The Anker Soundcore 3 has almost everything you could ask for in a portable Bluetooth speaker, and yet it’s a real bargain. the Anker Soundcore 3 improves on the Soundcore 2 in several ways. It is lighter and easier to carry, and its 24-hour battery life lets you enjoy music or podcasts for longer periods of time between charges. The Anker Soundcore 3 is a rectangular Bluetooth speaker with a similar design to the Anker Soundcore 2. It is solidly built and IPX7 waterproof, although we have not tested it at this time.
Unlike the Soundcore 2, it has a companion app with a graphical EQ and presets to adjust the speaker’s sound. There is also a strap that you can attach to the side, which is handy if you want to take it on the go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get very loud and has some compression artifacts at maximum volume, so your audio may not sound very clean at higher volumes.
Anker’s Soundcore Mini 3 is a waterproof Bluetooth speaker that offers a lot of value for only $39.99. For example, you can customize the EQ with the Soundcore app. This is something that most other options in the sub-$50 outdoor speaker category cannot offer. Whether EQ is really necessary for a speaker of this size is debatable, but even without EQ, the Soundcore mini 3 offers solid audio performance for its size and price, with good hands-free quality.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Design
The cylindrical Soundcore Mini 3 measures 3.3 x 2.8 inches (HD) and weighs 8 ounces. It has an eggshell-like exterior and is only available in black. The upward-firing 6-watt driver is complemented by a downward-firing passive radiator that adds a sense of bass depth to the sound signature. The base of the speaker is rubberized to prevent it from dancing on flat surfaces, and it seems to have a slight suction on some surfaces; however, this feature can create vibrations that affect the sound somewhat. You can use the built-in loop to hang the speaker to avoid this problem.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Built
It is not flashy or cluttered, a minimalist design that is easy to overlook amidst the other speakers in the lineup. Still, it is by no means ugly: the Soundcore is a small black rectangle made entirely of soft plastic, except for a grill covering the front of the speaker. The speaker grille has white Anker lettering, one of two places where the speaker is branded (the other is on the back).
The soft plastic is fingerprint resistant, but it does need to be wiped down from time to time to maintain its “fresh out of the box” appearance. But Anker does it in a simple way that doesn’t detract from the overall beauty of the speaker. In a way, this accentuates the speaker’s design and helps differentiate it from other small rectangular products in this category.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Connectivity
The Anker cannot connect to your home Wi-Fi network, but at the price, that is not really a criticism. Once a Bluetooth connection is established, voice commands can be given to your smart player in the usual way, and we were able to select tracks and stream playback via third-party music and audio apps like Spotify using Siri voice commands through my iPhone 12 Pro.
Unlike the UE Megaboom 3, which supports multiple DJs simultaneously, Soundcore can only connect to one source at a time. It is possible to connect multiple Soundcore devices simultaneously, however, and Anker claims that more than 100 Soundcore speakers can be connected wirelessly via PartyCast and have music synced to each. Unfortunately, we didn’t have another Soundcore model on hand to test this feature; Soundcore didn’t specify Bluetooth 5.0 range, but it maintained a stable connection even when streaming from other rooms in the house.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Performance
The Anker SoundCore’s Bluetooth range of up to 60 feet can’t match that of the Bose Soundlink Revolve, allowing you to move a good distance away from the source with your music, though it might start to stutter if you have obstacles in your path. The speaker has two 3-watt speakers that are loud enough for a party in the house. As for sound quality, the Anker SoundCore features a spiral bass port that “fires” the sound for better audibility. The speaker also offers stereo sound, although it could draw significant criticism for its lack of Wi-Fi support.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Battery Life
Battery life is 24 hours, so the Soundcore 3 has a reasonable amount of playback time, making it one of the best portable speakers we have experienced in this regard. In actual use, we were able to play it in the background while working for at least a couple of days and still need to charge it. A full charge is estimated to take 3.5-4 hours, and a USB-C charging cable is included, but a 5V/2A wall charger is required. The power indicator flashes red when the battery is low and stays red while charging. When fully charged, the power indicator turns off.
Anker Soundcore 3 review: Price
Despite its low price, the Anker SoundCore offers great sound with its two speakers. It may not be the best option for outdoor use, as its durability is not as high as the JBL Charge 4, but it is compact and easy to carry around. Plus, you can easily play music from your favorite music streaming apps with it.
Conclusion
Solid build quality, excellent battery life, and above-average sound reproduction are remarkable considering the speaker’s size; SharePlay seems like a useful feature for those who want to sync multiple Soundcore speakers together for even louder sound, and ultimately Ultimately, this kind of flexibility and performance will give the Soundcore 3 an edge over many Bluetooth options at this price.
