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, Travel

I’ve had this for 3 years now, and I’m blown away by the build quality. I use it in the shower twice a week, I listen to my TV through it for several hours every night, and I fall asleep listening to audiobooks on it every night. It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve used this for 3-10 hours every single day for 3 years. It still works perfectly! Too perfectly, in fact—I keep wishing it would die so I could justify buying the newer version with USB-C. But at this rate, this thing might be in my will when I die!I should note that I don’t listen to music with it. I just want clear dialogue for audiobooks and TV shows. The volume is more than enough to hear in the shower, camping, and when working in the garage.It still holds a charge like the day it was born. I probably get 20-30 hours of play time between charges.I especially love that that I can tell which buttons are which in the dark and in the shower—they have simple raised symbols, so it’s easy to find the plus and minus volumes as well as the pause and power.If I manage to outlive this thing, I’m replacing it with another Anker—they’ve made a lifetime customer out of me!

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.

I was introduced to Anker via the previous model of this Bluetooth speaker that I bought in 2017. I still have that speaker and it still works, but I wanted to get a new one before it stops working.There were noticeable improvements that could be made with the new model, and they did just that.They added a silicone cover for the charging and aux port to protect it from dust, dirt, etc.They changed the charging port from a micro USB to a USB C, which I think is better to have and the port is less likely to be damaged.They made the buttons on top more defined and thus easier to press in low light, as you can feel the difference much more.They moved the status lights to the top of the speaker instead of being on the speaker itself. In the previous model, the light would flash when not connected to Bluetooth (but connected to aux), which was annoying because you want to place the speaker with the speakers facing you, so that light was always there whether blinking or not.My only complaint is with the start up and shut off sounds. In the previous model they were very loud and annoying. With the new model it's not as loud, but in my opinion the added wooshing noise is unnecessary and is only a little less annoying than the previous model. A quiet, simple two tone noise would have been great.Overtime my 2017 speaker's battery has worn down and I find I need to charge it more often. The charging port is loose as well. I think with the improvements on the new model, the charging port will stay in tact much longer and the battery itself will stay charged longer as well. I still can't believe the 2017 model still works, and I'm expecting this one to last longer than that.

Love these and they sound great paired with my ipad. They do have TWS (true stereo) which I needed. The only drawback is that they do not have adequate operation instructions, and you cannot see the tiny print, but I called them, and after a long hold, a real person will help you. I told them they could avoid all the calls by including better instructions, and they knew that. I advise to be sure to turn them on and pair them before you turn on bluetooth setting on your devise. Also, there are youtube instructions that may help you. Awesome sound, minus a star for poor instructions, and the instructions should include troubleshooting, etc.