A quick technical introduction of this device is in order. The SoundCore Select is an IPX5 water and dust resistant Bluetooth speaker using Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, BassUp Technology, and two 6W drivers. It also has a built-in microphone so you can take calls hands-free with it.
Battery capacity is 4400 mAh. It doesn’t support fast charging. The really interesting part is that Anker says it has a playtime of 24 hours. That should get anyone’s attention. And now, having introduced our guest, let us move on to the review proper.
Anker SoundCore Select Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Physical Build and Design
The body of the SoundCore Select is rubberized all round. It is like a block of rubber. Even the control buttons – for power, volume, etc – are all part of that seamles block. At first glance, you won’t find any any openings anywhere. What you will find, if you poke around it enough, is a flap that opens up to to reveal a compartment with ports that accept a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro-USB cable.
Why did Anker go with this design? Clearly to make the speaker water resistant. The flap covering the connectivity ports seals tight when you close it so as to prevent water and other liquids from penetrating. It looks like a well thought solution to me for a waterproof bluetooth speaker.
Rubberized or not, the Anker SoundCore Select is well built and of premium quality. There is an LED light beside the Power button that lights up in white when the battery is fully charged. It is blue during charging, and blinks red when battery is low.
There is another LED light beside the Bluetooth button. It lights up in blue when a device is paired and active.
I took a call on my phone while connected to the speaker and hunted around to find where the built-in mic is. It was a rewarding exercise. It is located in the front top edge of the speaker, a straight line up from where the Anker logo is located.
Anker SoundCore Select Bluetooth Speaker: Audio Quality
In terms of audio, this is a very good speaker. The highest volume is very high and audio quality is impressive. Actually, playing music on it almost sounds like you have a mini home theatre in operation. This will serve well for small home parties.
To be sure I had the audio quality right, I pitted it against the Mi Compact Bluetooth Speaker 2, which had impressed us recently. The Mi Compact is a much smaller Bluetooth speaker compared to the SoundCore Select, but don’t let its size fool you. It really is good. So it was a worthy adversary.
The Anker speaker beat it on almost all counts, as far as our practical comparison tests went. It is louder, has better bass, and better audio quality. The Mi Compact seems to have an edge in tonal quality of human voices though. The Anker definietly outshines the smaller guy in terms of battery life. There is no contest there. And speaking of battery life, let’s hop right into that part of our review.
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Anker SoundCore Select Bluetooth Speaker: Battery Life
The claim of 24-hour playtime was one we couldn’t resist putting to test. So, I charged the speaker up with Anker’s own PowerPort+ 1 fast charger, which we are also reviewing. But as mentioned before, the SoundCore Select does not support fast charging, so it took about 5 hours to top up the 4400 mAh battery from empty. And then, I proceeded on a long day of playing music non-stop to see how long it would last on a full charge.
The battery test commenced at 10.47 pm and the speaker played music non-stop all night and all day till 11.22 pm the following day. If my maths is still any good, that was a run of 24 hours and 35 minutes. Boom! So, it really goes 24 hours, as claimed by Anker. Impressive.
While the LED light began to blink red, indicating low battery, from around 6 pm, the battery did not give up till after 11pm.
Price of Anker SoundCore Select in Nigeria and where to buy
So, what does the Anker SoundCore Select cost? Getting one will set you back by N17,000. It is available at mobile phone and accessories retailers in Lagos and elsewhere in the country.
In Nigeria, you can buy the Anker SoundCore Select (and other Anker products) with a 5% discount. Just use the coupon code ANKERMM at checkout when you order on www.oandogadgets.com or www.ankernigeria.com.
If you have any questions about aplying the coupon code or questions about placing your order, call 09096553079 for assistance.
Outside of Nigeria, you can purchase it from the Amazon website.
Verdict on Anker SoundCore Select
Is it worth the price? We think so. You not only get great audio, you get the ability to use this for small pool parties with little fear of it being damaged by splashes of water and dust. And then, it is not every day that you come across a waterproof Bluetooth speaker that plays music for 24 hours non-stop on a full charge.
Not that you will really need to play music 24 hours. But that makes it one less device to charge on a daily basis.
Even better, as an adventurer, I can immediately tell that this is a great companion for all sorts of outdoor activities – camping, hiking, and road travel. You sure won’t need to worry about the battery running out if you have the Anker SoundCore Select with you.
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Author: Mister Mobility
Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.
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