We Tried Amazon's Most Popular Bluetooth Speaker, And It Defied Expectations

When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, you often get what you pay for. A good build and sound quality to match doesn't come cheap. Here to counter that notion is the Anker SoundCore 2, which is one of the best-selling speakers on Amazon, just as the original was before it. Looking at the product listing, it's easy to see why this thing is flying off the shelves. Anker is a reputable brand, and the $30-$40 it's retailing for — with or without a coupon — is not a lot of money for a Bluetooth speaker. 

Still, why have so many people decided on this particular cheap speaker? Has Anker gamed Amazon's rankings, or is it genuinely that good? I needed to find out whether it's worth three or four of your hard-earned Hamiltons, so I forked out the cash, and, in an impressive feat of logistics, Amazon's overworked delivery team had it to me by nightfall. However, when the SoundCore 2 showed up on my doorstep, I was nervous.

Max Miller/SlashGear

I'm an audio nerd at heart, you see. Having spent so much of my life in the world of music production, bad sound quality feels akin to sacrilege. In the audio world, quality has a hefty price, and I fully expected to despise the Anker SoundCore 2. I've heard my share of budget Bluetooth speakers over the years and expected to unbox a plastic crime against my eardrums. Instead, what I found was a surprisingly high-quality speaker for the price, making it the value king for anyone who wants a cheap, no-frills Bluetooth speaker.

If there was anywhere I expected Anker to cut corners with the SoundCore 2, it was on build quality. Aside from bad drivers, it's usually a combination of poor materials and thoughtless design that sinks cheap Bluetooth speakers. In fact, build quality can have a massive impact on sound, since you need a sturdy frame to bring the noise without any rattling or distortion. The build quality of the SoundCore 2 surprised me from the moment I slid it out of the packaging. While there is some rattling at top volume, while playing bass-centric music, it otherwise feels very sturdy.

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The SoundCore 2 has a metal speaker grille, with the rest of the body coated in thick, soft-touch rubber. It's got more heft to it than you'd expect, which makes it feel denser and more premium than its price tag suggests. It's also IPX7 rated, meaning it's waterproof but not dustproof. In other words, take it poolside, not beachside. The speaker did survive a pretty rowdy session of shower karaoke, during which I ensured that water got directly into the speaker grille, the main point of weakness. I wouldn't dunk it fully underwater, but there was no change in its performance after toweling off both myself and the SoundCore 2.

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Up top are the controls for power, volume up/down, play/pause, and Bluetooth. On the left side is a waterproof flap that hides the charging port and 3.5mm auxiliary jack. Imprinted across the back is the Anker logo, while the bottom of the device contains product information and small feet.

Features are where Anker appears to have cut costs. This is not a feature rich speaker by the standards of 2024. However, it does cover the basics. You can answer and reject calls with its controls, and summon your phone's voice assistant by holding down the play/pause button. The only other trick the Anker SoundCore 2 has up its sleeve is the ability to pair two of the speakers together, just like you can on the UE Boom 3 that tops our list of the best Bluetooth speakers in 2024. I didn't get the chance to try this, however, as I only purchased one speaker for testing.

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As far as battery life is concerned, Anker rates the SoundCore 2 as able to operate for 24 hours of playback time. While I did not have an entire day that I could set aside to let the speaker continuously play, I only charged it once during my week-long review process. It's safe to say this speaker has a rather robust battery for its size. Anker is best known for products such as charging stations and portable power stations like the 757 PowerHouse that can keep the lights on for an entire household. Suffice to say the company knows its way around battery technology.

Sound quality is what matters most in a Bluetooth speaker. After all, what good is a waterproof chassis if you can't turn up the bass until everyone else at the pool hates you? After taking a deep breath, and apologizing to my ears in advance, I cued up my speaker testing playlist on Apple Music. As the first notes of "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" by Arctic Monkeys filtered through, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Max Miller/SlashGear

Not only does the Anker SoundCore 2 sound good for the price, but I actually prefer it to a few other popular Bluetooth speakers that focus on making the bass punchy, while absolutely ruining the dynamism of any given song. I'm looking at you, JBL. Contrastingly, I would describe the SoundCore 2's sound as clear and balanced. It doesn't punch far outside its weight class, but it's outclassing anything else I've heard for under $50. That's not to say that the bass is lackluster. Holding it in my hand while SOPHIE's "Ponyboy" played felt like holding a thumping human heart. Furthermore, the bass doesn't crowd out the mids.

Another horrible habit of cheap Bluetooth speakers is that they're often tinny, which makes high frequencies feel painful. Again, that's not the case with the SoundCore 2. It's totally listenable, even at full volume. However, some occasional distortion is present at full volume. For example, it became apparent during the instrumental bridge of Lorde's "Fallen Fruit," with the electric guitar. That said, I couldn't replicate the distortion consistently even when playing obnoxious dubstep, so it may have been caused by a surface I rested the SoundCore 2 on, rather than being a defect in the speaker.

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My main gripes are that the lowest bass frequencies struggle to be heard, and that the speaker overall doesn't go very loud. Put this model next to a JBL or UE Boom speaker, and you'll hear the difference. However, those speakers cost two to three times more, which is why, for my money, the Anker SoundCore 2 isn't comparable to them.

While the Anker SoundCore 2 can't compete with some of the best Bluetooth speakers in 2024, it performs far better than it has any right to at its dirt-cheap price point. The build quality is solid, the design sleek, the feature set sufficient, and most importantly, it packs an eyebrow-raising level of sound quality. Again, all of this is being judged against its price of $30-$40. If you can get the SoundCore 2 for $30 — which you pretty consistently can with Amazon coupons and sales — then it's well worth considering. 

However, if you're expecting to power a pool party with this rubber brick, the SoundCore 2 is not for you. It's more suitable for small picnics, bedrooms, or shower jams. I've got it up on my desk while I write this review, and that feels like the proper environment for it. With a mix of sturdy build quality, decent sound, and a bargain bin price, there's not much more I could ask of the Anker SoundCore 2.