The excellent Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker , which we gave CNET's Editor's Choice, is one of the best-selling Bluetooth speakers on Amazon, with thousands of user reviews. Needless to say, competitors noticed this and decided to offer their own version of the Flex, which retails for €169, but is sometimes sold for less.
The Soundcore Motion 300 is Anker's answer to the Bose speaker. The same size as the Bose, it doesn't offer as good sound. However, it is impressive for its compact size and only costs €89.99. That's why we awarded it CNET's Editors' Choice as a top pick in the portable Bluetooth speaker category.
Design de la Soundcore Motion 300
The Motion 300 weighs 800 grams and is a bit heavier than the SoundLink Flex at 600 grams. But like the Flex, the Motion 300 can be laid flat with its speaker aimed toward the ceiling or sky, or placed on a stand as shown in the photo below (Anker says its SmartTune technology detects changes in speaker orientation and adjusts the sound to improve the listening experience).
The speaker is waterproof to the IPX7 standard and seems very durable. We left it in the rain for about 30 minutes and also submerged it in a sink full of water. It worked without problems afterward.
At least Anker made an effort to differentiate the Motion 300's design from that of the SoundLink Flex, giving it more rounded corners and a distinctive metal grille on the front (Anker explains that the "metal grille preserves quality sound and gives an impression of robustness"). Tribit's Stormbox Flow (660 grams) is closer to a carbon copy, with a shape and metal grille even more similar to Bose's. The Motion 300 has a sturdy strap integrated into its design, while the StormBox Flow has a more discreet-looking strap. Both are detachable.
One of the reasons the Bose speaker is so popular is that it's the perfect size for a portable speaker: not too big, not too small. Of course, the other reason is that the sound and listening are also good considering the size of the speaker. The same goes for the Motion 300 and the Stormbox Flow.
Features of the Soundcore Motion 300
The Soundcore Motion 300 has a pretty robust feature set for an $89 speaker, including support for Sony's LDAC audio codec for Android and other devices that support Bluetooth wireless streaming with LDAC .
Although Anker hasn't clearly mentioned it, the speaker can be used as a speakerphone. We connected a smartphone to the speaker, then placed it in another room and covered it with a towel to cover its microphone, then had a conversation using the speaker. You have to be close to the speaker for the microphone to pick up your voice, but people have said they can hear well in a quiet room.
Although Anker describes it as a stereo speaker, the drivers are close together, meaning stereo separation is minimal. However, you can wirelessly connect two Motion 300 speakers to get a true stereo left/right speaker setup.
The Motion 300 is compatible with the Soundcore app for iOS and Android. This app lets you change the sound profile, adjust the brightness of the LEDs on its buttons, and update its firmware. The speaker offers up to 13 hours of battery life at moderate volume (our tests confirmed this to be a fairly accurate value).
Sound quality of the Soundcore Motion 300
Most of these mini Bluetooth speakers perform better in the mids and highs, and the Motion 300 is no exception. It offers decent clarity and plays loudly for its compact size. It delivers a reasonable amount of bass, giving the sound a certain depth and richness not typically found in speakers in this price range.
The speaker has a bass boost button that slightly boosts the bass. However, we found the speaker sounded a little better without it, as it seemed slightly overdriven with the boost turned on. The bass just isn't as accurate at higher volumes. This is where the Bose stands out more.
Tribit's StormBox Flow is a slightly more capable speaker and may actually sound a little better than the Motion 300, besting it by a fraction on bass performance. Still, Anker's speaker offers a bit more detail and clarity and wins in terms of design. While support for the LDAC audio codec is a plus, we didn't really notice a difference in sound quality when listening to the speaker from an Android smartphone that supports LDAC, and when listening to it from an Android smartphone that supports LDAC, and when listening to the speaker from an Android smartphone that supports LDAC, and when we We listened via an iPhone. It's likely you'll need a much more high-end speaker to hear a significant difference with LDAC streaming.
Soundcore Motion 300: our opinion
Although the Bose SoundLink Flex remains the mini Bluetooth speaker to buy if you can afford it, the Motion 300 is an excellent alternative in terms of performance and design. We also like the Tribit Stormbox Flow for the same price. Its design is more generic, but its battery life is better and the sound is slightly warmer, which you may or may not prefer.
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