August 2022 – The Audiophile Cafe

Another item from Soundcore, but this time it’s not an IEM! Let’s see how much boom this box has…

Disclaimer:
Soundcore have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
Lorna & Soundcore have been kind enough to ship this out to me.
The views and opinions in this review are my own honest and unbiased thoughts and experiences.
You can find the Soundcore Motion Boom by following the link below:

https://uk.soundcore.com/products/motion-boom

It currently retails for £94.99

Review equipment & software:
Soundcore Motion Boom.
Soundcore companion app.
iPhone XS Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.
Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple Music.
SoundCloud Premium.

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Music:
Various albums, playlists and gapless DJ mixes, mostly in Hi Res.

What’s in the box:
Soundcore Motion Boom.
3ft USB A to USB type C cable.
Manual.

The packaging was a simple but sturdy affair.
The contents as you can see above are minimal, however, as like many brands, it’s good to see that they haven’t included a wall charger, which I know sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s better for the environment so that’s that.

Spec:

Build & finish:
As I’ve come to expect from any product from the Anker group, the Soundcore Motion Boom is built to a high standard. Everything is marked clearly and easy to understand without having a detrimental effect on aesthetics.
It is robust without looking ugly.
I already own a JBL Boombox that I love, but haven’t written a review of yet and it’s the epitome of rugged outdoor audio that retains stylish looks to match earth shattering and great audio.
It’s a lot to live up to in my opinion, yet this little boom box from Soundcore, although not as powerful, is built just as well as the JBL, so that earns Soundcore some serious kudos in my book.
Soundcore state a 24 hour battery run time which in my experience was precise.

Software & functionality:
I’ve already written about the Soundcore companion app in previous reviews so I won’t go in to great detail, however, I will say that the Motion Boom paired with my devices easily and retained a steady Bluetooth connection. The settings in the app are basic but offer everything you need to get the sound tailored to your liking.

The Motion Boom on first appearance is a pretty simple device with just a few buttons on the top and a small water tight port around the back.
But looks can be deceiving as is often the case these days.
We have a “Bass Up” button which does what it says. There’s also a corresponding control for this in the companion app.
There’s the obvious Bluetooth button which is used to pair the device.
In the centre we have volume up and down & buttons either side of a multi-function “Soundcore” button which handles play/pause, track skipping, in-call controls and Siri or other voice assistant activation.
To the right of the device we have the power on/off button and a “TWS” or True Wireless Stereo button.
The TWS button is used to pair the Motion Boom with a matching speaker, creating a stereo pair.

Around the back we open the waterproof “plug” to reveal a USB A for charging other devices & a USB type C to charge the Motion Boom.

Everything is laid out simply and is very straightforward to use.

Sound:
The Motion Boom obviously isn’t a high end hifi or “audiophile” product, so I won’t go into soundstage, or too much into definition, and bear in mind that this is from my experience of a single Motion Boom, a stereo pair may offer different results. But I will say this:
The bass is punchy and when the “bass-up” function is engaged it gets a decent boost, & has no problems reaching low.
Mids are quite present here and can make the sound a touch “boomy”, however using the EQ in the app can rectify this easily.
Highs are clear and not too bright.
The over all sound is lively and I found it suited more to EDM & Metal, though it plays other genres well enough.
Using it outdoors was a great experience and it projects into a decent sized garden well enough, without the need to have it at full volume.

Final thoughts:
At under £100 the Motion Boom is a capable and feature packed Bluetooth speaker/boom box that would be ideal for outdoor use, whether it be a picnic, bbq, beach day or similar.
Indoor use is also great and I can see it being the perfect speaker for use in a kitchen, the bathroom, maybe in the garage while you work on your latest project…
It packs a punch with a lively sound, is built to withstand the outdoors and has no connection issues.
It also benefits from it’s compact size, easily fitting into a medium or large back pack.