Anker SoundCore Review

Package

• Anker SoundCore
• MicroUSB cable for charging

Design and build quality

The speaker is not at all flashy and it has a minimal design. That said, it’s not ugly. The SoundCore (Check on Amazon.com) looks like a small black rectangle with a soft plastic coating, except for the front of the speaker that is covered by a grid.

The buttons at the top merge with the smooth plastic, at times they almost disappear, and they work very well. The only real problem I had with the design was the small LED light on the front of the speaker. It flashes blue when pairing, shines blue while the speaker is connected with a smartphone and turns red when the battery is low.

That said, it’s not centered and although this may not be a big deal for most people, it annoyed me every time I looked at it (I’m a perfectionist). To conclude, the speaker is not water-resistant. However, overall I like the minimal design.

Connectivity

Connectivity is better than what the competition has to offer on this price range. Bluetooth 4.0 guarantees a range of about 18-20 meters (60-65ft). If there are walls between the source and the speaker, the maximum distance is reduced to about 10-12 meters (33-40ft). The buttons at the top work great. You can play or pause music and control the volume directly from your device. On the side of the speaker, there is also a 3.5mm input for anyone who uses a non-Bluetooth source.

Performance

Speaking of sound quality, I did not expect such a “clean” bass. Usually, in these cheap Bluetooth speakers, the bottom end sounds fake, muddy, but Anker has done a good job of keeping the quality in the low end.

The mids are fluid and well-executed, although sometimes they lack detail. But the voices and acoustic guitars sound very good. The high range at high volume becomes “harsh” but, similar to many speakers, lowering the volume basically solves this problem.

Battery life is great. Anker promises up to 24 hours of music playback, and in all of our testing, we never went below that value.

Verdict

The Anker Soundcore is undoubtedly one of the best speakers you can buy for (Check on Amazon.com). If you are looking for a great value for money product, this is the one to choose. 24-hour music playback is a bold statement to make and Anker keeps the promise without sacrificing sound quality.