Bluetooth Speaker, Anker Soundcore Speaker Upgraded Version with 24H Playtime, Stereo Sound, BassUp Technology, 66ft Bluetooth Range, Built-In Mic, Portable Wireless Speaker for iPhone, Samsung
Connect with Alexa
Soundcore connects with Alexa-enabled devices.
Rock-Solid Connection
Bluetooth 4.2 ensures your devices maintain a strong, stable connection up to 66 ft away for skip-free music.
Instant Setup
Use with phones, tablets and almost any other Bluetooth-enabled device. Soundcore reconnects to the last device used for instant music playback.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Powerful Stereo Sound, Deeper Bass, Pure Titanium Diaphragm Clear | Huge Stereo Sound, Stronger Bass. Pure Titanium Diaphragms | Hi-Res Audio Certification, Enhanced Sound Dispersion, Ultra-Wide Frequency Range, Qualcomm aptX, Customizable EQ | Loud Stereo Sound | Stereo Sound Deeper Bass | 360° Sound, Nice Bass |
| Playtime | 24 Hours | 24 Hours | 12 Hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | 12 hours |
| Water Resistance | IPX7 | IPX7 | IPX7 | – | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| APP | EQ Settings, Software Upgrades | EQ Settings, Software Upgrades | EQ Settings, Customizable EQ. Software Upgrades | |||
| Connection | Partycast: Link 100+ Speakers | TWS | TWS | TWS | TWS | |
| More Feature | USB-C | USB Charger out, USB-C | USB-C | Light Show | ||
| Recommended For | Bedroom Shower Beach | Hiking Boat Beach Camping Picnic | Indoor Bedroom Living Room | Indoor Bedroom Kitchen Travel | Travel Shower Bathroom | Outdoor Pool Backyard Party |
Model Number: A3102
Soundcore
The Bluetooth Speaker with Superior Sound and Playtime.
Superior Sound Quality
Wherever life takes you, experience your music with powerful stereo sound and crisp, tight bass. Boasting less than 1% total harmonic distortion, Soundcore sounds great even at the highest volumes.
Incredible Battery Life
Anker’s industry-leading power management technology keeps your tunes playing for up to 24 hours on a single charge—that’s over a week’s worth of playtime (based on average usage).
Uncompromised Portability
To keep Soundcore small but also sounding great, we’ve designed it using a unique spiral bass port design. The result is a clean bass sound you can easily pick up and put in your bag.
Bluetooth 4.2 Connectivity
Soundcore uses the very latest Bluetooth technology to maximize device compatibility and pairing speed.
| Dimensions: | 16.76 x 4.57 x 5.59 cm; 380 Grams |
| Model: | A3102014 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Anker |
| Origin: | China |
Great wireless speaker for the money. Elegant, good sound, very easy cooectivity and good battery life.
This is quite loud and my friends to borrow it.
Bought this speaker to go camping with! Amazing battery life, great quality sound.
Really pleased with this.
Use it via bluetooth from my phone for radio at work on the move.
Quality sound and volume in a noisy working environment..
Charge lasts very well too
This is a powerful speaker that will fit in two hands. It connects smoothly through Bluetooth and will last all night.
Everyday use, to listen to music from my phone. Brilliant product.
bought for a friend, now looking into getting one for myself
Great speaker for the price, good battery life and sound. Easy buy.
Nice simple. Good quality speaker great for the wife she takes it everywhere , when she’s happy I am. Well done Anker and Amazon for the great price
I would definitely recommend this speaker for the home but for use in a moving vehicle for example I would say it’s a little too quiet for that purpose due to background noises, even at full volume.
I’m a courier and I use the speaker in the van and have done for the past few months. It does the job adequately in that sense although I’m looking to upgrade as I prefer something a bit louder to compensate for the background noise.
To put it another way, if you placed the speaker in a vehicle full volume, closed the doors and windows and didn’t have the engine running, you could hardly hear it from outside.
As I said before, it’s ample for the home and sounds far better in this environment. The connectivity and battery life get full marks by the way!
This little speaker pushes out a nice sound for its size.Im a big fan of Anker products as they have a feel of quality, great sound for the price poi
Value for money light and easy to carry
Good sound
This is one beautiful sounding speaker and well worth the money, was a bit hesitant at first but was easy to connect and the sound is beautiful. Love it. Thanks
Hope this review helps! Enjoy Lorna
Lost my last Anker speaker and because it worked and sounded so good I had to get another. Again its perfect for my use
Bought as the man-cave sound system: Impressive build quality, feels robust. Sound quality belies it’s price point (30-ish). Would still have been very happy with the performance at double this price – great VFM
Great speaker for anyone who wants something that is affordable yet punchy. It’s packs good sound and long battery life. If you are an audiophile then this may not be for you as the sound is limited.
Brilliant speaker for its size, great well balanced sound, easy to use controls, perfect for me to bluetooth to my Echo Do
Love this product just bought a second one for a friend as she admired mine. Great battery life and easy to connect to Bluetooth.
This little speaker is fab. Only charged it once and I listened to music all summer long. Loud enough to bug the neighbour’s
Really great little speaker. Very good sound quality for the small size. No problem connecting. Can’t fault it really.
I bought this without researching too much because I wanted something to listen to my music on while doing housework.
I’m sure serious sound buffs will have additional criteria to consider but for my purposes it’s absolutely perfect!
I bought this to boost the sound from my iPhone as am using it more to listen to radio. The Anker speaker is a good solution and was easy to pair. The sound is perfectly adequate for my needs. Mainly BBC4 – haven’t tried it out on music stations so cannot comment on the quality regarding that, but it’s has a clear and well balanced sound quality. Very good value for the price.
Such a quality speaker and so easyy to use. The sound quality is brilliant.
Such a good buy, you can take it anywhere.
The battery life is amazing. I’ve only had it 2 months, used it 3 or 4 times and still not had to charge it.
Highly recommended!
Bought this to use in the campervan and really pleased with it. The sound is great, its easy to use and the perfect size. Cannot comment on battery life as only had it a few days, still going strong after a weekend away though so I’d guess it is really good. Great price too
Great little speaker, sound is brilliant, lightweight and very easy to use. No complaints
Great battery life
Phone battery last all day when steaming music through it
Great produc
Connects quickly, decent battery life one charge will last you all day. Nicely put together, feels like it will last.
I used it on a ten night holiday and it really exceeding my expectations! Absolutely wonderful for a bit of low level music or to ramp up the intensity of watching a movie on your phone!
Great produce, does everything I need it todo. No issues at all.
I had no problems getting it to connect to blue tooth. The sound quality is excellent, altogether a value for money item.
The sound quality is amazing, got it for a workin kitchen and you can hear it over the noise. Would defo recommend.
Small, compact but excellent sound quality ideal for both music and audible. Connected to my iPad and iPhone immediately.
Far better sound than I expected for a budget speaker, I’m not sure how good the battery is as I have only just started using it.
Absolutely superb speaker the sound quality is amazing. Very loud too. Download a radio app on phone Bluetooth it to speaker and move it around with me at work
This is a superb speaker. Connects no problem has great Bluetooth range on it and a fantastic sound to boot best buy yet.
Obviously not as good as speakers that cost six or seven times as much, but not a lot worse either. A beautifully constructed product and excellent value for money.
Decent speaker for the money. Works with phones, TVs and PCs – if it’s bluetooth or connects with a standard cable, it’ll work. Sound quality is ok – not that bassy, but what do you expect for the money.
Absolutely love this speaker! Brilliant sound quality, very very reasonable price and the battery life is just incredible! I have this nearly a month and use it very regularly and have yet to charge it. It’s amazing. 1000 stars!
After receiving a defective speaker, the Anker customer service team have been great and provided me with a replaceme
Can’t complain, it connects quickly and plays music! Sound quality is what I’d expect at the price point so all in all, it’s okay!
Excellent all round sound style and battery life l, haven’t charged it yet had it since May
Arrived quickly good quality sound, small enough to put in suitcase to take on holiday I’ve had it about 4 weeks and haven’t had to charge the battery yet but it’s not used everyday
I bought this speaker in December 2017 and it is still going strong, and I don’t think I have used the whole battery life yet! Although it charges via the older Micro USB standard it sounds great and meets all my expectations (see attached video, I am playing a track from the YouTube library on it). I have bought several Anker products and always been satisfied.
I brought this 5 years ago and it hasn’t let me down. the battery seems to last forever. it says 24 worry-free hours…i am sure that is a massive understatement. i was using it a few hours a week at one time and i was charging it every 6 months or so. then i started using it for about 2 years as computer speakers (on 8 hours a day) and i was only charging it every month or so. Now 5 years on, the sound quality and the battery is as good as when i brought it. it has been thrown around, left in a corner for months, left in damp churches and in the car. and it just keeps on impressing. it also provides an impressive amount of volume! not enough for a large church but it has held up in several small churches to provide backing for the congregation to sing to.
Got this for holiday as my Marshall speaker to big to carry around. This little speaker is an excellent bit of kit, don’t expect Bose type sound but you will be very happy with this. Excellent value for money and quality build for the price.
Bluetooth pairing very easily done, no issues at all. Bluetooth range is quite impressive as well, working at around 20 metres with no breakdown in connection at all.
Battery life is excellent, on all day (around 8-9 hours) and still working the next day.
For this money the quality of the sound is pretty exceptional, you haven’t paid Bose or Marshall money so don’t expect that level, and you will be very pleasantly surprised.
My first Anker purchase and certainly won’t be the las
I WANTED to write a review, because I thought EVERYONE needs one of these in their life.
But I thought I’d wait ‘a few months’ to see if the product would stand up to being used on a daily basis in different scenarios.
I also remember that same day seeing the gulf of empty space to the left of the A on the front grille of this speaker, wondering if TippEx still existed opening my Amazon app up and was delighted to be able to order a bottle and customise the speaker the next day. (See photo. I was so proud of that W) (also just seen another Bluetooth speaker brand on Amazon called W-King are they in cahoots???! Seriously, lol )
Seven, yes, SEVEN, that’s 7! YEARS later here I am . One very unhappy customer. The USB charging port has become too loose to transfer sufficient charge to the battery, but I’m not angrily seeking a refund, I think that’s more than reasonable wear and tear. I’m unhappy as we’ve been through a lot together, music drags me through a lot of tough times, and this speaker has never failed me.
It was never sold as shockproof, dust proof, waterproof, and I am frankly amazed for 25 quid it lasted so long.
It has been to France on a driving tour round the WWI battlefields, Spain a few times, a surfing trip to Portugal where I broke my neck but the Soundcore survived. As a postman in a van I took the speaker all over rural south Dartmoor in all weathers and the inside of the cab of a rural use Royal Mail van is like the inside of a hoover bag, but sometimes wet too. It was used in a shop I ran a small business from. It survived my divorce (and much better than I did ) consoling me with melancholy love songs. It has been on well over two hundred shore fishing trips, either on rocky shorelines or sandy surf beaches. And catching bass (geddit!?!?! Bass/bass, yeah!?!?? Anyone?!?!?! Hmm?!? No? Tough crowd!) in hidden estuaries in the South Hams. It’s been out over 40 miles in the middle of the English Channel over the Western Approaches with all the weather and wet salt laden air on my friend’s tiny 27ft recreational fishing boat. It’s been kicked about in the passenger footwell of a number of crappy cars I’ve owned. It’s somehow managed to not get left behind in the debris from messy overnight hotel stays in cities after gigs. It’s spent long days on my allotment, in mud, in direct sunlight, getting cider spilt on it far more than you’d think healthy. It spent two full days underneath a traditional, but very unusual 120year old Dutch ocean going sailing barge in dry dock, almost lost under shifting ‘dunes’ of debris while I cleaned its bottom with grinders and belt sanders.
In fact pretty much every situation in which I used it would have voided the warranty. Although, in all fairness, if I was trying to blag a refund I obviously wouldn’t have fessed up about ANYTHING in the paragraph above.
The battery, once fully charged, doesn’t last as long as it did 7years ago, but I easily get a few evenings’ use between charges, more than acceptable. Everything else runs like Day One. Incredible.
It’s been used as a Bluetooth speaker and CRUCIALLY over the last couple of years it’s used daily in my bedroom as the audio output from a Chromecast plugged into an audio/hdmi splitter I send the video to an old PC monitor with no audio output, and use the always reliable 3.5mm input on the Soundcore for the audio. I could use the Google Assistant to connect the Chromecast Ultra to the Soundcore 3 via Bluetooth but tbh it’s simpler and more reliable to just leave it hard wired in via the 3.5mm jack.
So, it’s a pretty easy choice for an upgrade, obviously I’m gonna stick with Anker’s Soundcore. I’m a bit older now and fancy an upgrade too. The sound quality has been great, the volume sufficient, but after 7 years and several generations of Bluetooth I’m really excited about hearing the Soundcore 3, which will arrive tomorrow and being better spec’d, higher priced I’m expecting a definite, objective and tangible improvement. (next day delivery on a Sunday still feels a bit unreal and an unnecessary guilty pleasure too, thanks Amazon driver for bringing me a SIM adaptor, about half a gram of aluminium the size of a toenail in one of them posh ‘named’ storms last week at 9.30pm on a Sunday night )
WHAT???????? WTF??????? There is no 3.5mm audio AUX input, on the Soundcore 3. Why on earth not? These AUX inputs are invaluable. It’s one of the only prerequisites I have for the speaker. It’s an invaluable input on the speaker , it’s pretty much a standard I/O still on most smartphones and these users as well as oldskool MP3 player and iPod users will be specifically looking for a portable speaker with new Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, in addition to a trusty cheap analog 3.5mm AUX jack.
Apple already did the market research for you. They removed the 3.5mm headphone jacks from their products, and their customers, completely unsurprisingly, were not happy. People like choice. A pig headed tw4t of a company like Apple hate giving their customers any choice. So they took away the option. And even Apple realised their mistake. Even Apple. Don’t be like Apple, please.
After just two gens of OS version ‘upgrades’ they decided to quietly reinclude 3.5mm jacks for analog AUX input and output in their products . Apple already did the market research for you. Presumably they didn’t do any of their own , but you’ve got a pretty good idea of the market’s opinion, based on Apple’s experience. And a growing number of references to the AUX inputs in your own product review pages.
(PLEASE NOTE THIS SPEAKER, THE ANKER SOUNDCORE THAT IM REVIEWING, DEFINITELY DOES HAVE A 3.5mm jack)
I’m afraid I cancelled my Soundcore 3 order within minutes of placing it. Which is a great shame. (Not for you, losing a customer who spent 25 quid on a flawless product 7 years ago, 3 quid a year I think you can shoulder the loss there ) It’s genuinely a great shame for me.
I need a replacement tomorrow and I’ve had to order from a competitor. A Tronsmart Force which has the 3.5mm jack I need. It *supposedly* has higher output power, which isn’t really a factor, it can play media direct from an SD card, again not really a factor for me it’s just another ‘feature’ I won’t use and can potentially break down.
(PLEASE NOTE THIS SPEAKER, THE ANKER SOUNDCORE THAT IM REVIEWING, DEFINITELY DOES HAVE A 3.5mm jack)
Hopefully it will be reliable. And hopefully, and I’m serious, Anker rethinks the decision to cut back costs by removing something so many customers actively seek out. I ordered the Soundcore 3, I hadn’t realised there was no AUX input when I placed the order, I just *assumed* it would be there.
Anyway this review is about the trusty original Anker Soundcore. With the ever reliable 3.5mm AUX input. It is, was, one of the most reliable products across all categories I bought for that entire decade. It also changed the way I was able to listen to music, but any portable speaker would have done that. But all in all its the one thing I bought in that whole decade that I have no regrets whatsoever, no complaints, and I still smile when a visitor to my home first notices that the W was an after sales modification.
But, if you don’t put the 3.5mm jack back on all your products I think they all deserve the W modification.
(PLEASE NOTE THIS SPEAKER, THE ANKER SOUNDCORE THAT IM REVIEWING, DEFINITELY DOES HAVE A 3.5mm jack)
I had been considering buying an Anker Soundcore bluetooth speaker for some time (this company have great quality products), and after reading many reviews, decided to buy the upgraded Soundcore 2 instead of the later Soundcore 3.
During the black Friday days, I saw that the Soundcore speakers were even more favourably priced, and because the description referred to the upgraded model and that it was not Soundcore 3, I made the wrong assumption that I was buying the upgraded Soundcore 2 which was my wish.
The speaker I received was the ‘Soundcore’…..neither a 2, nor a 3.
I didn’t know that this model existed…my research had only ever found reviews for Soundcore 2 and Soundcore 3, and latterly the upgraded Soundcore 2.
My disappointment is that I have a model with 2 x 3W audio output, and was expecting the model with 2 x 6W output.
Disappointment to one side, the speaker is superb. Bluetooth connection was challenging but got there in the end, Audio quality is great for my needs in a domestic environment albeit limited to 6W.
I do feel that the product description on Amazon, was not explicit enough for for people such as myself, eager to buy at a time of beneficial price….yes I paid a lower price, but I also acquired a lower specification.
Product still deserves 5 stars.
Only used so far to test it out, but first impressions are extremely positive. The build quality feels very premium and it has a decent weight to it despite being very small. Sound quality is crisp and clear, and for it’s size it’s not lacking too much on bass either. Volume wise it’s more than enough for the purpose I purchased it for, which is for taking abroad and playing music in the hotel room or balcony. It’s absolutely perfect for that and many other purposes. Really don’t feel that you can go wrong with this, especially for the price.
I really like the sound quality from this little speaker, I originally purchased a clone that has SD/Card and USB playback but that device has hollow audio in all modes except radio.
I’ve noticed some users saying this connects in headset mode, mine does the same but it’s easy to sort out.
[UPDATE] 23/10/21 Pic attached
Navigate to “Manage sound devices” in windows 10, Right click over the taskbar speaker and select “Open Sound Settings” Under [Troubleshoot] select “Manage sound devices” find “Anker SoundCore Hands-Free AG Audio” and disable it – the speaker will now be connected and work as required.
[UPDATE] Media buttons. Pic Attached
The media buttons are the only let down being hard to see in low light, I did look for some Media Decals/Stickers but couldn’t find any so made my own out of white tape see attached pic.
[UPDATE] 21/04/22
Device seems to be losing it’s bluetooth connectivity with lots of dropouts, I’ve done a fresh windows install and re-setup but the problem is still present.
My BOSE Soundlink 3 speakers were stolen, so I bought these as a quick replacement being portable speakers. Honestly shocked that it only cost 30, would’ve easily purchased if they were more expensive. I chose ANKER because I’ve bought products from them before and they’ve generally kept their promise of having cheap/reliable products. The battery life has been more than satisfactory, obviously the sound isn’t 100% comparable to more expensive speakers, but they’re all you need if you’re bringing your anker speakers to the beach with friends, going for a picnic, need some tunes in the kitchen etc. Very happy. They’re quite loud as well, if you’re throwing a party, these will do the job if you want to be blasting music in a relatively small place with 10-20 people. Value for money-wise, its a no-brainer.
I bought this back in 2016 and as I write this today it’s beaten up immensely but still functioning perfectly fine, it’s quick to connect and has a pretty decent range, something I’ve found true of other Anker products including their wireless earbuds, working across the house with little interference; and holds battery life like a champ. I’m mostly using it as an alarm clock these days and it stays connected via Bluetooth for at least eight hours a day, and is charged less than monthly. The sound quality is also impressive for something so small, the bass is pronounced and cuts through the mix (it displaces air very nicely, as if it were a much larger driver) and it’s overall sound signature is warm and full bodied. Highly recommended.
For the money this is a great little speaker. I use it in my motorhome, linked to my phone, to listen to the radio and music and for this the sound quality is just fine, easily better than the van’s installed radio and speakers. The battery life is just fine for me, sometimes I turn it off manually but mostly I let it turn itself off. It connects quickly and easily to Bluetooth however one feature to be aware of is that it seems if you want to change the source you have to disconnect the first source before the second will connect.
My “Miami KS” Bluetooth speaker sadly packed up after 4 years sterling service. I missed it so treated myself to a replacement. This Anker got some good Internet reviews and was on offer, so I opted for it. I’d never heard of the brand before, but trusted the music site reviews.
I’m glad I did, as it’s excellent! It’s actually better than the Miami speaker I’d had.
This Anker speaker, is a nice compact black box, with a slightly rubberised feeling coating.
It was quick and easy to pair with my iPad and iPhone. I’m not tech-savvy, but even I could do it straight away with no hassle!
It has volume controls on it, so I don’t have to keep using iPad/phone to adjust volume.
The sound quality is great. Not tinny sounding at all. I play my iTunes music, but also YouTube music. It has nice balance of bass sound that you don’t get when playing straight from iPad/iPhone. It also allows you to turn the volume much higher than the phone allows. The clarity of lyrics is much better too.
I like to listen to music in the bath. Unfortunately if I use the whirlpool setting on my bath I can’t hear my music via iPhone. This speaker is fantastic though, and I can hear clearly.
The speaker is nice handy size to carry in my bag to have music wherever I go travelling. It’s quite robust feeling. Charges quickly. Has built in light for charging.
The only criticism is the charging lead is very short! It’s only about 18″ long, so it can be a pain to reach certain low sockets.
The plug is removable, so it can be plugged into a USB socket instead of just a 3 pin Elec socket.
I happened to get a discount on it, but even at full price of 30 it’s excellent value for money. Highly recommend it.
This is my first Bluetooth speaker as was talked into buying one instead of a ‘dinosuar’ CD Player .
Well…I’ve not regretted it. It’s AMAZING!!!!!!
It arrived within 24 hours, the sound quality is so clear and sharp. It’s compact and I wanted a small one. It’s the length of my hand. Ideal.
It comes with a USB lead to charge. The great thing is it already is charged up so I could ‘play’ with it straight away.
This product is awesome and highly recommend. So easy to use and it paired easy with my phone. It not exactly technology minded.
I have owned one of these speakers for a good long while now.
I purchased one a good few year ago now and it worked perfectly for about a year and a half then it stopped pairing with my pc and would only pair with phone but the pairing wasn’t consistent: I used it mostly with my phone and occasionally with my pc, that said it still worked through the aux input but the Bluetooth wasn’t great. I contacted Anker and they responded very promptly with pairing instructions, unfortunately this didn’t solve the issue and they simply replaced the speaker for me, no fuss no quibbles, they just sent me a new one.
Since then I have been using the replacement speaker almost everyday and it works flawlessly, the battery life is fantastic (I rarely have to charge the speaker) and the sound quality is excellent.
I can highly recommend this speaker and will happily buy a new one tomorrow when the one I have gives up the ghost. I have purchased other Anker products in the past and have always been impressed.
I popped the speaker on to charge as soon as it arrived . Approx 5 hours later the light had gone out, indicating it had fully charged and was ready to be used.
Connecting my phone to the Bluetooth was so simple, I recommend reading instructions first if you are unsure .
I streamed Amazon music through it with no difficulty at all, my husband was upstairs at the time and wasn’t aware i was streaming through the speaker . He assumed I’d put the midi on. He was most impressed with the sound quality ( as was I )
For the price I was absolutely over the moon, I had considered buying a more expensive speaker before I bought this , so glad I changed my mind !
I also bought the official Anker travel case , the case is a fantastic addition to store the speaker when not in use . Stores the charging cable too. What are you waiting for ? You don’t need to spend a fortune , it’s compact , sounds good( well I think so anyway ) and I’ll be taking this away with us on our travels , once we’re all able to freely travel again.
Can’t wait , until then I’ll be using this at home. Bath times with a bit of music or listening to a podcast .
First impression was that its quite small although it’s weight was a sign quality, the buttons on the top of the device being black and are not that easy to make out especially if placed on a dark surface,it powered up easily by pressing the soft touch button and easily connected by blue tooth to our phones.
The sound was a revelation! especially when turned up, don’t expect a thump in the chest bass but nether the lest it has a satisfying bass and clear midrange and treble for such a small device, we use in the kitchen but I would be confident it could be used in a much larger room as we have tested it at uncomfortable volumes (for us anyway) without distortion.
Highly recommended.
I listen to music, or audiobooks, all the time. Listening through devices such as my laptop, tablet or phone, isn’t a pleasant experience unless using my headphones. I can’t use earbuds, and haven’t found a pair of wireless headphones that I can work in yet. They fall off as soon as I look down, or grip so tightly that they give me a headache. So I decided to buy a little a portable speaker. The Anker Soundcore was chosen after careful research, reading reviews on several different websites. And what a brilliant little thing it’s been so far!
I’m very fussy about sound quality. As I listen to lots of different music genres, any audio device I buy must be able to produce clear, resonant, sound. I can’t abide tinny treble, or so much bass that the floor shakes, so clarity and quality are the top priority and the Anker Soundcore scores highly in both. Although I’ve yet to listen to classical music, the Soundcore has been brilliant for everything else. I can’t believe this tiny box fills my large workroom or small kitchen, with a sound that, in my youth, would only have come about from an absolute bank of huge speakers. I have no doubt that it would cope as well with Puccini, or Pachelbel, as it does with Pentatonix or Pink Floyd.
TLDR; The Bluetooth connections couldn’t be simpler, the sound quality is excellent, it’s as portable as a cup of coffee and the value for money is amazing.
This the best Bluetooth speaker ever that I’ve used! The price of this speaker versus the quality of this speaker is just too good! I’ve bought this specific speaker 4 times including my last purchase. I even gifted one of these to my younger brother & he loves it! I’ve worked in different retails & have tried & gone through different Bluetooth speakers, but for the price nobody cannot beat this Bluetooth speaker. I even tried the second gen of this Soundcore speaker because I thought that would be even more better but actually that’s not true, this one is the best & even though it’s not officially waterproof, it can definitely take little splashes & slight rain drops. The audio latency on this speaker for watching videos is also great compared to other Bluetooth speakers & yes you can bring all the big brand names to compete this one as well, but the price you’ll pay for those speakers compared to this one is actually way more & the quality of those might just be same as this one.
When you consider the size of this bluetooth speaker it has quite good sound.
There’s a reasonable amount of bass and overall sound I think is good for the size and cost.
Pairing with my iPhone was simple and easy.
I bought it for the office at work, it’s small in size and can be charged from the USB slot on my PC so it’s easily charged up.
The battery life seems really long, we play music on it all day and it lasts from 8am to 5pm no problems.
I normally plug it in before leaving so it’s charged for the next day.
Would recommend this, bought another for my youngest son for Christmas.
I had one of these for just over 4 years. It’s just given up the ghost but 4 years is a long time for the heavy use I’ve had out of it. Sound is great and I took it everywhere without a case, even slinging it in my bike basket every day to listen to music on my travels.
I’ve docked one star for two reasons. The first was foreseeable and can be a problem with every small device these days. That is the fragility of the USB micro charging socket, which is not really the fault of the manufacturer’s build quality – more just that of the inherent technology of micro USB charging sockets – they’re all soldered onto a circuit board and I’ve found that no matter how careful one is when plugging a device in to charge it, the sockets all start getting wiggly and loose with time, and eventually break. This is exactly what happened with my Anker speaker. The second reason I’ve docked a star, is that given this built-in weak point, Anker have sealed the thing up so well that repairing the socket is a non starter. I’m aware that this may be unfair. If they hadn’t sealed it well, then it wouldn’t have been so rugged.
Al in all, an excellent Bluetooth speaker. It was never supposed to be waterproof but I’ve had it in my bike basket through heavy rain and it’s always survived.
I tried to fix the socket but that wasn’t possible, so I’ve just ordered the updated 2nd generation model, which is supposed to be waterproof, is a bit more powerful and holds a larger charge. I have yet to see how that will perform; I hope as well as the !st gen model but you never know – often manufacturers start intentionally making things less well when a product lasts too long. I’m hoping the 2nd gen will match up to the solid reliability of the is predecessor.
I am considering the price when i write this review. If you’re like me and want a cheap speaker that will sound good and hold it’s battery then this is a good option for you. I keep it in my kitchen and the sound is great. Don’t expect the same sound as you’d get from a speaker double the price but again, for the money it’s good. It’s charged up when it arrives and i used it every day for 2 weeks until the battery light went red (didn’t let it get to the point of dying). It’s also a nice size and connects to Bluetooth very quickly.
I had seen many similar devices from many different companies that do what this does, and all of them seemed to be around the 120 mark. I wasn’t sure how this would compare considering how much less it cost, but after living with it for a few years now, I can’t see how those other units can justify their prices.
This goes for ages before needing a charge (apparently around 24 hours), I only use it occasionally when doing housework/DIY but it’ll be on 6-8 hours at a time, and a lot of similar devices out there won’t even do that on one charge. Charging is via USB, and this is my only issue in that the socket on the pcb isn’t quite aligned with the hole in the outer case so I have to push in the charge cable at an angle – I was concerned over time it might cause some strain on some parts, but so far it’s been fine.
It’s easy to use, just hold the power button a few seconds till a melody plays, and adjust the volume with some large, easy to find/feel buttons. To connect via Bluetooth, just hold down another button until the blue light on the front flashes faster, then your other device can now find it and connect. I usually use it with a audio cable plugged in the socket though, which probably helps save battery.
The sound is surprisingly full, with plenty of appropriate bass. I say ‘appropriate’ because it happens when it should do, not an artificial added bassy sound throughout the song. The sound just sounds great and even, not tinny or muddy – but it will be slightly affected by where you’re placing the speaker e.g. close to a wall or higher up etc. so try a few placements if possible.
It can get loud enough for it’s size, but you’ll need to turn up the volume on your connected device too, and I’ve never heard it distorting – but I’m sure some powerful devices can push it to it’s limits, but I’ve never needed to.
It is stereo but the speakers are so close together you’ll barely notice.
It’s a simple, easy to use device which sounds great, lasts ages between charges and is low in cost – you can’t really go wrong.
I don’t usually review but this speaker I got back in 2016 hasn’t failed me since. The battery life on the speaker is amazing the price for sound quality is amazing too. I would however say the Bluetooth connection is a bit crap however it makes up for it with everything else. And 4 years later to this day I still use the speaker and still works flawlessly! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone who wants a relatively cheap speaker, I would consider buying the anker sound core 2 but currently have no need due to the first one being so good.
Just to include that its been dropped a fair phew times and hasn’t broken.
Anyways in short would buy without hesitatio
I love to listen to music or audiobooks in the bath or shower and while my phone is mostly fine, it not loud enough.
So I bought this speaker in the hopes of being able to listen while the bath fills up, and I’m blown away by it’s tiny size but really loud volume, and bass the also packs quite a punch.
Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t compare to a good pair of speakers/monitors, but it’s not trying to. It’s roughly the size of a PS4 gamepad, but it manages to sound really sweet, and punches way way way above it’s own weight.
It really does have a lot of sound and a nice bass despite it’s size. Listening to one of my DJ mixes in the bath is no longer a chore, its now a pleasure. Play that funky music white boy!
I was gonna wait for its battery to run out to write a review so I could have some comment on that, but it’s had a few good days of being on for an hour our two over the past weeks and still seems to be going strong, so, good enough.
The sound quality is honestly pretty amazing given it’s so small; smaller than I really expected. I’d say it’s at about the par of a pair of average ’90s PC speakers. It’s never going to be HiFi at this size, for all the money at the world, but bass exists, and despite fear “bass boosting” tricks would make it a rumbly or overblown mess, is pretty pleasant to listen too. Rush’s Tom Sawyer sounds nice enough to listen to through it while doing the dishes. It doesn’t make me despite what it’s doing to it.
Bluetooth pairing works well enough to Android or Win10. It’s single-device, so you have to hit the button and re-pair on the device end to change it. Again, about what you’d expect, and at least it’s unambiguous which one is controlling it. Don’t care about the mic so haven’t tested that.
Note it *will* go to sleep, like all battery-powered portable speakers like this, even on AUX. So if there’s a gap between playing things, it’ll drop the first beat before it wakes up. Mildly annoying but also apparently unavoidable in this product category.
The instruction manual is a bit limited, but it is simple to connect to Bluetooth. I needed to wire it in directly, and the flashing blue lights were not overly clarified when you need to do this – apparently you can tell by the speed of the flashes. However, it works well, the sound quality is excellent for such a small piece of kit, and the battery seems to go on forever. It’s nice and sturdy if you wanted to take it hiking, but does get fingermarks near the controls eventually. It’s black, so they don’t show up too much unless you shine the light on it.
The controls are physical, and take some pressure to operate. I would have preferred touch sensitive for all but the on/off switch, to save my fingertips, but five star anyway.
After testing out sound bars up to 100, I can honestly say that the sound that comes from this little speaker is truly amazing. I listen to a range of media which needs a varied range and so I needed a more balanced sound. Most of the other portable speakers / sound bars focus too much on the bass or are just plain tinny. I watch a fair amount of youtube/documentaries but also listen to a range of music, I feel it covers the sound nicely. I also listen to lots of podcasts and this does a good job for people’s voices.
I also needed a way to test my audio mix when I’m editing my YouTube and client online videos as I work as a freelance videographer. This is a good middle of the road option to make sure you reproduce sounds as not everyone watches videos on high end editing headphones.
If you’re looking for a pumping bass crazy speaker, forget this, lots of other options for that. This is fantastic audio quality for a great price!
Has excellent volume for such a little speaker! Couldn’t have gotten any better than this. Excellent delivery and in perfect condition.
Additional info added after original review: After having this speaker for a longer period of time, I have loved it even more. Playing it compared to friends speakers, this one hands down beats the others, with volume, sound quality and battery life. The only negative is you can not skip songs via the speaker, you have to do it via the device its connected to. The fact it has a slight rubbery external material means it is very hard to do damage on accidental drops. It is easy to clean, if you use it like me whilst, cooking or decorating and touching it with messy hands. So simple to connect to your phone and also shows its battery life on your screen on your phone. Very simple and easy to charge. Also has a good Bluetooth range.
I have never written a review on the day my purchase arrived before, but I simply want to say that I had the Anker SoundCore paired with my iTunes collection within five minutes of opening the package, the Bluetooth connection is rock solid and the sound is, as the description that the manufacturer provides, is astonishing.
I have bought a few bluetooth speakers in this price range before, but this one knocks spots off them all. my preference for audio reproduction focuses on the mid range; I want to be able to hear vocals and the instruments that can be so easily lost when emphasis is put on bass-heavy reproduction. If you have similar tastes, then I’m sure you will be as impressed with the SoundCore as I am. The bass is still there, but not overbrearing, and the treble is very good too.
I bought this item for 5 less than it is currently being advertised for, but I am considering buying another one to pair with the one I now have, so it is still exceptional value at 30.
I haven’t had time to find out things like battery life or those things that will only become apparent after a few weeks of use but if there is anything untoward rest assured I will add to this review in future.
I’m no music expert, but even I could tell that there was almost no bass quality in these speakers. I love the sleek design but the sound put me off as soon as I connected so I sent them back. Amazing customer service though!
EDIT!!!!- as soon as I reviewed the product, they got in touch with me and offered a free upgrade to the Anker Soundcore 2. The bass is there and the sound is more crisp compared to the other one. I’ve had the Anker Soundcore mini for about 3 years now and can honestly say the little guy is still going strong! Compared to the Soundcore mini, there isnt much difference with this Soundcore 2, so I’d definitely recommend the mini for a more cost-effective choice. However, I’m really glad that customer service got in touch and provided such excellent service! Thank you!!
It’s a Bluetooth speaker. It connects readily and seems to work very well.
I have to say the sound isn’t quite as good as it could be.
However I use it mainly for listening to Audio books so it doesn’t matter.
Battery life does indeed seem to be virtually endless.
My only grumble with the unit is that there is no contrast between the case and the operating buttons. Being a bit hard of seeing particularly in reduced light I found it impossible to distinguish between the buttons. The different shapes need to be different sizes. My solution has been to trace them out in Tippex/Liquid Paper.
Great little box, works well.
I can only conclude that this firm didn’t try out their name on English speakers from the UK. 😉
Update.
I bought this speaker at the start of November. It is now the 4th of March and I have finally had to charge it despite regular use. Staggering battery life.
UPDATE:
After seeing their comment on my review, asking me to reach them, I got in touch with the customer support team. They were so nice that they promised to make it right by sending me a replacement without even asking.
So much so that they didn’t even ask me to send the old one back.
Now, I’ve got the upgraded model, SoundCore Boost, and having no connectivity issues anymore, I can definitely recommend this product and Anker brand in general.
PROS:
Sound quality is surprisingly good.
Battery life is definitely satisfying.
CONS (fixed by free replacement):
Bluetooth connectivity has serious issues.
I’m a Mac Book Pro user and I connect to internet via Wi-Fi. Sadly wi-fi signal prevents this speaker to connect to my laptop via Bluetooth. The speaker is already in paired devices list. And whenever I choose Anker Sound Core from the list and click on connect, it hangs there and fails to connect. If I turn off wi-fi momentarily it succeeds connecting. Only after then I can turn wi-fi connection back on. This is the most annoying issue.
One other thing is that it frequently gets silent when the thing you want to listen to is a very very short sound as in 1 second long. i like to use online dictionaries that give pronunciation of a word. And it’s almost impossible to listen to those with this speaker. I get the speaker connected and I click on pronunciation button to listen to how a word is pronounced, but I can’t hear anything. After several repeated attempts, every once in a while you hear it.
It is as if the technology they use to conserve power when there’s no sound coming out of the computer is so strict that it expects to receive constant sound for at least a second or two before activating the speaker.
Same thing affects YouTube videos, too. I have auto play enabled on YouTube. Whenever I play a video some time after listening to nothing, the speaker doesn’t kick in up unless it’s already few seconds into the video. This is so frustrating.
Sometimes I wonder if I would have been better if I’d bought upgraded Anker Sound Core 2 instead of this Anker Sound Core model.
Great little speaker to carry around with you. Battery last for days and days. Tidy package that can be easily slipped into your pocket. Bluetooth range is easily 10m with nothing in between but only a few feet if there’s obstructions. I tend to leave my phone beside the speaker in the house.
The buttons seem to work but I don’t often use them, only the pause button. I’ve never tried taking a call with the speaker but I’ve no doubt it would work
Good points:-
Good quality audio
Long battery life
Easy to set up bluetooth and once paired it will connect automatically once you switch it on (as long as it was the last device you used)
Neat, compact package
Adequate volume for standard sized sitting rooms
Waterproof for a steamy shower room or a light rain shower
Bad:-
The only bad point I can think of is it struggles with producing enough volume outside or in a noisy environment but that’s not what I bought it fo
What’s not to like about this speaker? Build quality, is there, as it’s an Anker! Then, there is the sound quality, which is ALWAYS there, with ANY Anker speaker/ear buds/headphones whatever. Great make! Fabulous prices for the build quality. Sound is amazing and as for the battery life………it’s endless! I’ve used it, uncharged for 3 shifts and each one is 12 hours long, while it blasts out in the office on night shift! It’s a no-brainer! Great speaker!
Update: I’ve now had it playing every night for 5 and a half nights, at 12 hours long and not charged it once!! Well done, Anker on getting your batteries to last this long! Superb!!! Secret seems to be, always use the charger that came with it and let the battery run out till it switches itself off. That way you don’t damage the battery and get the maximum performance out of it!
I bought this speaker when it was released and at a very, very good price. It was the first time I heard about Anker and I was blown away by the precision, the sound and the well-rounded off speaker which arrived at my home. It seemed impossible to drain the battery, was easy to connect, but most of all, the sound was amazing! Today, Anker is an established name amongst those who have tried only one of their products. If I am looking for cables or anything to do with electronics, I check out the Anker products first. In some countries, like South Africa, Their products are also being sold in Apple stores. Everyday Quality products at an affordable price. I would like to hear them add more base to their speakers. A few glitches to work out and they will be on-par And a competition for some of the best companies out there. Well done, Anke
This was the first Bluetooth speaker I have bought. I have Bluetooth on my Denon system. I had to reach out to Anker since the unit was popping and missing the introduction of a track. Cherry from Anker from superb, got back to me in a day and asked me to run some tests. The first unit failed and was instantly replaced. I am still evaluating this speaker. Based on the customer care I did buy the Base boost 20w version, which I would say sounds superior. That has a cleaner and full sound. This was only bought to be used in a kitchen and around the house for my meditation and audible. It connects easily to an iphone 8 plus, the speech is clear. The music sound is more muddled. It depeneds what you want. If you intend to use for my purpose and this one does not start to pop, it’s excellent for the price. If you wish to listen to more music and can except the shorter battery life, I would say buy the 20w base boost version. Either way you will be fully backed up by Anker and that to me is vital. I hope this helps your decision.
I now own two bass boost versions and two of this version. Both of this version exhibit the popping fault and miss the first part of a connected music or speech. I have a use the insight meditation app when I wake. The first few words are always lost. On the both bass boost 20w speakers this does not happen. So if you can afford the extra money I would say buy the bass boost 20w speaker. The sound is more clear as is the connection. Just the battery life is shorter. But you cannot have everything.
Quite disappointed with sound quality. I have gear4 Bluetooth speaker for few years. I wanted to replace with anker soundcore. My gear4 sound quality and bass far better than this speaker.
But definitely soundcore have amazing battery life. I would give 5 star if the sound quality was better.
Update 7th May 2019 — I’ve now been using this great little speaker since 22nd March 2019 (1 month, 2 weeks, 1 day) I use it on most days for several hours (playing digital radio at normal, ie not loud volume, via my iPad’s Bluetooth) and it is still performing brilliantly, and I’m still very happy with it; but here’s the thing, in all that time I have not had to charge it at all. It’s still running off its original charge. The battery life on this thing is phenomenal. Yes you can get more powerful speakers but I very much doubt the battery life won’t be anywhere near as good. I also use it connected by Bluetooth to play sound from my laptop. It make’s watching films and YouTube videos a much better experience having bypassed the tinny little laptop efforts.
What Amazon advertises by Anker is all true! I’ve never had any problems with it during the 6 month period. I’ve dropped it, spilt energy drink and coffee on it, never runs out of charge, very loud (and keeps playing loud for the advertised time (24h)). I’ve even pushed it to past its limits on my android phone by increasing the gain of it and trying out different bass equalizers. I am very pleased with this bang for buck and would recommend it to everyone as it is cheap, high quality and tough. I am also a student and I carry this around everywhere I go, party in my pocket basically. As you can see almost all of the reviews out of like 6000 reviews, all are 5*, and so is mine. Never regret this product.
Sadly, after a year of fairly continual use as I listen to a LOT of podcasts and music, the device stopped pairing. I assumed that, at this price, the customer service/warranty would be non-existent. I could not have been more wrong! Within just two emails, one from me to raise the issue and another to supply requested information, a replacement was agreed and despatched! I’ve spent ten times this amount on other kit only to be treated like dirt if/when there was an issue – these guys showed respect and customer service beyond the basic!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Anker SoundCore Bluetooth Speaker Portable Bluetooth 4.0 Stereo Speaker with 24-Hour Playtime, 6W Dual-Driver, Low Harmonic Distortion, Patented Bass Port and Built-in Microphone for Calls for iPhone, iPod, iPad, Samsung, LG and others
It is well built (as I have come to expect from Anker), although I have found that oily fingers do mark it, the design is quite stylish but not flashy, and it sounds good for its size and price, but the battery life is far and away the strongest feature.
Highly recommended.
I’m a university student who, which anyone who’s in a similar situation knows, has limited budget and room for a big stereo system. Whilst not an audiophile, I’ve recorded music before and know what sounds good and what doesn’t. I was completely blown away by this little speaker. From previous experience with portable speakers, I was expecting a lot less from the Anker speakers. Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to an EQ curve, but this speaker comes out the box sounding ‘perfect’ to me (for a speaker that fits in a pocket) Lows are under control, highs are crisp but not too excessive, can anyone else not stand these big bass and treble boosts in most modern music? Low-mids and miss sound similar to what I usually set on an EQ. It’s loud enough, and stays clean up to top but starts to break up if you’re listening to a loud song at a high volume, don’t expect it to be the sole speaker at a party, but sat at a desk working or as background music, I don’t think you can go wrong at all buying this Anker Speaker!
Very easy to connect to my tablet, once I synced it the first time it connects immediately to my tablet and laptop whenever I power on the speaker, although I do suggest turning the Bluetooth on your device first before switching on the speaker (as per the instructions).
Great sound quality, for listening to music or streaming on my tablet and laptop. Very surprised by how crisp the sound was and volume is perfect for my usage as I use to just listen to music on my device speakers.
Great for listening round the house and took it to a bbq recently and it stole the show.
1st thing I pack when I’m on my holidays
6 weeks on from this review and my daughter has just returned from Ibiza where she used these speakers. People were asking her who made the speakers, how much they were and how long the battery lasted. She told me they were all amazed (without exception) when she gave them the specs. So, to repeat myself, they’re fan-bloody-tastic.
Battery life is just brilliant, I’ve been using it fairly regularly for weeks now and haven’t needed to charge it yet. Build quality and design are also excellent, and as the device itself is very compact, it’s easy to carry around in a backpack for example. Bluetooth range is also very good when using an up to date smartphone or tablet and the audio does not cut out when you stay in good range of the speaker. You can also play music through an AUX cable if you don’t have Bluetooth or for if you prefer not to use it. It’s very easy to pair with new devices just by holding a single button, and volume can easily be adjusted using your phone or with the buttons on the speaker itself.
For the current price (27 ish), I would say this speaker is a good value. I would recommend it to those looking to play music out loud when out and about who would prefer to use something better than their phone speaker.
Packaging – The speakers come in a neatly packaged box, it would take no longer than 2 minutes to have everything out. This product comes with the speaker itself, a booklet and a usb cable (no charger sorry).
Aesthetics – One of the reasons for picking this speaker is due to the design and ergonomic functions. This can be placed anywhere and fit in perfectly due to the small size – another reason why I chose it. While the rubber seems ‘odd’ at first, it helps with the grip which is beneficial for a portable speaker
Function – Bluetooth is very fast. Once the the power button is held, it turns on and instantly begins to search for any available devices. No problems with this so far but only wished it had NFC. The buttons feel a bit awkward at times but something that can easily be ignored. Also have yet to run out of charge after using this for a 1+1/2 weeks.
Sound – The most important quality. These are surprisingly loud for a speaker this size. There is a tad lack of sound depth but overall the quality is crystal clear. The bass is not ear-thumping but enough to be heard distinctly.
Pros
– Loud, clear sound
– Aestheticly pleasing
– Easy to connect
– Decent battery life
Cons
– lack of depth/base could be better
– buttons can seem awkward at some points
While some odd points, if your looking for a cheap speaker then here’s one at a great quality. Have no thoughts of returning.
Where to start..
This is a fantastic little unit offering the quality of a much more expensive bluetooth speaker for a fraction of the price.
The sound:
I have noticed other people reviewing this little portable speaker like they expect it to have the low-end of a PA Bass Bin. This speaker has little to no actual thump to it like proper hifi and sound systems, however you can clearly identify the lows in music up to around medium volume. After medium volume the highs start to over power the bass and lower mids, although only by a slight amount.
I have listened to multiple genres of music, from electronic, rock, blues, pop and live sets including stand alone vocals, all of which come across as clear and not muddy like a lot of cheap speakers. Sometimes the sound can sound a little boxy and tight but this is expected from almost all speakers of this type, especially at this price range.
One major thing I have noticed with this speaker is that it sounds extremely poor over bluetooth 2.1, the sound quality comes over as distorted and very muddy. However this speaker sounds absolutely great with bluetooth 4.0 which is found on most modern phones and tablets like the iPhone 6 etc. This can of course be rectified by the use of a 3.5mm stereo cable which the speaker unit has an input for.
The build quality:
This speaker has a very nice and premium feel to it with it’s rubberised coating and painted metal grill. The speaker also has a reassuring weight to it and does not feel like the light pieces of chinese cr4p you can also get at this price range.
The USB charging cable included with this speaker also feels very high quality.
A brief sum up:
For 30 give or take this speaker is undeniably worth it. This speaker has a great sound range from highs down to fairly deep lows (minus the bass vibrations you’d get from a subwoofer). This speaker seems extremely well built and fairly robust with it’s rubberised coating and nice weight, which also gives it a premium feeling you’d expect from a much more expensive speaker. It’s hard to name many big flaws this speaker has besides it’s lack of sound quality over lower bluetooth bands such as 2.1. I would highly recommend this speaker to anyone as it excels in many different music genres, from electronic bass intensive music to live vocals and acoustics. After this speaker arrived, the very same day I ordered a second one as a Christmas gift as when I showed it to the person I intend to give one to, they were blown away by it.
Pros and cons:
Pros:
It can get loud. Very loud.
It’s extremely user friendly and easy to set up with it’s straight forward and minimal buttons.
It can also be plugged in directly via a 3.5mm aux cable if your music source doesn’t have bluetooth.
It has a alleged 24 hour battery. (I have yet to test this).
It is very small and easy to take with you.
It feels extremely premium.
It lets you know when the volume is too loud by beeping to prevent damage to the speaker drivers.
It’s price point to product experience. superb!
for me, this took less than 48 hours to arrive from purchase without prime.
Cons:
It’s an absolute fingerprint magnet (in black, I can’t say for other colour variants).
It does distort a little at higher volumes depending on what you are listening to.
It sounds terrible over bluetooth 2.1 (superb on bluetooth 4.0).
It has a very strong plastic/rubber smell however this is probably because of how new it is.
It does not come with it’s own wall charger however most things don’t nowadays so this shouldn’t be a con for most people.
It can sound quite boxy and muddy at extremely high volume.
I will update this review in future after spending more time using the unit and once the unit has broken in from use and most speakers sound tight for the first 50 or so hours.
I hope this helps anyone also looking to purchase this speaker.
-a sound junkie.
Coming to the end of 2018 so 2 years old, this gets used every day and is still like new, not a mark on it. It has survived a bonnet slam on the Impreza and was left out in the rain overnight, works perfectly. Great device.
I paid 20.99 for this.
Build quality is really good. Rubberised outer with big icons on the top that have a nice subtle click feel so you know you’ve pressed it. These are great as they are very tactile and you don’t need to look at them to know what your finger is on, you can feel very clearly the function. At night this will be great but will need to take a glove off to feel the function until you know the order by rote, or use a light.
On the right there is the charging light, Aux in (3.5mm) to go to headphone socket of your device, USB charge point.
The unit is completely solid, no flex, no creaks, no joints, no screwheads, no gaps. Metal grill to front and slim rubberised case on the other sides. Best build quality I’ve seen on a device in this price range. Behind the grill there is a blue on light, this flashes when looking for a Blutooth device. The outer case is easy to wipe if any dirt gets on it.
The Bluetooth pairs without fuss. I paired it to a Sony Xperia and Hauwei P9 Lite phones and my PC and each time it was as easy as you’d want. I needed no codes, didn’t have to wait and it hasn’t dropped out once, not had any of those annoying 1/2 second gaps I’m used to with Bluetooth music. The Sony phone is often really annoying with Bluetooth but here it is immediate.
The sound quality is great. I have played all sorts from Kate Bush, Rush, Radiohead, Tom Waits, Death, Queen, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Faithless and a film or two. It sounds great. There is surprisingly good stereo separation and I did not expect this, the stereo is a real bonus on a small speaker, very happy with that. Not just for music but great for films.
It copes well with complex music and the sounds don’t muddy or blur together. For example the bass guitar on Animate by Rush, I can here every note Geddy Lee is playing, very good. The bass is clear but it’s not going to shake your table and the unit itself doesn’t distort. Vocals are very clear. Salva Mea by Faithless is extremely clear and airy on this device. The gravel is gritty and clear in Tom Waits’ voice.
It is very loud and hasn’t distorted yet on any of the music I’ve played on it.
This is a very good speaker for rock music because it is so clear compared to other Bluetooth speakers I’ve used.
There is non of that hollowness or plastic sound I usually hear at this price.
For films it has a great dynamic sound especially with the great stereo seperation.
It has a play/pause button that works on my phones, pads and PC. The packaging is good quality and adds to the premium feel as a gift.
This is a Christmas gift for my 6 year old daughter. I only took it out to charge it up nut keep on playing with it. 🙂
So sound quality is extremely good.
Build quality is flawless, probably unrivalled for the price.
Bluetooth is simple and never fails to pair , never drops out.
The battery has been going for over 10 hours, will have to test it out but in fairness it just keeps going.
Very happy with this purchase. Serious bargain.
The audio quality has a real nice depth to it in terms of audio reproduction, and listening to Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, brings out all the instruments in full clarity and tune, with little or zero distortion: with a crisp digital-feel to it. And it fills the room nicely, a touch harsh at max volume, but this is to be expected as it isn’t trying to be a 400 Dali.
Ticks all the box for portability! It’s small and just the right weight/dimensions: my old Amethyst Mini block was very heavy!
All in all in the context of….. its size, and for what it costs, this is absolutely brilliant!!! A++++ from me. And having used Anker products for years, I know their customer service is A+++ too. So I am hoping this will be as reliable if not more.
I originally wanted something smallish that could be carried in a bag for a variety of reasons (gym music, garden, out and about with the kids etc.) and was very Very impressed by this little speaker.
I’ll be totally honest, I read the line ‘up to 24 hours battery life’ and thought it was laughable, but it really is true. I’ve been using it mostly everyday for around 4 weeks and have charged it only a handful of times, it just doesn’t run out!
Unpacking and setting up was a simple affair, just took it out of the box (it had a little charge in already to get me going), pressed the Bluetooth button (my phone found and paired with it straight away), and had music pumping in under a minute… and I do mean PUMPING. For a little compact speaker it really does pack a punch, with the bass kicking (I mostly listen to dance music) and the crisp tweeters, the sound clarity is ACE, especially at full volume which it gladly doesn’t distort at – no more fiddling with the volume or EQ to find an optimal balance of volume and bass.
The unit itself has power, volume up/down, play/pause and Bluetooth buttons across the top which blend in to the rubberised coating but give a satisfying click when pressed. As my Anker speaker has been previously paired with my phone, when I turn the speaker on it connects automatically if it’s in range which is a very nice touch so I can to work with music straight away, no waiting to connect each time I wish to use it.
The Bluetooth range is fairly good, about what you would expect from Bluetooth – although I have been building at the moment so have been in and out of rooms, I would imagine a clear line of sight would improve the range somewhat – but there is an AUX IN (headphone jack) on the side, so devices without Bluetooth connectivity can be easily connected to the speaker too. As well as the AUX IN, on the side there is also an LED indicator with a variety of flashing combinations for things like, power on, searching for Devices, charging etc, as well as the micro USB charging port and MIC.
The speaker supports hands free for phone calls and is pretty clear, I’ve had no problems so far, the playback pauses, the call is clear and the playback restarts after the call has ended… simple!
As previously mentioned, I’m mostly using it at the moment for background music (well, I say background, on full volume it’s quite loud, so you’d have to turn it down for it to be ‘background’ music), and must confess to accidentally knocking it around and dropping it a few times, but it is amazingly resilient. The thick rubber coating is very forgiving for bumps and scrapes and the solid construction gives me every confidence that it’s going to last.
I can’t say anything for Anker as a company as I’ve had no problems with their product so haven’t had to have any dealings with them, but all in all, I am HUGELY impressed with this little speaker that seems to have some sort of ‘little man’ complex, so obnoxiously tough and loud in such a small frame!
As a DJ I like my audio and would definitely buy more of these, in fact I have, one for the house/garden, one for the kids playhouse and one for out and about in the car. The sound is solid, bassy and crisp. The speaker is simple to set-up and use. I would like to see an mobile app so that they can be chained together, but for the sub 25.00 price tag I am definitely not complaining.
HOWEVER, during gaps in tracks or when connected to Bluetooth but not playing music it intermittently emits loud crackling bursts or hissing noises. I am hoping this is a fault rather than a ‘feature’ although I have noted that several other reviews have noted similar issues. This spoils an otherwise great product as its not great to use, particularly at night or in quiet surroundings
Will get a replacement and see if it’s better
UPDATE
I was contacted Anker with an apology and an assurance that they had had a small number of similar faults, and offered me a free replacement to try. I have had it a few days and the replacement is so much better. No signs of static or crackling even at high volume. They haven’t asked me to update my review and a free replacement was given without any clauses or conditions, so having go that sorted I thought that it would be useful to give it a proper review as an honest update of my last one.
First impressions of the look, feel weight and finish remains excellent. I like the simple design and the matt black rubberised finish, even if the branding is on the large side, It’s a great size for packing and travelling, and the reported long battery has so far proven to be pretty good. Would have preferred that Power and Aux connections were at the rear for a cleaner look, but they are on the RH side- it is what it is.
Bluetooth range is excellent; it pairs straight away and has so far remembered sources every time. Once connected the unit emits a gentle blue LED which doesn’t flash even if the source is paused or goes to sleep, so long as the Bluetooth pairing is maintained. This is better than some I have tried which flash if the source pauses or goes to sleep- annoying when it’s used to go to sleep too and the music eventually stops, and the flashing starts.
There is no Bluetooth code, and this does have a downside, I have experienced random music being played on my speaker whilst in a hotel which presumably is coming from nearby hotel guests who have inadvertently chosen and paired with my speaker rather than theirs! To overcome this I now make sure my phone or iPad is Bluetooth enabled and paired to the Anker straight away to lock out to other sources.
The phone hands free feature works well, but some people I have spoken to have reported that the mic sounds hollow, a bit like being in a box.
As for the sound when playing music, it’s worth remembering that this is a 30 speaker- I have seen some reviews comparing it to speakers costing 5 times more, and that’s an unfair comparison. For the price you get a more than decent sound (albeit with understandable limited range at the top and bottom ends) and the overall sounds are great playing in the background or as a single room source. OK it’s not Hi-Fi but it is surprisingly good and pleasant to listen too from such a small and inexpensive package.
Wind the volume up and its good until it reaches its max with much less distortion than the price would suggest. It’s worth noting though that when using an IOS device (IPad and iPhone tried) the volume is adjusted in small steps rather than as a continually smooth transition, this is the same if the volume control is made from the source or from the speaker. This isn’t a great issue (and may be different if using another type of sound source), but it does mean you don’t have accurate volume control particularly at very low levels when it goes from minimum (which is in my opinion slightly too loud if using whilst working in the background or sleep mode) to nothing in one jump. This has left me feeling that I need at least another step to get it very low before it mutes.
Overall if you are looking for a Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker (other brands available), pay 150 and enjoy. If you want something that is 1/5 of the price and still does an extremely good job from a well-designed product, you are going to be pretty pleased with the Anker.
I would defiantly recommend