I've been meaning to make a review on this speaker as it's the overall winner of all the BT speakers I've tried the past couple months. Here are the following speakers I've tried in order and I will conclude at the end why the Anker SoundCore Boost won:
- 1 Anker SoundCore Sport XL ($45 - Amazon Deal of the Day)
- 1 Refurbished JBL Charge 2 ($50 - Frys)
- 2 JBL Flip 4 ($70 each - Frys)
- 1 Vava Voom 20 ($40 - Frys)
- 1 Sony SRS-X55 ($100 - Costco)
- 1 Sony Sony XB30 ($100 - Frys)
- 2 Refurbished JBL Flip 3 ($33 each - Frys)
- 1 JBL Charge 3 ($140 Walmart)
- 1 Anker Soundcore Boost ($80 Walmart)
All the speakers I tried was measured against my friend's *Bose Soundlink Mini II* which amazingly, still sounds fantastic despite being so long in tooth, But it still cost nearly as much as it did during its release many years ago (~$170) which is pretty pricey. I use a bluetooth speaker not just for listening to music (mainly mid-bass heavy EDM) but also as my laptop speaker(s) so fast BT audio latency matters which is something most bluetooth speakers reviews don't talk about very much, if at all. This is important because if you enjoy watching online videos on your laptop/tablet, the lagginess of the BT signal is distracting, especially for lip sync'ing... well, if you're like me anyway. Most of the speakers require you to use the aux cable if you don't want to experience its horrible latency with the exception of two speakers: The Bose Soundlink Mini II and the Vava Voom 20. You may have noticed I didn't mention the Anker Soundcore Boost right there - I'll get to that. But without further ado, here is my summary of each speaker:
Anker SoundCore Sport XL:
I made a review on Amazon about it but the summary is that it had lackluster mid-bass production and heavily compressed the signal starting at mid volume levels. I quite disappointed at its sound quality. However, as I noted in my review, it's insanely rugged so that's what you're paying for. There's a video on Youtube where skaters are literally dropping it head high and beating on it for a day and it survives without issue.
Refurb JBL Charge 2:
Coming from the Anker SoundCore Sport XL, this felt like quite an upgrade as far as sound quality - especially the bass output. I would have been happy with this at the time but this refurb unit seemed pretty worn (had visible wear marks - like a used product which technically refurbs are but their condition varies greatly).
2 JBL Flip 4s:
What sold me was the advertised feature being able to link two for stereo output. But OMFG JBL's app is complete and utter frustration to use. It's so flaky with its speaker detection and the speakers go back to "party mode" when powered off so you're forced to always use that terrible app to set it to 'stereo link mode' again. On top of that, ugh... that treble is so harsh. It hurts my ears to be directly in front of it. The plus side to such a bright treble though, if you're not sensitive to it, is it's much more forgiving to listening off-axis and makes it more omni-directional. I didn't need that for my purpose and would rather have the better sound stage of being directly in front of the speakers and not hurt my ears. Bass was clean and capable of going surprisingly low but the actual volume of that bass is pretty weak.
also, all the JBL speakers suck when it comes to latency. Watching videos online, I never got used to the delayed audio and poor lip syncing. I pretty much always had to use the aux cable. The latency is still just as bad if you leave it in stereo mode while using an aux cable to the primary speaker of the stereo link. The speaker also certainly feels nice in hand and looks pretty sweet too (styling). It being fully water proof gives it bragging rights but it wasn't for me.
Vava Voom 20:
This speaker has so much potential but unfortunately is plagued by its poor power management. The speaker's volume constantly turns back down after use in order to "save power" but it just becomes annoying. This is actually designed in, on purpose! It produces a surprising amount of bass, but is almost too aggressive in its goals in doing so by producing sub-woofer level hz (lower than 70hz where most bt speakers drop off) but at such low volume levels, it doesn't provide any value but to vibrate the poor little speaker in to oblivion (and probably unnecessarily drain the battery). Seriously - the thing could double as a vibrator - it will turn your hand numb. The outstanding positive though is that it had virtually no discernible latency! You can watch your videos over BT and the lip sync'ing is just dead-on like an aux cable! However, when you compare music listening against the Bose Soundlink Mini, it becomes very obvious how outclassed it was by it. If they could just fix their weird power management system and tweak the tuning of the speaker to bring out the mids/highs for better sound stage and not have it try to play sub frequencies it can't produce at any respectable volume level, they would probably be a Bluetooth speaker to contend against - especially given the extremely low price. It's also crazy they have such a bad review on Fakespot. They really have an outstanding product that wouldn't need fake reviews if they just tweaked those negatives out.
Sony SRS-X55:
Out of all the speakers I've tested, this is the only BT speaker that actually definitively beat my friend's Bose Soundlink Mini II. It has a dedicated driver just for bass (an actual 2.1 system) so it's not trying to have 2 drivers do everything, so both the highs were cleaner and the bass was deeper & louder than the Bose. So why didn't this win as my keeper? It was 3 things really: The form factor, the latency, and the proprietary charger. Having a tall and skinny speaker that's prone to falling over just wasn't practical as a portable speaker. The thing produces so much bass that it can literally walk itself off a shelf and commit suicide. The latency is just as bad as the JBLs so it required an aux cable and the proprietary charger just sucks, especially when you pack your speaker for a trip and forget it. But if all you care for is pure sound quality for music listening, this is your speaker... even over the Anker Soundcore Boost. Some people say the bass is tuned too heavy but for me and my bass-heavy music, it was perfect. You can always use a EQ to lower the bass I suppose.
Sony XB30:
Basically, this was my attempt at seeing if the latest version of a Sony BT speaker of the same price range will have the amazing sound quality of the older SRS-X55, without all the drawbacks of it (better form factor, micro USB charger, better audio latency). It didn't. In fact I was surprised at how crappy this speaker sounded. The weak bass of a flip 4 but with the muted clarity of the Charge 3. What were they thinking? I did like the soft touch plastic housing but the LED lighting is pretty "meh". It's also probably one of the most unforgiving speakers for listening off-axis. You really have to be directly in-front of it for it to even sound half-way decent which makes it worse for backyard listening. Lame.
2 refurb JBL Flip 3s:
After my surprise dissatisfaction with the Flip 4, I had read that the Flip 3, when compared to the Flip 4, has less harsh highs and is tuned slightly more bass oriented, though cannot produce tones quite as low. Better yet, the Flip 3 actually *retains* its stereo paring settings after power off so once set, you don't have to deal with that god-awful JBL Connect app all the time. Frys puts these on sale for only $33 dollars each occasionally and at that price, it's simply outstanding. Nothing comes close to it at such a low price range. Being paired in stereo mode makes an exponential positive difference in sound quality. Poor latency still requires you to use an aux cable for videos, but for backyard music enjoyment, two of these for $66, just beautiful! You get such better sound stage when you can have two BT speakers paired in stereo mode 20 feet apart over any other BT speaker... I can't stress this enough. You don't know what you're missing until you hear it compared to a single BT speaker, even against a good one. But alone, if you only plan to buy the single Flip3 at 'normal price' (not refurb price), the Soundcore Boost is a much, much better speaker. Turns out, these two Flip 3s are the only other BT speakers I kept besides the SoundCore Boost.
JBL Charge 3:
I don't know why I bothered trying this speaker. I guess just for completeness - I tried JBL charge 2, Flip 4, Flip 3, I should see what the latest Charge can do. It surprisingly doesn't produce *that much* better bass than the Flip3 but with odd muffled highs! I like how it is fully waterproof and can float (great for taking it out on a pool floaty) but compared to the Bose Soundlink Mini II, it doesn't match it (never mind the Sony SRS-X55!). Honestly, I think the Anker Soundcore Boost is targeted against the Flip 4 but I think it beats the Charge 3 by way of being equal in bass but much cleaner highs and better sound stage. The Soundcore Boost really makes the JBL Charge 3 a poor value *IF* you don't need waterproofing or the ability to link multiple BT speakers.
TL:DR
Anker Soundcore Boost:
So we are finally here with the Soundcore Boost. I sort of unfairly wrote Anker off after my experience with Anker SoundCore Sport XL but after I found it on display at Walmart and listened to it (though I find listening to BT speakers retail displays never gives the full story), and then later heard "clavinetjunkie" thoughts on it (look him up on YouTube - Great Bluetooth speaker reviewer), I decided to give it a chance and bought it at Walmart. I was blown away! This is easily a JBL Flip 4 killer with much better bass, 'easy on the ears' highs and surprisingly good sound-stage. It would say it's on par with my friend's Bose SoundLink Mini II and in some ways, beats it! Mainly in how it doesn't compress the signal as much at higher volumes as the Bose does (though does stop raising bass at the higher levels as all of them do however). The form factor is compact, and has a soft touch feel with a low key, all black styling that feels modern and functional. All this goodness for only $80 dollars? Win.
Latency? OK so here's the deal: if you have read my whole review up to this point (I don't blame you if you hadn't), you would have learned that the only BT speaker that had awesome latency over Bluetooth signal was the Bose Soundlink Mini II and the Vava Voom 20. All the other speakers required the aux cable or the lip sync'ing will be quite off. The Anker Soundcore Boost falls somewhere in the middle. By that I mean, the latency is just low enough to not be annoying when watching online videos, but it's not fast enough for video games like FPS games - When you click the mouse button to fire your gun, you'll notice the delay. For that, you still need to use an aux cable and is indeed a compromise. I place the Soundcore Boost in front of my laptop and the compact form factor allows me to tilt it up pretty easily (see picture).
To conclude, I just love this speaker. Very happy with it and out of all the speakers I've tried, this speaker, weighing the totality of all the factors against the reasonable price tag of $80, it beats them all. But there's one caveat I must mention: I like this speaker enough that I bought another one for my wife but noticed, when compared against mine, it had a slight rattle/buzzing sound under heavy bass hits. Almost like as if there was a little piece of plastic loose and not securely glued down with resin, somewhere inside. Not something you'd hear from a distance but up close. TBH, I think it bothered me more than it bothered her, lol! Regardless, we had to go back and exchange it. Maybe that one was "built on a Monday/Friday" for those of you who are familiar with that saying. ;) So ... there maybe sort of a QA issue or "lottery" with these Anker speaker products. It's worth exchanging though - it really is an outstanding product if you have a good one!
Edit (7-31-17): Another speaker that's outstanding at a very similar price point as this is the Doss SoundBox XL. In beats this speaker in sound quality for only $10 more but requires a proprietary charger and is about twice this size. Latency is the same. Personally, I feel the Anker is more practical overall but you should at least check out the Doss for the incredible value. The sound quality to price ratio may be the best on Amazon.
My daughter and I did a bit of an experiment. Last year, she purchased a Bose Soundlink speaker of similar size. When I received my SoundCore, we put them side by side and did multiple sound tests using the same song. We did this for multiple genres of music including Classical, Pop, and KPop with heavy beats.
When it came to a deep, pleasant base, the Anker won hands down. Both my daughter and I were totally surprised at the quality coming out of this thing.
Alternately, though, and this is important for any of you who plan on listening to classical, the Bose did seem to win with those clear high notes of instrumentals. The Anker still held its own, but the Bose was better in that regard.
Still, what is important to remember here is that my Anker Soundcore Boost 20W speaker cost me $55 dollars. The Bose Soundlink cost my daughter well over $100.
We are both in agreement that this particular Anker speaker is exceptional in sound and value.
In terms of use, I use it in my kitchen. When it is time for me to turn on a candle and cook dinner, I throw tunes on depending upon the mood I am in and enjoy my alone while I cook. The volume and depth of sound is surprising. It cuts right through and above chit chat in the background and the sound of the range fan while I cook over the stove.
One sweet bonus with this speaker is that I can plug my phone into it to give it a quick charge. I keep my speaker on the kitchen counter; whereas my phone charger is kept upstairs and in my bedroom. This is very convenient especially while cooking!
The speaker is nice to look at. It has a matte finish to it. One of my family members picked it up and got a bit of a sticky substance on the bottom of it. I took a soft wet cloth and wiped it, and it came totally clean without any marring. The speaker has a series of lights that light up to show how much the battery is charged. This is very helpful. Additionally, when you turn it on and off, it makes a sound to let you know that it is powering up or down.
The volume can be changed from your phone or on the actual speaker. I have an Iphone 7plus and was able to connect easily. Once I connected, it did it automatically every time I powered it on.
In terms of the range of bluetooth, I tested moving with my phone around my house. It worked well moving into other rooms while leaving it on the kitchen counter, but I was shocked to still hear the music playing when I ran upstairs and into my bedroom bathroom.
My previous speaker could never do this by far.
As a person who loves tech toys and music, I give a solid thumbs up to this bluetooth speaker. I am glad I did not go with the Bose, and that says a lot.
Anker makes fantastic third-party accessories. What I love about Anker is its commitment to great pricing on products that work and work for a long time.
The SoundCore Boost is no exception. Build is superior to any Bluetooth speaker Anker has built in the past, and the sound is fantastic for the price. The sound is rich and clear, but can also be boosted by the extra bass that comes through the dual woofers. The SoundCore has a great Bluetooth connection - it hasn't dropped out on me even when I bring my phone to other rooms.
Build quality is what you'd get from a major manufacturer like Sony, and the sound is arguably better than the UE Boom 2, and is certainly better than the Fugoo Go. Where the Fugoo Go and UE Boom 2 have an advantage over the Anker Boost is the ability to connect to more than one speaker. In the case of the Boom 2 it can connect to over 50 speakers (not that you would ever own that many) and the Go can connect to a second Go for dual or stereo sound. If you have the latest Samsung Galaxy S8, or S8+ you can connect to two devices simultaneously through Bluetooth 5.0, although you won't be able to get a solid connection on both devices unless you're phone is less than three feet away from both speakers.
I also love that the SoundCore comes with a 5200mAh battery that can be used to play the speaker for 12 hours or charge most cell phones twice.
If you're a demanding listener this speaker will satisfy you and you'll be glad you didn't spend twice as much on big brand names.
Overall, this is exactly what I was looking for. I'm not taking it backpacking, deep sea diving, or to the beach. I wanted something small but with decent sound quality and power to fill my small apartment with music without being "that" neighbor. This speaker fits the bill. I'm no audiophile, but the sound is largely crisp and clear, and only buzzes a little at high volumes. The bass boost is noticeable, but nothing to write home about. It lends a little depth to the music, depending on what I decide to queue up at the given moment.
The big drawback for me (initially - keep reading) was a charging issue, as others have noted. I had sporadic issues with my first unit. It never held a full charge, and would sometimes be plugged in for more than 24 hours, only to unplug it and have it drop to zero. On other occasions, once unplugged the charge would drop to 50%, or 75%, and so on. I called Anker, and was told to ensure it was plugged into at least a 2A USB charger. I did so, to no avail. Then I received an email from Anker, inquiring as to my satisfaction with the device.
I emailed back, explained my situation (and that I had it plugged into a 2.4A USB), and also how I saw little point in bothering to return the device with the hassle that entailed - boxing, taping, getting to the post office, paying for shipping, and then going without a speaker for however many weeks while I waited in my apartment listening to tinny music through my phone or tablet. No, I said I was disappointed, and likely wouldn't buy another Anker product, but I'd deal with it.
And here's where they made the difference. Someone from the company (a real person) emailed me back, expressed the company's regret, and offered to send me a new unit outright, no need to return the malfunctioning unit. And they did. And the second works, and charges, like a charm. It was this act of really understanding and decent customer service that turned me from a disgruntled customer to someone who would recommend this. I HOPE they get to the bottom of the issue, since I am clearly not the only customer to deal with this problem, but at the end of the day it's a great speaker for what I wanted.
This medium sized portable speaker is very well built. It has a premium feel with great materials- a nice rubbery top and bottom plate (that isn't a complete fingerprint smudge magnet) and a dense fabric grill that wraps around all sides. I personally love the understated design.
Right out of the box it was charged and ready to go. I was expecting good sound- but this thing pumps out a much fuller and more robust sound than I imaged it could, given its size and price point. The bass boost feature gives the music a nice "surround sound" type effect with some added thump. It will sound better with some types of music than others, so it's great to have the ability to turn it off and on at will.
The battery life is great and the device charging is a nice added feature that I'm sure I'll get some use out of. I also love the peace of mind knowing it can get wet without damage.
If you are looking at more expensive speakers in this range, you should seriously consider this one. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this!
I'd also like to add that I'm thoroughly impressed with Anker's customer support. I had an issue with the last speaker I bought from them, and they went above and beyond to make it right, even AFTER I had already returned it to Amazon. I can say without hyperbole that my experience with them has been the best I've had with any company. They won themselves a new loyal customer.
Feature Product
- Boost Your Bass: Enhance your audio at the press of a button with patented Anker BassUp technology. Make your music sing, with solid lows at any volume.
- Superior Sound: Dual drivers and twin subwoofers deliver 20W of powerful, high-fidelity audio. Boasting room-filling sound-ideal for podcasts, through to parties.
- Play and Charge: Listen for up to 10 hours / 210 songs, and power external devices with a USB port packing Anker's trademark battery technology.
- At Home, Anywhere: A classic, minimalist design complements virtually any interior. Portable build and IPX5 water-resistance means you can effortlessly enhance your music on-the-go.
- What You Get: Anker SoundCore Boost Bluetooth speaker, Micro USB charging cable, welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty and friendly customer service.
Description
SoundCore Boost
The Premium Bluetooth Speaker with Adjustable Bass
From ANKER, the Choice of 20 Million+ Happy Users
Industry-Leading Technology
Worry-Free Warranty
Lower The Tone
Simply hit the "UP" button, and your tracks will play with an extra dose of bass. Personalize your music and set the mood.
High-Fidelity Audio
SoundCore Boost delivers 20W of powerful, crisp audio via dual high-performance drivers, and twin passive subwoofers.
Play Further
Listen for up to 12 hours from a single charge. NFC enables instant pairing, Bluetooth 4.2 provides play from up to 66ft, and aux-in allows you to plug and play.
Music and More
In-built microphone turns the Boost into a hands-free speakerphone, while a 5200mAh external USB port allows you listen and power-up simultaneously.
Audio Everywhere
Designed to complement any interior - SoundCore Boost looks great at home, and away. Compact build and IPX5 water-resistant rating means the Boost slips into your bag and plays practically anywhere.
Worry-Free Warranty
At Anker, we believe in our products. That's why we back them all with an 18-month warranty and provide friendly, easy-to-reach support.
Note
Press "power" once to turn on, and once to turn off.
Long press "power" to enable Bluetooth pairing.
Playtime varies depending on volume and audio content.
Does not support Qualcomm Quick Charge.
Amazing SOUND. Deep Base. Clear Highs. Well worth the money and in my opinion, ranks up there with Speakers twice the price for this genre. You will not be disappointed in this unless you're wanting a custom mixed professional sound system. I'm using this at home in the kitchen, bathroom, work, out and about, traveling. What's great is that this will directly connect to your phone with your USB cord and charge your phone at the same time. I've yet to run the battery out. NO problems Pairing with the phone. Simple button layout. Sturdy construction. I have no honest complaints. I will update this review as time progresses as I do with all my reviews if you wish to keep up with them.
I didn't think they could improve much on the sound and build quality of the Premium speaker,but I was clearly wrong..This thing,for it's size,sounds incredible!!!Very pleased with this purchase,and,again,thanks Anker,for making all these wonderful toys ...
purchased as a lightning deal. unfortuanatley mine came damaged. there were a lot of scratches on the soft material on top that wouldnot be buffed away. also scratches on the screen protecting the speaker. great sound but wanted a polished product.
Update 12/23/17: I tried posting this update earlier in the week but for some reason did not post. Anker customer service reached out to me shortly after posting my original review. They wanted to ensure that my experience was not ruined by a fluke mishap with an item fulfilled by some one else. I received a replacement speaker from Anker within a few days. This time with no blems or scratches. The sound quality was never a concern of mine but now the aesthetics of the speaker match the sound great quality. All of this happened rather quickly and during a hectic time of the year, a week before christmas. Now we have an amazing speaker for our holiday party's ahead. Thank you Anker.
As I am not an audiophile, I did a lot of online research, listened to YouTube videos and in-store comparisons before purchasing the Anker SoundCore Boost 20W Bluetooth Speaker. I am very pleased with my purchase. I have found this speaker to sound better than other portable Bluetooth speakers costing twice as much. When used outside and high volume on our patio, the sound is terrific. When used inside and on medium volume, the sound is terrific. When used in the bedroom on low volume, the sound is terrific. I’ve considered purchasing another, however, the speaker is so portable, I really don’t need to.
PROS:
FAST shipping
Easy pairing
Amazingly clear sound
BassUp technology
Appearance of the speaker
Quick charging
Price
Con:
Power on noise is annoying
Speaker does a great job of playing back any type of Music. I listen to edm, country, alternative, rock, hip hop, rap ect. I did get a faulty one and returned that one.
This is an early review but so far I am more than happy with this speaker. I have the tdk a33, the douni a5, the jam heavy metal and I've tried the Sony xb20. Skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to read the other speaker condensed reviews. The tdk's clarity is about a 8 out of ten but it's problems were that it was bass heavy and the battery didn't last more than an hour and a half at first. Now it doesn't last more than 10 min. I have the douni a5 and the sound clarity is about a 9.2/10. It just sounds crystal clear but the problem with it is that it's very big to travel with, the battery lasts 4 hours at high volume not full volume, and it also distorts at high volumes. I bought the jam heavy metal to try it out and the sound clarity is about a 8.5 out of 10. The problems that came about from it were that it was unbearable to listen to it at low volumes because it made crackling noises and when it was louder it didn't sounds natural. It sounded like the treble and bass were boosted. I didn't mind the bass but the treble was too much. It also lowered the volume for a second and then made a pop sound which was weird. I probably got a defective one. I have also tried the xb20 and while it was loud the clarity of the music was a 6.5 out of 10. I like quality over quantity so I returned that one.
This one I feel like the sound clarity is about a 9/10 (not as good as my douni a5 but still really good. I was able to find birds chirping in a song I never knew had them. The song is called Rise Above by Bonnie X Clyde. I have yet to test the battery life on it and I'll update on it. I really like how compact it is compared to my douni or a33. I really like how crystal clear the music is at low volumes. I can't play loud music because it's 3am but still. So far, if it can last more than 5 hours at decent high levels I'll be happy. I guess it's true you get what you pay for. All the other speakers were cheaper than this one and not by much too. So if your looking for a really loud speaker and don't mind the chunckyness get the douni but for me it kind of defeats the purpose of portable. The a33 is really good too but it also too big and the battery is horrible. If it were the case I'd just but a wired speaker that sounds better than both.
Hope this helps. -Jadiel
0 comments:
Post a Comment