Review

Soundcore 3 speaker for $49.99 or 45,99€ from Amazon

Hey, guys! Just a heads up: The linked offer is already a bit older and the price of the gadget might have changed or it might not be available anymore.

With the Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker, there is finally a successor to probably one of the most popular Bluetooth speakers on Amazon. The Soundcore 2 might have been something of a milestone for ANKER’s audio division. We tested it 3 years ago and it still sells like hotcakes when it is on sale and regularly ends up in the bestseller lists. Over time, the Soundcore 2 collected more than 47,000 reviews, making its star rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars really impressive based on the amount of reviews. So the Soundcore 3 is following in big footsteps, find out if it can fill them in this review!

Anker Soundcore 3

Soundcore 3Soundcore 2
Driver2 x 8 watts2 x 6 watts
Frequency range20 Hz – 40 kHz70Hz – 20kHz
Impedance
ConnectivityUSB-C charging portMicro-USB charging port; jack input
Battery capacity5200 mAh; up to 24 hours5200 mAh; up to 24 hours
Weight506 g414 g
Dimensions17.4 x 6 x 5.7 cm16.8 x 4.7 x 5.6 cm
Protection classIPX7IPX5
AppYesNo
Bluetooth5.04.2

Packaging & scope of delivery

The Soundcore 3 comes in a small, smartly printed box, which of course survived the shipping via Amazon undamaged. Inside, the speaker is accompanied by a user manual, warranty card, textile strap and a 60 cm long USB-C charging cable from ANKER.

Soundcore 3 Scope of Delivery

New/Old Design for the New Soundcore 3

Since the Anker Soundcore 2 has been around for almost 4 years now, it still has the Anker logo emblazoned on its front (and back). With the new Anker Soundcore 3, it is now the Soundcore logo, as expected. The Chinese manufacturer has been splitting its audio division from the “ANKER” brand, which is more known for power banks and power adapters, for some time now. Soundcore is to be perceived more and more as a standalone audio brand.

Soundcore 3 Bluetooth Speaker

With a weight of 506 g on the precision scales, the speaker is not that light in relation to its size in my personal opinion. The battery will probably contribute the most to the weight; it is about 80 g heavier than its predecessor. However, it has grown, albeit marginally, with dimensions of 17.4 x 6 x 5.7 cm.

Soundcore 2 and Soundcore 3
The new speaker has more depth

However, the design and shape remains basically similar to the predecessor. Both speakers are only available in black and both have five control buttons on the top. Only the center play/pause icon has been replaced with the Soundcore logo on the Soundcore 3, which didn’t even exist when the Soundcore 2 was released.

Soundcore 2 and Soundcore 3 together
In the foreground the old speaker, in the background the new one

Soundcore also sticks to the tried and tested material. A metal grille protects the speakers on the front, while the rest is covered with a water-resistant rubber coating, which is already familiar from the older Soundcore 2 in a similar form. The Soundcore 3 is even IPX7 certified, whereas the predecessor only had an IPX5 rating.

Workmanship

As expected, the Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker is very well made. I could not find any production defects or weaknesses in the material – very good!

Sound of the Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker

Comparing Soundcore 2 with its successor, there are of course a few things that can be improved on a Bluetooth speaker that is almost four years old. Let’s start with the heart, the audio drivers. The Soundcore 3 uses two speakers with titanium membranes and 8 watts of power each.

As with the Soundcore 2, a passive radiator is located between the drivers, which is supposed to provide more volume in terms of sound. The Soundcore 3 also houses a second passive radiator, which sits on the back of the speaker.

Soundcore boasts that the titanium diaphragms are supposed to be even better than the predecessor, especially in the high frequencies.

Soundcore 3 new drivers

As expected for a Bluetooth speaker, it delivers a differentiated and multi-faceted high-frequency sound. Compared to the predecessor, the sound seems a bit more brilliant to me.

The new Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker delivers a balanced sound in the midrange. The midrange frequencies are not drowned out by the bass, so voices and vocals sound natural.

Nevertheless, a difference to the Soundcore 2 can already be heard here. The new speaker already delivers a considerably more voluminous sound in the midrange. The Soundcore 2, on the other hand, even sounds a bit too thin for me in a direct comparison. However, the standard was different back then.

The Soundcore 3 has clearly improved the low frequencies compared to its predecessor. Where there was practically nothing in the predecessor, bass is now audible! Soundcore achieves this through the slightly deeper case, which leaves more room for volume, the improved speakers, and of course the additional passive radiator on the back.

Although the Soundcore 3 now delivers a much stronger bass, it is still rather moderately tuned compared to other models. The small speaker has a hard time with sub-bass frequencies, but it reproduces upper bass frequencies much better than its predecessor.

Sound conclusion

In terms of sound, the Soundcore 3 is something like the little brother of the Soundcore Motion+ for me. Like the latter, the Soundcore 3 is not the strongest “bass miracle”, but it does a lot better than the competition in the high and mid frequencies.

So, if you’re not necessarily looking for just a “ruckus box” à la JBL as a Bluetooth speaker, but also value the most detailed sound possible in a small Bluetooth speaker, the Soundcore 3 is well advised.

Bluetooth range and connections

The Soundcore 3 is equipped with a Bluetooth 5 module. In comparison, the predecessor still has a Bluetooth 4.2 chip.

In the test, the connection remained stable over a distance of about 15 meters in open spaces. It is correspondingly less inside closed rooms due to massive obstacles, such as concrete walls. If the phone and speaker stay in the same room, however, there are no connection problems.

In terms of connections, the micro-USB charging port has been replaced by a modern USB-C port. This is, as is now often found, protected against liquid penetration even without a protective rubber cap.

Soundcore 3 USb C port

The jack connector is unfortunately omitted here, just like on the Soundcore Motion Boom and many other new Bluetooth speakers. A trend that started with smartphones and now seems to be continuing in the Bluetooth speaker sector.

Operation

In terms of operation, not much has changed between the Soundcore 2 and Soundcore 3. There are still five control buttons on the top of the speaker.

Soundcore 3 control buttons

Functions of the buttons

Buttonpress 1xpress 2xpress 3xlong press
Poweron/off
MinusDecrease volume
Multifunction buttonPlay/Pause; answer/end callnext title previous title
PlusIncrease volume
Bluetoothpairing modeParty pairing

The Soundcore 3 is equipped with the “BassUp” mode, which boosts the low frequency sound. Quite handy if you want a slightly more voluminous sound at low volume or want to avoid overdriving the speaker at high volume. This can be turned on and off via the app.

Soundcore already advertised the “BassUp” technology in the days of the Soundcore 2, but it could not be turned on and off at that time.

Similar to the Soundcore Flare 2, the Soundcore 3 now also supports “PartyCast”. This not only allows two speakers to be paired as a stereo pair, but up to 100 speakers can be controlled and connected to each other via a cell phone.

App

Furthermore, the Soundcore 3 is now also integrated into the Soundcore App. Which in addition to the buttons, offers some additional features.

Soundcore 3 App

In the Soundcore app, you can do the following:

  • BassUp can be turned on/off
  • Set equalizer presets and custom equalizers
  • Install software updates

The Soundcore app really only offers sound customization options for the speaker and enables software updates. Nothing earth-shattering, but in testing the communication between speaker and app worked well!

Battery & runtime

The battery capacity of the Soundcore 3 has remained identical to its predecessor at 5200 mAh. While some components, such as the Bluetooth 5 chip, have become more energy efficient, the more powerful speakers require a bit more power.

Thus, the battery runtime remains identical with 24 hours according to the manufacturer’s spec sheet. In the test, I was able to achieve a runtime of just under 20 hours at a volume of 50% – 70%, more than enough!

Conclusion

The upgrade from Soundcore 2 to Soundcore 3 turns out to be bigger than I had initially expected. In terms of sound, the new speaker already delivers a significantly better sound image in all areas. The differences are smallest in the high frequencies, since the Soundcore 2 already delivers good performance here.

However, the lower the frequencies, the more the sound improvement becomes apparent. Only in the sub-bass range the speaker is still unfortunately not the best. There are other speakers for a similar price that perform better here. For example, the 360° speakers Earfun UBOOM should be mentioned here.

However, these speakers lack app integration, which I appreciate with Soundcore here despite fewer features. It is simply an interface between my speaker and the manufacturer, who can thus ensure that my speaker will continue to work flawlessly in the future. Of course, everyone has to decide for themselves how important this aspect is to you personally.

Overall, the Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker is a worthy successor, a well-rounded product, with better sound, new features and top workmanship.So I can only recommend the speaker at least in the offer from a price of about 45€/ $50 or less, even if this is still a significant surcharge compared to the predecessor.

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Why doesn't this affect our review in any way?
Profile picture from Tim

Tim

I’m the go-to guy when it comes to taking gadget pictures – And I’m always on the hunt for affordable, premium-quality audio appliances from China.

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Comments (4)

  • Profile picture from José Mario
    # 08.04.21 um 06:15

    José Mario

    Thanks a lot for the help rewiew

  • Profile picture from Harry Klok
    # 30.05.21 um 10:24

    Harry Klok

    Thanks for comparing the SoundCore 3 with the soundcore 2. I have 2 of the soundcore 2 and even this model I can pair them in stereo mode 😊. I know now what to buy wen they are broken 👍😁. Thanks again.

  • Profile picture from Guest
    # 20.04.22 um 23:02

    Anonymous

    Where can I get more preset default equalizer pls

  • Profile picture from Guest
    # 04.11.22 um 11:40

    Anonymous

    Cheers, read this whilst breaking off a large turd.

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