Anker SoundCore 2 - Review
Amazing Value Speaker Goodness
Back in 2013, a friend introduced me to his brand new Bose Soundlink Mini. It's a Bluetooth speaker with a big sound in a small package. It's quite remarkable to listen to this little speaker. It punches well above its weight sound-wise, but that comes at a price. At the time of writing, the RRP for this speaker is £170.
The Bose has become my gold standard in Bluetooth speakers of this size.
Today, however, I'm interested in something very similar but a quarter of the price — the Anker SoundCore 2. A mini, pill Bluetooth speaker which has a great CV. Let’s see how it performs.
Specifications
Weight: 450g / 16oz
Speakers: 2 x 1.5" Drivers
Audio Power: 12W
Bluetooth: Version 5.0
Aux In: Yes
Phone Support: Yes
Battery Life: 24 hours (depends on volume and content)
IP Rating: IPX7 (on Bluetooth)
For an RRP of £40 (often available on Amazon for £30), these are some excellent looking specs, but how does the SoundCore 2 hold up? There's no use having a thirty-pound Bluetooth speaker if it's a pile of junk!
Support the Channel
If you enjoy this review or the video, please use the Amazon links below to check out this speaker or anything else you plan to buy on Amazon.
You pay no more, and I get a tiny (and I mean tiny) commission for bringing you to Amazon's door.
Sound Quality
The sound is clear and bright, with just enough mid-range but not too much. There's no deep bass on this speaker to give it the rich sound of the Bose. If you're after a punchy sound, this isn't the speaker for you. The bass is tight and well-controlled but doesn't drop much below 150Hz.
Fortunately, it doesn't sound boxy like many speakers and headphones at this price. It puts many DAB radios to shame and is perfect for background listening. I recently reviewed the Sony XDR-S61D, a DAB radio in a much bigger cabinet with an 8cm driver, and it sounds very similar to the Anker.
Apart from a lack of bass, the only problem I spotted is what I can only describe as quantisation noise at low levels. I have no idea if that's what it is, but when I was recording the 'Hoff Ensemble - Blagutten' track (see ‘Jazz’ below) via Aux-In, I noticed it at the tail end of the song as the instruments fade. There's a distinct, messy, low-bitrate noise that did not exist on the Bose. It's there on Bluetooth too, but I just put that down to bad codecs.
Take a listen for yourself. I recorded the song into a Tascam DR100-MkIII field recorder using the onboard A-B stereo configuration mics at a distance of about 20cm (way too short for X-Y recording). You can listen to both the Anker and Bose recordings. Listen carefully to the quiet sections, particularly the last twenty seconds.
This small flaw in the audio won't be a problem for many, but it does make me question how well this speaker is genuinely performing sonically. It's small, and I shouldn't listen to it critically in this way, but you know. It still makes me think.
NOTE: The recordings above are 96kHz 24-bit recordings and link to .wav files - Most exceed 100MB in size.
Connectivity
As with most Bluetooth speakers, connecting to the Anker is remarkably simple and hassle-free. Pairing and re-pairing is no problem.
If you prefer, you can use a 3.5mm TRS connection to the Aux-In. Bluetooth seems to remain active with the cable plugged in which seems odd at first, but I guess you could use the Aux-In for a music player and keep Bluetooth connected for your phone calls.
All wired connectivity is through two sealed ports at the side — more on that a little later.
Power
You charge the speaker via a 5V Micro-USB cable. No USB-C here, unfortunately. You can power the device and charge simultaneously, which leaves you with a mass of power if you choose to use a decent power bank alongside the SoundCore 2. The Anker 26,800mAh would last days and would be a nice stand for the speaker.
Allegedly, the battery life on the Anker is 24 hours. They state that it will vary depending on the type of content and volume - kind of obvious to anyone with a basic grasp of battery power. Even if it achieves half that, it's in line with the best Bose can offer in their Soundlink Mini. Twenty-four hours is excellent.
Functionality
The buttons give you access to everything you could expect on a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Playback controls when listening to music and a few call features such as answer, reject, transfer to phone and putting calls on hold.
Design
It's sleek and rugged at the same time. The case is entirely rubberised (giving it an outdoor, military look) but it's compact and has no unnecessary bulk.
The rubberised finish is nice and smooth to the touch and should last the unit's life for most. If you intend to keep this for a long time, I fear that this rubber finish will become tacky, sticky and fail as it mixes with dirt in the air and oils from human skin. I've seen this happen on a few tech pieces, and I'm not confident that the materials used on a speaker of this price will be world-class. Only time will tell.
Except for the speaker grill, it lacks any metal finish. I miss that, but it makes sense when you consider the IP rating of the unit.
IP Rating
This baby is waterproof. Not just, "get a bit of rain on, and I'll probably be OK" waterproof. The Anker SoundCore 2 is IPX7 rated meaning that, with a good tailwind, you can submerge the speaker in water for 30 minutes at a depth of one meter. I have no idea why you'd want to, but this level of waterproofing is excellent for sailing, camping, and general outdoor use.
This feature alone makes this a worthwhile purchase for many.
Be careful with that port cover though. Those things are notoriously fragile, and without it, this speaker will lose it's IP rating entirely. It also means that Bluetooth is the only option if you're out in the rain. Most people will use this wirelessly with a phone, so that's probably a moot point.
Conclusion
At forty pounds this is a great buy. At thirty pounds, this is a steal. It's easily worth double that, particularly with the IP rating.
I have no hesitation in recommending this. It's not perfect in every way, but it's terrific for the money.
As long as you're not a bass junky, there's some sweet detail in this speaker. I was shocked at how good the recordings sounded when played back. Download the files and take a listen yourself. It sounds different from the Bose but not in a bad way. Just different.