Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with IPX7 Waterproof, 24-Hour Playtime, Wireless Stereo Pairing, 12W Stereo Sound, Bluetooth 5, Bassup, Electronics for Home, Shower, Outdoors, TravelClimatePartner certified

When Anker’s SoundCore 2 went on sale, I immediately made the purchase so that I could compare an Anker Bluetooth speaker with those from other manufacturers. Anker is a well-known brand producing quality products. My expectations were high.PackagingThe SoundCore 2 came in a white and light blue box with black and light blue text on the outside. Inside the box, wrapped in velvety plastic, was the speaker secured by cardboard on all but the top parts. With the speaker were the user guide, “Happy/Not Happy” card and an Anker-branded charging cable inside its own smaller box. Packaging was professional.Pairing and ControlsPairing the SoundCore 2 with an iPhone 7 Plus was a breeze. Shortly after turning the speaker on, “SoundCore 2” appeared on my phone. A couple of seconds after I tapped the name, paring was successful, confirmed by tone.The controls are located at the top of the speaker. They include the power, - (minus), play, + (plus) and Bluetooth buttons. The + and – buttons are used for adjusting volume. The play button is a multi-function button that can be used to pause/resume playback, accept/reject/end calls as well as putting the current call on hold while accepting another call. Additionally, the play button can also be used to switch a call between speaker and mobile device.On one of the sides are the auxiliary and micro USB charging ports.PerformanceWhen it comes to speakers, the most important factor for me is sound quality reproduction. Anker’s SoundCore 2 didn’t disappoint. Vocals by a basso vocalist were smooth. Middle frequencies produced by a flute and a clarinet were clear and pleasant. High frequencies from an acoustic guitar were crisp and very satisfying.The sound of a bass drum was somewhere in between a “punch” and a “boom.” Applying an equalizer app got the bass drum closer to a boom but not quite there. This is an area where the speaker could use an improvement when it comes to sound quality reproduction.The SoundCore 2 is loud. At maximum volume, it easily filled my 20-feet x 20-feet garage with sound. Bluetooth range was amazing. Without any obstruction in between the speaker and my phone, sound didn’t cutoff until both were about 100 feet apart, producing the best Bluetooth range of all speakers I’ve tested to date.Phone calls were clear. The speaker has the ability to put an existing call on hold while answering another incoming call. I have yet to see this feature on other Bluetooth speakers. There is one feature that is common with most speakers I’ve tested but not present with the SoundCore 2 and that is the ability to call the last number dialed on the phone the speaker is paired with. This would normally be a double press of the play button but this action is assigned to skip to the next track. I found this to be surprising coming from an Anker product.In addition to call the last number dialed, I was also surprised by the inability to go to the previous track. Unless I missed this in the user guide, this functionality is not present.As already mentioned, the speaker has the ability to enable voice control software such as Siri on iOS devices. This is the second speaker I have tested to include this nice feature.Pros• Durable and rugged construction• Good sound reproduction• Loud• Comprehensive user guide in 9 languages• Amazing Bluetooth range• Advanced phone call answering features• Ability to enable voice activated software (Siri with iOS)• Anker-branded charging cableCons• Can’t go to previous track• Can’t call the last number dialed• No auxiliary cableConclusionDespite the minor quirks mentioned in my review, the pros far outweigh the cons making the SoundCore 2 an excellent choice for a Bluetooth speaker in the $46 (price at the time of review) range. Similar speakers I’ve tested are the Meidong 2110 and the Meidong QQChocolate Medium. While these two speakers are more accurate in terms of sound quality reproduction, they are not as loud as the SoundCore 2. If volume is more important, you can’t go wrong with the SoundCore 2. However, if sound quality reproduction is more important, take a look at the Meidong speakers. I had to switch between all three speakers while writing this review to make sure that my conclusions are as accurate as possible.

My 10yr old likes to listen to music when he showers so he's always had to just use his ipad, which isn't a great sound and high volume, sounds tinny and not loud enough when the shower water is running. So I figured I'd get him a portable sound bar he could use instead, or when he's around the house, etc.I streamed YTube and there was no lag in the vocals/sound.The sound on this is actually really good for it's size and price, it connected right up to my iphone and his ipad, he tested it out and it was easy to hear while he was in the shower, we didn't need to go anywhere near max volumn.It has a rubbery coating and feels nice and solid, large buttons on top to control connection, volume, play/pause. Comes with a USB-C charging cable (but no power brick, you'll need that on your own, we just use the many we already have).Would definitely recommend if you need an upgrade from just your device sound and want something small, portable, and good sound quality.

First of all.. the quote "Luke, I am your father," is a misquote. The actual line is... Anyway, I just typed that so you'd know I'm not a bot.Actual Review:This speaker is exactly what is advertised. If you want a straight forward inexpensive, durable, water-proof, bass boosted speaker, this is it. For a $40 speaker, it's great quality.Sound: As advertised, it's heavy on the bass, but not so much that you can't watch a movie laying in bed and not pass out to a movie, at low volume. It's loud enough to blast music while hanging out with a group of friends, and it can be heard pretty loud over the chatter. It's nothing crazy, but pretty impressive.Battery Life: I think it died on me once, and that was from leaving it unplugged for somewhere 5-7 days. I use it for about 5ish hours a day on average.Waterproof: Yep. I accidentally knocked it into my bathtub while the water was showering onto it. Barely a scuff, and it kept on playing.App: It's not compatible with the ANKER app because it's an older modelConnections: bluetooth and auxilaryControls: On the box itself it's buttons, no touch buttons or anything, but you can of course adjust the volume on from your deviceIt's a great straight forward speaker. Unless you're looking for something a little more flashy, with more advanced features, This is a good deal, especially for today's standards.

For a sub 50 USD stereo blue tooth speaker this has some pretty amazing clarity. I can hear every single instrument and subtle background vocal when playing music. Most portable and/or small 2.1 PC speaker systems tends to muddle sound quite a bit but this speaker is super clear. The volume on the speaker I got is actually pretty loud as well without much if any distortion at full volume but it does sound a little tinny but nowhere near as tinny as most intergraded laptop, phone and/or tablet speakers. As far as the bass goes..................it's definitely there but doesn't have a lot of resonance, It's a big step up from the OG Soundcore but it's still less than adequate. The soundstage is also much wider than the OG model as well. The speaker actually has some stereo separation to my ears. For those frugal individuals like myself who tend to wait a few years for prices to really drop before upgrading their electronics the Soundcore 2 is most definitely worth upgrading to this. This not be the latest or greatest BT speaker (It's not even listed on the Anker Soundcore site anymore lol.) out there but as far as budget BT speakers it's a pretty good choice imho.