Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Review: Powerful Bass at an Affordable Price

Experience booming bass and solid performance with the Anker Soundcore Boom 2—a budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker that packs a punch for any party.

Anker Soundcore Boom 2: Quick Overview

If you’re hunting for a Bluetooth speaker that can truly shake things up without draining your wallet, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 might just be your new best friend. This hefty portable speaker’s standout feature is its impressive deep bass, enhanced by the signature BassUp technology that cranks the low-end to a satisfying level.

Beyond raw power, the Boom 2 shines with its long battery life, delivering up to 24 hours of continuous music playback on a single charge—a feature often reserved for pricier competitors. It’s perfect for those long afternoons and nights where the tunes just can’t stop.

That said, this isn’t a flawless beast. As a budget device, it sacrifices a bit of clarity in the mids and highs, especially at higher volumes. It won’t win any beauty contests either, though the built-in customizable LED light show adds a splash of color and fun to your gatherings.

One minor letdown is the lack of dust protection, a curious omission given that it's marketed as a beach companion. But fear not—the Boom 2 is fully waterproof and even floats, making it a splash-proof friend for poolside parties. Its lightweight build means you can carry it around with ease, which is always a bonus.

Setting up the speaker is a breeze thanks to Bluetooth 5.3 and simple controls. Want to squeeze out even more? The free Soundcore app lets you toggle light show modes and tweak the equalizer, bringing better sound balance to your ears.

If you’re not an audiophile and mainly want a loud, bass-thumping speaker that’s more portable than most, the Boom 2 is a solid pick. However, if you crave a more balanced sound, the JBL Charge 5, at a similar price point, might fit the bill—though it doesn’t hit quite as hard on the bass or feature a handy carry handle.

Anker Soundcore Boom 2: Price and Launch

• Release Date: March 6, 2024
• Price: $129.99

For just under $130, the Soundcore Boom 2 delivers a hefty portable speaker experience without breaking the bank. It’s about $30 more than its predecessor, the Soundcore Motion Boom, but packs double the power, upgraded drivers, and the new PartyCast 2.0 technology for syncing multiple speakers.

To put this in perspective, the popular JBL Charge 5 often costs around $10 more, showing the competitive landscape in this segment. If you’re willing to spend a bit more—around $200—you could opt for the Tribit Stormbox Blast, a larger speaker famed for deeper bass and premium sound quality.

Tech Specs Snapshot

Features That Stand Out

• BassUp Technology: This is the secret sauce behind Boom 2’s punchy bass. With a 50W subwoofer and two 15W tweeters combining for an 80W output (when BassUp is activated), the bass hits hard. Though, fair warning—using BassUp reduces battery life faster.
• Long Playtime: Up to 24 hours on a charge is impressive. In real-world testing, playing music at 30% volume for five hours drained about 20% of the battery, matching Anker’s claims.
• Customizable Light Show: The Boom 2’s LED lights come with seven modes synchronized to your music’s rhythm, including “Energy,” “Fireworks,” “Flame,” “Flash,” “Lightning,” “Rainbow,” and “Wave.” You can adjust colors and brightness through the app or switch modes using the BassUp button.
• Bluetooth 5.3: Quick and stable pairing with devices ranging from Android phones to high-res music players.
• Power Bank Functionality: A USB-A port on the back lets you charge your gadgets, while the USB-C port is for charging the speaker itself (charging takes about 5.5 hours).
• PartyCast 2.0: Connect and sync sound and lighting with over 100 other Soundcore speakers for a massive sound experience.

Function Score: 4/5

Sound Quality: Bass That Booms, But…

• Thumping Bass That Dominates
• Mids and Highs Lack Detail
• Balanced EQ Preset Improves Versatility

The Boom 2’s bass is its pride and joy. It can fill a noisy outdoor space with deep, hefty lows that genuinely impress. Listening to “Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous revealed bass notes with serious impact, even without BassUp.

Yet, the bass sometimes overwhelms the mids and highs. On tracks like Allie X’s “Black Eye,” the bass felt underwhelmingly tight, especially compared to JBL Xtreme 4. The low end often feels disconnected from the middle frequencies, leaving the overall sound a bit hollow.

The dominant bass can also drown out vocals, as heard in Moloko’s “I Want You,” where the rich bass masked some of the song’s subtle instrumentations. Cranking volume plus BassUp makes this more pronounced, so I’d recommend BassUp mainly for those craving a club-like thump without worrying about nuance.

Treble and vocals lack sharpness and clarity, which prevents the Boom 2 from truly impressing audiophiles. However, the free app allows you to switch from the default “Soundcore Signature” EQ—which tends to suppress mids—to a “Balanced” preset that makes the sound more well-rounded. There are also “Voice” and “Treble Boost” presets and a manual equalizer for fine-tuning.

Even with these tweaks, the speaker can’t quite recover the fine detail and natural tone found in pricier models.

Sound Quality Score: 3.5/5

Design: Practical but Plain

• Budget Plastic Look
• Lightweight and Portable
• Waterproof but No Dust Protection

The Soundcore Boom 2’s design won’t win any style awards. Its plastic shell comes in three colors—Adventure Green (the shade tested here), Explorer Blue, and Phantom Black—and looks serviceable rather than sleek. The speaker grille is plastic with a Soundcore logo, which feels a bit cheap.

Still, its rugged look fits right in for outdoor fun. A sturdy handle and clear buttons make it user-friendly, while four rubber feet on the bottom prevent it from sliding around when the bass thumps hard.

Weighing only 1.67 kg (about 3.7 lbs), the Boom 2 is notably lighter than heavyweights like the Tribit Stormbox Blast (5.3 kg), making it easier to haul around.

One oddity: despite being marketed as a beach speaker, the Boom 2 has an IPX7 water resistance rating—not IP67—which means it’s waterproof but has no official dust or sand protection. So it might not be the best for sandy shores but will survive submersion in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes and, bonus, it floats!

I had fun dunking it in the pool, where it bobbed like a champ and kept playing flawlessly after a quick dive.

Design Score: 3.5/5

Value for Money

• Affordable for a Large Bluetooth Speaker
• Sound Isn’t Perfect, But Party-Ready
• Competitors Can Be Pricier

The Soundcore Boom 2 won’t redefine the market or dazzle with audiophile-grade sound or premium looks. But it delivers solid bang for your buck.

At $129.99, it’s priced right for what you get—a sizeable, bassy speaker with smart app controls and a killer battery. Many similar-sized models hover closer to $200, with JBL Charge 5 and Sonos Roam retailing in the $179 range.

If you want loud, punchy outdoor sound without paying top dollar, this Boom 2 is a winner.

Price-to-Quality Score: 4/5

Should You Buy the Anker Soundcore Boom 2?

Alternatives to Consider

Tribit Stormbox Blast

The Tribit Stormbox Blast is a party powerhouse with vibrant RGB lighting and deep bass—but it’s hefty compared to the Boom 2.

JBL Charge 5

JBL Charge 5 strikes a balance between sound quality and portability. It has fewer bass-heavy moments than Boom 2 but offers solid all-around audio performance.

How We Tested

• Duration: One week
• Environment: Mostly office listening room
• Music: A variety of genres to test range and response

I spent countless hours with the Boom 2, vibing to music, fiddling with light modes, and really digging into the sound quality. Using playlists from my favorite sources and high-res files on a Fiio M11S player helped push this speaker to its limits, comparing it directly to competitors like the JBL Xtreme 4.

“Soundcore Boom 2 really shines for those who crave that deep, punchy bass to power their party atmosphere.”

FAQ

• What is the battery life of the Soundcore Boom 2? Up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge, depending on volume and usage of features like BassUp and the light show.
• Can I connect multiple Boom 2 speakers together? Yes, using the PartyCast 2.0 feature, you can sync more than 100 Soundcore speakers for a larger soundscape.
• Is the Boom 2 waterproof? Yes, it has an IPX7 rating, meaning it can withstand immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes and it floats.
• Does the Boom 2 support USB charging for other devices? It does! There's a USB-A port to charge your gadgets, but the USB-C port is only for charging the speaker itself.
• Is the Soundcore app necessary? Not necessary, but highly recommended to customize EQ settings and light show modes for an improved experience.

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