Soundcore 3 Bluetooth Speaker: FINALLY a successor

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, let’s take a closer look.

• Soundcore 3
  • at Amazon for $49.99

New/Old Design for the New Soundcore 3

Since the Anker Soundcore 2 has been available for almost 4 years now, it still has the Anker logo emblazoned on its front. 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.

The design and shape remains fundamentally similar to its predecessor, however. 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.

Technical features – what has been improved

Comparing Soundcore 2 to its successor, there are of course a few things that can be improved on an almost four year old Bluetooth speaker. Let’s start with the heart, the audio drivers. The Soundcore 3 uses two speakers with titanium membranes. Where there were previously 12 watts in the Soundcore 2, these now have 16 watts of power according to the manufacturer. As in the Soundcore 2, a passive radiator is located between the drivers, which is supposed to provide more volume in terms of sound. Soundcore boasts that the titanium membranes are supposed to be even better than the predecessor, especially in the high frequencies. A claim that I would like to verify in the test.

In general, I don’t really understand why the Soundcore 2 continued to sell so well until recently. Both Tribit, and Earfun offer more attractive models in this price range in my opinion, with better sound and newer standards. Let’s see how much ground the Soundcore 3 makes up there, probably quite a bit.

Another point that will especially please Alex: Instead of Micro-USB, there is now a USB-C charging port. Despite IPX7 protection, it is no longer hidden behind a rubber cap. In the meantime, there are corresponding ports that do not allow liquid to penetrate the inside of the speaker, so the protective cap becomes superfluous.

One thing that puzzles me is that the Soundcore 3 Bluetooth speaker has a smaller battery. Instead of 5,200 mAh as in the Soundcore 2, there is “only” 3350 mAh of battery capacity in the Soundcore 3. Since the new components, such as the Bluetooth 5 chip, are much more energy-efficient, the runtime remains identical on paper at 24 hours.

Practical features – that you usually only rarely need

The Soundcore 3 is equipped with the “BassUp” mode, which amplifies the bass sound at the push of a button. Quite practical if you want a slightly more voluminous sound at low volume or want to avoid overdriving the speaker at high volume. Soundcore already advertised the “BassUP” technology in the days of the Soundcore 2, but it could not be switched on and off at the push of a button.

Furthermore, the Soundcore 3 is now also integrated into the Soundcore App, where, for example, the equalizer can be adjusted or any software updates can be installed. Similar to the Soundcore Flare 2, the Soundcore 3 now also supports “PartyCast“. This means that not only two speakers can be paired as a stereo pair, but up to 100 speakers can be controlled and connected to each other via a cell phone.

Assessment – probably (not) worth an upgrade

Those who call a working Soundcore 2 their own will probably not switch. However, since the speaker can already be up to four years old and signs of fatigue are already conceivable with regular use, you get a round upgrade in all areas with the Soundcore 3.

Unfortunately, the Soundcore 3 doesn’t necessarily stay in a similar price range as its predecessor, but it’s also only slightly more expensive. At the starting price of $49.99, you’re looking at about a $10 price difference to the Soundcore 2.

I am very curious how big the sonic difference between Soundcore 2 and Soundcore 3 turns out. While I really liked the performance in the high and upper mid-range three years ago, the Soundcore 2’s low end definitely has room for improvement. I would like to see a significant improvement here, but now we have to wait until our test model arrives.