The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a supercharged version of the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. It's bigger, heavier, and supposedly louder. Plus, its IPX7 rating, advertised 20 hours of battery life, and detachable carrying strap mean it can be brought around outdoors without too much babying. But does it justify the additional weight and outlay compared with the original Boom 2?
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is okay for music. With its 'BassUp' feature engaged, it can produce quite a bit of bass, which can inject some boom into your house and techno mixes. The lower part of the mid-range is well-balanced, but the clarity of vocals and lead instruments is hurt by the sizeable dip between the high-mids and mid-treble. This can be compensated for somewhat via the graphic EQ and presets in the app, though. While it can playback stereo content without downmixing to mono, its poor directivity means audio won't sound consistent from every angle. On the upside, it can get pretty loud without adding much in the way of compression artifacts at max volume.
Graphic EQ and presets in the app.
Lots of bass on tap with the 'BassUp' feature.
Disappointing directivity.
Lacks detail in mid and treble ranges.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is disappointing for videos and movies. It has a solid bass response that lends excitement to action-packed sequences. However, the upper harmonics of vocals and stringed instruments in soundtracks can sound a little dull, due to its underemphasized upper-mid to mid-treble response. Its directivity isn't the best, and latency with iOS and Android devices is on the high side, too, so it's possible you'll encounter sync issues between audio and video. On the upside, it can get quite loud without the audio compressing very much.
Lots of bass on tap with the 'BassUp' feature.
Minimal compression at max volume.
High latency with iOS and Android devices.
Disappointing directivity.
Lacks detail in mid and treble ranges.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a decent choice for podcasts. Though there's some underemphasis in the frequency response between the high-mids and mid-treble, speech and dialogue still sound relatively clear and detailed. The speaker is portable enough to be brought from room to room but loud enough that you can also crank the volume and leave it there. Unfortunately, its directivity isn't the best, so you'll have to be careful about how you position yourself to get consistent audio delivery.
Graphic EQ and presets in the app.
Minimal compression at max volume.
Disappointing directivity.
Lacks detail in mid and treble ranges.
This speaker doesn't have a microphone and can't be used with voice assistants.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is good for outdoor use. It's reasonably well-built and rated IPX7 against water submersion, plus its 13 hours of continuous battery life is enough to get you through weekend trips and backyard BBQs alike. It has enough bass and volume on tap to get people moving, even though it lacks some detail between the mid and treble ranges. You'll need to be careful about how you position yourself relative to the speaker, though, as audio isn't consistent from every listening angle.
13 hours of continuous battery life.
IPX7 rating against water submersion.
Minimal compression at max volume.
Disappointing directivity.
No rating against dust or impact damage.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus comes in three color variants: 'Phantom Black,' 'Adventure Green,' and 'Explorer Blue' (here's a picture of its label).
If you encounter another variant of this speaker, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a portable party speaker with built-in RGB lights. Its increased size and volume output from the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 puts it at the intersection of portable Bluetooth speakers and fully-fledged party speakers, like the JBL PartyBox On-The-Go. It can't get as loud and doesn't output as much bass as the JBL however, meaning the PartyBox line is still the place to go for dedicated party speakers. The Anker is comparable in size to the JBL Xtreme 4, though. While it has a bassier default sound and compresses less at max volume, the JBL's longer battery life and better build quality make it a better outdoor companion.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The JBL Xtreme 4 is a better choice for outdoor use than the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus, thanks to its IP67 rating, better portability, and 27 hours of continuous battery life. It also has better directivity and can get louder. That said, the Anker can deliver a more bass-heavy sound, courtesy of its 'BassUp' button, and compresses less at max volume. So if you're planning on hosting a few parties and plan on cranking up the beats, the Anker might be just the ticket.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a beefed-up version of the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. The additional size and heft translate to a more bass-heavy sound and a better dynamics performance, though both speakers have some underemphasis between the high-mids and mid-treble that can take some sparkle away from vocals and lead instruments. The Soundcore Boom 2 is more portable, better built and has a slightly longer battery life, so it's still a more ideal choice for outdoor and on-the-go use.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus are similar boombox-style speakers, with slightly different strengths. The Motion Boom Plus is more portable and better built, though both speakers have an IPX7 rating. However, the Motion Boom Plus also has some rudimentary voice assistant capabilities. When it comes to sound, both speakers are capable of bringing the bass via the 'BassUp' button, but the Motion Boom Plus can get a bit louder and has better directivity. The Boom 2 Plus compresses much less at max volume, though, and its battery lasts a few hours longer off a single charge.
The JBL Flip 6 is a better-built, more portable alternative to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus. The JBL's IP67 rating, extremely portable form factor, and lower retail price make it a compelling choice for those who want an outdoor speaker they don't have to be too precious with. That said, those who don't mind sacrificing portability for some extra volume and firepower in the bass range will prefer the Anker. The Anker also gives you a substantially longer battery life for your additional outlay, too.
Test Results
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus shares a similar visual appearance to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2, with both speakers taking inspiration from the original boombox. The Anker logo still takes center stage on the metal front grille, and there are RGB lights that flank its sides. The shape of the speaker is less rectangular and more trapezoidal, though this version retains the same carrying handle.
This speaker is quite portable. While it weighs over double that of the Anker Soundcore Boom 2, it can still be carried in one hand, using its carrying handle, or can be carried over the shoulder using the included detachable shoulder strap.
The build quality is decent. It's rated IPX7, meaning that the speaker can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes and can even float. That said, it lacks a specific rating for dust and impact resistance. While it's not made from the most premium materials, the plastic used for the body is tough and dense. The metal grille that covers the drivers also seems similarly durable. The physical buttons are tactile and clicky, too.
This speaker's controls are well laid out and intuitive to use. The backlit buttons are located on the top panel. Each button is clearly defined, with minimal secondary functions unless they're related to the primary function of a given button (for example, the Bluetooth buttons doubles as the pairing button for True Wireless Stereo mode). There are sound chimes to indicate the Bluetooth pairing status, the activation of PartyCast mode, and when you power the speaker on/off. The light on the power button will also flash repeatedly when you hit max or minimum volume.
- Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable (1.9 ft / 58 cm)
- Quick start guide
- Shoulder strap
Using the default 'Soundcore Signature' EQ preset with the 'BassUp' feature engaged, this speaker has a similar frequency response to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. While it has a stronger bass response and can extend a little lower, there's a much more prominent dip in the response between the high-mid and mid-treble. As a result, kicks and basslines come through loud and clear when playing EDM or hip-hop tracks, and the fundamental frequencies of lead instruments can be clearly heard. That said, the upper harmonics of vocals, as well as sibilants, like cymbals, sound quite dull and insipid. However, you can always choose a different EQ preset, like 'Voice' or 'Treble Boost,' to try and compensate for this.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has a passable soundstage performance. It's capable of playing back stereo content without downmixing to mono, but its front-facing design results in disappointing directivity. Consequently, audio won't sound consistent across different listening angles across the speaker.
This speaker has a good dynamics performance. It can get loud enough to fill an average-sized room with sound, and there's minimal compression as you crank the volume up. Most of this compression is in the low-bass range at close to max volume, a frequency range that this speaker struggles to reproduce anyway.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has a very good battery life performance. The manufacturer advertises up to 20 hours of playtime, but we were able to achieve a little over 13 hours during testing. Its battery life will vary according to a range of factors, though, like speaker volume and audio content. The manufacturer also advertises three hours of charge time to fully recharge the battery, but this took nine hours in our tests. Given we were able to use the charger to charge other devices within expected timeframes, it's possible we received a speaker with a defective battery. This speaker also has an auto-off feature that can help increase battery life. You can adjust the time increment at which it turns itself off in the app.
The Soundcore app gives you a solid amount of customization options. You can use it to adjust the sound using the EQ presets or 'BassUp' feature or even create a custom EQ setting. Connectivity-wise, you can use PartyCast to pair with up to 100 speakers in stereo pair and party mode configurations. You can also adjust the RGB lights and button brightness. You can see all these features in action in our app video.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus features an AUX input, so you can connect devices to it via a standard 3.5 mm analog connection. There's also a USB-C port to charge your devices from the speaker's battery.
This speaker has a good Bluetooth performance. It features support for Bluetooth multi-device pairing, but its latency with both iOS and Android devices is on the higher side. As a result, you could experience lip-sync issues if you pair this speaker with a device to watch videos or movies. However, different apps and devices compensate for latency differently.