Table of Contents
The first-generation Anker Soundcore Flare surprised us with how well its app worked and how well it sounded. Anker took the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach for the second generation of its speaker, keeping everything we liked about the first generation and adding a few nice touches.
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 specifications
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Design
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Controls
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Performance
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Connectivity
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Battery Life
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Price and availability
- Final Words
- FAQs
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2, which costs $80 (£64.99, AU$140), is a good deal compared to our other top picks, like the UE Wonderboom 2 and JBL Flip 5. All three are great, but the UE Wonderboom 2 is more durable and can float in a pool, while the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has a more subtle design that makes it look less like an outdoor speaker and more like a home speaker.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 specifications
Size | 8.9 x 8.9 x 16 cm |
Weight | 585 grams |
Product Dimensions | 3.5 x 3.5 x 6.31 inches |
Item Weight | 1.6 pounds |
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Design
The light ring on the top of the Flare 2 is probably the biggest change. As an LED lighting nerd, we really like it. The Flare 1’s light ring was on the bottom, which made it kind of hard to see, especially if you put the speaker on a dark surface.
On the Flare 2, the LED lights are now much brighter. Aside from the LED rings, the shape of the second generation Flare speaker is very similar to the first generation. Some of the button positions have also been changed. The power button is now on the top of the speaker, and the Bass Up button is on the back. You can get this speaker from its official website.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Controls
The top panel of the speaker has controls for turning it on and off, turning up or down the volume, a central multifunction button (for playback, track navigation, voice assistant control, and call management), and a button that changes the LED light show modes. On the back of the speaker is a panel with a covered USB-C port for the included charging cable. The cable is long and is the only accessory that comes with the speaker.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Performance
We tested the Soundcore Flare 2 in the default EQ mode, but we turned on the extra bass. Arguably, this should be the default mode for the speaker, which needs all the help it can get to create a real sense of bass depth. On songs with a lot of sub-bass, like “Silent Shout” by The Knife.
The Soundcore Flare 2 has a good low-frequency presence, but that’s more because of the resonators than because of the drivers. From a short distance, say 10 feet, the bass depth sounds much weaker. For how small it is, the Soundcore Flare 2 can get pretty loud, but the low-frequency rumble doesn’t have much power.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Connectivity
The best thing about the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 in terms of connectivity is the app. It works on both iOS and Android and lets you change your settings and organise your music. You can also try out a number of lighting features that have already been set. One bad thing is that there is no option for custom EQ. You have to use one of the settings that the Anker team has already made.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Battery Life
With a 5200mAh battery, the Flare 2 is supposed to run for 12 hours, but I was able to run it for much longer than that at a low volume. The device can be charged with a USB-C cable, of which a small one is included. It takes about 3.5 hours to charge from empty. The only way to see how much power the speaker has left is to look at a tiny icon in the app.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 review: Price and availability
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is the newest portable Bluetooth speaker from Anker, and it is now on sale. Anker’s best portable Bluetooth speaker is the Flare 2, which costs $80 (£64.99 or AU$140). If you want to save $15, you can still get the original Flare at a small discount. This is still a great choice.
Final Words
The Anker Flare 2 works well enough for music. It has a balanced sound right out of the box, especially in the midrange, where voices and lead instruments are heard. So, you can listen to a lot of different kinds of music on it. You can even change its sound with its graphic EQ and presets. Still, this device is small, so it doesn’t have as much low-bass rumble and doesn’t get as loud as other models on the market.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2 Ratings
Pros
- Amazing soundstage.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
Cons
- No 3.5mm aux jack
FAQs
Is Anker Soundcore Flare good?
The JBL Flip 5 is not as good a speaker as the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. The Anker has a better soundstage, and its graphic EQ and presets let you change its sound in more ways. Also, the Anker works with voice assistants on your smartphone, but it’s not the best at what it does.
Is Soundcore better than JBL?
The JBL Charge 5 is not as good a speaker as the Anker Soundcore Motion+. The JBL is better made. It has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which means it can be submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes and won’t let dust in. It also sounds better balanced than the Anker straight out of the box.
Why is Anker so good?
It has enough power to charge two laptops at once. And it has Anker’s “Intelligent Power allocation” technology, which just means you can plug in other devices like a smartphone or tablet and the charger will figure out what kind of device it is and charge it at the best level.