Anker Soundcore Motion 300 review – budget Bluetooth brilliance

Anker has muscled in on the Bluetooth speaker market over the years with a series of well-built, well-priced products under its Soundcore sub-brand. The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 looks to build on the creditable reputation of its predecessors with an impressive spec sheet for its $79.99 / £89.99 price tag.

I’ve spent several weeks testing the Motion 300 in a variety of circumstances, including indoors while gaming or listening to music, and outdoors. I can confidently say it’s one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get for under $100 / £100.

Pros

• Great sound with solid bass response
• Reasonable price
• Small and light enough to carry in a large pocket
• Truly versatile with excellent feature set

Cons

• Mediocre battery life

Anker Soundcore Motion 300 specs

Anker Soundcore Motion 300 design and features

The Motion 300 has run-of-the-mill Bluetooth speaker looks, featuring a black silicone body and silver speaker grill emblazoned with the Soundcore logo. The only distinctive elements are subtle, blue marks that look a bit like flecks of paint appearing across the body. Considering the speaker’s main color is black, these are quite hard to detect and appear to be a factory defect at first glance. It doesn’t look bad at all, just generic.

Across the top sit six buttons controlling power, Bluetooth pairing, bass boost, volume, and playback. On the left-hand side, there’s a removable strap so you can attach it to a tent pole, rucksack, or wherever’s convenient when you’re out and about.

In terms of features, Anker has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into this speaker. As well as the handy removable strap, the Motion 300 has an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it can be submerged in water up to one meter deep for half an hour before it sustains any damage. Handy for those of us who like to take their Bluetooth speakers for a swim.

Sound-wise, the Motion 300 has an impressive 48Hz – 20kHz frequency range and supports the LDAC codec to allow higher-resolution data transfer via Bluetooth, which will please audiophiles no end. Another nifty feature is the Motion 300’s SmartTune tech, which automatically adapts the sound profile based on how the speaker is positioned. You can also pair multiple speakers if you’re looking for a surround-sound experience.

Anker Soundcore Motion 300 performance

The Motion 300’s 30W power output and dual, full-range drivers combine to ensure this speaker really packs a punch. The bass response is surprisingly good, especially when the bass boost button is employed, and the overall sound profile is great.

If you want a little more of a certain frequency, you can access an EQ through the Soundcore app, which is very easy to use and well-laid-out. There are four presets, including Soundcore Signature, Xtra Bass, Voice, and Balanced.

If you’re listening to music, Soundcore Signature is my overall favorite, boasting a decently flat frequency response across the board. Voice is useful if you’re listening to podcasts, but I’d avoid Xtra Bass, which makes the midrange muddy, and Balanced, which is just not as clear as Soundcore Signature. You can also create custom EQ profiles based on whether the speaker is standing, hanging, or lying on its back, which is an impressive level of granularity for a budget speaker.

The Motion 300’s excellent sound profile is even more impressive considering it’s only about 10cm tall and 20cm long. The battery life is 13 hours, which is mediocre, but I doubt Anker has saved much space in that department. It’s a real wonder how they’ve managed to pack so much sonic firepower into such a small package.

Anker has clearly put a heavy emphasis on designing a Bluetooth speaker you can take with you on the go, so sturdiness is a must. Despite its diminutive frame, the Motion 300 feels reassuringly robust to handle. I chucked the speaker around a bit to mimic the sort of punishment it might withstand on a camping trip, and it seems like the silicone can withstand a bit of rough and tumble. There were no adverse effects when I dunked it in water, either.

Is the Anker Soundcore Motion 300 worth it?

The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 price is a mere $79.99 / £89.99, which is a steal for a speaker of this quality, and I’ve seen it on sale already. Anker doesn’t seem to have cut any corners in designing this speaker: it’s got a great sound profile, it’s loud, it’s robust, and you can take it with you wherever. It even has adaptive technology to adjust the sound to suit whatever situation you’re in. If there’s one drawback, I’d say it’s the battery life, which is merely average rather than exceptional, but that’s the worst I can say about it. This is an excellent Bluetooth speaker.