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I'm still very much at the point where I think that any piece of technology that retails for much less than it ostensibly should is going to be a flimsy piece of crap. I grew up in the era of those knockoff N-64 and PS2 controllers that had weird turbo buttons (wtf did those do??), and it has been ingrained in my mind, time and time again, that if you don't pay for the "nice" version of something, you're wasting your money on garbage that will crap out after six uses.
But I've been very pleasantly surprised by the consumer electronics from internet retailer Anker, who make incredibly sturdy basics like lightning cables, recharable batteries and multi-port USB chargers, like the five-port PowerPort Speed which I've used to clean up my hell-tangle of a cord situation at my apartment.
RELATED: Anker's PowerPort Speed can charge basically all of your devices at the same time.
Many of Anker’s products come at a slight premium—a 6 foot long nylon-braided lightning cable retails for $18, and the PowerPort Speed comes in at $55—both of which in my experience reflect build quality and long warranties. But I’ve been particularly impressed by their bluetooth speaker, the SoundCore, which retails at that once-dreaded bargain price of $26.
There are two things you’ll notice about the SoundCore before you turn it on, that it’s smaller than the ads make it look (it’s about 8 inches long, small enough to clumsily stuff into a jacket pocket) and that, like other Anker products, it’s surpisingly heavy (about 13 ounces). Three of the SoundCore’s outer layers are covered in matte rubber, including the five buttons (power, volumes up and down, play/stop and bluetooth) situtated on top of the device, meaning you can manhandle it with greasy kitchen or wet dishwashing/beach hands and not damage it. On the device’s right side are the charging port (it comes with a charger!), an aux cord input so you can play from a device without bluetooth connectivity and a microphone input.
Now let’s get down to business: the sound. With two six watt drivers, the SoundCore packs a punch that belies its size. I ran it through different genres of music. The SoundCore has a neutral sound with prominent highs and balanced bass that was well suited to pop music and bass-light heavy metal, and, surprisingly, the thunderous Blade Runner 2 soundtrack. But when I tested it with tracks from rappers Lil Peep and Lil Uzi Vert, I was disappointed by a non-commital bass that washed into the background.
Nevertheless, it beats the fucking pants off of iPhone and laptop speakers.
I’ve also been using the SoundCore to listen to podcasts while doing chores at home. I was surprised to find that, unlike my expensive wireless earbuds, I was able to hear real depth and clarity in voice tones.
Further, I was able to hear it from rooms away. This thing gets loud, not boombox loud, but loud and clear enough as a portable speaker for apartment and other small to medium-sized room listening, and loud enough in an outside setting to drown out ambient noise (please do not play this on the MAX). And “rooms away” includes having my phone in my pocket—the SoundCore’s bluetooth range is an impressive 66 feet.
Which, for $26, is quite a deal. With a speaker this small and powerful, I’ve found a new, portable device for enjoying home time without having to drag my over-ear headphones around while I do stuff, and one that enhances music enough to use as a speaker when you have buddies over to chill. It helps that I’ve had to charge the SoundCore exactly one since getting it, as battery life lasts for 24 hours. If you’re looking for a cheap way to upgrade your home music situation in a way that isn’t going to piss off housemates, the Anker SoundCore has all of your (non-rap) needs covered.
(Cool Stuff is a new feature at Willamette Week where we feature product reviews, roundups, sales and other commerce and shopping-oriented content. All Cool Stuff reviews are editorially independent, meaning we provide honest reviews and aren’t paid by the brands we write about. If you do choose to purchase something after following one of our links, Willamette Week may receive a commission, which helps fund our journalism.)