Anker SoundCore 2: simple and enduring

Ergonomics

For its SoundCore 2, Anker opted for an even simpler and more streamlined design. The quality of the design is nonetheless very honest. Apart from the front metal grid, a very large part of the enclosure is covered with plastic in a soft-touch coating which is certainly not the thickest, but which is pleasant to the touch. It is not extremely sensitive to fingerprints, but they still start to appear as you use them.

Even if more compact formats exist on the market, this speaker still easily finds its place in a bag or pocket. It has no carrying pouch, but its design still allows it to take a few small blows and scratches. Compared to the previous model, the novelty comes from its increased resistance to splashing water (IPX5 certification), validated without problem in the field. Please note, the SoundCore 2 is not designed for immersion.

Increased resistance requires, the connection (a micro-USB port and a 3.5 mm mini-jack input) is now protected and hidden behind a small cover. The access and the replacement of this one are very simple thanks to the small tab. Another small detail that is always pleasant, four small non-slip pads are placed under the enclosure, thus giving it good grip. Even if it is not specially designed for, the SoundCore 2 can also be positioned vertically.

Simplicity is also a must when it comes to its use. The speaker has large, easily identifiable buttons that allow you to control the majority of basic functions (play / pause, call management, volume, etc.). While it is possible to skip to the next song by double pressing the play button, it is not possible to go back to the previous song. In addition, the volume is not always linked between the player and the speaker when using Android. This is however the case on iOS. Two luminous indications as well as voice aids are there to guide the user well when handling and pairing the speaker, which is always very welcome. Pairing via Bluetooth is easy, even if it is not possible to pair two devices at the same time. If we wanted to quibble to the extreme, we could blame the average quality of the help sounds played (compression + big focus on the mids, a bit like a "phone" sound) and the fact that the one played when reaches the maximum volume supplants the music played.

Apart from its ease of use, the speaker can count on a very beautiful 24 hour autonomy, but which can only be touched at a very low listening volume. In normal use, the duration is rather around 15 to 16 hours, which remains a very nice score. Small flat, once again: the micro-USB / USB cable is short. Finally, there are unfortunately no miracles on the side of the on-board microphone for the hands-free kit function: the background noise is particularly present, the signal is a little too weak, of poor quality and the voice is not intelligible only if you are very close (20 to 30 cm) from the enclosure and in a calm environment.

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Audio

The sound rendering offered by the SoundCore 2 is far from stunning. However, it remains fairly homogeneous and musical, especially for a speaker of this size.

The SoundCore 2 uses Bassup technology to boost the bass. We also hear its activation slightly offset by restarting the reading. The result is convincing and measured enough to gain depth and scenic base without disturbing the upper frequency zones by masking effects. However, you should not expect a precision model in this area, especially when you push the speaker to its limits. The rest of the spectrum is reproduced in a particularly balanced manner. The scene benefits from a beautiful general presence and we can easily distinguish the instruments that compose it. The voice, in particular, stands out very well. It is intelligible in all circumstances. This is also the case for saturated guitars, for example, or even trumpets, saxophones, snares and many other instruments that operate in this register. The most trying songs (rich in frequencies, with a well compressed mastering) are much less readable, especially when you push the volume beyond 60-70% of the maximum volume. In this case, it is better to be satisfied with a more contained volume, but which is enough for a listening of proximity or to offer background music outside. The SoundCore 2 gives a little boost in the treble to promote the brilliance of the rendering and improve the impression of clarity and precision. Again, the choice is interesting, but only if you stay at a reasonable level of listening. Beyond, the whole becomes very aggressive, scintillating and the sibilance points its snout.

The SoundCore 2 has a reasonable power reserve considering its size. As said earlier, you still have to not push it too much if you want to keep the quality of the sound rendering to a minimum. Distortion is particularly present in the bass and treble as soon as you push the speaker a little too much, especially on rich songs. It is typically the proximity speaker that you can choose to listen to your music from time to time when you are working, in the kitchen, or even to add a little sound ambiance in the evening. For more demanding situations, other slightly larger models and especially with better contained distortion will be more suitable.

Wireless communication latency is around 210/220 ms. There is in fact a discrepancy between the image and the sound which, although it is not too disabling for occasional and short use, remains troublesome on longer content or when dialogues are essential.

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Conclusion

The SoundCore 2 is a small nomad speaker with honest performance that surprises with its beautiful autonomy. Even if it does the job well, it will not reverse its sound quality, especially since it must be spared under pain of suffering the effects of distortion.

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