The Anker Soundcore 3 is a rectangular Bluetooth speaker with a similar design to its predecessor, the Anker Soundcore 2. It promises a solid build quality to go with its IPX7 rating for water resistance. Unlike the Soundcore 2, it comes with a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets that adjust the speaker's sound, which is rare at this price point. It also comes with a carrying strap you can attach to its side, which can come in handy when you want to take it on the go.
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore 3 is passable for music. Even with its 'Bass Up' feature turned on, it struggles to reproduce the deep thump and rumble in low bass that's often present in bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM. However, this is normal for a small speaker. Its mid-range is relatively balanced, ensuring vocals and lead instruments sound clear. However, its underemphasized treble range can cause higher-pitched vocals and instruments to sound dull and veiled. Thankfully, its companion app features a graphic EQ and presets that can customize the speaker's sound.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Can play stereo content.
Disappointing directivity.
No room correction tool.
The Anker Soundcore 3 is disappointing for watching videos and movies. It has disappointing directivity, so audio won't sound consistent across all listening angles. Additionally, it struggles to reproduce low bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble of action-packed scenes. However, it gets quite loud with minimal compression, and you can use the graphic EQ in its companion app to adjust the sound. It also has low AV synchronization error with Android devices, though some apps compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary.
- Can play stereo content.
Disappointing directivity.
The Anker Soundcore 3 is decent for podcasts. This outstandingly portable Bluetooth speaker has a relatively balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear. This makes it suitable for vocal-centric content like audiobooks or podcasts. However, its underemphasized treble range can make higher-pitched voices sound somewhat veiled. It also has poor directivity, so you'll lose some treble-range detail if you're positioned behind or to the side of the speaker. It gets quite loud, though, and the compression you get at max volume is limited to the bass range.
- Remarkably portable.
- Balanced mid-range.
Disappointing directivity.
No room correction tool.
The Anker Soundcore 3 is bad for voice assistants. It doesn't have any built-in, so it relies on those available on your smartphone. It struggles to register voice commands, even in quieter settings without ambient noise.
- Balanced mid-range.
- Has trouble understanding you.
The Anker Soundcore 3 is satisfactory for outdoor use. This decently built speaker is rated IPX7 for dust and water resistance. It's exceptionally portable, and its battery life is suitable for long listening sessions. That said, it has poor directivity, so you'll hear less treble-range content if positioned behind or to the side of the speaker. On the upside, it gets quite loud, with only minimal bass-range compression as you approach max volume.
- IPX7 rating for water resistance.
- Remarkably portable.
Disappointing directivity.
No room correction tool.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 28, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 1.0.1. This includes the Test Bench 1.0 updates to all of our Sound tests: Frequency Response Accuracy, Raw Frequency Response, Directivity, and Loudness, as well as the revised Low-Frequency Extension calculation and related DRC updates introduced in Test Bench 1.0.1. There have also been text changes throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons, where applicable, to match these results. You can read more about these changes in our Test Bench 1.0 changelog and Test Bench 1.0.1 changelog.
- Updated Aug 11, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 1.0, which includes new results for all of our Sound tests: Frequency Response Accuracy, Raw Frequency Response, Directivity, and Loudness. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons, to match these results. You can read more about these changes in our changelog.
- Updated Oct 07, 2024: This review has been updated to mention the Anker Soundcore Select 2S in the Dynamics section.
- Updated Feb 21, 2024: We've updated this review for accuracy and clarity, adding mentions of new color variants. We've also added relevant comparisons to other speakers.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Soundcore 3 comes in four color variants: 'Black,' 'Gray,' 'Blue,' and 'Red.' We tested the Black variant, but expect all color variants to perform similarly. You can find the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across other variants, let us know in the comments so we can update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Anker Soundcore 3 is a rectangular speaker with a design similar to that of the Anker Soundcore 2. However, the Soundcore 3 can get louder than its predecessor and comes with a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and presets to tweak the speaker's sound. It has a longer continuous battery life than newer Anker Speakers, like the Anker Soundcore Motion 300, but lacks updated features like Bluetooth multi-device pairing.
See our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best cheap speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The Anker Soundcore 3 is a better speaker than the Anker Soundcore 2 overall, though not by much. The Soundcore 3 gets a bit louder than the Soundcore 2, and its companion app comes with a graphic EQ and presets you can use to customize the speaker's sound to your liking. That said, the Soundcore 2 is better built and comes with an AUX input, unlike the Soundcore 3.
The JBL Flip 6 is slightly better than the Anker Soundcore 3, though they have different strengths. The JBL's default sound profile is better balanced and exhibits better directivity, resulting in a more consistent sound across listening angles. It's better built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, certifying it as both dust-tight and submersible to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes. However, the Anker can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and can get a little louder with less compression. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't very good.
The JBL Flip 5 and the Anker Soundcore 3 are similar speakers with different strengths. The JBL is better built and has a slightly better-balanced sound profile than the Anker. It also has a PartyBoost feature that pairs it with multiple other PartyBoost-compatible speakers, which is handy when you want your audio to fill a large room. The Anker features a Graphic EQ that lets you tweak its sound to your liking. It can also support voice assistants on your smartphone and offers longer battery life, though this can vary depending on usage, so your experience may differ.
The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 and the Anker Soundcore 3 are both lightweight, portable speakers with small form factors. While the Soundcore 3 offers longer continuous battery life, the Motion 300 is better in most other respects. It features Bluetooth multi-device pairing and a better voice assistant performance. It also gets louder with fewer compression artifacts.
Test Results
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