Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus  Speaker Review

Reviewed Sep 05, 2023 at 11:53am
Tested using Methodology v0.8 
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
7.0
Music 
6.1
Videos/Movies 
7.5
Podcasts 
4.3
Voice Assistant 
7.8
Outdoors 
 4
  1. Recommended in:
  2. Loud

The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a more premium alternative to the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. As its name implies, this speaker is larger and better built. It comes with a built-in strap and carrying handle so you can take your favorite tunes wherever you go. With an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, it's even protected against some exposure to the elements. Through its companion app, you can customize its sound and pair it with other Soundcore speakers to amplify sound throughout your space.

Our Verdict

7.0
Music 

The Anker Motion Boom Plus is decent for music. This Bluetooth-compatible speaker has a fairly even sound profile, especially in the mids, where most voices and lead instruments reproduce. A dip in the high-mid to treble ranges pushes these instruments toward the back of the mix, making higher-pitched sounds like cymbals dull and veiled. Still, you can always use its Custom EQ and other EQ presets to switch up its sound. The BassUp setting adds more punch in the bass to the mix, too, which is a nice touch.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ and presets.
  • Gets loud.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
6.1
Videos/Movies 

The Anker Motion Boom Plus is okay for videos. This speaker isn't designed for watching movies, but if you pair it with your smartphone to watch a video, it can get the job done. Dialogue reproduces with clarity, and its low latency with both Android and iOS devices means you don't notice any lip-synching issues. However, it lacks the deep and rumbling bass to bring action-packed scenes to life.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ and presets.
  • Gets loud.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
  • Lacks an extended low-bass.
7.5
Podcasts 

The Anker Motion Boom Plus is good for podcasts. Voices are reproduced with clarity, making it easy to follow along with the conversation in your favorite shows. This speaker gets pretty loud, too, so you can hear your show even if you're listening in a larger, more open room. For longer episodes, you can pick up the speaker and take it from room to room, too.

Pros
  • Gets loud.
  • Portable design.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
4.3
Voice Assistant 

The Anker Motion Boom Plus doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. Instead, you'll have to pair it with a compatible smartphone to use the phone's voice assistant. It's better than nothing, but its performance isn't the best, especially if you're standing further away or trying to use commands in a noisier environment like a party.

Pros
  • Portable design.
Cons
  • No built-in voice assistant.
  • Struggles to hear commands from far away.
7.8
Outdoors 

The Anker Motion Boom Plus is very good for outdoor use. This sturdy speaker boasts a robust design that can handle some exposure to the elements thanks to its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It has a long-lasting battery life for your days out and about, and its built-in carrying strap makes it easy to move around. Plus, it gets plenty loud, so you can fill larger spaces like your backyard with sound.

Pros
  • Gets loud.
  • Portable design.
  • IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
  • 7.0
    Music
  • 6.1
    Videos/Movies
  • 7.5
    Podcasts
  • 4.3
    Voice Assistant
  • 7.8
    Outdoors
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 11, 2025: 

      We mentioned the EarFun UBOOM X in the Battery section of this review.

    2.  Updated May 08, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 in Frequency Response Accuracy.
    3.  Updated Jan 31, 2024: Corrected an error in the Battery box. We tested the speaker's battery life with and without the BassUp feature, not Bass Boost.
    4.  Updated Sep 11, 2023: Updated the Battery test results with BassUp turned on.

    Check Price

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Anker Motion Boom Plus comes in Black and Platinum Gray. We tested the Black variant; you can see the label here.

    If you come across another version of this speaker, let us know in the forums so we can update our review.

    Popular Speaker Comparisons

    The Anker Motion Boom Plus is a mid-range portable Bluetooth speaker that's larger and better built than the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. It's part of Anker's Soundcore lineup, meaning you can pair it up with other Soundcore speakers to spread sound throughout your home. Unlike other similarly-priced speakers, it offers support for voice assistants through a paired smartphone, which is a nice touch.

    You can also check out our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.

    Anker Soundcore Boom 2

    The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 are very similar speakers, but the older iteration has the edge in a few areas. They're both well-built portable speakers with built-in carrying handles, but the Motion Boom Plus has an IP67 certification against dust damage and is submersible in water. The two have very similar sound profiles that lack bass and treble output, but their balanced mid-ranges mean vocals and speech are reproduced cleanly. They both have disappointing directivity, too, so you must be careful about positioning yourself in front of the speaker. While the Boom 2 is lighter, it can't get as loud, and there's more compression present at max volume.

    Tribit StormBox Blast

    The Tribit StormBox Blast and the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus are similar speakers, each with strengths. The Tribit is larger, and it comes with customizable RGB lights. It's able to reproduce a touch more low-bass, too. However, only the Anker lets you use voice assistants through a paired smartphone. Its unique PartyCast mode is a cool touch if you already own Soundcore speakers since it lets you pair them all together to amplify sound through the same room.

    Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

    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.

    JBL Boombox 3

    The JBL Boombox 3 is better than the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. The JBL is a larger and better-built speaker that can reproduce a more extended low-bass, so you feel a touch more thump and rumble in the mix. It has less compression when you push it to max volume, too. However, unlike the Anker, it doesn't support voice assistants through a paired smartphone.

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    Test Results

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    Design
    Style
    RGB LightsNo

    The Anker Motion Boom Plus has a similar boombox-like design to the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. However, the Plus is larger and comes with an adjustable shoulder strap to help with transport. While it doesn't have RGB lights, the buttons are backlit to help you see in darker rooms.

    8.6
    Portability
    Volume
    648 in³ (10,622 cm³)
    Weight
    5.6 lbs (2.6 kg)
    Power Source
    Battery & USB
    One-Hand Carry
    Yes

    It's a medium-sized Bluetooth speaker that's on the heavier side. However, using the adjustable strap or built-in carrying handle, it's still lightweight enough to carry around in one hand. Since it's battery-powered, you don't need to plug it into an outlet to use it, either.

    8.1
    Build Quality
    Material Quality
    Good
    Water Resistance
    Submersible (IPx7)
    Dust Resistance
    Dust-Proof (IP6x)
    Impact Resistance
    Unspecified
    Floats In Water
    Yes

    Build quality is great. The speaker is mostly plastic, which feels solid and more durable than that found on the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. The metal grille in front of the speaker helps protect the drivers inside, and the ports are sealed with a rubber cover. The shoulder strap is made of a strong fabric and attaches to the speaker with sturdy metal clips. Plus, it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, so it's protected against some exposure to the elements.

    7.9
    Controls
    Ease Of Use
    Great
    Feedback
    Good
    Music Play/Pause
    Yes (Physical)
    Call Answer/End
    Yes (Physical)
    Volume Up/Down
    Yes (Physical)
    Track Next/Previous
    Yes (Physical)
    Microphone On/Off
    No
    Additional Controls
    Yes

    The controls are simple and easy to use. There's some feedback to help you keep track of your inputs, including lights and voice prompts. However, there's no way to see the volume level, so you'll have to use the app for that. The multifunction button is also rather subtle and blends into the speaker.

    • BassUp button Activates the BassUp preset to bring more punch to the mix.
    • Bluetooth button Press once to enter pairing mode. Press and hold to enter TWS mode.
    • Multifunction button Press once to play/pause. Press twice to skip to the next song and three times to return to the previous track. Press and hold to activate the voice assistant. You can also use this button to answer/end calls.
    • PartyCast button Lets you pair the device to another compatible speaker for multi-speaker party mode.
    In The Box

    • Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
    • USB-C to USB-A charging cable (1.9ft / 58cm)
    • Quick start guide
    • Carrying strap
    Sound
    6.8
    Frequency Response Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Slope
    -0.25
    Std. Err.
    3.95 dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    52.6 Hz
    High-Frequency Extension
    17.5 kHz

    Using its Soundcore Signature preset and with the BassUp feature turned on, this speaker has a fairly even response that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. It's a sound profile that's extremely similar to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. With balanced mids, voices and other instruments are clear and present, though the dip in the high-mid also pushes them to the back of the mix. This dip carries over into the treble range, indicating that higher-pitched sounds like cymbals are dull and veiled. A graphic EQ and presets are on hand, so you can always switch up its sound. That said, given its smaller size, this speaker can't bring the deep thump and rumble in the low-bass found with larger models, even with the BassUp feature on.

    We chose to test the speaker with these settings because it represents the average of multiple EQ sweeps. You can see how other settings, like Voice and Balanced, perform at the graph here.

    Raw Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Binaural Recording @ 1m
    Binaural Recording @ 2m
    7.0
    Soundstage
    See details on graph tool
    Directivity Index
    5.62 dB
    Stereo
    Yes

    This stereo speaker offers mediocre directivity. It's more of a front-facing speaker, so you'll want to place it on a shelf or a countertop to use it since you don't get consistent sound from all around the speaker.

    7.4
    Dynamics
    See details on graph tool
    SPL @ Max Volume
    95.8 dB SPL
    DRC @ Max Volume
    3.01 dB

    The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus gets quite loud, filling larger, more open spaces with sound. However, there's some compression when you push it to max volume, which impacts the overall clarity of audio reproduction.

    Active Features
    8.3
    Battery
    Battery Life
    11.1 hrs
    Charge Time
    4.7 hrs
    Power Saving
    Yes
    Charging Port
    USB-C
    Battery Powered
    Yes

    The manufacturer advertises a battery life of 20 hours, and we measured around 11 hours with the BassUp feature turned on. The settings you use with the speaker, like the volume level, can impact its battery performance. For example, when we tested it with BassUp turned off, it lasted 25.2 hours on a single charge. Plus, it offers some features to help you conserve battery life. In the app, you can set it to power off after a certain period of inactivity. If you'd like a similarly sized speaker with a much longer battery life, check out the EarFun UBOOM X.

    2.6
    Voice Assistant
    Alexa
    Yes (Requires Smartphone)
    Google Assistant
    Yes (Requires Smartphone)
    Speakerphone
    Yes
    Siri
    Yes (Requires Smartphone)
    Voice Assistant
    Yes
    Voice Activation
    No
    Microphone Mute
    No
    Far-Field Performance
    Bad
    Ambient Noise Performance
    Mediocre

    While the speaker has no built-in voice assistant capabilities, you can always pair it up with your smartphone to use their voice assistant technology. It doesn't have the best performance, though, as the speaker struggles to hear your commands from further away or in a noisy setting.

    7.9
    App
    App Name
    Soundcore
    iOS
    Yes
    Android
    Yes
    EQ
    Graphic + Presets
    Stereo Pair Mode
    Yes
    Party Mode
    Yes
    Multi-Room
    No

    The Soundcore app is a handy way to control the speaker from your phone. Here, you'll find many customization tools, including a Custom EQ and some preset modes. You can check the battery level and adjust the auto-off timer, too. You can also pair the speaker with other compatible devices to PartyCast to up to 100 other Soundcore speakers so you can spread sound throughout your room. There's a video of the app linked here.

    Connectivity
    Wired
    Aux Input
    Yes
    USB Audio
    No
    Other Ports
    Yes

    There's an AUX input to connect to other devices and a USB-A charging port that you can use to recharge your smartphone and other devices. The USB-C port is just for charging the speaker.

    8.1
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth
    Yes
    Bluetooth Version
    5.3
    Bluetooth iOS Latency
    162 ms
    Bluetooth Android Latency
    151 ms
    Bluetooth Range
    234.6 ft (71.5 m)
    Multi-Device Pairing
    2 Devices

    You can pair this Bluetooth-compatible speaker with up to two devices simultaneously, making switching between two audio sources easy. Latency is average, too, so if you want to watch a video on your paired device, you don't notice any lip-synching issues. Some apps compensate for latency differently, though.

    0.0
    Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi Version
    No Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi Frequency Band
    No Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi
    No
    Apple AirPlay
    No
    AirPlay Latency
    N/A
    Google Chromecast
    No
    Chromecast Latency
    N/A