Soundcore flare 2
Size: 11cm (base) x 9cm (top) x 17.5cm (H)
Connectivity: Bluetooth and partycast between 100+ flare 2 speakers
Weight: 590g
Battery life: 12 hours
DesignThe flare 2 is the definition of “get up and go”. Its stylish shape, maybe best described as a tapered cylinder, is perfect for grabbing, and the fabric grille means there are no worries about your grubby paw prints affecting the tech underneath. The speaker’s IPX7 waterproofing means that it’ll stand up to splashes and spillages, along with being up to 1m underwater while you scrabble desperately to recover it from whatever pool/lake you elbowed it into.
The non-fabric covering is all rubber, including the solid protective cover for the new USB-C charging port, and it helps to keep the speaker steady on any slippery surface. The buttons are straightforward: on/off (this process includes an always-fun little jingle), Bluetooth, a button for switching modes and an option for cycling through LED shows, with a wide range of mesmerising light performances emanating from the rings at the top and bottom of the device. If you prefer a buttonless experience, the Soundcore app is very good for a budget speaker, offering various EQ presets (although there’s no bespoke EQ adjustment) and light control in a sleek package.
Bluetooth connectivity is a simple button push away, and the connection remains true and distortion-free, even when nipping into another room. The partycast software allows more than 100 flare 2 speakers to connect, synchronising sound and LEDs for a sea of good-value speaker fun. If our lottery numbers come in, it’ll be our first investment.
SoundThe flare 2 comes with a “bassup” feature, letting listeners crank up the bass on any track. We found ourselves using this regularly, as it adds some needed depth to the lower frequencies, especially when listening from further away. However, the general audio quality is expertly balanced, and its warmth throughout the genres was a pleasant surprise. Like all speakers at this price, the sound starts to fuzz a little the louder you go, but it keeps its shape very handily at any volume below “annoying the neighbours”. The 360-degree sound also delivers, with no noticeable loss of audio integrity in any direction.
The LED rings sync with any track to create off-the-cuff light shows, and really help the flare 2 feel like a more expensive product. Cycling through the different pre-set patterns is a fun exercise, but leaving it on the more beat-driven modes is your best bet.
A great addition to the flare 2 is speakerphone capability, something that is never at the top of speaker requirements, but which could be incredibly useful if you’re in the summer heat and don’t fancy holding your phone up to a sweaty ear while chatting to someone that’s late for your first garden party in over a year.
The verdict: Anker Soundcore flare 2The flare 2 is a real dark horse. You’d be forgiven for not expecting much from a speaker at this price – something decent enough that’ll last you a couple of years of being thrown about. But the flare 2 is much more than that. It retains everything good about the original flare, with some bonus features (USB-C charging and an extra LED ring – yes please).
It looks great, with a neat tweak on the usual cylindrical design you see across the market, and those smooth LED light shows. It doesn’t feel like a budget option: it’s weighty and sturdy, water-resistant, has speakerphone functionality and produces surprisingly great sound. To put it simply, this is much better than we thought it would be. It’s fantastic value.