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. 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. 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.

Still, for an extra feature that seems to be thrown in for good measure, the FM radio option is a nice extra touch. We just wish that Anker had thought the feature through a little more. 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. 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.Just like many Anker products, the metal outer reminds you that you haven’t just bought another piece of plastic junk. 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. The active driver and passive radiator included in this product help to amplify the bass of the main driver, avoid the scratchy sound of older speakers, and deliver some serious volume. 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..

There are plenty of true wireless earbuds out there these days, flooding every price point, from budget buds to high-end portable audio – as established players and newcomers alike try to make a name for themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This baby is loud & sounds way better in a box or underneath something so the sound has barriers to bounce off of. So to speak. FM may be headed for the switch-off in the UK, but we still should have a few years of FM radio ahead. The battery lasts for up to 15 hours, which is great for a small unit.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!)

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. 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. 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.

There’s a powerful 5W driver to give you some extra volume output, and a 66 ft Bluetooth range. On top of all that, you also get an FM radio built-in. I was flat-out surprised when comparing the Soundcore Mini to the much larger UE Roll 2. The Anker may have a smaller sound field and lower max volume, but tonally it doesn’t sound too far off. Given the price, we wouldn’t deign to expect Active Noise Cancellation, but we found that the passive noise cancellation was able to keep enough of the outside world at bay without removing one from it entirely. We found passing ambulances, for example, perfectly audible, but the rumble of nearby traffic difficult to make out. Verdict Constructed with durability in mind, the Anker SoundCore Mini is made from high-quality materials that ensure long-lasting use. The cradle is designed to securely hold your device in place, preventing accidental slips or falls. Additionally, it features a non-slip base that keeps the cradle stable on any surface.

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. But let’s deal with the most important part first: the Anker Soundcore Mini is a Bluetooth speaker, so you can hook it up to just about any phone wirelessly. It doesn’t care whether you have an Android or iPhone. Bluetooth signal is one of the Mini’s few little weak spots. The signal is not ultra-reliable, and occasionally you’ll hear cut-outs, and then what almost sounds like a sped-up portion of audio as the speaker makes up for lost time. 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. 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.

And yet, the Anker Soundcore Life P2 buds manage to stand out from the crowd. They have a comfortable, fuss-free design, good sound, decent call quality, and endurance to spare. They can’t offer the highest grade of sound reproduction, but what they do produce does bely their price point and is certainly good enough for the average listener. 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.