Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with 12W Stereo Sound, BassUp, IPX7 Waterproof, 24-Hour Playtime, Wireless Stereo Pairing, Speaker for Home, Outdoors, Travel
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Unbelievable SoundCustomized dual drivers produce 12 W of huge stereo sound. A Digital Signal Processor with dynamic range control ensures high volumes are distortion-free and low levels produce rich bass. | Intense BassThe combination of exclusive BassUp technology and a patented spiral bass port takes the low end to new depths while retaining incredible clarity and intensity. | IPX7 WaterproofSoundcore 2 provides the soundtrack for any adventure. Its IPX7 waterproof protection defends it against rain, snow, mud and more. |
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24-Hour PlaytimeAnker’s power management technology and a battery combine to power up to 24 hours of non-stop music. | Wireless Stereo PairingPair two Soundcore 2 speakers via a single device for double the volume or bold stereo sound.* *Only compatible with the updated version of Soundcore 2. | Bluetooth 4.2Never miss a beat thanks to Soundcore 2’s ultra-stable Bluetooth connection. |
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| Sound | Sound pickup | Powerful Stereo Sound, Deeper Bass, Pure Titanium Diaphragm Clear | Hi-Res Audio Certification, Enhanced Sound Dispersion, Ultra-Wide Frequency Range, Qualcomm aptX, Customizable EQ | Huge Stereo Sound, Stronger Bass. Pure Titanium Diaphragms | Loud Stereo Sound, Balanced Sound Profile | Stereo Sound Deeper Bass |
| Playtime | — | 12 Hours | 12 Hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Water Resistance | IP44（not include adapter and controller） | IPX7 | IPX7 | IPX7 | — | IPX7 |
| APP | Setting, Software Upgrades, play 38 light modes, DIY lighting | EQ Settings, Software Upgrades | Four EQ Settings, Customizable EQ,Software Upgrades | EQ Settings, Software Upgrades | — | — |
| Connection | Bluetooth | Partycast: Link 100+ Speakers | TWS | TWS | — | TWS |
| More Feature | Connect partycast speaker, The lighting can follow different rhythms of the music | USB-C | USB-C | USB Charger out, USB-C | — | — |
| Recommended For | Indoor Backyard room Party | Bedroom Shower Beach | Indoor Bedroom Living Room | Hiking Boat Beach Camping Picnic | Indoor Bedroom Kitchen Travel | Travel Shower Bathroom |
| lighting color | RGBIC, multicolor one strip | — | — | — | — | — |
Soundcore 2
Model number: A3105
The Bluetooth Speaker with Enhanced Sound and Playtime
Awesome Audio
Soundcore 2 produces outstanding audio from an astonishingly compact speaker (165mm × 54mm × 45mm). Upgraded 2x 6W drivers blast out rich, clear sound.
Brilliant Bass
Bring your music to life with proprietary Anker BassUp technology. Deeper bass ensures a wide, balanced audio range.
Play All Day
24-Hour / 500-song playtime means you can listen all day, and all night too.
Audio On-The-Go
IPX7 waterproof rating and dustproof engineering mean you can bring your beats anywhere—from the garden to the beach. Upgraded materials provide a smooth touch and a better grip.
Wireless Stereo Pairing
Grab two Soundcore 2* and pair them together via a single device to turn up the volume and enjoy big stereo sound.
| Dimensions: | 16.51 x 5.59 x 4.57 cm; 357.2 Grams |
| Model: | A3105 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Anker |
| Origin: | China |
When I received the speaker I was a bit disappointed as it was smaller than anticipated. But when I used it it was superb, the sound from such a small speaker is incredible.
Small Bluetooth speakers can sound very thin. This does not. I bought this as a cheap and cheerful speaker for the kitchen. I have since bought a second one for the bedroom. The sound is deep and rich, and fills the room. Great sound quality at a reasonable price.
Great sound quality for a speaker of this price. Decent weight and whilst the bass is not on a par with a BOSE it’s punchy enough. A bargain for what I paid. No issues with pairing so all in all first impressions very good.
I don’t have my own place to live at the moment so I’ve only got a small space to watch movies or play video games.
The audio on my monitor is terrible and when watching movies it was too quiet so we was having to use subtitles.
Bought this, the Anker Soundcore 2 to give it a try as it was Bluetooth and it is a lot better than my monitor speakers.
I realised later I could get an aux cable and plug it straight into my monitor which means I can get audio from Xbox through the Soundcore 2 as well. Xbox series S doesn’t have Bluetooth so I can’t use my headphones for Xbox, this speaker having aux means I at least get better audio when gaming than I was getting out of my monitor.
I read in other reviews it clips at high volumes which i’m not sure about cause the speaker is loud enough for me at mid to high volume. The speaker isn’t the biggest so I can’t imagine it has great audio at high volumes anyway.
For music it does the job for what it is, you can hear every instrument clearly and the bass is present without being thumpy and it was easy to pair the speaker with my phone and blu ray player.
I would have rated the Soundcore 2 five stars but since I’m using it now straight to my monitor it would be nice if you could plug it into the mains. The battery life and my habits mean I have to charge it frequently.
Arrived very quickly. I have given this five stars for battery life but haven’t actually charged it yet as it came with some charge already! Very easy to set up and great that it’s so portable and compact. Good sound quality. Am very pleased with it thus far!
Wanna say it’s slightly heavier than others speakers. The sound seems good, Bluetooth connectivity distance is something to be aware of besides that would recommend for a room speaker. If thinking about using it for a party consider the sound goes only one way not 360 so probably would need 2 of them.
Really good sound, and loud enough for normal use. Connects quickly and easily.
The only issue is it doesn’t have an inbuilt FM radio, which may not bother everyone but as you cannot use FM and Bluetooth on my phone means you cannot listen to FM radio.
Quite difficult to get two units to link together with Bluetooth and instructions not the best, but once done it works really well. Nice, full sound. If you want stereo make sure that both speakers the same as it’s not too clear that they have to be
Had the same one but previous generation, lasted reasonably often use for about
7 years! This one has waterproofing which was the downfall of the previous. Sound quality good for the price. For around 30 a bargain.
I tried 2 other bluetooth speakers which we’re slightly more expensive and higher wattage than the anker but they just couldn’t compete . Sound quality is solid through the ranges with a decent bass and a crystal clear top end .
Great all round speaker for home and garden. This little unit will play for hours and hours without needing charged and its so lightweight it is totally portable. Anker is the choice for you no doubt .
I like this speaker. Not only does it enhance your devices sound quality but ensures you can enjoy the sweet sounds for a prolonged period of time. Nice rich tones and subtle bass provide an enjoyable listening experience. Add the fact that you can pair 2 together to create a true stereo sound. It’s a winner in my eyes.
The sound quality is absolutely amazing. It is impressive for any speaker, letalone a speaker that is so small. I listen to a variety of music and never heard a song that didnt sound good through the speaker.
The battery life if incredible. It really does last for a long time. I never counted exactly how long it lasts but I would agree with up to 24 hours battery life. And it does give you warning beeps when the battery is low.
I would recommend this speaker to anyone, and have recommended it to many friends!
I paid 27.99 for this item on sale and it is well worth the money.
Sounds brilliant good quality sound and best of all can be used anywhere in all weather conditions
eally sounds good for the price, good bass and treble mix , can’t go wrong with this one.
This product comes in really handy when using it to play back the drum beats I write.
Its a small speaker therefore doesnt quite hit the deep bass but still produces decent sound. Battery life excellent and no connectivity issues.
For 30 the sound this little speaker produces is very good. My wife and I use it to play music all the time. The battery life is reasonable, but after being used solid for a rew hours it will need a charge.
I also have the smaller Anker blue tooth speaker , played both and this one edges it, but the other speaker is also decent given how small it is.
I haven’t tested it yet to see if it’s waterproof. If it fails that test I’ll be updating my review. Otherwise decent speaker for the price.
I now have many Anker products and haven’t been disappointed in any of them. This speaker is a great piece of kit. For that kind of money, I don’t think there’s a better product on the market.
I have the soundcore liberty air earphone which sound absolutely brilliant and I had high hopes for this speaker too.
Unpacking from the box the speaker is quite compact. It has a rebber finish to it which feels premium in the hand. There is also a small rubber nub at each corner for the speaker to rest on and isolate vibrations from the speaker. The speaker grill is finished in black with the Anker logo and it all looks like it should cost a lot more than it does. A rubber cover over the charging and 3.5mm ports mean you don’t need to worry about getting dirt in there and is a nice finishing touch.
Pairing with my phone took seconds just like my liberty air buds and I was up and running very quickly.
First of all I tried playing an online radio station via Bluetooth and the sound just didn’t quite fill me with confidence. Next I tried Spotify but even on the highest quality setting it just didn’t seem right. I then tried playing music tracks from my phone. I was able to improve the speakers sound by using the music players eq but it still left me disappointed when compared to my ear buds. The sound is flat, treble is lacking which makes the music seem a little dull. There’s no eq adjustment on the speaker itself and it doesn’t integrate with the soundcore app. The speaker is pretty loud for its size and can easily fill an average sized room.
The Bluetooth connection is stable and works at a fair distance and the battery seems to last for ages.
With some patience and an eq on the phone it can sound ok but for me it should sound good straight away. Luckily Anker customer service and support were absolutely brilliant.
This is a great speaker, very powerful for its size, sound quaity is very good. Indoors this fills the room with music with more volume than you are going to need. Perfect for BBQs, camping, picnics, at the beach etc etc
So battery life is great. However, sound quality on Android 11 using a OnePlus was only ok (lacked a bit of bass). But when they updated to Android 12 and they got the Dolby Atmos working is definitely improved the sound quality. So it does make a difference depending on your input. Range of Bluetooth is great. I can walk all over the home with phone in pocket and it stays connected (not that I live in a mansion). The main reason I went for this one is the dual speaker connectivity. After learning the way for them to connect it works and dual speakers again improve the quality for atmospheric sound. So in conclusion for price these are good speakers but if you’re wanting the top level/more bassy sound then it might not be for you. But for most I think these will be good.
I bought the speaker to play music while doing a substantial DIY project and it delivered in buckets. Small, sturdy, great sound quality and a third of the price of some similar-quality speakers. Being waterproof I could also wash off the paint that inevitable got onto it. Although the photo would suggest you can do it, I didn’t submerge it in water but used a wet sponge and washing up liquid. As such I can’t guarantee that it is fully waterproof but I have no intention of going swimming or sharing a bath with it anyway. The battery lasts all day and its size and shape also mean I can take it with me when travelling.
This is a replacement for my old speaker that died of old age. we have motor home and like to listen to music in the van, using the van speakers on AUX means it can be heard outside which is a bit antisocial. This links up to my tablet where we store our music and we can enjoy our music without disturbing others. We do like a bit of rock and this speaker gives good sound without distortion when you turn it up to max.
I like this product, it is worth it. Good price, good quality materials, easy to carry, good battery life. Highly recommended for the price.
Great little speaker with a 3.5mm audio connection. We also use it to connect to our Kitchen TV to improve on the quality of TV’s speaker. Also recently took it on holiday to use with an Amazon Echo dot which picked up the Wi-Fi and “bluetoothed” it to this speaker. (The wi-fi in the property was not very good,) so we placed Alexa where she could pick up the property’s wi-fi. We then paired the Soundcore 2 and Alexa. So we had music wherever we were in the property.
Overall,a pretty good speaker, loud sounds can be made. Only complain is that it’s micro usb
Good little speaker, easy to connect to, great battery life Just needs to be a bit louder for the price. My old Bluetooth speaker is just as loud for a third of the price.
So easy to use. Firstly it’s a good full sound with enough power for my needs. Can’t give five stars because it’s a little too bass-y for the sort of music I listen to and there isn’t an EQ to rectify this.
Loud, good battery, perfect for listening to podcasts in car on motorway when my phone doesn’t have the volume (can’t connect phone to car system so maybe not relevant for everyone)
Good sound quality for the size. Comes with a cable but maybe could be more explicit about need for a plug. I suppose most people have usb plus now but would have expected one to be provided. Nevertheless good value for money and pleased all round.
I’ve had my little Anker speaker for a long while now, and for such a small, compact and relatively inexpensive speaker, it really does the job, as you would expect from Anker.
First off the styling of it is pretty neat, an inconspicuous rectangular ‘block’ shape with black grill, a nice rubberised finish meaning you won’t drop the thing due to lack of grip. Nice sturdy feeling buttons for on/off, volume, pause/play and connectivity. Two little LED lights sit atop the device, white indicates that the device is on, and a blue light for Bluetooth operation.
The range of connectivity is good, I can have the Macbook or iPhone in my room and take the speaker to another room and there is no drop in connection. My only gripe is that connecting to a MacBook or iPhone takes a bit of guesswork – it usually involves turning OFF bluetooth on the device that I DON’T want to connect it to, then removing the pairing in my iOS settings on the device I WANT to use, then having to re-pair the device and turn the speaker off and back on. This happens every time I want to use it, which is a little annoying. But once it is connected, it never drops.
The sound is fine for something of this cost, if you are after something with better sound you are going to have to fork out more, end of. You just can’t complain for the price, and I find it plenty loud enough for small to medium rooms.
The battery has done well for this amount of time, approaching 4 years and I still get as much use out of the device as I need. Charging is via a USB port and indicated by a small red light on top of the device.
All-in-all, a solid product for the cost.
….Ok so I’m very late to the party after just purchasing this Soundcore 2 speaker and all I can say is “WOW” I originally intended to use this particular speaker for something else however I found out afterwards I couldn’t due to my Panasonic hifi not being compatible with ANY Bluetooth speaker as it’s only a recieved of Bluetooth not a transmittor. ( My silly fault.) So my original use was thrown out the window straight away, but trying and listening this Anker Soundcore 2 speaker just blew me away once I connected it to my tablet, tv and mobile phone. So because it’s that GOOD I’ve decided to keep it as for the price I paid etc it’s probably one of the best gadgets I’ve bought recently for under 33.00! Bargain! Happy Days! Thankyou!
It does what I need! I bought the Soundcore for playing music at home and in small halls. It’s a great improvement on the sound from a tablet – Soundcore gives greater volume, bass and a degree of stereo (I only bought one, so can’t comment on using two for full stereo). Easy to set up and operate, eg, change volume, stop playing and re-start. Takes a bit more practice to skip a track (but I don’t do that much anyway). Sadly it doesn’t re-wind, so you have to do that on the tablet/phone. Full volume sounds good, but I don’t use very high volume very much. It looks good (mine is black), feels solid, very stable, easy to recharge – but so far I have only had to recharge once in several weeks! Price was good/cheap compared to other brands I considered. Weight is fine (it weighs about the same as a tin of baked beans). So, really pleased I chose this model.
I had a stroke of bad luck with this product. It died on me after about a week. The sellers kindly reached out to me and offered a replacement or a full refund. I wont hold this against them as i have had anker products in the past and they were outstanding. As for this instance it was just bad luck i suppose. Thanks guys for the assistance
Bought this to replace bose sondlink mini after a little bit of water ruined it. Wanted good quality sound without having to shell out big bucks. After researching and seeking recommendations from my infinitely more tech-savvy kids, Anker was the only brand I would consider. Definitely the right choice. Excellent sound quality, easy BT connection, love the big buttons and waterproof is a huge plus. I use my speaker all the time, often while busy cooking, in the shower, outside in the bright sun etc, so the big buttons are great, very easy to find the button you need without even looking. I wouldn’t say the sound quality matches my bose, but it still sounds excellent and has depth and bass that similarly priced(and more) speakers do not even come close to. This is my first Anker purchase and I’m very happy with it. Especially when compared to the far more expensive speaker that, due to a little bit of water, is now no more useful than a paperweight. My Anker is a much better value and since it’s not so delicate I don’t need to worry if a little bit of rain hits it. That and the excellent sound quality for the price makes this speaker superior to the bose it replaced in my opinion. Highly recommended
If you want a speaker that has the capability of some very high end speakers for a low price then this is the speaker for you! – Absolutely incredible! – without a shadow of a doubt the best speaker I have used, or listened too of the size that it is, and the price that it is! – In my opinion its better than the Bose Sound bar that I have.
If I ever want/need another Bluetooth speaker ‘Anker’ will now always be my first port of call!
Very, Very Impressive!
The Bass and treble balance perfectly too give an all round deep, rich sound filling the room clearly! It connects quickly and is very very responsive with the buttons on the top and with controlling sound from the device that its connected too!
I have used both the AUX and Bluetooth functions and they both work perfectly. There is no noticeable loss in quality over Bluetooth like with other Bluetooth speakers on the market. I have used with a Smartphone, Laptop and even a Television, all of which worked perfectly with it.
I also love the option (should you have a second one) that you are able too connect the two speakers up to play from the same device at the same time in sync. – I haven’t tried this out as I don’t have a second speaker, however, I would imagine that it will work perfectly, due to its high end capability elsewhere.
The build quality is phenomenal, and I love the matt rubber finish – just don’t touch it with greasy hands!
The speaker grill itself is made from metal and appears to be incredibly sturdy and strong.
The Speaker is incredibly light and portable and could be used/taken anywhere.
In addition, the battery life is great, I have had this speaker for about a month now, and used it nearly everyday, not necessarily solidly for hours on end but for a good chunk of time. – I have charged it twice! – it is also incredibly quick at charging in comparison to other Bluetooth speakers that I have used.
This is an incredible speaker and would recommend too anyone, from people that like listening to music at a high quality or to professionals in the music and sound industries (Which I have Done).
When it comes to customer services, I haven’t used them. – I haven’t had a single problem with this speaker so have had no need to use them, it arrived quickly and ahead of time and I cant find any problems!
Well Done Anker! – Very, Very Impressive!
Will.
Sound quality – great sound output, surprisingly loud for such a small device, suits all our needs perfectly. Have played almost all genres of music on this ranging from classical to grime and not had an issue with the audio quality at all. Exceeded expectations in all areas on that to be honest.
Battery life – staggering; this is used daily once or twice for about 2hrs at a time and whilst its advertised as 24hr play time I’m getting way in excess of that.
Bluetooth connectivity – really simple and easy to set up, and to set up multiple devices, just a push of a button
All in all, fantastic product.
I have had two of these, and the first one did begin to lag audio, however, the Customer Care team at Anker sent me a new one after I asked for help troubleshooting which arrived the next day. That one has worked a charm with no issues at all. Absolutely fantastic customer service as always.
I bought this in June and was thrilled with it – I still am really but the reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is that just recently it has become almost impossible to switch off! I have no problem switching on, although it’s rather stiff to use but switching off has become a challenge as I seem to have to depress the Off switch so hard that it’s really difficult to do. I’m wondering if anyone else has this problem. It hasn’t been dropped or mistreated in any way and the problem only started a couple of weeks ago. Hoping that Anker might read this and offer a solution. Otherwise it’s a great piece of kit and gives me all the sound I need, where I need it.
I class myself as a bit of an audiophile but was not keen on spending a lot of money on something that is going to be used in the garden when i am working, so knowing the Anker brand and reading numerous reviews i made the purchase. As usual delivered quick and quality packaging as per usual Anker standards. The speaker is small but with a big sound, plenty of volume and a rich sound which was very pleasing to my ears. Overall i am delighted with the speaker and the battery lasts for ages also. Great product, well done
It’s early days insofar as the battery life is concerned, but if it is as claimed then I will be very impressed. The sound is first class and the device has a lovely feel about it. I am finding it impossible to connect to my Bluetooth (Roberts Streami64) radio, but customer service are being very helpful and so I am hoping to resolve the problem…eventually. It did however, connect easily to my Samsung Tablet. can highly recommend this speaker even allowing for my current problem.
This speaker is really good. I did have the older A3143 which unfortunately wasn’t charging and after speaking to Anker about it, they were brilliant by the way…can’t fault the customer service I received.. just excellent… I decided to buy this one. Easy to set up the sound is great and I’m very happy with this. It’s waterproof which is great considering the unpredictable British weather so don’t have to worry about this being outside. The battery lasts so much longer than my old one did so 5 stars all round
If both your speakers are the upgraded version, you can try below tips to see if that fix your issue?
1. Please turn on both of the speakers.
2. Hold the Bluetooth button of both speakers for 3S together, then release them and the Bluetooth indicator is flashing blue.
3. When TWS is successfully paired, there will be a beep sound. The master speaker Bluetooth light will flash blue and the other slave speaker Bluetooth indicator will become solid blue light.
4. Use the master speaker to pair with your device.
Notes:Avoid having any electronic devices between the two speakers. Make sure the distance between the two speakers not greater than 5 meters.
I like these units & bought two. I use them exclusively for playing music in the kitchen from my two mp3 players. My more modern mp3 player works well via Bluetooth & the units paired for stereo well. Disappointed that my older Scandisk mp3 player, which has no Bluetooth, can play well through either unit using 3.5mm line in, but I could not pair up the two Anker units for stereo together while one had line in connected. They have good bass response for their size, ideally need tweeters to boast the treble a bit. They make a newer version of these which I think have treble enhancement but unfortunately depend on Bluetooth completely, no line in. Still pleased – great units! Glad I bought them!
I love this little unit, it’s exactly what I wanted. I mostly listen to classical music for which the Echo Dot is not great. With a unit of this size bass response is bound to be limited but I have found that the reproduction is greatly influenced by the surface it stands on. By chance I found that the small wicker work box my wife keeps some CDs in provides the ideal amount of resonance. One criticism: The efforts to make it waterproof have made the control buttons virtually indistinguishable from each other; I am forever turning it off when I simply want to decrease the volume. A minor irritation about an otherwise great product.
For 30 ish this is an amazing speaker.
Really good sound quality, I use it as a sound bar and it’s like having a top notch system.
My one negative is that the sound is quite bass-y for me, I’m not a fan of bass. I use an equalizer on my laptop, but some apps on my iPhone don’t have equalizers and I’d need to jailbreak it to apply one.
The newer model comes with an app that has an equalizer, so if you want total control over the sound of the sound, get that … but I wanted this one because it has an aux cable, which is definitely a plus.
Seems well built.
Excellent little speaker!
I purchased this speaker to use with an inexpensive home projector and Google Chromecast TV (which has Bluetooth connectivity). We have a ‘pop up’ cinema in our living room for movies, so I didn’t want to go for a full soundbar which would have meant more cables and a more bulky item to store away when not in use. This battery powered speaker therefor seemed just the job, and I’m pleased with my purchase. It’s plenty loud enough for films and music and can be placed anywhere in the room. In our case its on our mantle piece, just below the projected picture. With an occasional charge it’s just a nice discrete little speaker that sounds great when in use, but can put in a draw or cupboard when not. And no power cables to worry about!
I already had one of these so when I wanted to add speakers to another PC I bought TWO more to use as a stereo pair. This PC is often used for watching a YouTube & other videos so having good stereo sound would be better than a single speaker, or so I thought.
As “individual” speakers these are great.
As a “stereo” speakers pair playing MUSIC, they’re great.
As a stereo pair for video? Hmmm… not so good.
There is a good second delay in stereo pair mode so videos are sadly out of sync with the sound. Turn one off and all is good. I tried everything I could (removing, repairing, swapping around the primary / secondary unit), but nothing fixed it. Sad.
After reading the reviews on this ANKER 2 speaker, I sent off for one, then seeing the size I was a bit sceptical.
There was some charge in it when it was delivered, so I connected via bluetooth, which was simple, I had not done this before.
WOW, what a good sound from it, the bass is good and when cranked up to high volume it’s very good no distortion!
I’m well impressed, that I’m now going to purchase a second, and see if it does work in stereo? Once purchased I will write another review as to see if it does give stereo.
I use it with my fire pad and I wondered if I would still get the tinny pad speaker, but when the Anker speaker is switched on, the pads speaker stops.
I’ve taken it out in the garden to see how it performs, my next door wondered what was going on, he was also impressed with the sound, he’s going to purchase one.
WELL DONE ANKER. Value for money !!!!
Writing this after 5 minutes of usage. I can’t speak about longevity or battery life but…
This thing is small. I expected it to be, but when you switch it on and hear the sound it produces it really defies its size.
Packaged well. Build quailty looks and feels excellent. The sound quality is way beyond my expectations for such a small speaker. I have a Bose Soundtouch which I thought would have been too powerful in my office so I went for this this little Anker instead, but it produces a sound up there in clarity and depth with the Bose. Mad. Buy it.
This is a very good speaker for the price. Such sound quality is normally only available from much larger devices. It has been updated since launch, and is now more water proof, and has higher wattage speakers. Very portable with good battery life and excellent Bluetooth range. Easy controls make it easy to control play/pause, next track, on/off and bluetooth. I just switch it on and it automatically reconnects to my Amazon Echo Flex. This combination is much better than other Amazon Echo products, at a lower price. I often have the Echo Flex upstairs and the Anker Soundcore 2 downstairs. I can control play back using the controls on the device, or via Alexa. I wanted something with better sound quality than Echo Dot, that is portable, good battery life, water proof etc. This does it all and also works as a very good BlueTooth speaker. One of my best buying decisions.
I have owned this item for almost 2 months at the time of writing this review.
Overall 5 stars, I will buy this again and I’m very happy with this purchase.
This is the first small bluetooth speaker I have owned that I do not instinctively turn up to full volume, It gets very loud if you want it to. I still occasionally use it at max volume but it’s frequently not required.
The sound stays clean even when at max volume. Other low cost bluetooth speakers I have used start hissing or popping when turned up to full but this stays clear. When not in use (but still turned on) it remains completely silent even at max volume, other cheap speakers I have owned make a low droning/buzzing noise, even when nothing is playing.
The battery is phenomenal for my needs. I mainly use the speaker at night when going to bed and get an extra tv show (or 2) viewing in before sleep and I listen to something when showering. My wife also uses it a couple times a week for short periods. I have only had to charge it a handful of times in 2 months (about once every 10 days).
The bluetooth connectivity just… works… really well even when using multiple devices. In my own experience swapping to another phone usually meant having to manually reconect or sometimes even having to pair again. This just works every time, no fuss, just turn on bluetooth and it connects right away.
The faces you see that are not the actual speaker grill are made of a sturdy rubber. I dont particularly like the look or the texture of the rubber but I am confident taking this into the bathroom during showers without the moisture damaging my speaker. Even if I dont like the texture, the quality feels exceptional. The speaker is like a solid brick in your hand, very sturdy and heavy. No part of the speaker has been damaged in my 2 months of moderate use.
I wish it was USB-C to charge, not a major issue.
Simple to use, reliable, and a good sound from such a small device. Lasts a lot longer than I thought it would on a charge. The rubberised covering is nice and seems to do the job of making it weather resistant (although I wouldn’t count on it being rainproof).
Bluetooth connection is easy and reliable – although it’s occasionally tricky to get connected if you have several people with bluetooth on their devices (sometimes other devices seem to interfere with the one you’re wanting to connect). This might be a snag with other devices or bluetooth generally so not necessarily a criticism of this unit.
Absolutely love this – spent a while deciding which speaker to get that would give me good sound without breaking the budget. Picked this up when it was on deal of the day and for under 30 I think it’s fantastic.
It powers on and connects via Bluetooth to my phone really quickly, and the battery seems to last ages (with working at home at the moment it’s in use quite a bit but have had 6 weeks now and only recharged it once).
I read lots of the reviews re sound quality before buying, and of course there’s different opinions. For me I think it sounds great – there’s a decent bass and my music (via Spotify) sounds full and rich. Not as good as my Sony hi-fi granted, but pretty good for something so small and compact.
In short, a great buy and I’m very pleased with it!
I liked the original so much, I gave it away, when tis arrived I thought I still have that requirement and ar the new price point I thought what is there to loose.
It is an amazing little speaker, that is great for so many uses.
It will not fill the Albert Hall, but a caravan or a tent it is brilliant, great sound and good battery life. I have not used the Bluetooth functionality yet, but every function is so much better that the original.
If you need a small, portable Bluetooth speaker, then this should be the one you measure against.
After owning several Anker products such as the power bank, phone cables, car charger, and macbook hub, I was very pleased with everything from product packaging, and overall robustness and premium feel of each product. I was in the market for a speaker, waterproof, portable , something in between my JBL soundbar and phone speakers at a reasonable price, decent battery performance and reasonable sound quality. Sound quality was the last of my priorities as I didn’t expect a great deal at this price range with it being waterproof.
I’ve owned this speaker for 3 months now and can say I am amazed at the battery performance, i’ve had it on all day whilst renovating my home, anduse it frequently on a daily basis.
The premium feel of the product still amazes me and I enjoy the weight of it and rubberized feel. Buttons feel sturdy with a nice positive click noise.the flap for the charger and aux socket still fits snugly. The grill has some bits of paint that i struggle to clean off but otherwise it’s the same as it was from day one.
The battery life is as per spec, and surprises me every now and again. The battery life shows on my phone next to the bluetooth icon, which is a nice touch. Would have been nice if it used a type c socket though.
The sound quality is good. I would say the performance can vary primarily on where the speaker is placed. Some of the bass notes sound richer when the speaker is up against a wall or confined area like my tiled wall ensuite. Out in the open or in the middle of a room it can sometimes sound hollow and tinnie. Volume is incredible, and hardly have to turn it up to the max when in the house, and even outdoors to be honest. The quality is good enough for what I wanted, more power would have meant compromising on battery life which isn’t what I wanted. Just to be clear the sound quality you’re getting for the price is very impressive.
Pairing and range is also incredible in comparison to my JBL SB200, I can have my phone on the other side of my house and it would still play. It also pairs back to your device rather easily if you’ve accidentally pressed the pair button.
Some areas of improvement, even though i love the minimalist button approach, a way to go back would be nice, whether it’s via a combination of button presses ect
The audible indicator to say you have reached maximum volume, i think this isnt really necessary as it disrupts the audio output., maybe a short pause rather than the buzzer sound.
Turning ON/OFF required a good 1 second press which doesn’t sound like much, but sometimes, if your press it too short, it won’t turn on.
All these are just me being very picky, hence why I have still given this a 5 star review, and i’m also not one to normally leave reviews.
Very tempted to buy a second one to try out the synchronized paired mode …mmm…maybe
Overall I’m very pleased after purchasing this speaker. I have previously owned an Anker Bluetooth speaker but this was one hell of an upgrade especially for the price!
Sound quality is great for such a tiny speaker, it really does have quite abit of power. My taste of music (rock/metal rock) has sure put this through its paces and it hasnt let me down. The base is immense and voices sound as crisp as ever. The battery life is decent, I use mine regularly around the house and whilst at work and have only had to charge it a couple of times since purchase. Bluetooth connectivity is strong, easily connect your phone and listen to the speaker in another room in the house. It also remembers the last device connected for fast reconnectivity. Although I’ve not tried this, I read that its possible to connect to other speakers of the same kind and listen in sync (please correct me if that’s wrong!). Its small enough to fit in the front pocket of my backpack for work also which is ideal.
Overall, of your after an amazing bluetooh portable speaker with a decent price tag, GET THIS!
The device linked via bluetooth easily and I’m using an old phone for my ‘jukebox’ but it readily recognised it. It is a solid and quite weighty piece of kit which of course helps with the sound reproduction which is also excellent. I haven’t rated the battery life as it’s running on the charge it arrived with but if it’s anything like its other qualities it’ll be fine.
It would have been nice to have the accessory cable with it but I guess there are too many variants. I haven’t looked into it. It does come with a usb charging cable though but not the adaptor so you will need a usb plug socket or, with it being a portable device, an adaptor. But most people have a usb charger and adaptor so shouldn’t be a problem.
One thing I noticed early on is it is the type of rubberised plastic casing that shows greasy finger marks so careful using in the kitchen or if you use hand cream etc.
All in all I am well pleased with this purchase and based on a days use would recommend it.
I have had one of these with me for a few years now. I use it whenever I’m working away. I always suspected having a pair to give a stereo image would improve the sound, and I was proved correct. Massive improvement over a single (to be fair, a single is pretty good).
So, I bought another, flashed new firmware into the old one (I had to email support over at Anker and they sent me the files over, all fairly easy and they responded within 24h as promised).
Very happy customer. Great stereo image, easy to pair, long battery life. A perfect travelling companion.
Good test songs to hear the stereo separation are CCR’s ‘Suzie Q’, or Love’s ‘Alone Again Or’.
it does everything it is supposed to well, the sound quality in particular is better than any previous boom bars or smart speakers we have owned . The blue tooth works and responds well . It is so easily portable I find myself carrying it around the house while doing jobs.
Only slight quibble is that the rubbery finish marks easily with finger marks which are hard to remove, it remains to be seen how long the finish lasts before going sticky as I have had with other products with this type of finish.
I thoroughly recommend this product and am considering buying a second.
I can’t rave enough about this speaker. It ticks all the boxes.
1. It charges super quick and hardly ever needs recharging. I use it for days and days without needing recharge.
2. The sound performance is amazing – we use it outside in the garden during BBQs and it fills the space with rich sound.
3. It connects effectively via bluetooth to any device – once paired, you only need to switch the speaker on and it finds the paired source automatically*, super convenient.
* One of my laptops is a bit temperamental with the pairing. Not sure if this is because its Windows 8 (old) or the laptop itself which is 10 years old. But once connected, it works great!
This speaker’s sound quality for music and video etc cannot be faulted. It’s superb.
Battery life lasts absolutely ages – I’ve only charged it once.
The biggest problem is with the microphone when trying to use it as a speaker/microphone for conference calls. Other people on the call find it very hard to hear me – even though the speaker is below my monitor and I’m sitting at normal distance from monitor. It’s actually unusable for calls which is very disappointing as that was one of the main reasons I wanted it. This is why I’ve knocked a few stars off.
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Update 22/June/2020
Anker support have been in touch and have been very helpful. Because of the fast (and quality) support, I’m adding a star. I wouldn’t have any problems buying another Anker product, they’re very well built and value for money.
I was a little disappointed with this device. But I presume mine was faulty.
I like and recommend anker and I’ve used them many a time, but my speaker has some crackles now and then, a few times the Bluetooth drops for a few seconds but there was definitely something wrong with the battery life of mine. It was lasting sometimes 6 hours, sometimes up to 10 but never the amount it states.
I contacted anker and they quickly replied and asked me to try a few things which I did try, I even gave it a week of trying but then contacted anker with my order details which they had asked for.
But they then wanted me to film a video and send it to them.
I guess I could of filmed the odd crackle of the few times it drops connection, but I ain’t sitting here videoing for 6 hours plus to prove the battery doesn’t last.
To be honest I imagine they were automated emails I was getting but it was annoying.
I’m just gonna stick with this, it’s only for home use to I can make do with it but anker needs to personalise it’s responses.
Good value for the price. It has a nice “warm” sound & a good volume. (I’m enjoying listening to some acoustic folk rock on it now). However I wish I could adjust the sound to boost the higher end & reduce the bass a bit for some sorts of classical music. During this lockdown period, my choir has moved online using Zoom but I found it not as clear on the SoundCore and have switched to plugging in my computer speakers instead. If you want to play mostly Rock or Pop, i.e. more bassy music, then it’s good for the price. Audiophiles would be looking at more expensive products. It feels robust. Be aware that it does NOT come with the power supply so you will need to buy one if you haven’t got something suitable already.
Delivered swiftly, well packed, well designed exterior. Nice wee unit, decent sound quality for music considering its size, and good bluetooth connectivity. My primary purpose for getting this was as a hands free speaker for phone calls at home, due to working from hoe more during lock down. I found it unusable as a hands free system in con calls due to poor mic performance and background noise. I have reverted to using the speakers and mic on the laptop. Such a shame, as a music player it sounds decent, but useless as a hands free conference phone system. you know what they say, you get what you pay for.
A follow up to the above: Anker have dealt with my feedback swiftly and maturely. This is a great sounding portable speaker that performs beyond expectation as an audio player, but struggles with hands free calling sound quality…Anker, introduce a noise cancelling algorithm for the microphone and you’ve got a block buster product!
Do not be put off by the negative reviews from audiophiles who demand BOSE sound quality from a 40 product.
This is an exceptionally good speaker for the money.
It will go as loud as you would need it to, will fill a large room with modest volume at a party.
Loud enough to drown-out guests, which is usually enough for an impromptu boogie!
Sound quality is very good. Of course it’s not as good as a 100+ bose speaker, but it does make a dent!
Good crisp sound without any “tinny” notes.
Bass is modest, it delivery a good punch without sounding distressed, but it does lack the thump & bass resonance of more expensive speakers. Having said that, the bass delivery is still exceptional for this class of speaker, and you won’t be dissapointed at this price.
Build quality is great, no issues there.
Battery life is exceptional, it keeps going & going. You can start placing bets with members of your household as to when it will eventually give-up, its that crazy!
I would say about 30-40 hours depending on volumes.
If you have trouble deciding, and don’t want to spend another 50, just buy it.
You won’t get a better speaker without spending at least 70-80.
Great wee device, I use it every day at home and have even taken it on camping holidays. Very easy to switch whose phone it’s paired to, though may cause arguments over whose turn it is to take control!
Only issue is audio tearing when you get a certain distance away: if you’re more than ~5 metres away it. starts. to. have. trouble. and. starts. to. stutter. until. you. move. closer again and it resumes normal playback without any fuss. This only crops up when I’m charging either the speakers or my phone in one room and move just out of reach, or when I was camping and the music was playing by the campfire and I went back over to my tent with phone in pocket.
Would buy again, my sister bought one after seeing how good mine was. (Incidentally, that’s one solution to the control arguments: to each have one!)
I bought this to improve the sound quality of audiobooks from my Kindle Fire tablet. But the bass is muffling the words far too much and there is no crispness to the spoken voice.
There is no way to reduce the bass unfortunately and the only control you have is up/down volume.
For music that needs bass you can’t go wrong with this speaker but for me it was a disappointment.
BUT BUT BUT
having read various messages and advice i adjusted the bass from the input player balance controls in the VLC player and it is now PERFECT!!
So – fianal words – great quality and fantastic sound – which is adjustable through the software input – but NOT on the speaker itself.
The best portable speaker I’ve used. The sound is very good quality for something relatively small and battery powered. The bass is very good and comes through well if you place it on a surface which is a good conductor for the vibrations (something wooden seems to work well.) It can also go very loud (relative to its size.) Strangely the higher frequency sounds come out a lot cleaner when you lie the device on its back (speakers facing upwards) and I think that also helps with getting the bass out. USB charging is convenient and the battery lasts a very long time – I haven’t had it run out of battery yet, and I charge it approx. once per week and use it most days for maybe an hour. The battery percentage shows up on the phone when connected over Bluetooth which is useful. Can hold the play button to activate Google assistant on an Android phone, as it has an in-built mic, which has been useful. I suspect it can do other things on other devices. Bluetooth range seems excellent – I haven’t had it drop out once anywhere in the house, regardless if the phone is in my pocket or in another room. Other smaller Bluetooth speakers I’ve used have tended to drop out, so I suspect they probably had a small antenna, and maybe Bluetooth 5 has something to do with it too. Definitely recommend this.
I bought firstly the first version of SoundCore, then the next day the SoundCore 2. Well, version 2 has more Watts and sounds better than the first version.
For what it is, I believe is more than enough. Some guys here expecting studio quality sound and such things from something they bought with less than 40 pounds…. well… guys, you’re out of reality.
I uploaded some photos with version 1 next to 2nd version. The 2nd is little bigger, but is water protected and that’s great, as you can use it in your bathroom.
2nd version has better bass and for me is amazing that such a small speaker set can produce such sound. The battery… don’t know yet. Collected it in the morning and since then it run about 4 hours non-stop at medium-high level. I don’t expect it to to run 24hours at high level, but even 16 hours is enough for me. I shall see…
Anyway I’m waiting for another good price offer and I’ll buy a second and maybe a 3rd speaker, so I can play them all together.
Version 1 has a small delay in sound. 2nd version is BT 5.0 and has no delay. So I can’t use them to play together from the same device, because of the delay…
Update 23rd Feb
I’m finding the speaker very confusing to pair. Of all the bluetooth devices I have had, it is the hardest to setup. It took a couple of goes to connect to my samsung phone. Lately I tried to connect to my samsung tablet. After about half an hour it is now connected but I don’t know how I managed. I did try and reset the speaker (8 sec push on power) but I can’t honestly say if that was what did it.
Original review
I tried the smaller Anker speaker but, although good, the bass was just too limited (it’s the physics!). The soundcore 2 is a good comprimise – it’s not too large and the bass is reasonable, especially when placed next to a wall on a solid surface. This product has a really great sound for voice and acoustic music. The treble is a bit harsh at higher volumes.
When I compare to my UE boom1 the bass is still lacking but I found the cylindrical shape of the boom irritating (on it’s side it would roll and on it’s end you were worried it would fall over, plus the buttons were a bit fiddly to use). The anker has a conventional flat base with the buttons on top – very easy to operate. And it has the useful 3.5mm aux input.
I have several Anker products and the quality of finish and packaging is very high.
This ANKER Soundcore has been a great success! We use a tablet to listen to plays and podcasts on BBC Sounds – books on Audible and of course music on Spotify. Up to now – even with a sound enhancement download – the quality of the sound via the tablet has been very ‘thin’ and you end up sitting very close to the tablet to make sure you’re not missing anything.
The ANKER Soundcore has changed everything. Very easy to set up – and bluetooth links with the tablet every time the speaker is switched on. So far (18 days from first use) we have not had to charge the battery. The quality of the sound is superb and works really well right across the spectrum of our use.
Have never used the speaker with full volume as just not required. The size is just right so it is very easy to always keep tablet and speaker together. Overall this is a ‘must’ for anyone with tablet – and at the price is really excellent value for money.
Firstly I will state why it is a 4 star and not a 5. Two reasons, first being the material they are covered with, it is some sort of rubber that for a strange reason creates a bit of a wet residue look when coming into contact with skin. Strange but I have seen it with other rubber covered devices, not the end of the world but a bit weird. The other reason is they are not waterproof. The connection port is a flap and whilst it is a good fit, please do not get the impression it is watertight as it clearly won’t be. That being said the rest of the device is clearly one piece of rubber with no seals or gaps so water will not penetrate anywhere else other than the charging port, making them fine for a rainy day but I would not dump them in a bath or swimming pool.
The bluetooth worked perfectly and the sound quality was excellent. The pairing with an Echo Flex went seamlessly from within the Alexa app. On that note the Echo Flex does not have a fantastic speaker, it’s not meant to, so this addition really adds a new dimension to the Flex and makes it into a great little device. My Flex is just plugged into an outlet in the garage, I didn’t want a fully fledged Alexa in the garage as I didn’t want her getting cold and feeling jealous of her sisters in the warm dry house. The Flex being a more simple robust solution, made sense to put that in the garage with some removable speakers and now that space is part of the main smart house.
There are many complaints on Amazon that volume is limited. This in my personal experience is when you have two volume controls at play, one being the speaker and the other being the device sending the content. To circumvent this issue both devices need to be set to full volume and then you need to decide which of the two will be the master volume controller and then you won’t have a problem. I did this and it was so loud Alexa struggled to hear me shouting “Alexa turn the b$%dy volume down” haha. So I think this may be users not knowing how to fix this issue, so this is the fix.
The base mid and high ranges were excellent and as I bought two, I paired them with the TWS standard and they produce a brilliant true stereo sound. As I said earlier volume is not an issue if anything they lose quality at max but trust me you will not be listening at max it is too loud.
Charge time was an hour or so but that was out the box so may have had residual charge. I would imagine with the size of the stated battery charge time may be overnight about 12 hours from dead.
All in all good speakers. As for the cost, this is a difficult one, at 39.95 they are a little pricey and I bought two so just shy of 80. I would say they were a little too expensive but when you read all the reviews about lesser priced products being poor quality sound, poor battery life and so on, you realise that you do truly get what you pay for. My only comment on this one is they should have an offer for buying two maybe 50% discount on the second that would prompt people to buy a pair and get a far better quality set up and more units being sold by Anker, but that’s just my personal opinion.
I bought this when it was on sale, so it was a bargain at the time. I have owned a similarly sized Bose Soundbar II since about July 2015 and the battery on that is starting to go. Having had to consign that to use in the house (on its cradle), I decided to buy this speaker from Anker for using out and about.
Having had a play with it I can say that I am very impressed with it. The Bose soundbar is better. That has a slightly broader range of sound and projects the sound further but the margins aren’t great. With this Anker (upgraded) Soundcore 2, it is possible to connect two of them and then treat them as two separate speakers. At less than one Bose speaker that makes a lot of sense if you want a small package but a big sound.
The look and feel of the product is good. Anker also make lots of very good USB charger packs that have lasted a very long time already so I expect good battery life from this speaker.
Very happy with this product.
The battery life is really good (manufacturer’s spec 24hours) and the sound quality is clear and loud (12w), with great range and realistic bass from a small speaker.. I have tested the range of the Bluetooth and it easily stretch 60m in a metal framed work building with loads of electric etc and machines operating..
Fellow people who have listen to the speaker have enjoyed the sound coming from the speaker that they have recently bought it in the recent Black Friday/cyber deals at getting or price of 27.99
Keep an eye out as they do get reduced by anker via a voucher offer on amazon..
For such a small speaker with a great sound I would recommend it, especially as you can safely use it outside having an ipx7 rating..
This is my very first review for a product I bought on Amazon and I have bought many useful items over the past five years. What made me write a review was the value for money, the amazing sound and even better customer service. This Is my first Bluetooth speaker and it was so good I bought two and now I’m enjoying the stereo sound when you pair them via Bluetooth. It’s loudness enough to fill the room and I can hear them throughout my small apartment. They are portable to carry around with you in your bag or anywhere you wish. Easy to operate and switch on/off the battery life is excellent and lasts all day. I even connect via audio leads to my TV and it sounds even better than the standard speakers on the TV. I had a hard time pairing the two speakers but he customer service was quick and helpful to resolve my query. I cannot rate this product enough. If you’re on a budget buy it. I haven’t tested other speakers in this category so my opinion is biased. I like my music with bass and snappy snares and crystal clear top end and this little device delivers. If you’re looking for something higher end and have the budget then explore other options but you won’t be disappointed with these for the price. Highly recommend this product.
Firstly I already had a Bluetooth speaker ( JBL flip 2 ). However the first one was stolen 🙁
The micro USB connection became loose on the second,
The same happened on the third and in addition, after a couple of years, the charge didn’t hold very long. So much so I always had to have a power bank (Anker) with me.
When Amazon had their latest Prime days, I decided to purchase the Anker SoundCore2. It was reduced in price and although the reviews were pretty mixed, the response from Anker to any disappointed customers was always positive. So I thought I’d give one a try.
My opinion is this ( I’m not an expert, just love music…. )
This speaker is REALLY GOOD!
the size is small but mighty. The weight is sturdy. It’s waterproof. The charge is excellent ( however it is new. Check back with me in a year to see how it rates then! )
The sound is great but not excellent. My old speaker, in my opinion was louder ( even though it was 8 watts compared to 12watts ) and I thought my old speaker gave a better 360 sound.
I delayed my opinion as I wanted to put it through its paces first before reviewing it.
I also thought the sound was a bit muffled. However adjusting the graphic equaliser on my Spotify app sorted that.
I’m still using my SoundCore 2 and I really like it, just not loving it at the moment.
Hopefully in time…
When the package arrived, I was taken aback by the small size, not really expecting great results, but when I connected it, I was taken aback yet again. Speaker technology has developed so much in recentyears. Links with my phone faultlessly, and the 3.5mm aux socket allows me to connect various other devices. Volume level quite adequate, tone quality good for its size
However, it’s not suitable as a practice amp for electronic keyboard, guitar or other musical instrument because of the known latency issues with Bluetooth. I thought that plugging an instrument directly via the 3.5mm socket would be fine, but sadly not; there’s a very distinct delay when playing, which renders it unsuitable for this purpose. As one other reviewer notes, using it with videos or games is unsuccessful because of the 200ms delay, even using the aux in!
I can’t fault the Anker Customer Services Department, since they have subsequently offered both replacement or extra refund for inconvenience. They are currently passing my comments to their technical team – we’ll see…
Two Days Later – They have insisted on providing me FOC with the Soundcore 2 Boost 20W unit. I’m pleased to report there are no delay issues with the aux input whatsoever. A satisfied customer thoroughly pleased with their Customer Care Dept!
Reactions
On opening the box and seeing its size:- “You’re kidding, right?”
On connecting to a Galaxy A50 Smartphone:- Painless, no problems at all.
It came 80% charged so thanks for that.
Concerns:
1. On playing A50 to SoundCore2 (Traveling Wilbury’s):- Sounded fine but some strange clicks and what sounded like knocking intermittently .
2. Played an aria from La traviata, the vocalist was Cheryl Studer and on high notes the speaker gave a grinding/rattling noise even though the volume was at a reasonably low level. Yes, she fairly belts these highs out but played later on Bluetooth Headphones at the same volume there was no distortion. The strange clicking was present again.
3. Decided to play a Video, Les Miserables. This time there were breaks in the sound, only for a second but noticeable.
4. What was worse, during the Video the sound and vision lost synchronicity, (frustrating for Lea Salonga (Eponine) singing her heart out only to see her lips following on behind ).
I telephoned Customer Service explaining my concerns, Faith (a very nice lady from Tennessee) said she would speak to her colleagues and email me shortly.
24 hrs later, still waiting.
Judging by all the glowing recommendations on here (the main reason for ordering it), it looks as though I’ve been unlucky and received a duff unit.
Edited
OK, so I have re-established contact with Faith (she had mislaid my email address) and Anker are sending me a replacement and told me to recycle the original item.
When I have tried out the new speaker I’ll further update this review.
In the meantime I have no hesitation in agreeing with most people on here, Anker Customer Services are excellent.
Final update (I hope!).
18/7/19 OK, so the replacement arrived yesterday (Thanks Faith), and I’ve repeated all the above tests and the speaker performed with no noticeable problems. I’ve also tried it with a few Internet Radio stations and I’m pleased with the results. Played Les Mis again and Music and vision synchronised. Finally, I played a video of Dire Straits/Brothers in Arms which I knew would be a very good test for the speakers. If they could cope with Mark Knopfler’s gravelly voice and incredible guitar playing they could cope with anything! Very pleased with the result.
So, there it is, at the moment everything is fine, I hope it stays that way.
A few weeks ago a friend brought me an Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen). I signed up to Amazon’s music unlimited, which for 4 a month for a single echo dot, seemed like a pretty good deal. It’s very rare for me to find a track or album they have not got. Now the Echo Dot’s speaks are not too bad anyhow, but I wanted to find something with a little more body to it.
I was initially holding out for the I-Box Release. But upon release of the Release 🙂 heard mixed reviews on it’s sound quality. So spotted the Anker Soundcore on Amazon, and thought, why not.
Now, by mistake, I ordered the Soundcore V1, which upon receiving it found it wasn’t a bad speaker at all, but not the one I’d seen reviews on. So returned this and ordered the Soundcore 2, which was 10 more. WOW, I’m glad I did.
The build quality is great, that of a far more expensive product. It’s rubberised casing is very tactile and durable, as well as being water proof. The speaker also has a reassuring weight to it. Going by my general rule of thumb, if a gadget weights more, it must be better. Not always the case, but you know what I mean. It comes ready charged, which is so rare these days.
I’ve had no problems with the blue-tooth connection to my echo dot, and unlike the version 1 Soundcore, it doesn’t suffer from a few moments of silence when asking for a new track, which was annoying on the previous version.
Can’t really comment on the battery life, because as yet, I’ve not had to charge it. So guess that’s a good thing.
The sound quality is just ace, considering the speakers size and cost. Nice clear and bright with a fair amount of bass. Again, if you’re a major bass-head, this will not be powerful enough for you. But for anybody who just wants a nice rounded sound, this is just the job. A lot depends on where your place the speaker and to the quality of the sound and the amount of bass you get. The other thing is it can deliver a pretty decent level of volume, again based on it’s size and cost.
All in all, I can’t fault it. Yeah the version 1 was good, but the version 2 is loads better. Far more than just 10 worth of increased cost.
I am toying with the idea of getting a second one, which I understand allows you to open out the stereo far more. I understand each speaker acts as the left or right channel, instead of the stereo coming a single speaker. Would be interested to hear from anybody who has done this, and if it’s worth it.
Yep, would totally recommend.
Haven’t tested the waterproof but the battery life seems spot on as after 10 hours of operating it has over half the battery life left.
Only slight issue is the rubbery coating is a bit of a finger print magnet but I bought the matching case so that is less of an issue.
I did lots of research and think this is the best mid range speaker out there.
I bought this speaker to use predominantly in the shower, (inside the cubicle), as my existing shower speaker, a much cheaper product, has a poor battery life, and I was impressed by this product’s claimed battery life of up to 24 hours. So far, I haven’t used it for long enough to disprove this. However, the speaker is very well-made, feels very solid, is small enough to be portable, and produces excellent sound, with enough bass to satisfy; and with a rating of IPX7, waterproof, so ideal for a shower or bathroom environment. And it pairs over Bluetooth straight from the box.
I’ve read reviews which say it isn’t loud enough for a large party – well, if I wanted to entertain a crowd, I’d go for a bigger and more expensive sound system! This is sufficiently loud for use in the home!
I also chose this over other makes because I’ve bought several Anker products in the past, and found all of them to be of very good quality and performance – so far, this speaker fits into the same category!
Ok, first of all, let me point out that I am very loyal Anker costumer. All my battery banks, Bluetooth earphones, wall charges etc are from Anker so didn’t have a second though buying this.
However, my opinion is kind of mixed. The speaker has generally a good quality, the bass is not great (expected as this is a small speaker) and I am also getting a static sound all the time. The static is not noticeable when e.g. music is playing but during intermission and breaks it is very very annoying. I imagine this happens only to my speaker as reviews here are pretty much very positive of the product.
Edit: Costumer service contacted me and offered me a replacement which I can confirm that works flawlessly with perfect sound.
When this speaker feels like working, it’s absolutely superb, sound-wise. However, it only feels like working approximately 50% of the time. The rest of the time it just sits there, with its lights on, doing nothing. Don’t waste 30 on this pile of junk. Needless to say, it’s being returned.***EDIT*** I was contacted by Anker customer services who stated that I obviously had a faulty speaker, and that they would send me a replacement, which is exactly what they did. Given that the performance of the speaker is not in dispute, it’s really good, I was happy to give them another try.
I initially gave them a 1 star rating, based on the disappointing way in which the speaker worked intermittently. I’m now glad to raise my rating to 4 star, for the excellent sound and also the top build quality. However, it would be 5 stars if there had been a micro SD card slot – that’s the only let-down with this device – which is a shame.
Thank you Anker, your customer service is excellent.
UPDATE 2021: I wrote the below when I first got the speaker in 2019. I’ve now had this for nearly 2 years and I think it’s only fair I update the review to reflect this. It’s lasted well, living in my bathroom and being used nearly daily for shower tunes. I still wouldn’t use it for a party (not really had many of those recently…) but frankly this thing has survived living in high humidity, water splashes, the battery still holds a charge well – I recharge it maybe once a month, if that, and the sound quality after ‘breaking in’ is much, much better.
Original review:
I bought this speaker with the hopes of coming close to the Bose Soundlink speaker at less of a high price point.
Sadly this little unit is good, but not great.
The build quality as you normally find with Anker products who seem to dominate so many gadget categories on Amazon these days is absolutely solid. The matte soft rubber surfaces are great to hold and the unit has a reassuring weight.
However, the most important thing with a portable speaker is surely the sound quality and this unit just never quite delivers. It does slightly better at lower volumes but once you turn it up to its full potential, although there is no distortion, the level of detail in the sound quality suffers greatly. It seems that the highs ‘collide’ with the mids and lows.
The sales copy states the item has ‘huge’ sound however the speaker delivers anything but. It goes loud, but you’d struggle to fill a larger room. Definitely not ideal for a party which is what I was hoping to use mine for.
I’m hoping that with more playtime the speaker will ‘break in’ and improve over time but so far I’m left a little bit disappointed considering I could have chosen from one of the many cheaper Bluetooth speakers on Amazon.
Had this speaker a few weeks now and bought after reading many reviews. It was much smaller than I was expecting and was amazed at the sound that comes out of it to be honest. I’m not sure it’s truly amazing sound if you are a real expert but it’s certainly good enough for us. I had difficulty pairing it to begin with until I realised that you have to connect it ready for audio – I’m not sure what I did wrong but somehow I managed to right it and now it works fine. Love using my spotify music through it all over the house, my phone isn’t always in the same room and it works fine. Looking forward to taking it on holiday next week and having music while away – technology is moving on and at last I feel I’m moving a tiny bit forward with it! At last, freedom from cumbersome wires, and same charger as phone – sooo easy.
Absolute perfection and really throws out some volume and bass for the size.
Do not expect BOSE quality for this price but really it is fantastic for my laptop.
So easy to pair with Bluetooth and easy to operate. I didn’t need the instructions as it is really easy to work out.
Just charge it when you get it and Bob’s your uncle.
I use mine on my laptop but I keep it plugged into the charger all the time and I don’t use the Bluetooth, I use a cable straight from the laptop to the speakers. It does not come with a cable but can be bought from Amazon or that other site? I think it is called something like “Bebay” Or “Teabay” 🙂
Anyway I fully recommend this speaker.
I always use Anker where I can as I do like their items.
The following review is no longer relevant, there has been an update to the Anker Soundcore 2 as Anker sent a kind angel to replace my faulty product. That said, the speaker replacement, like the previous version, has very good bass for its size and lasts a very long time (from what I have tested by watching videos or playing music, the soundcore lasts for well over 15 hours if you play audio at 50-75% as I see no need to be playing music at 100% if you’re carrying this around. If anything it lasts longer than my own phone’s charge.) I have tested various tones and frequency’s and so far there has been no crackle in any of the speakers which I believe the tech wizards in Ankers Q&A department have sussed out and fixed.
ORIGINAL REVIEW NO LONGER RELEVANT TO THE NEW VERSION OF SOUNDCORE2:
I was in the market for a Bluetooth speaker for a while, especially one that could last an 8 hour shift. I was surprised with the battery life on the Anker SoundCore as it would play on 75% volume for a good part of 15 hours, with some intervals here and there as to when it would be travelling to and from my place of work. I was also surprised as the audio quality being really good, bass is noticeable but for such a small speaker it packs some pretty good kicks but I believe this was also its downfall.
I bought this in October and as of two weeks ago (the time of this review is 20th of December) the left speaker has began cracking as if there were a loose connection on the specific speaker, it would only start playing up like this after experiencing some jostling or some deep bass. As I was obviously out of the return date by a long margin I, on the odd occasion, had to tap the left side of the speaker on my thigh as I wouldn’t hit it against hard wood or concrete, heck hitting it on my palm seemed to make the crackling go away for a bit. I believe doing this is only a temporary fix to a problem that will only worsen over time.
If the speaker issue could be rectified by Anker in the next generation or iteration with a stronger connection or internal cable I believe this would definitely be a 5 star item especially for the price to performance this thing gives (I haven’t looked inside but as far as my past experience goes with speakers they are usually fixated with cables clamped or soldered to a motherboard which means either the cable is having an issue of not being up to the task or the solder, if it is soldered, is not creating a good, strong connection and becoming loose causing the crackling)
All in all I still use it for my shift or when I’m outside working on my car, when the speaker starts playing up I give it a tap or a bump to temporarily get rid of the crackling but for how much I paid I’m not too bothered as I can expect that there will be some issues. If I’d paid silly money for a speaker and these issues were present I would definitely be bothered and would like a replacement but as I said, I’m not really fussed as it’s pretty good for what you get. I’ll still always buy Anker products as they’ve made pretty good things from what I’ve bought from battery’s to cables and they’ve lasted a long time. The speaker unfortunately is a one off but I’m still happy about i
Sound wise – it sounds absolutely amazing. I was surprised at how loud this could get and how clear the bass was compared to my original Bluetooth speaker. This has 2x 6W drivers whereas my old one had 2x 3W drivers so the clarity and sound level was very noticeable. When playing songs with heavy bass, it can start vibrating my desk which shows the bass is strong in this speaker. Even with a range of music, this has always performed exceptionally so, better than my laptop/phone/TV speakers I’d say.
Connecting the speaker to my phone / laptop through Bluetooth was very easy. You don’t have to know a lot about technology to be able to set this up! The controls worked really well and I like the design so that the correct button can easily be pressed. I was surprisingly able to pause Youtube videos momentarily with the play button but it automatically started to play again after 5 seconds.
The battery is long lasting, being able to easily last over 24 hours without the need for charge. Since I’ve had it, I’ve only charged it twice and this is even with constant daily use for over 5-6 hours which is amazing.
The aux port and charging port are protected by a cover which is pretty nice. Adds a higher level of protection.
It says it’s dust proof but I’m finding that dust still accumulates and it has fingerprint marks when used. Have not yet tried it outside in the rain – I don’t think I want to take that risk just yet.
Overall it’s a high quality speaker as can be expected with Anker’s products. Really glad I found this speaker on a deal during Black Friday – it’s definitely been worth the impulse buy!
Anker is a wonderful company which really seems to care about its customers. I have bought many products from them and if ever I had the slightest problem their customer care team always solved it quickly and effectively.
As for the Soundcore 2, I am really delighted with it, having tried other similar products (some much more expensive ones too), all of which came up short.The bluetooth works perfectly with a good range, so I can leave my i phone playing music safely tucked away in a drawer while I wander round the house into any room and carry the music with me. The sound quality is fabulous, not hi fi but more than adequate for the bathroom or downstairs at night while my partner is trying to get to sleep. I can hear all the quality I need from the music, even at a low volume. I personally hate headphones as they are too restrictive and hurt my ears after around 30 minutes use (Bose). For 40 you simply cannot lose. The best value for money product of any kind that I have purchased for many years. Well done Anker! (I have no connection with this company whatsoever, neither have I been offered any “sweeteners” to provide this positive review-just in case anybody wondered)
Anker SoundCore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Better Bass, 24-Hour Playtime, 66ft Bluetooth Range, IPX5… If it came in a tin, it would do what it says on it…
Anker: Stops ships, heavyweight and sturdy.
SoundCore 2: Porn that blind people watch, clear sound.
Portable: I’m not able after Port, carry me to bed.
Bluetooth: Plays your Tuna, Viking style.
Speaker: Can’t get a word in, YOU’LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP.
Better Bass: Badder Bass, bad(der b)ass.
24-Hour: Party people, at my age 8 hours is enough.
Playtime: School’s Out, baby shark on repeat.
66ft Bluetooth Range: I threw my phone as far away as I could and it still connected.
IPX5: There’s a crude joke here that I would never make, but if you’re going that many times I might suggest an appointment with your doctor.
🙂
Pros:
– lightweight
– small
– high quality build (has 4 rubber bobbles on each corner to it doesn’t make surfaces vibrate loads)
– loud
– very high quality sound
Cons:
– when you turn it all the way up to full volume it makes a beep noise once it reaches full volume, and this interrupts the music for about half a second. I wouldn’t let this stop you from buying this as it’s a fantastic product but it’s a bit annoying, especially since I like to listen to music with friends and turn it up for the drops of songs (drum and bass / bassline music).
Overall I would and do highly recommend this product, especially for drum and bass / bassline / house music where you can literally hear the quality. The bass is sick, and with good songs you can feel the bass on full volume which is sick.
I would also recommend getting the Anker Soundcore official travel case, as for 8.99 this already sturdy baby is worth treating to some protection, and the case let’s you hang it from bags while on the go with the included aluminium hook.
(Would not recommend getting the official Anker charger if you already have a usb plug charger as it comes with a charging cable just not a wall plug, but most people have one spare anyway)
The SoundCore 2 lives up to expectations. As soon as you take it out of the box you can feel that is is really well made and durable to knocks and drops.
Connectivity is really simple and as yet, I have had no drop offs at all.
The control buttons have a great solid feel to them and, if you read the instructions, are very simple to use (As they are multifunctional).
Soundwise, I use it as my tv speaker in the bedroom so I can keep the volume low but still hear it clearly. The sound quality is far better than expected and far superior to the speakers in my tv. I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it is for the price.
For music, the sound is clear, crisp and loud. It’s not too bassy, so if that’s your thing, go for the next model up.
The battery life is amazing. A couple of times I have completely forgotten that it needs charging, as it lasts so long. By far the longest lasting rechargeable device I’ve ever had.
The only downside I have found (and this could just be on mine) is that although it should take 3 hours to charge completely, mine never does. Even after 12 hours on charge it doesn’t show as fully charged.
That said, a couple of hours charging will last you a very long time, whether it’s fully charged or not.
I don’t normally do long reviews but this little speaker was worth doing it for 🙂
Update:
Having had it for a while now, the battery charging is working fine. Really cannot fault this speaker at all.
As always with Anker everything else is class 18 month warranty, massive battery life the materials used feel quality, water resistance and pairing etc is really easy.
They could have made better use of that massive battery life to let you charge your phone off it, maybe that’s the USP for Soundcore 3? but overall it seems a quality produc
When I originally bought the first I was genuinely speechless as to just how good the device was, at the time I wasn’t expecting much from a 30 bluetooth speaker but it blew me away right away.
I have had the same experience with this, my housemate loved the original so much we kept it in the lounge for functions and just general hanging out. It performs well, and I wanted one for my room – in comes the SoundCore 2.
This is essentially the SoundCore with added bass, you can genuinely feel the base rippling through the unit and it adds a lot of depth to the sound. Like the SoundCore, however, this sounds absolutely dreadful on Windows. I am not sure what it is, it could be driver related, but, regardless of what I do / which computer I connect to, it is choppy, tinny and generally awful. I wouldn’t buy this if you’re looking for something for your PC, but, if you’re looking for something to blast some tunes – whether it be pre-drinks or saturday morning hangover cure, this is the speaker for you!
EDIT: Seems the bluetooth performance of this depends on your bluetooth drivers, updated them (Killer Wireless Drivers) and it seems to perform well… it;s a bit glitchy, but I am going to put that down to the laptop rather than the SoundCore
If added bass isn’t took much you care about, pick up the original SoundCore – it is 10 cheaper and just as good – but I prefer SoundCore 2.
Thank you to Anker for great iteration of the first!
I’ve installed mine in my bathroom, where it’s coping with the humidity (steam from shower) faultlessly.
Tip: Taking out-of-hours calls from clients when washing hair confirms professional commitment! Ha!
Enjoy the speaker – it deserves all accolades!