Anker Soundcore 2, 12W Dual-Driver, Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Daily Use, and Wireless, Extended Battery Life, 24-Hour Playtime, IPX7 Water Resistant, Built in Mic, 66 ft Bluetooth Range- BlueClimatePartner 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.

The Anker Soundcore 2 sells for about $45 but is currently on sale for just under $30 (July 2025). I figured I’d take a chance with this item at this sale pricing— and I’m glad I did. Mainly I picked this speaker up to pair with the Fire TV in my bedroom, serving as an inexpensive alternative to getting a full home theater system. The speaker paired easily with the Bluetooth on my Fire TV and takes up minimal space on my bed stand, providing a full range of sound from whatever I’m watching onscreen. I can control the volume by pressing the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ button on top of the speaker itself or with my TV remote control. I also use Amazon Music sometimes with that TV when I want to play music in my bedroom, and the sound on this little speaker was surprisingly rich for such an inexpensive device. It handles treble and bass adequately without any hiss or distortion. For the price, especially at current sale pricing, the value and performance of the Anker Soundore 2 is hard to beat. Since these speakers can also be paired with each other to provide true stereo sound, I’ve already ordered a second device for the bed stand on the other side of the bed.

I use this for my desktop and quality is great for it's small size. I love Anker products, they have not failed me so far and I've had some of their products for almost ten years! It's very easy to use and can easily transition via Bluetooth from desktop to my phone or vice versa. I'll blast music on this while I'm cooking and it's fantastic, filing the whole house with music. You can also use the speaker while charging. I've never had to time how long I can use it for without charging but I think about 6-8 hours at least. I also don't generally use it constantly at maximum volume either so it's hard to tell how long a full charge really lasts. The texture on this is like that of silicone so there's enough grip where it shouldn't slip from your fingers while moving it around, which I really like. All in all, a good, small, portable speaker for my use.

I like the small size and the super solid build quality. The encasement in non-slip rubber makes the controls easy to operate, and keeps it in place. The matte black color is good for me. The speaker was easy to pair with my phone. I have one use for this so far, bathroom music in the shower :-) So that's a big plus. It plays LOUD too.On the not wonderful side, the battery didn't last as long as I had hoped and takes a day to charge dully, even with a 30 Watt charger. And...the bass just ain't. I guess that;'s to be expected in this small form factor, but I was wishing Anker had pulled some magic trick and make this tiny speaker system sound like a full-range box. 4.5 stars from me.

Incredible considering the size and price point. Now, for sure, I have experienced audiophile level hi-fidelity. For those of us that can tell the difference, we're awfully hard to please. Having said that, I've got to say, these little speakers do something unheard of. Yeah, they impress me. I'm sitting in our little secret garden enjoying James Taylor's American Standards and loving what we're hearing. I will say that the setup befuddled me and remembering to press the on/off button on the master and not the slave first still annoys me (i have a pair playing in stereo mode). The battery life is beyond belief... I leave them out in the garden (exposed to the weather) for weeks and still find them raring to go. Overall, this is a two thumbs up.