Soundcore 2 Review
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Soundcore 2 | |||||
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| Awards |  Best for Parties on a Budget | Best Budget Speaker | |||
| Price | $46 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $140 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $35 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $50 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $60 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A simple speaker plays dull-sounding music at a reasonable price | A great value speaker for people who are willing to sacrifice some portability for great bass and big sound | A great value for consumers who want a small rugged speaker that produces adequate sound | One of the smallest, lightest portable speakers on the market that plays mediocre music | A very affordable and packable speaker, but there are better sounding options at similar price points |
| Pros | Small footprint, cheap lightweight | Good sound for size and price, floats in water | Very packable & portable, unbeatable price, long battery life | Weighs next to nothing, fits anywhere | Budget-friendly, fun party lights, extended battery life |
| Cons | Unpolished sound, no app | Spotty connectivity, bulky | Muddled sound, doesn't get very loud | Bass is lacking, not loud enough | Lackluster sound quality, poor connectivity |
| Rating Categories | Soundcore 2 | Soundcore Boom 2 | Soundcore Select 4 Go | JBL Go 4 | BolaButty |
| Sound Quality (35%) | |||||
| Portability (30%) | |||||
| Volume (15%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Battery (5%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (5%) | |||||
| Specifications | Soundcore 2 | Soundcore Boom 2 | Soundcore Select 4 Go | JBL Go 4 | BolaButty |
| Measured Battery Life | 24.1 hrs | 33.8 hrs | 25.4 hrs | 10.9 hrs | 60.7 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 0.8 lbs | 3.7 lbs | 0.6 lbs | 0.4 lbs | 0.9 lbs |
| Dimensions | 6.8" L x 2.2" W x 1.8" H | 12.0" L x 4.0" W x 7.0" H | 4.8" L x 1.7" W x 3.1" H | 3.8" L x 1.5" W x 3.0" H | 8.0" L x 2.5" W x 3.0" H |
| Water Resistance | IPX7: Waterproof to 1 meter | IPX7: Waterproof to 1 meter | IP67: Waterproof to 1 meter & dustproof | IP67: Waterproof to 1 meter & dustproof | IPX5: Spray waterproof |
| Measured Volume | 85 dB | 100 dB | 84 dB | 84 dB | 83 dB |
| Claimed Battery Life | 24.0 hrs | 24.0 hrs | 20.0 hrs | 7.0 hrs | 20.0 hrs |
| Multipoint Pairing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Speaker Syncing | 2 Speakers | 2 Speakers | 2 Speakers | 100 JBL speakers | 2 Bolabutty Speakers |
| Sound Customization | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) | No built-in microphone | No built-in microphone | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) |
| Measured Bluetooth Range | up to 130 ft | up to 54 ft | up to 136 ft | up to 97 ft | up to 86 ft |
| Wired Audio Input | 3.5 mm AUX | None | None | None | 3.5 mm AUX |
| Floatable | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Included Accessories | Micro-USB cable | USB-C to USB-C cable | Type C USB cable | Type C USB cable | Type C USB cable |
Analysis and Test Results
Likes
This small, portable speaker is about the size of a block of cheese and is easy to stow away. It weighs only 0.8 pounds and has an IPX7 rating. It's coated in soft, grippy silicon, so it works well in wet conditions as the rain rolls right off. We used it at the beach, and it had good resistance against small grains of sand. That said, the charging cover needs to be sealed when it's around rain or water.
The setup is seamless. It's quick and easy to pair, and it stays connected throughout our jam sessions. It's also one of the few speakers with a built-in microphone. It can connect to Siri and the Google Assistant on your phone for hands-free calls and other voice commands.
The battery life is long for such a small unit, at 24 hours and 8 minutes.
Because of its lightweight, durable build, this speaker can withstand falls. Though its charging port protector opens when dropped, so we'd be a little wary of using it around a pool since the port itself isn't waterproof.
While we weren't a fan of the overall soundstage or sound mix, we will say that for a budget speaker, the mids sound fairly clear and articulate. Vocals sound forward and maintain their presence without getting lost against the lows, and help ground the occasionally grating highs. So, it's still a decent option for podcast listening.
Listening to 'Guilty as Sin' by Taylor Swift is a mostly enjoyable experience as her lead vocal comes across as defined and powerful over the lows, but not as detailed as we'd like to hear.
Dislikes
Overall, the sound is quite recessed compared to others we've tested. The soundstage is poor and lacks height and depth, making music and podcasts both sound distant instead of the realistic, up-close quality of other speakers we tested.
It doesn't get loud (only up to 85 decibels, or roughly the sound of a semi-distant waterfall), and we can sit pretty close to it at the highest volume without batting an eye.
The bass and treble are quite poor compared to other budget speakers. Lows are compromised at higher volumes. The louder it gets, the worse it sounds. The treble sounds muddy, completely lacking detail. Clarity deteriorates a lot at high volumes, becoming way too harsh for our ears.
Dynamic shifts in tracks are not handled with finesse. The bridge and chorus of rock tracks like “Famous Last Words” by My Chemical Romance sounded way too sharp and piercing for our ears.
Should You Buy the Soundcore 2?
No. The Soundcore 2 has pretty terrible sound quality. If you're looking for a lightweight, reasonably priced pocket speaker that still sounds good, there are better options.
What Other Speakers Should You Consider?
If you want a tiny speaker with better soundstage, the UE Wonderboom 4 and JBL Clip 5, which both deliver bigger, broader sound. The JBL Clip is a bit louder and better for bass-heavy music, while the Wonderboom is great for casual audiobook and podcast listening on a budget.
—Elizabeth White and Rachael Lamore
