This is the review of the comparison between two portable speakers from the same brand and from the same series. The comparison here is between the Anker Soundcore 2 and the Anker Soundcore 1. To know which one is better than the other for the price, go to the detailed review.

Anker Soundcore 2	Anker Soundcore 1
BUY NOW	BUY NOW
PROS	PROS
Supports stereo content. Super affordable. Solid sound quality.	Good Sound quality. Excellent battery life. 24 hours of playback. Aux input.
CONS	CONS
Doesn’t get very loud. Slightly quieter than expected. No flashy extra features. No sound customization features.	Buttons difficult to locate. Highs are a bit harsh. Generic design.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Detail Review:

INTRODUCTION:

Anker Soundcore 2

We know that Anker Soundcore is one of the best Bluetooth speakers in the world, in the budget price range. Since then they have released the second version of this speaker, improved a lot of the things, and the price. This speaker is retailing for around forty dollars currently on Amazon.

Anker Soundcore 1

The Anker Soundcore is the original version of the Anker Soundcore 2 from the Anker. This speaker was popular from the day of its launch itself for offering such nice features under budget. This speaker is retailing for around thirty dollars currently on Amazon. 

DESIGN:

Anker Soundcore 2

As far as the design, I actually prefer the shape of the first one. To me, it just looks cleaner and it’s actually slightly smaller and slimmer as well. There’s not much in it but it’s there especially if you hold it in your hand. The 2nd gen is slighter bigger in size as well as another thing is the way the first-gen is 365 grams versus the 414 grams of the second-gen, so this one is heavier as well. An advantage of the Soundcore 2 is there it does have an IPX7 water resistance rating and it has this flap to protect the charging and three-and-a-half millimeter port from water. Although it does protrude quite a bit and it can be quite difficult to open.

Both speakers have the same rubberized matte black finish which is prone to get marked but I think that it looks better than say scratched plastic so no issues here. One area I definitely prefer on the second-gen model is the buttons there a lot clickier, so you can easily know you’ve pressed them. With the first-gen model, buttons being really flat it was sometimes hard to feel whether or not you’d press them, they didn’t give a lot of tactile feedback, and they weren’t the easiest to see in the dark either they kind of blend into the body.

Anker Soundcore 1

As far as the design, I was looking for something relatively small and compact with a minimalistic design. The Soundcore caught my eye right away with its sleek exterior and shape. It was made of what feels like very hard plastic wood possibly a metal case covered with a rubber bumper. For its size, the Soundcore has a bit of heft to it, which helps reinforce the feeling that the speaker was crafted well, and doesn’t feel super cheap, even though it is. On the right side of the speaker is the aux port for your device if it does not support Bluetooth, the micro USB charging port, and a mic for making and receiving calls. Moving to the top, you have the power button, volume down, pause, play, volume up, and the pair button.

FEATURES:

Anker Soundcore 2

As well as the sound being improved, there are other things that are different than the first one. The upgraded Anker Soundcore 2 has IPX7 waterproof which means you can submerge the speaker in one meter of water for upto 30 minutes and it won’t ruin the speaker but you should keep the flap in the speaker closed always when not in use to keep this waterproof. Also, the new speaker is a bit bigger probably because of the extra waterproof function so they’ve added some materials that will be more to proof and you can see that the ports have been covered with this special plastic flap that covers the ports.

It also has Bluetooth 5.0 in the upgraded version which means that it’s got a larger range of wireless connection, so you can take it 66 feet or 20 meters away and it can still connect wirelessly to your phone or your device that plays the music. So altogether, I think that the Anker Soundcore 2 has been definitely improved. If you think that the deep bass sound and the waterful function are important to you then this is worth the extra money compared to the original. This speaker is extremely reliable in terms of Bluetooth connection. The range is very good and I’ve never had them randomly disconnect or cut out or anything like that, so that is good.

Battery wise this speaker just seemed to last absolutely forever on a full charge like seriously I barely have to ever charge these things. The playback time is actually rated at 24 hours at only 60% volume on the Soundcore 2 while in gen 1 24 hours at 80% volume is claimed, so technically the first-gen model has the longest battery life. But they’re both lasts for an extremely long time. The charging time is a little bit faster on the Soundcore 2 it takes around 3 to 4 hours in my experience versus the 4 to 5 hours of the Soundcore 1.

Anker Soundcore 1

The speaker has a 66 foot Bluetooth range which is great but if you’re that far away from the Soundcore then you’re not going to get much out of its audio. Other than sound quality battery life is probably the second biggest factor I take into account when choosing a speaker. This is where the Soundcore excels big-time. Anker is advertising 24 hours of playback time. I’ve had the speaker just over a week charged at once and have been using it for an hour or two a day at near max volume and this guy is still going strong. Battery life definitely gets an A+ here and is perfect for my travel needs with it.

As far as the price, Bluetooth speakers can be found from anywhere from $10 to $500. The thing you need to consider is what you’re going to actually be using the speaker for if it’s for a big venue outside or a big house party then you will need to look for something much bigger and probably more expensive than this. But for a good light portable and relatively loud small speaker, I don’t think you need to go over fifty dollars unless you need something waterproof. The Soundcore came in right at $35.99 and for what I’m using it for it gets the job done. Also, the Soundcore 1 has a more balanced sound and it handles full volume better. At full volume that Soundcore just kind of sounds is a little bit shrill.

SOUND QUALITY:

Anker Soundcore 2

I think both of the speakers have two 6 watt drivers and the new one is also has a bass driver so I don’t know if it’s extra or if this is included. Although in my opinion, when I was listening to them both, the second one the new version is much bassier. Definitely, they have improved the bass, there’s much more bass that you can feel and hear. To be honest to me, it sounded that the whole sound range, its more clear, they’ve more bass. On the previous one, I would say that the higher frequencies are a bit clearer but it comes down to preference, and personally, I think the second one has better sound. It’s like a more deep and rich whole sound spectrum of what the speaker produces. Also, the second speaker might be slightly louder. 

Anker Soundcore 1

As far as the sound quality while I’m definitely no audio file, I do appreciate good audio. So going into this I was not expecting to get totally blown away by the speaker of this price in this size. But rather I was really just looking to find some good portable audio, and that is just what I got here. The dual drivers do a good job pushing out clear, and well-balanced audio. My favorite feature is the low harmonic distortion, which helps keep the audio from distorting when the speakers are turned all the way up. The only gripe is that the low end could have a little bit more thump to it. Max volume is always a consideration when I’m looking at a speaker because if it doesn’t get loud enough what you’re trying to use it for then that’s pretty much an automatic return. The Soundcore definitely gets a lot enough for a small room or if you stay about 20 feet from it outside.

WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

I think that the Soundcore 1 is better than the Soundcore 2. Definitely, it’s missing one or two of the features of the Soundcore 2 but it’s lighter, it’s slimmer, and the battery lasts longer as well, and then as far as the price currently the Soundcore 1 is being sold on Amazon for $27 versus the $40 price tag of the Soundcore 2. I definitely wouldn’t say upgrade if you’ve already got the first one and I want to say spend the extra money to get the second-gen even if it’s your first Bluetooth speaker. The price difference just isn’t worth it in my opinion. If you can go without the water resistance rating and the slightly better bass on the Soundcore 2 then the Anker Soundcore 1 is the best value-for-money Bluetooth speaker on the market.

Expert Reviews of Anker Soundcore 2:

By Rtings
The Anker Soundcore 2 is disappointing for music. This speaker struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you don’t feel the thump in bass-heavy genres. Vocals and…

By Life Wire
The Anker Soundcore 2 is hands down, one of the best Bluetooth speaker options in its price range.

By cnet
While Anker’s SoundCore 2 doesn’t sound as good as some people think, it’s a likable, relatively inexpensive mini Bluetooth speaker with strong battery life.

By TD Cat
At forty pounds this is a great buy. At thirty pounds, this is a steal. It’s easily worth double that, particularly with the IP rating. I have no hesitation in recommending this. It’s not perfect in every way, but…

Expert Reviews of Anker Soundcore 1:

By Sound Guys
For under $50, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding speaker.

By oldtimemusic.com
The Anker Soundcore has certainly been an interesting speaker to spend time looking at. It has its shortcomings. Of course, it does, but…

By technicallywell.com
Anker’s SoundCore Bluetooth speaker incorporates a unique spiral bass port to enhance bass levels while still maintaining a compact size. This speaker…