The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a more premium alternative to the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. As its name implies, this speaker is larger and better built. It comes with a built-in strap and carrying handle so you can take your favorite tunes wherever you go. With an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, it's even protected against some exposure to the elements. Through its companion app, you can customize its sound and pair it with other Soundcore speakers to amplify sound throughout your space.
Our Verdict
The Anker Motion Boom Plus is decent for music. This Bluetooth-compatible speaker has a fairly even sound profile, especially in the mids, where most voices and lead instruments reproduce. A dip in the high-mid to treble ranges pushes these instruments toward the back of the mix, making higher-pitched sounds like cymbals dull and veiled. Still, you can always use its Custom EQ and other EQ presets to switch up its sound. The BassUp setting adds more punch in the bass to the mix, too, which is a nice touch.
-
Graphic EQ and presets.
-
Gets loud.
-
Some compression at max volume.
The Anker Motion Boom Plus is okay for videos. This speaker isn't designed for watching movies, but if you pair it with your smartphone to watch a video, it can get the job done. Dialogue reproduces with clarity, and its low latency with both Android and iOS devices means you don't notice any lip-synching issues. However, it lacks the deep and rumbling bass to bring action-packed scenes to life.
-
Graphic EQ and presets.
-
Gets loud.
-
Some compression at max volume.
-
Lacks an extended low-bass.
The Anker Motion Boom Plus is good for podcasts. Voices are reproduced with clarity, making it easy to follow along with the conversation in your favorite shows. This speaker gets pretty loud, too, so you can hear your show even if you're listening in a larger, more open room. For longer episodes, you can pick up the speaker and take it from room to room, too.
-
Gets loud.
-
Portable design.
-
Some compression at max volume.
The Anker Motion Boom Plus doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. Instead, you'll have to pair it with a compatible smartphone to use the phone's voice assistant. It's better than nothing, but its performance isn't the best, especially if you're standing further away or trying to use commands in a noisier environment like a party.
-
Portable design.
-
No built-in voice assistant.
-
Struggles to hear commands from far away.
The Anker Motion Boom Plus is very good for outdoor use. This sturdy speaker boasts a robust design that can handle some exposure to the elements thanks to its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It has a long-lasting battery life for your days out and about, and its built-in carrying strap makes it easy to move around. Plus, it gets plenty loud, so you can fill larger spaces like your backyard with sound.
-
Gets loud.
-
Portable design.
-
IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
-
Some compression at max volume.
- 7.0 Music
- 6.1 Videos/Movies
- 7.5 Podcasts
- 4.3 Voice Assistant
- 7.8 Outdoors
- Updated May 08, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 in Frequency Response Accuracy.
- Updated Jan 31, 2024: Corrected an error in the Battery box. We tested the speaker's battery life with and without the BassUp feature, not Bass Boost.
- Updated Sep 11, 2023: Updated the Battery test results with BassUp turned on.
- Updated Sep 05, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Aug 30, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 16, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 17, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jul 11, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Jul 11, 2023: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Motion Boom Plus comes in Black and Platinum Gray. We tested the Black variant; you can see the label here.
If you come across another version of this speaker, let us know in the forums so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Anker Motion Boom Plus is a mid-range portable Bluetooth speaker that's larger and better built than the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. It's part of Anker's Soundcore lineup, meaning you can pair it up with other Soundcore speakers to spread sound throughout your home. Unlike other similarly-priced speakers, it offers support for voice assistants through a paired smartphone, which is a nice touch.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 are very similar speakers, but the older iteration has the edge in a few areas. They're both well-built portable speakers with built-in carrying handles, but the Motion Boom Plus has an IP67 certification against dust damage and is submersible in water. The two have very similar sound profiles that lack bass and treble output, but their balanced mid-ranges mean vocals and speech are reproduced cleanly. They both have disappointing directivity, too, so you must be careful about positioning yourself in front of the speaker. While the Boom 2 is lighter, it can't get as loud, and there's more compression present at max volume.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is better than the JBL Charge 5. While the JBL is smaller and better built, it doesn't let you use voice assistants through your paired smartphone like the Anker. Plus, the Anker gets louder and can playback stereo content without downmixing it to mono.
The JBL Boombox 3 is better than the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. The JBL is a larger and better-built speaker that can reproduce a more extended low-bass, so you feel a touch more thump and rumble in the mix. It has less compression when you push it to max volume, too. However, unlike the Anker, it doesn't support voice assistants through a paired smartphone.
The Tribit StormBox Blast and the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus are similar speakers, each with strengths. The Tribit is larger, and it comes with customizable RGB lights. It's able to reproduce a touch more low-bass, too. However, only the Anker lets you use voice assistants through a paired smartphone. Its unique PartyCast mode is a cool touch if you already own Soundcore speakers since it lets you pair them all together to amplify sound through the same room.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus and the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus are similar boombox-style speakers, with slightly different strengths. The Motion Boom Plus is more portable and better built, though both speakers have an IPX7 rating. However, the Motion Boom Plus also has some rudimentary voice assistant capabilities. When it comes to sound, both speakers are capable of bringing the bass via the 'BassUp' button, but the Motion Boom Plus can get a bit louder and has better directivity. The Boom 2 Plus compresses much less at max volume, though, and its battery lasts a few hours longer off a single charge.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Anker Soundcore Motion X600 or the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus. They're both portable Bluetooth speakers with similar performances. The X600 is smaller and better built. Its default sound is more neutral, which some listeners may prefer. However, the Boom Plus gets a bit louder and has a longer battery life.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is the more premium cousin to the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. As its name implies, the Plus is larger and better built. It supports multi-device pairing, too, unlike the standard Boom. Its overall sound quality is a touch improved, too.
Test Results
The Anker Motion Boom Plus has a similar boombox-like design to the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. However, the Plus is larger and comes with an adjustable shoulder strap to help with transport. While it doesn't have RGB lights, the buttons are backlit to help you see in darker rooms.
It's a medium-sized Bluetooth speaker that's on the heavier side. However, using the adjustable strap or built-in carrying handle, it's still lightweight enough to carry around in one hand. Since it's battery-powered, you don't need to plug it into an outlet to use it, either.
Build quality is great. The speaker is mostly plastic, which feels solid and more durable than that found on the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom. The metal grille in front of the speaker helps protect the drivers inside, and the ports are sealed with a rubber cover. The shoulder strap is made of a strong fabric and attaches to the speaker with sturdy metal clips. Plus, it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, so it's protected against some exposure to the elements.
The controls are simple and easy to use. There's some feedback to help you keep track of your inputs, including lights and voice prompts. However, there's no way to see the volume level, so you'll have to use the app for that. The multifunction button is also rather subtle and blends into the speaker.
- BassUp button Activates the BassUp preset to bring more punch to the mix.
- Bluetooth button Press once to enter pairing mode. Press and hold to enter TWS mode.
- Multifunction button Press once to play/pause. Press twice to skip to the next song and three times to return to the previous track. Press and hold to activate the voice assistant. You can also use this button to answer/end calls.
- PartyCast button Lets you pair the device to another compatible speaker for multi-speaker party mode.
- Soundcore Motion Boom Plus
- USB-C to USB-A charging cable (1.9ft / 58cm)
- Quick start guide
- Carrying strap
Using its Soundcore Signature preset and with the BassUp feature turned on, this speaker has a fairly even response that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. It's a sound profile that's extremely similar to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. With balanced mids, voices and other instruments are clear and present, though the dip in the high-mid also pushes them to the back of the mix. This dip carries over into the treble range, indicating that higher-pitched sounds like cymbals are dull and veiled. A graphic EQ and presets are on hand, so you can always switch up its sound. That said, given its smaller size, this speaker can't bring the deep thump and rumble in the low-bass found with larger models, even with the BassUp feature on.
We chose to test the speaker with these settings because it represents the average of multiple EQ sweeps. You can see how other settings, like Voice and Balanced, perform at the graph here.
This stereo speaker offers mediocre directivity. It's more of a front-facing speaker, so you'll want to place it on a shelf or a countertop to use it since you don't get consistent sound from all around the speaker.
The Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus gets quite loud, filling larger, more open spaces with sound. However, there's some compression when you push it to max volume, which impacts the overall clarity of audio reproduction.
The manufacturer advertises a battery life of 20 hours, and we measured around 11 hours with the BassUp feature turned on. The settings you use with the speaker, like the volume level, can impact its battery performance. For example, when we tested it with BassUp turned off, it lasted 25.2 hours on a single charge. Plus, it offers some features to help you conserve battery life. In the app, you can set it to power off after a certain period of inactivity.
While the speaker has no built-in voice assistant capabilities, you can always pair it up with your smartphone to use their voice assistant technology. It doesn't have the best performance, though, as the speaker struggles to hear your commands from further away or in a noisy setting.
The Soundcore app is a handy way to control the speaker from your phone. Here, you'll find many customization tools, including a Custom EQ and some preset modes. You can check the battery level and adjust the auto-off timer, too. You can also pair the speaker with other compatible devices to PartyCast to up to 100 other Soundcore speakers so you can spread sound throughout your room. There's a video of the app linked here.
There's an AUX input to connect to other devices and a USB-A charging port that you can use to recharge your smartphone and other devices. The USB-C port is just for charging the speaker.
You can pair this Bluetooth-compatible speaker with up to two devices simultaneously, making switching between two audio sources easy. Latency is average, too, so if you want to watch a video on your paired device, you don't notice any lip-synching issues. Some apps compensate for latency differently, though.