Wireless speakers, the devices that keep pool parties going. That make you sing out loud to your favorite music in your room. That help you pass the time when you’re moving. There’s no shortage of options in this category and it’s time to take a look at yet another wireless speaker here at Techaeris. The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is a well-built speaker, a light show that jams with your music, and long-lasting battery life all at an affordable cost. Continue to read our full review below.
Specifications
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 wireless speaker has the following features and specifications:
| Model number | A3165 |
| Features | • 360 degree sound • Light show that pulses, phases, and shines to the beat of your music • PartyCast 100+ Flare 2 speakers • 6 different EQ modes • 12-hour battery life • IPX7 water-resistant |
| Input | 5V/2A |
| Audio Output | 20W (10W × 2) |
| Battery Capacity | 5200mAh |
| Charge Time | 3.5 hrs at 5V/2A |
| Bluetooth Frequency Range | 2400 – 2485MHz |
| Sound Frequency Range | 73Hz ~ 20kHz(-3dB) |
| THD+N | <1% |
What’s in the box
- Anker Soundcore Flare 2 wireless speaker
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Happy card
Design
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has a slightly odd shape and isn’t of the normal brick or cylinder-shaped wireless speaker I’m used to reviewing. The shape of the Soundcore Flare 2 is still cylindrical but with the bottom bulging out and being wider than the top.
Starting with the top of the speaker are five different buttons, play/pause, power on/off, volume up (+), volume down (-), and a bulb that changes the lights on the speaker. Underneath the control buttons is a rubber ring that goes around the speaker. This ring houses the LEDs that move to the beat of your music. Continuing down to the bottom is another ring for more lights. On the backside of the speaker are two more buttons, one for Bluetooth and the other for turning the bass boost on and off. Below that is a cover protecting the USB-C charging port.
When looking at the bottom of the speaker you’ll see Soundcore’s logo inside a rubber ring that elevates the unit off the surface.
Ease of Use
Pairing this speaker is the same as pairing most other Bluetooth devices. Simply open up the Bluetooth settings on the device you’ll be using, power on the speaker, and hold down the Bluetooth button on the speaker. Once you see “Soundcore Flare 2” from the list, select it and both devices will be paired.
Getting to the usage part, it’s safe to say that this speaker works like any others out there. You have your play/pause button, power on/off, volume up and down, and an extra button that controls different light show presets. There is an application that goes with the speaker but I will go over that in the next section.
One cool feature that people may like is that you are able to pair up to 100 units by pressing the Bluetooth button on the back of the main device and the other units.
Software
There is an application that you are able to download from the Google or Apple app stores called “Soundcore”. With this app, you’re able to change the light show, pair multiple Flare 2 speakers, and adjust the EQ.
When using the application, it’s easy to understand. There are three screens to scroll through and each screen is tailored towards something. The main screen (middle) shows the speaker you’re using. The screen to the left allows you to change the EQ for the music. You can select between normal, voice, flat, and calm.
Lastly, the screen to the right lets you control the light show on the speaker. Party Time will create a rainbow of lights flashing while bouncing to the music. Phasing Beats has a preset of four colors that go around the speaker while music is playing. Bouncing Beats does the same thing as Party Time but has a four-color option to choose from. Circle Beam lets you choose a solid color that displays around the speaker. Cool Breath gives off a wave of solid colors while the last light show option, Who’s Next?, which acts like spin the bottle and will stop at a random person.
Sound
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 Bluetooth wireless speaker does come with a 360 degree sound that will fill an entire room. I’d always place the speaker on my night table and let the music go from there, so no matter where I was in my room I could hear what was playing clearly. As far as sound itself goes, there’s more than enough clarity when playing different genres. Lows, mids, and highs were balanced. If you’re one for more bass in your speakers, you’ll be glad to hear that there is a “bass boost” option. With this feature enabled, the lows are deeper but don’t distort or cause any adverse issues to the overall sound.
When it comes to the range of the speaker, it’s pretty decent. What I mean by this if you have the speaker in your room at say 40-50% volume and you can walk downstairs to the kitchen or to another room in the house you’ll still be able to hear what’s playing pretty loud and clear.
Overall, the sound quality of this speaker is pretty great. Especially if you’re moving from one house to another or just you in a room or even having a small get together with people.
Call Quality
Everyone knows how I feel about wireless speakers and using them for phone calls. I’m not the biggest fan due to the fact that people can barely hear you. However, when using the Flare 2 to speak with others on the phone it did well enough to where no one really had to tell me they couldn’t hear me. People’s voices came in clear and I didn’t have to tell anyone to speak up either.
Reception
The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 comes with Bluetooth 4.2 technology that offers a range of about 33 feet when it comes to walking away from the speaker with a connected device. When testing out the range of the speaker and phone, I was able to get just over 30 feet with a direct line to the speaker with no walls or objects in the way. When placing the speaker in a different area where things can get in the way, there were times music would break up around the 30 foot mark.
Battery Life
When it comes to the battery life of the speaker, I managed to get up to 12 hours of playback thanks to the 5,200mAh battery that’s inside. It took me a while to fully drain the battery during the review from using it for about an hour or so each time.
As for if the battery drained faster with the lights on versus off, I didn’t notice any difference when it came to battery life.
Charging the speaker is done with a USB Type-C cable that’s included in the box. Charging the speaker back up to 100% after the battery has been fully drained takes up to an hour and a half. Given the battery size and life, it’s a reasonable amount of time to fully recharge the speaker.
Price
If you’re interested in purchasing the Anker Soundcore Flare 2, you can get it from Amazon for an MSRP of US$79.99. For a wireless speaker of this quality, what it can do, and then some, US$80 isn’t bad by any means.
Wrap Up
Sure, it may be another wireless speaker in a crowded market but the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 wireless speaker tops it off with the lights that play along with your music and the option to change them at any time. The price tag is another enticing option that makes this speaker worth picking up.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
