Soundcore 3 by Anker

What’s included

The Soundcore 3 by Anker comes with a charging cable (USB-A to USB-C, approx. 60cm), carrying strap and quick start guide. There is no charger, but you can charge the battery with standard chargers, a power bank or via your computer. You should allow around four hours for a full charge. The unit is rubberised all-round, weighs 500 grams and is very compact with external dimensions of around 17cm x 5.5cm x 6cm, so it fits well in your hand and can be stored anywhere.

The two 3.8cm drivers with titanium diaphragms have an output power of 16 watts. Two passive diaphragms – radiating to the front and rear – are intended to provide a noticeable increase in bass. The controls are located on the top, while the USB-C port is embedded on the right-hand side.

How is the Soundcore 3 by Anker made?

The workmanship of the Soundcore 3 by Anker is impeccable, and the rubberised plastic feels stable and high-quality. The controls have a good pressure point.

The Soundcore 3 by Anker can withstand rain, splashes of water and complete submersion thanks to IPX7. However, the Soundcore 3 has not been tested under dirt and dust conditions, hence the X in the certification. If you connect the speaker directly to a power supply after it has had a bath in water, you should ensure there is no residual water in the open USB port otherwise a short circuit may occur.

Functions and operation of the Soundcore 3 by Anker

Even with the somewhat outdated Bluetooth 5.0 version, the connection to our player worked without any problems. Thanks to Multipoint you can pair two devices at the same time. An LED on the top of the Soundcore 3 gives you information about the connection status. Indoors, the connection reached almost 50 metres which, in my case, stretched across several rooms within the office. You can control playback (play, stop), track skipping and volume directly on the speaker.

We would recommend installing the Soundcore app (for Android and iOS), which gives you a 9-band equaliser with four pre-sets, a switch-off timer with four run lengths, an update function and the option to mute the signal tones. The app also enables you to activate “BassUp”, which promises to provide a richer sound.

Party Cast, a function that allows you to link up to 100 Soundcore 3 speakers, can only be set directly on the speaker. There is no provision for linking two speakers to form a real stereo pair.

The sound of the Soundcore 3 by Anker

The Soundcore 3 by Anker sounded best when it was about a metre away from me, with volume well below half, “BassUp” activated and with “Soundcore Signature” as the EQ pre-set. The sound was warm and nicely bassy, with a good balance between mids and highs.

When I turned it up towards half volume or above, the treble evaporated, and the mids took over. The bass made a good effort but became increasingly muffled and washed out as the volume increased. Overall, the sound became cramped, dull and grey. I could listen to it for a while, but after a short time, it became tiring. I turned the volume back down to the lower third and noticed the speaker’s wide dispersion angle, which was a positive.

You can even make phone calls via the Soundcore 3 by Anker. The built-in microphone delivered speech to the person on the other end of the line somewhat muffled, but it was perfectly usable and understandable.

Conclusion

In a small room, at a short distance, with the volume in the lower third – the Soundcore 3 by Anker sounds good and balanced, with sufficient bass foundation and the right balance of mids and highs; i.e. it is suitable for listening to podcasts, audiobooks, quiet music.

However, for sound tasks where you need something louder and more powerful, the Soundcore 3 would be an unsuitable choice, and you should invest a little more money in a larger speaker, e.g. the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus by Anker or Soundcore Motion X600 by Anker.