The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker with multicolored lights. Even with the BassUp setting on, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, and the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments can be dull or dark. Fortunately, there's a graphic EQ in the app to help you customize its sound. It doesn't get very loud, but you can pair it with multiple speakers to amplify your audio across a crowded party.
The Anker Flare 2 is fair for music. With its BassUp setting on, it still struggles to reproduce low-bass. Vocals and lead instruments are clear and present, but higher frequency sounds like sibilants can be veiled and dull. Also, it doesn't get very loud. There's a graphic EQ available in its companion app, so you can customize its sound to your liking. You can also pair it with multiple speakers to amplify sound across a large or noisy area like a party.
The Anker Flare 2 is mediocre for videos and movies. Even with the BassUp setting turned on, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you don't feel the thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It doesn't get very loud, and its latency with Android and iOS devices is pretty high. However, some apps compensate for latency, so your experience can vary. On the upside, it has an excellent soundstage, so you really feel immersed in your audio.
The Anker Flare 2 is satisfactory for podcasts. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce dialogue clearly, but upper harmonics and sibilants like S and T sounds can be dull or dark. It has a portable design, but unfortunately, you can only pair one device to it at a time. It doesn't get very loud, and there's compression when you play it at max volume.
The Anker Flare 2 is poor for voice assistants. It uses the voice assistant from your paired smartphone, but it doesn't have any built-in support. Also, as part of our methodology, we use recorded voice prompts to test the speaker. However, this speaker didn't respond to the commands, even when there wasn't any ambient noise present. It responded to a normal speaking voice, but this isn't part of our testing process.
The Anker Flare 2 is decent for outdoor use. It's well-built and portable, and since it's battery-operated, you don't have to worry about plugging it into an outlet to get it to work. With an over eight-hour battery life, it can last through long days outside. It even has an IPX7 rating for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. However, it doesn't get very loud, and there are some compression artifacts present when you play it at max volume.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a fairly small speaker with a cylindrical shape. It's meant to sit vertically, and there's a tight fabric wrapping around it. There are light rings on the top and bottom of the speaker, and you can turn them off if you prefer. You can buy this speaker in either 'Black' or 'Blue' color variants.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is incredibly portable. It's small and lightweight, so you can easily carry it in one hand. Also, since it's battery-operated, you can bring it outside without having to worry about plugging it into an outlet.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has a good build quality. It feels solid and durable, and it sits on a rubber base. The tight fabric wrapping around the speaker doesn't seem like it would rip easily. It even has an IPX7 rating for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. However, the manual warns that you should avoid dropping it.
The controls are very good. On the top of the speaker, some controls let you play/pause your audio, adjust the volume, turn the speaker on/off, and turn the lights on/off. You can press the Play button twice to skip to the next track, and three times to skip to the previous track. The Play button also lets you accept/end calls, and you can hold for two seconds to activate voice assistant. On the rear of the speaker, there's a Bluetooth pairing button and a Bass-Up button that adds an extra thump to your audio. You can hold the Bluetooth button for three seconds to pair other Flare 2 speakers together. Overall, the buttons are responsive and easy-to-use.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has passable frequency response accuracy. Using the Default EQ with the BassUp feature turned on, it still struggles to reproduce low-bass. As a result, you don't really feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music genres. Vocals and lead instruments are clear and present, but higher frequencies are a bit dark and dull due to the underemphasized treble. There's a graphic EQ available in the Soundcore app, so you can customize its sound to your liking.
The soundstage is amazing. This speaker has excellent directivity, so the soundstage is perceived as large and open. Also, unlike the JBL FLIP 5, it has separate speakers for the left and right channels, so it can play stereo content.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has middling dynamics. It doesn't get very loud, and there's a lot of compression when you play it at max volume. As a result, it may not be ideal to use in large rooms or at crowded parties. For a speaker that can get as loud but with less compression, consider the JBL Charge 4.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has a good battery performance. The manufacturer advertises a battery life of 12 hours, but in our tests, the speaker lasted for just over eight hours. However, battery life can vary depending on usage, so your results can differ. The speaker also shuts off after about twenty minutes without audio, which helps conserve its battery life. If you're looking for a portable speaker with a longer battery life, consider the Anker Soundcore Motion+.
This speaker has poor voice assistant capabilities. It uses the voice assistant from your paired smartphone. As part of our methodology, we use recorded voice messages to test the speaker. However, the speaker didn't respond to some of these commands, even when there wasn't any ambient noise. While it responded to a normal speaking voice, this isn't part of our testing process.
The Anker Soundcore app is very good. There are several EQ settings, including 'Default, 'Voice', 'Chill', 'Flat', and a Custom graph that offers a full graphic EQ. You can also turn the extra bass on and off. You can pair two speakers together to create a stereo pair, and there's also a Party Mode feature that lets you pair speakers to play your audio in large, crowded settings. You can even customize the lighting.
This speaker doesn't support any wired connections. Its USB-C to USB-A cable is for charging only.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has decent Bluetooth connectivity. It has an outstanding range, so the speaker stays connected to your Bluetooth device, even if you aren't very close to it. Unfortunately, its latency with iOS devices is likely too high to be suitable for gaming. It performs a little better with Android devices. However, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary. Consider the Beats Pill+ if you want a speaker with lower Bluetooth latency with iOS devices.
The Anker Flare 2 comes in 'Black' and 'Blue' color variants. We tested the 'Black' model, and you can see the label for the model we tested here. We expect the other color variants to perform similarly.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with customizable colored lights. Like many small speakers, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, even with the Bass-Up feature turned on. Also, it doesn't get very loud. However, it has an amazing soundstage performance that can really immerse you in your audio, and its companion app offers a graphic EQ so you can customize its sound to your liking.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a better speaker than the JBL FLIP 5. The Anker has a better soundstage performance, and its graphic EQ gives you more ability to customize its sound. Also, the Anker supports voice assistants from your smartphone, though it doesn't offer the most impressive performance.
The Anker Soundcore Motion+ is a slightly better speaker than the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. The Motion+ is better suited to outdoor use since its battery lasts longer and it can get louder than the Flare. While the Flare has a more open soundstage thanks to its 360-design, it has more latency with iOS and Android devices, although some apps compensate differently for this.
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 is a better speaker for most uses than the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. The Ultimate Ears is better-built with a longer battery life. Also, it gets louder, and it has less compression when played at max volume. However, the Anker supports voice assistants, and it also has a graphic EQ for sound customization.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve is a better speaker for most uses than the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. The Bose is better-built, and its battery life is longer. Also, it has a more neutral, balanced default sound profile. However, the Anker has a better soundstage, and its graphic EQ offers more sound customization options.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a better speaker than the JBL GO 3. The Anker has a more balanced sound profile, and its graphic EQ offers more sound customization options. Its soundstage is better, its battery life is longer, and it supports voice assistants. However, the JBL is better-built.
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a better speaker than the OontZ Angle 3. The Anker is better-built, and it supports voice assistants, unlike the OontZ. Its default sound profile is more neutral and its graphic EQ offers more sound customization. Also, it has a better soundstage. However, the OontZ gets louder, and it has less compression at max volume. Also, its battery life is longer.
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