaker and you can see my original review over on that item.
That said, after having this and using it extensively for over a week on and off i can honestly say this item is superb. The battery life is fine and exceeded what i thought it would.
Firstly – Build and Feel
The build quality and feel of the item is solid and sturdy and its doesn’t fee like if you knocked it at a party it would tip over and roll around. Even the eight ring at the bottom feels like it should be there and not some gimmicky add-on.
Sound Quality – Music
Simply superb – with the added app on the phone you can adjust the various levels to suit your needs and also use preset defaults depending on your mood. I have yet to play a track where the sound isn’t anything other that perfect.
Sound Quality – Podcasts (mainly talking)
Other speakers ive tried dont seem to like the dulcet tones of a podcast but this handles them beautifully with hardly any adjustment.
Light Ring – A nice touch – can adjust to any number of colours or changing speeds as well as the epileptic fit inducing flashing lights like you are off your head at some summer rave. All in all, using the app to help control the colours, i think its not a gimmick but a genuine bonus having it added on.
Summary
As much as i appreciate Anker’s customer service and their efforts to solve the Soundcore 2’s issues as stated in my other review – this Anker Flare speaker is possibly the best speaker ive ever had, and im of the age where my first speaker used to have its own wood unit to sit on and had to be powered by its own power station. The Anker Flare is well built, has excellent sound quality and is perfectly customisable with the associated app – detailed enough with the options but not too complicated it becomes a chore to set up.
100% recommend this item. And thanks to Anker who are superb.
Ww have used the sound flare At home, outside in the garden and camping and it’s brilliant.
The sound is great, good quality speaker. The bass is noticeable, waterproof and durable.
It charges up really quick and has a decent amount of usage before battery goes down.
Have used it for 11 months and for the price, would dedinitely recommend.
I have ojnlly given four starts for battery life as I haven’t tested that to the limit.
This product was highly rated by Which? for it’s sound quality and value for money and is the reason I decided to buy it. The sound quality is simply amazing – the treble is crisp and clear plus the bass is deep, punchy and clear when bass boost is on. I use the speaker every other day and love it. It can be paired with a second one to create a stereo environment but, honestly, a second speaker is not necessary as more than enough sound comes from one alone. This is a must-buy, you will not be disappointed – and such great value.
Wanted a portable speaker that does what it says on the tin.This is good value and has decent sound quality
Bought this product to be used in a football team dressing room. Speaker is a perfect size for carrying in your football bag to and from games and it is quite light in weight so no added strain to carry it. Connecting to the speaker is very easy and multiple people have connected without any issue. Connected with Iphones and Samsungs. Speaker at full Volume is crisp and loud enough. No complaints whats so ever for the price, convenience and sound.
This was bought as a Christmas present in 2018 for a son at Uni. He absolutely loves it and uses it frequently. Its been to the beach, used in several cars and carried around his accommodation and still performs perfectly. We did get the optional carry case but I’m not sure how often the speaker has been in it. Probably not as much as it should have been.
He loves the sound quality and it must be OK as it seems to go everywhere with him. Heard his music coming from the bathroom last night whilst he had a soak so good job its waterproof.
If I did not already own a more expensive Cambridge Audio Bluetooth speaker I would be buying one of these for myself as it’s easily good enough to match speakers costing much more. If it can survive a couple of years of ‘student life’ then it will deserve the five starts I have given it.
Considering the size,the sound is brilliant, the battery life is good and it looks modern enough to fit in with any decor.
Very easy to pair with device, battery stays charged for long time, used for exercise class in village hall.
I was wanting to replace a speaker system at home for something smaller(i had another brand in mind but twice the price of this speaker), after reading a Which review this speaker came top of the pile. I ordered and it promptly arrived, i tested the speaker and although the sound quality was ok for a small speaker it wasn’t what i was looking for, if i had purchased this for music on the go i might have kept it but it was for the home and needed more of a kick i sent it back and got a prompt refund.
I’ll be using this at work, in a loud environment and this speaker is quality. For 70 it’s a bargain. I’ll be taking it on holiday too. Highly recommended, very happy with this product.
It looks quite nice.The music quality is pretty good for the price and it has a small footprint (which can be useful). The Android app is simple and allows tone control. It’s probably great for parties, but has some irritations for everday use at home.
These are 1) it tells you not to leave it plugged in charging all the time as it damages the battery- this makes it a bit of a pain for regular use. 2) the only way to lift it up is to handle the speaker fabric, which could soon get messy. 3) It makes a loud noise every time you switch it on or off-only helpful for the blind I expect as sighted people can see the light coming on. This noise is a bit of a pain for me. 4) the controls are a bit tricky to see unless you get up quite close. This means you’d probably want to control volume via your phone. 5) It also gives 360 degree sound, I suspect most people won’t want this as they will site the speaker near the edge of a room.
So it’s a good, value for money, speaker but designed more with party animals in mind rather than everyday home use.
Just what I wanted – a speaker that stays on when connected to an echo dot , after 2 which powered off if unused for a time .
Costumer services were very helpful when I contacted them and confirmed it !
Only had the unit 2 days so a bit early to make comments however, very pleased so far apart from having to charge the battery before it would turn on. The instructions are not the easiest to understand but after a bit of trial and error I got it to do my bidding.
So far really good. Especially for the price. I’ve had more expensive speakers over the years but this one is as good as those and more than half the price….and waterproof!
Having recently purchased the minuscule and brilliant Anker Bluetooth ‘coffee cup’ size mini speaker I had high hopes for its big brother – the Soundcore Flare.
Unfortunately my expectations were not wholly realised. It’s good and I’m happy with it, it’s just not 3 times as good as the mini version. It has a cute flashing lights and an app to manipulate the eq settings, but it won’t fill your room with quality audio.
Listening to music great sound equal to the more expensive speakers very pleased
Bought this product for my wife and she loves it. Connected straight away with no hassle. After a year the speaker stopped charging but contacted Anker and they replaced it straight away. Excellent service.
I have compared this Flare speaker side-by-side with the lower priced Soundcore Motion B rectangular shaped one.
Really liked the Motion B which is a great speaker, …. but didn’t know what I was missing until received this Flare one!
There is a real noticeable difference in sound with the Flare and the bass on, its all personal preference I think but I definitely prefer the Flare for that reason.
The only thing that would be great id if both speakers ie your ‘old’ one (Motion B) and ‘new’ one (Flare) could be paired up so they both play at the same time.
Spoke to customer services about this to ask if could be done, but said its only available for the same models at the moment, but they are working on a multi pair feature so different Soundcore models can be paired up, its just not available as of now.
So basically you can only play one of them at a time, but if you want you can switch between using them still by just selecting whichever one you want to play through, via your bluetooth list on smartphone.
The circular light band at the bottom is a nice touch, and you can have it flashing to match the beat of the tunes you are playing, or have it on static and it changing colour periodically.
In terms of Customer Services — quick, clear, friendly, obliging, and helpful responses = great to communicate with as its important to them you are happy with the product.
All-in-all a great speaker and great customer service / aftercare to go with it to
Amazing speaker superb sound quick delivery was for a Christmas prese
Bought it as a present for boyfriend & he’s very impressed with it. For a small, neat speaker it has amazing sound quality.
We love this. Bought it for my 8 year old. The sound quality is great. Better than my three year old UE Boom. Be realistic – it’s not HiFi but it’s FAR from bad. Actually it’s great. She loves the lights option. Genuinely, buy this with the very highest confidence (I’m a radio presenter, I know good audio when I hear it).
I bought this speaker because I was told it was a good brand, but mostly because of the disco light on the bottom. Dead easy to use and my music sounds great through it. Very happy with my purchase.
Great big sound from a little device. I didn’t know why my wife wanted one but the way this little guy fills the room I now use it more than her!
Super sound from my analogue hifi- LPs, CDs transmitted to bluetooth speakers, all over house, will try outside in summer!
*easily competes with other top devices that cost twice as much
*battery life is extraordinary, may very well be above 12 hours
*sound quality is incredably crisp and strong with good bass even at full volume (which is easily loud enough for a small outdoors party)
*build is visually pleasing and feels robust and high quality (take it on 2 one and a half hour journeys each day (past 2 months) with
no protection and only has minimal wear (fabric frayed slightly in parts)
*lights on base can be fun at times but really just an extra
*rubber on base gives speaker stability which has saved it from falling after knocks a few times
Only 2 negatives
*bass amplifier button on speaker has minimal noticeable difference when on (but bass is strong as is)
*accompanying app is currently quite lacking (only 3 sound options, and 5 light options (each with 4 different patterns) with no customisation on each)
Overall 100% would recommend, 3rd Anker product, love them all, have pursaded a few people to buy Anker (just by letting them use the Anker products!), and keep on surprising the s*** out of people when I say how little I paid for this product compared to similar speakers of this class!
Many thanks for continuing to make products Anker!
Extremely loud for the size… with good quality sound. Does the job extremely well
I bought this speaker for the wife to use with her ipad. It was easy to connect via Bluetooth, really good sound for the size and, overall, excellent value for money. Battery life seems good, continuous play for 5 hours with no problems. The range between the ipad and speaker seems really good too, we have had the speaker everywhere in the house and down the garden without losing connection.
The instructions are a bit poor but the set up is so simple it is enough to know what each button does so this isn’t a problem either. I’m sure the sound quality won’t match the high end speakers on the market but we are very impressed with this speaker and now tempted to buy a second to see about getting stereo sound.
The sound quality on this is absolutely superb, and the configurable lighting is a nice extra. Haven’t tested the waterproof/resistant element of it. Battery life is pretty good; around 8 hours on a charge so far.
Lovely little speaker, good quality sound and build.
Bit pricey though
I wanted an every day speaker that doesn’t cost a tonne and this is perfect. The light show is a nice touch but in no way tries to make up for anything it’s lacking in sound quality – it’s simply a bonus feature.
Awesome sound quality out of a portable speaker. Use it round the house and take it to gatherings or holidays. Lights look awesome
It is very nicely made and feels substantial. The controls are easy to use and understand. The battery lasts ages at moderate volume levels and the low charge indicator gives warning in good time.
Highly recommended for this application.
Having owned a soundcore mini for a while I was excited about this larger unit . However I’m a bit disappointed with the sound quality . When the volume is turned up over 50% the sound fades in and out and you just can’t listen to it . Especially on bass rich tracks .
Update 23/08/2018
Anker customer support contacted me and explained that the volume reduction happens when battery is low . Sure enough when speaker is fully charged the sound is great . Highly recommend.
Took this speaker to Spain and used it every day by the pool.
Very happy with the Soundcore Flare. It is a great sound, build quality seems very good and it is aesthetically pleasing to look at. Also because it is 360% sound you can put it in the middle of the room and no matter where you are in the room you don’t lose anything.
Great values for money. Great sound quality or the price. Not as well rounded a sound as my Bose
The sound is clear and balanced, it’s actually more clear than the Bose. The low-end is not as deep though, there isn’t much “rumbling”, and the bass boost button doesn’t do much. However, at least for this price, I prefer this, versus emphasized bass, that muddies everything…
The 360 effect is great, this is the main reason I bought it.
The light show is useless to me, so I am very glad that it can be turned off *and* it remembers the last setting when you power off and on.
Some (minor) inconvenients:
– Mine at least smells like heated iron. This is since I unboxed it, and the smell is still there. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a serious issue.
– While charging, it produces a faint high pitched whine. Since I keep it next to my bed, I prefer to charge it when I’m not there. Luckily, I don’t have to charge it that often.
I’ve had great experience with Anker and was more than willing to buy another product.
Overall packaging and presentation was good, have had no technical issues, it connected both natively and through Anker’s own app.
The only negative is that the bass sounds muddy even at moderate volumes which given my young families listenting habits it is not great.
It has not put me off Anker generally, but will think twice before buying a speaker from them again.
**UPDATE**
Brilliant customer service from Anker. Contacted me about the faulty speaker and replaced it straight away. Pleasure to deal with and the new speaker works perfectly… best customer service I’ve ever dealt with.
Nice speaker. Sounds very good for its size and price when fully charged or plugged in. However, mine seems to have a fault that whenever the battery is Less than 40% the sound fades in and out and is impossible to listen to.
I’m not sure if this is an intentional thing to prolong battery life, but in my opinion it would be much preferable if the sound was steady and loud and the battery just ran out sooner rather than this really annoying fading.
Perhaps mine is just faulty, but I’ve seen a similar review elsewhere so suspect it’s a common issue.
Loved this speaker at first, good sound… seemingly good build quality and loved the app to control it.
Unfortunately after two days it developed the same fault as the previous review…at anything over 50% volume the music fades in and out.
A real shame as everything else about the speaker is great but if you cant get the basics right then it’ll be returned to Amazon.
UPDATE-
So I figured out the fading and then normalizing of the sound only happens when not charging…. so its an issue with the battery or power management. The issue still persists when the unit is over 50% charged so definitely not a design choice.
I must say I would give 5 stars to Ankle customer support whom were in touch to offer a replacement within 6 hours of my original review being posted.
Update 31/7/18-
So the excellent Anker support had a replacement unit out to me within 5 days. I’m pleased to report that this is fine, no battery issues, superb sound and the accompanying Android app to control the sounds and light show is excellent. Very much recommend this product.
I bought this speaker to be used and abused, for holidays, parties and just general use at home. It feels solid and has waterproofing which is exactly what I was after. At moderate volume it sounds good. A decent amount of bass and clarity of vocals, it has everything you would expect at this price point. However when cranking up the volume, vocals become quite tinny and there is some distortion. It also does not get loud enough for my needs. Because of these two issues, I will be returning it.
UPDATE
Anker promptly got in touch with me after leaving this review and resolved the issue by sending me a different model at no extra cost. First class customer service, I am over the moon.
Gets really loud, and still sound clear, and for that price it’s worth i
What makes the Flare stand out from the T6 and other speakers is the lights built into the base of the speaker, there’s a ring of led lights that will pulse and shine and generally do funky stuff in time to your music or just fade in and out. I’m a sucker for pretty lights and I’ve coveted my friends’ JBL Pulse 2 speaker for some time. Firstly let me say this is not as good a light show as the Pulse series, which have the lights all the way up the speaker, but then nor would you expect it to be at a fraction of the price. What you do get is a quite fun little show.which looks good in a dark room but is a bit ineffective during the day as you’d expect.
So, fancy lights aside how does it sound? Well once again Anker have come up trumps with another great sounding speaker. Side by side with my T6 it might be slightly quieter but there’s little in it, and the Flare edges it with sound quality. It’s certainly a more refined sound than the T6 – less boosted bass and no distortion. Like the T6 the 360 degree design means it fills a room well wherever you position it. I’ve been really impressed with the quality from this thing – my go-to test song is “Reset It” by Special Request which features a lot of bass and this copes admirably, but it’s not a bass heavy and the speaker sounds great on more subtle songs too.
There’s an app to download which allows you to update the firmware and gives control over the lights, EQ etc but it’s not actually needed for everyday running. I’d have liked the EQ to make more of a difference but maybe a future update will address this. The bass can be boosted either by a button or in-app but I suspect you’ll be leaving it in the ‘on’ position all the time. Other good points include a 12 hour play time and waterproofing, which means it’s perfect for festival use.
In conclusion then, if you are a real bass demon then this might not be the best speaker for you around this price point – there’s still lots there but it’s not a speaker that will blast your face off with sub bass, however it does have a really nice balanced refined sound that is suitable for pretty much any genre of music you throw at it. Combine that with the fun light show and Anker have done the business again.
My children all have Anker speakers and knowing their quality it was an easy choice when choosing one for myself. I haven’t been disappointed either easy to use from the start great app installed to control the sound and light functions from my phone. Battery life is excellent and most important for me is the quality of the sound 1st class. I would recommend Anker products without hesitation thank you. A*
This is so unfair, I get to see this after purchasing 2 other Anker speakers at almost the same price. I would definitely have gone for this and I am devastated that I am seeing this just now. I have no intention of returning my 2 Soundcore Boosts or any other of my Anker speakers, but I definitely lust after this product. Heard it play at a party and I can say that you would have no regrets getting one of these.
The bluetooth connection pairs very fast, and is simple to do. The range of the bluetooth was quite impressive too, spanning the whole length of my garden. No more needing to leave your phone right next to your speaker! The ambient light is just that, I’m ambivalent towards it. I guess its on there to contend with other speakers and give it a little bit of wow factor. However, it only adds to aesthetics.
I love the sound quality on this, it’s punchy and alert. There was no distortion from the bass and overall there was a good equilibrium of sound. The 360 sound works a treat, meaning everyone gets an equal volume and bass.
I would recommend this product to anyone who is wanting a portable speaker that is simple to use, without the need to connect to wifi or faff about. It’s a good speaker and would be perfect for a sunday afternoon bbq or small gathering.
The party was on from about 2pm though to well after 10pm, I’m not sure how long it had been in before we arrived, but it showed no signs of letting up.
This will be my summer speaker. This is a fantastic and loud speaker that I intend to take with me on my holidays. It’s small enough to fit in my beach bag. It’s good enough to really enjoy and appreciate musically and comes with a light show that adds to the overall fun factor. Let the party begin !!!
It is worth making a little attempt at describing the speaker. It has a tube-like / Coca Cola can shape (albeit slight larger) and, not too dissimilar from the Echo, is wrapped in a fabric cover. Additionally, it ‘sits’ on a ring of light. Measurements, at the widest points are 15cm (height) x 9cm diameter.
It is an attractive looking speaker with five buttons on the top :
. Play / Pause
. +
. –
. Bass (enhancer)
. Light (controls the ring colour lighting at the base of the speaker)
The power, Bluetooth, aux port and micro USB port are located on the side. The ports are covered by a silicone cap to avoid dust and splashes entering them.
This Bluetooth speaker has good weight, weighing 570g and feels solid. The entire speaker is waterproof (IPX7), meaning it can cope with being submerged to a max of 1 metre of water for a max of 30 minutes, before becoming damaged.
Powering on the speaker is simple – press the power button for 2-3 seconds and you are greeting with – ‘swoosh’. Next to pair. Look for ‘Soundcore Flare’ on phone and connect. Some tones confirm immediate success – no pairing codes needed.
Music …
This speaker is very very loud. More importantly for me, clarity of output is excellent for this type of speaker. Vocals are distinct whilst, trebles and mids are very apparent and bass is pretty darn satisfactory. Bass enhancer is a notable and welcome addition. I’m really enjoying the overall sound from this speaker. Distortion is minimal and only at the very top level, which was fair enough considering how loud it goes. I actually found it uncomfortable to keep at its loudest for very long !! Also, sound emanates 360, so no need to position facing in one particular direction.
Worth noting that the volume of the speaker works with my iPhone. iPhone functionality can also be controlled from the buttons on the speaker – Play/pause, volume, press – or + to adjust the volume. Interestingly, I have to use the play / pause button to move forward or back a song (usually, + or – ). Long press the play button calls up Siri
Finally, this Soundcore Flare speaker is a connected speaker, meaning that two speakers can be paired together – the ultimate in stereo experience.
The Soundcore Flare is an excellent audio experience and for this alone, it is worth recommending, but it also adds a little fun to the proceedings. The speaker sits on a ring that has an adjustable light show. Adjustable using the speaker button or the SoundCore app (Firmware update needed) – 5 modes – party, energy, chill, bedtime and spring. Effectively you can choose from party beat-driven lighting through to night-time chill down lighting.
This will be my summer speaker. This is a fantastic and loud speaker that I intend to take with me on my holidays. It’s small enough to fit in my beach bag. It’s good enough to really enjoy and appreciate musically and comes with a light show that adds to the overall fun factor. Let the party begin !!!
The only negative / problem that I have encountered is that I cannot video this little beauty and play music at the same time. Once I start recording, my music is paused. Rather odd !!!
Upon receiving my new Bluetooth speaker from Anker I was immediately impressed with the nicely produced packaging. This is one thing that I have found has improved with every single new release by Anker.
Inside the box I found: 1x micro USB cable for charging, 2x manuals, 1x Anker Soundcore flare.
The first touch of this speaker is really nice, the material finish gives it a lovely soft feel and the weight gives you a good feel for the quality.
On the top of the speaker you can find the Play, Bass, Light and Volume Up and Down.
On the front you just have the Soundcore Logo.
On the rear there is a Bluetooth button for pairing, Power on/off and underneath the rubber Anker flap you can find the AUX in and USB charging port.
The base of the speaker has a rubber ring for great stability. Then obviously the nice new addition to any of the Anker speakers the LED lighting.
Pairing the speaker was easy, you simply have to connect it via the Bluetooth option in your devices menu. You can also install the Soundcore app from the IOS/Play store, this allows you to adjust lighting schemes and a few audio levels. The audio level options are a bit limited and generally I found that just leaving them to Default was the nest Option.
As far as build quality I have said above that it feels solid and well made. It feels robust but I don’t plan to abuse test it.
Size wise from the pictures I expected it to be a lot larger than it is. I almost expected it to be the size of the Sonos but it’s the same sort of size as the other anker speakers just vertically.
The most important question to answer is what’s the audio quality like. Well this isn’t the best speaker Anker offers in the way of audio quality. I found the volume limit to be quite low.
I would rate this quite highly amongst other Anker Soundcore speakers but I don’t think its as good as the Anker Boost model but it has other features that also make it better than that speaker. The 360 audio is a great addition and it allows you to fill the room more with music.
I tested this speaker out using a variety of music Genres and I found the following:
Pop, Hip Hop, R&B(modern), Classical music generally was pretty good quality sound
Rock, real R&B, Folk, Metal were pretty good some songs better than others some of the older music I found to be a bit distorted.
Please note though I based this experience on using Spotify on an IOS device.
One feature I have been unable to test is the ability to link 2 speakers together as I only have one speaker
Overall though I am impressed with the speaker it’s a nice facelift to other speakers not only by Anker but others on the market. It is something that looks nice on my fire place.
I think this speaker would be great for anyone really. If your looking for a nice looking and sounding speaker at a reasonable price you can’t go wrong with this.