When choosing a Bluetooth speaker, what it really comes down to is size and price. If you're looking for a very portable speaker, you'll want to get something very compact, but remember that smaller speakers usually produce less sound and bass than larger ones. So while there are plenty of mini Bluetooth speakers that deliver bigger sound than you might expect, they do have their sonic limitations. For a lot of people it's a question of finding a speaker that's not too big or too small -- one that travels well but also is capable of producing good sound for its size. But finding the best portable Bluetooth speaker also comes down to your budget. This speaker easily bests the old favourite Jam Classic 2.0. While that larger speaker has a solid 2-inch driver, the passive radiator here substantially lowers the bass floor so your music sounds fuller, beefier, more powerful. The downside is that the painted aluminium is likely to scratch easily, but if that really bothers you, all you need to do is take better care of it.

Finding a connection and keeping it is notoriously difficult, to the point where we gave up and used the aux input a few times. Even the extra features like FM radio and SD card functionality wouldn’t save the Anker Soundcore Mini if it sounded just as tinny as terrible as most mini speakers. However, that doesn’t seem to be a problem. There’s a microphone embedded for hands-free calling, and a built-in FM radio, just to catch you off guard. The Mini 3's nine-band EQ is far more effective for adjusting higher frequencies than the lower ones that the speaker can barely muster, which isn’t surprising. I tested the Soundcore Mini 3 with the EQ set to the Soundcore Signature setting, which is the default.

I haven’t been as pleasantly surprised by a small speaker in years. A few issues with Bluetooth reception and the fact that the now-similarly-priced Creative Muvo 2C has deeper bass keep it away from the highest review scores. But a lot of people will fall in love with this tiny speaker, with good reason. While Bose's SoundLink Microalso delivers impressive sound for its tiny size, this speaker is bigger, weighing just over a pound (0.45 kg) and measuring 7.9 inches wide, 2.1 inches deep and 3.6 inches high (20 by 5.3 by 9.1cm), so the Flex sounds significantly better than the Micro. For some reason, it uses the older Bluetooth 4.2 instead of 5.0, but I didn't have any problems with connectivity. There are a handful of products out there that have delivered surprising value for their size, like the UE Wonderboom, or the Bose Soundlink Mini. However, most of the time, downgrading size also means compromising on everything from sound quality to performance. Tribit is billing the XSound Mega as more of an outdoor speaker -- a lanyard is included for toting it around as a sort of mini boombox -- but it works just fine indoors. It has an LED light show that you can turn on or off and there are three EQ settings for sound: XBass, Music and Audiobook. Additionally, it can be used as a power bank to charge your mobile devices. The Anker Soundcore Mini is a squat bollard of speaker. It fits in the palm of your hand, and barely takes up any space in a bag.

In a fight between the Soundcore Mini and Creative Muvo 2C, we’re tempted to side with Creative now their prices are very similar online. Slightly deeper bass makes it a shade more fun than the Mini, and its Bluetooth is a little more reliable. Though it’s one of the smallest speakers we’ve ever seen, the Anker Soundcore mini blew us away with its functionality, connectivity, and volume. This amplifies the bass of the main driver, to help avoid the thin, scratchy sound many older speakers this size have. For 2023, Sony's smallest Bluetooth speaker has once again been modestly upgraded, with a new Bluetooth chipset, slightly improved sound and speakerphone performance. This portable Bluetooth speaker is both dust- and waterproof with an IP67 certification and, like its predecessor (the SRS-XB13), it's rated for 16 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels and it charges via USB-C. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the AAC and SBC audio codecs, the speaker plays bigger than you'd think for its small size, with some punch to its bass. It's pretty impressive for a mini mono speaker. The Bluetooth connectivity in the Anker SoundCore mini isn’t the best. It’s the thing that let us down most when we were conducting this review.JBL Pulse speaker is now on its fifth generation and both the sound quality and 360-degree light show have been improved. JBL has "expanded the transparent outer body" so the customizable light show (there's a companion app for iOS and Android that allows you to alter the colorful lighting effects) looks more impressive. The speaker is also IP67 dustproof and waterproof, and it offers up to 12 hours of battery at moderate volume levels. However, plug in a microUSB cable to act as an antenna, long-press the “play” button on the front and the Soundcore Mini starts scanning for stations. You then long-press the volume up/down buttons to change stations. The only problem? There’s no screen on this thing, so you have absolutely no idea which station you’re listening to. Finding the right channel if you want to listen to Radio 4 or BBC1 isn’t easy. The sound comes out of the top, so you can put the Anker Soundcore Mini more or less anywhere. And there’s a rubber foot on the bottom to stop excessive vibration wobbling anything nearby too much. It's a fast charger also, doesn't take long at all to charge & my Wife & I listen to podcasts every night, or shall I say, we fall asleep with this on & it's still going in the morning..

The Anker SoundCore Mini 2 is a mono portable speaker that offers a convenient and versatile audio solution. With its compact design, measuring 68.58 mm in width, depth, and 78.74 mm in height, and weighing 207 g, it is highly portable and can easily be carried around wherever you go. You don’t get the same Soundcore App that you might access with more expensive Anker models – but that’s to be expected. The downside is that you can’t adjust the EQ because of this. The SoundCore Mini 2 features Bluetooth version 4.2, enabling seamless wireless connectivity with compatible devices. Additionally, it supports AUX in, allowing you to connect external audio sources. Furthermore, it includes a USB charging port, ensuring convenient charging of your devices on the go. The Soundcore Mini 3’s IPX7 rating means that it's fully waterproof, so you can expose it to splashes, rinse it off under a faucet, and even submerge it in up to a meter of water. Bluetooth signals don’t work underwater, but the Soundcore Mini 3 is otherwise an ideal option for outdoor environments and can stand up to wet weather or poolside splashes.The Anker Soundcore app for Android and iOS lets you update the speaker's firmware and adjust an impressive nine bands of customizable EQ (or select among the preset options). You can argue that this feature is overkill for a single-driver, 6-watt speaker and that you might not even be able to detect a major difference most of the time, but as I discuss in the next section, the customizable EQ can be useful in some cases.

At max volume, the Soundcore Mini’s mids and bass can distort a little with some music. But we don’t expect perfection at the price, and sometimes you just need that ambitious extra hit of volume. This little Bluetooth Speaker blows my tower Bluetooth Speaker I used to have & my new larger boxy type because this one has the type "C" Charger (the boxy type has micro USB connection & broke & it's my 3rd one that I bought from a different store!) The Mini is not water-resistant either. Anker does make a version with IPX7 resistance, the Soundcore Mini 2. However, it’s twice the price so loses some of the value edge. Though the 9.6-ounce (272-gram) speaker appears to have the same design as the XB13, Sony says its new sound diffusion processor "realizes richer spread sound," which basically means this has a bit wider soundstage, which I can confirm. It can output only so much sound -- yes, it has its limitations -- but if you add a second XB100, you can get stereo sound. Alas, there's no companion app, but that isn't a huge deal. Anker estimates the Soundcore Mini 3’s battery life to last roughly 15 hours, but your results will vary based on your volume levels.We liked Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom 2and the third-generation model, the Wonderboom 3, offers some small improvements, including slightly better battery life (up to 14 hours instead of 13, at moderate volume levels) and a new Bluetooth chip that allows for extended wireless range of over 130 feet (40 meters). The design has not changed, though the speaker now comes in different color options. On the plus side, you do get the option to play music from an SD card too – which is something you don’t find with many Bluetooth speakers of a similar price. Anker Soundcore Mini review: Performance