Anker Soundcore Motion 300 Review (2024)

The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 portable Bluetooth speaker nails the essentials: It’s compact, has an outdoor-ready design, sounds powerful, and costs a manageable $79. Furthermore, the Soundcore app provides a customizable EQ, while LDAC support means higher-quality audio from compatible sources. It even works as a speakerphone, which is an increasingly rare feature. All of these qualities help it earn our Editors’ Choice award for affordable Bluetooth speakers.

Rugged, With Strong Connectivity

Measuring roughly 2.2 by 7.9 by 3.9 inches (HWD) if it is sitting flat, the 1.7-pound Soundcore Motion 300 is available in Fern Green, Frost Blue, or Mirage Black. It has a rounded rectangular contour and a sturdy, buttoned strap on its left side for easy hanging. A grille with a large Soundcore logo covers the top, while a speckled, wraparound silicone material spans the sides and bottom. A snap-shut cover on the side protects a USB-C port for the included USB-C-to-USB-C charging cable. Rubber feet on both the bottom and side of the speaker allow you to set it down flat or on its edge respectively for upward and forward audio projection.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

Behind the grille, dual full-range drivers deliver a frequency range of 65Hz to 40kHz, combining for 30 watts. Dual passive radiators help fill out the bass response. Yes, this is technically a stereo setup, but you should consider pairing two of the speakers wirelessly to get more separation.

As for connectivity, the Soundcore Motion 300 is compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and supports the AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs. It notably gets a Hi-Res Audio certification thanks to its LDAC support, but don't expect audiophile-grade quality. You likely won't be able to discern the intricacies of hi-res audio on a speaker this size, and the proximity of the stereo drivers means you won't get much in the way of audio separation. I still applaud the inclusion of non-SBC options, however, as they enable both Android and iPhone users to stream higher-quality audio. If you want these codec options in a more powerful speaker, you have to spend a lot more on something like the Sony SRS-XG300 ($349.99).

From left to right, the control panel includes power, Bluetooth, bass (enables the BassUp mode), volume down, playback, and volume up buttons. The playback button also handles other functions—two presses skip forward a track, three presses navigate backward a track, and a long press summons your device’s voice assistant.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

An IPX7 rating means the speaker is fully waterproof and can survive submersion at depths of up to a meter for 30 minutes. Bluetooth signals don't travel well underwater, but the advantage of this rating is that rain, poolside splashes, and garden hoses pose no threat. Without an official dust resistance rating, however, it's slightly less durable than other outdoor models, including the inexpensive and IP67-rated Sony SRS-XB100 ($59.99).

Anker estimates that the Soundcore Motion 300 can last roughly 13 hours per charge, but your results will vary based on your typical listening volume level and codec choice.It takes roughly 5 hours to fully recharge it.

Soundcore Motion 300 App Experience

The Soundcore app (available for Android and iOS) was in beta mode for this speaker during testing, so I didn't get a look at the final design. Most speakers in this class don’t come with an app, so even the relatively light feature set here is welcome. On the main screen, the app shows a playback button below a graphic of the speaker with a battery life readout.

(Credit: Anker)

Further down, there’s a volume slider and an EQ preset function. Within that section, you can specify whether you have the speaker sitting upright, flat on a surface, or hanging, and the app adjusts the sound accordingly. Additionally, you can choose between four EQ presets: Soundcore Signature (the default), Xtra Bass, Voice, and Balanced. For custom profiles, you have nine bands at your disposal. EQ changes won't affect the sound as much as on larger systems, but it's still a feature I like to see. Note that all of these audio changes come in addition to the BassUp effect you can enable via the speaker's control panel.

In the settings menu, you can toggle prompt tones, adjust automatic power-off times, change the button brightness, and install any available firmware updates.

Quality Sound With a Boost

BassUp, which you can enable or disable via the physical bass button on the speaker, is hit or miss. Some tracks sounded less bright with it off, while others were too thin with it on. I left it off for the majority of testing, but toggled it on and off at some points to measure its impact, so you should also try it out on a case-by-case basis to see if it works for you.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the speaker delivers a moderate thump. The Bass Boost mode doesn't extend the sub-bass coverage and just slightly beefs up the low and low-mids that the drivers ordinarily handle. Playing this track at a high volume causes the digital signal processing (DSP) to step in with a heavy hand to prevent distortion; the opening beats sound like they rattle the passive radiator a tad. Interestingly, the BassUp function seems to thin things out more so than effectively boost the lows, particularly at high volumes, because it triggers the DSP. For the best bass depth on these types of tracks, stick to a volume level of around 75% and deploy the BassUp function only when you want additional low-end body.

The Soundcore Motion 300 can't reproduce the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” I don't expect a speaker of this size to handle those notes, but it at least manages to add some heft to the drum loop and avoid distortion at top volumes. Again, however, the DSP works hard to keep playback at loud settings clean. The various vocals on the track come across with high-frequency clarity. Pressing the bass boost button makes the song sound a tad less bright without adding too much extra bass heft.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, sounds better with the BassUp active. The drums get more depth, while other elements benefit from more low-mid and mid-range energy. Callahan’s baritone vocals sound rich and crisp in this mode, and the acoustic strums are bright and clear.

I recommend turning on the BassUp mode for orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary. Boosting the bass isn't usually something I recommend for classical music, but here, it evens out the response by bringing the lower-register instrumentation forward enough to match the inherent brightness of the brass, strings, and vocals.

The speakerphone mic, which sits behind the front grille, works decently well. I had no trouble understanding every word from a test recording to my iPhone, but the signal did occasionally sound muffled. I like that Anker includes a speakerphone since many other competitors are dropping this feature, but the more affordable Sony SRS-XB100 offered clearer mic quality in testing.

Few Compromises for the Price and Size

The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 gets loud despite its tiny dimensions, can survive any poolside splashes, and works with a companion app that offers useful audio customization features. The integrated speakerphone and compact, flexible design are highlights as well. LDAC support is another benefit, so long as you keep your expectations in check with what a portable speaker's drivers can handle. For all of these reasons, the Soundcore Motion 300 does more than enough to earn our Editors' Choice award for budget-friendly Bluetooth speakers.