We listen to a lot of the best Bluetooth speakers money can buy here at Digital Trends (it’s a tough job, we know). And especially when the weather is warmer (when many new speakers tend to get released) we really like to get down in the sun and surf with these mighty boomboxes, to see if they’re up to muster for your portable music needs. Which is why I was delighted to see not one but two of Anker Soundcore’s best new Bluetooth speakers, the Boom 2 and Boom 2 Plus, on offer for killer prices for Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days 2024.
As Anker’s sub-brand of Bluetooth speakers, Soundcore has been making some excellent-sounding and rugged boombox-style speakers of late. With some of the biggest bass in their class, either would be great for bringing music wherever you want to take it — giving you two great choices based on how loud you want to go and how much you want to spend.
Anker Soundcore Boom 2 — regular price $130, on sale for $90 (31% off)
The smaller of the two Soundcore speakers on sale for Prime Big Deal Days, the Soundcore Boom 2 is a compact 11.7 by 7.3 by 4-inch (WxHxD), 3.6-pound boombox-style speaker with a hard, ruggedized handle that’s easy to grip and carry with you wherever you should roam. In fact, the whole speakers is super rugged, so no worries about dropping it or knocking it against things — it’ll keep on ticking. And with an IPX7 waterproof rating, you also don’t have to worry about spilling you drink on it or knocking it over into the pool — it even floats.
And boy does it, er, tick. And by tick, I mean push out ample sound from its 80 watts of total output that will easily fill any small or medium-sized room or, as in my own tests, turn your beach day or poolside lounge-around into a thumping party, should you so choose to give the Boom 2 some volume.
But, as the name suggests, the main selling point of the Boom-line is its “BassUp 2.0” button that adds a thumping, low-end kick in the pants to whatever music you play. With the Boom 2’s combined woofer and side-firing passive bass radiators, you’ll be surprised at just how bass-heavy the speaker can be.
Additional features include Anker’s TWS “PartyCast” paring so you can connect up to 100 additional Soundcore speakers for bigger sound (no stereo pairing, though), fun LED lights on the side woofers that can be controlled with the easy-to-use Soundcore app, and a 9-band EQ (also in the app) for fine-tuning your sound. Its 24-hour battery is pretty impressive, too.
Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus — regular price $250, on sale for $180 (28% off)
If bigger, louder sound, and even more impressive bass is what you’re looking for, then it makes sense for you to consider spending a little more on the Boom 2’s big brother, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus that I reviewed to much praise back in May. With all of the same features of the Boom, and then some, the Boom 2 Plus offers 140 watts of clean, loud sound, backed on the low end by BassUp 2.0 for a surprising amount of bass.
Of course it’s also IPX7 waterproof for poolside fun, and it carries the same rugged plastic shell as the Boom 2 with the addition of some sturdy metal hooks on the handle for its shoulder strap. The Boom. Plus also features a USB-C charging port on the back that can also be used to connect devices like smartphones for charging from its powerbank. There’s also an AUX-in 3.5mm jack of you want to connect additional sound sources.
The Soundcore app opens up EQ controls from its 9-band equalizer that also has some standard presets you can choose, and you get control over the Boom 2 Plus’s RGB LEDs on the sides for an even brighter light show.
Battery life sits at 20 hours per charge with the BassUp feature off, and can be fully charged in just three hours.
Take it from me, for $90 and $180, respectively, if you’re looking for a portable, rugged Bluetooth speaker that sounds bigger and clearer than it should, you won’t be disappointed with either the Boom 2 or Boom 2 Plus.