Test of the Anker Soundcore Flare+ portable speaker: sound and light ambiance (+promo code)

Ankeris a manufacturer known for its numerous accessories for iPad and iPhone. It indeed offers external batteries, such as thePowercore tested in our columns, but also wireless charger, likethis one also tested by us, and many models of Lightning cables, among others. But for some time now, Anker has also been investing in sound and portable speakers, with several models already on sale in the range.SoundCore. We find theretheSoundCore mini, theSoundCore 2or even theSoundCore Boostand theFlare.

The most high-end model is theSoundCore Flare+, a speaker with 360-degree sound diffusion and intended to be ideal for adding sound and lighting to musical evenings and parties.

The Anker SoundCore Flare+ is on sale here on Amazon for €149.99

How does it compare to portable speakers from reference brands in the audio market? We had the opportunity to test it, here are our impressions, opinions, accompanied by numerous photos:

First contact with the Anker Soundcore Flare+ speaker

In the box, we find the speaker, a micro-USB charging cable and a small booklet giving some details on the pairing procedure with a smartphone or tablet.

Getting started is very easy and faithful to what any Bluetooth speaker worthy of the name offers. Simply hold down the Bluetooth button on the speaker for 3 seconds to find it in the Bluetooth devices on the iPhone and thus validate the pairing.

But before seeing what this SoundCore Flare+ is capable of, it should still be noted thatits design is not common. It is in the form of a cylinder with a base slightly larger than the top. The top and bottom are made of black plastic which is quite pleasant to the touch. The material, however, keeps fingerprints visible.

The body of the speaker is very attractive, dressed in a well-finished mesh fabric dress.

At the back, a plastic cutout reveals 2 buttons and the connectors. We find the start button and Bluetooth.

The connectivity is located under a cover: USB port, micro-USB port and auxiliary jack socket are there.

On the top of the speaker, there are five buttons. Three of them manage playback: play/pause, volume + and volume -. The other two control the light appearing at the base of the speaker and the Bass Boost. Note that the buttons are a little hard to press, which can sometimes be annoying.

The speaker weighs850 grammesfor the following dimensions: 182 mm high, 100 mm diameter for the base, 80 mm diameter for the top.

Here it is alongside an iPhone 6 Plus:

Generally speaking, the enclosure iswell finishedand offers an original design.

Listening to the Anker Soundcore Flare+ speaker

When listening, the sound quality is very good.

The speaker shines especially with avery wide angle diffusion,without losing frequencies depending on the listening position. Therefore, it is preferable to place the speaker on a table in the middle of the living room to benefit the whole room, rather than on a piece of furniture stuck to the wall.

On the frequency side, the speaker is not a model of its kind for its size. Sheclearly lacks treble and detail in the midrange. The transients are also quite soft.

On the other hand, it makes up for it withrather good and round bass. This part of the spectrum appreciated by fans of electronic and urban music especially, can also be highlighted with a functionBass Boost.

Globally,the sound remains rather balanced, average of what is done by the competition for an identical price.

As a bonus with the Anker Soundcore Flare+ speaker

This speaker offers some fairly appreciable features alongside 360° sound and a stylish design.

On the one hand, a Soundcore companion app,available here on the App Store, can improve the experience of using the speaker.

The app allows you to take advantage of certainEQ presets, but also to play withthe colored LEDs located at the base.

Indeed, the speaker is bright, or at least its base. This one canlight up to the rhythm of the music, in many colors, or display a fixed coloring. Still, to set the mood in the evening, it can be practical!

The icing on the cake,strap is fixed on the upper part, for easy transport. You can attach the speaker to height, or even to a backpack to provide sound during a bike ride or hike.

Finally, Anker offers great autonomy for its Flare+ speaker, promising20 hours of listening at 60% volume. according to our tests, this figure is rather respected in reality.

Note that the Bluetooth technology used isversion 5.0, which guarantees better audio quality than previous versions, when listening to lossless WAV, ALAC or FLAC files for example. To see if your iPhone or iPad can take advantage of it, this is particularly the case for iPhone 8 and newer and iPad Pros from 2018.

With the Soundcore Flare+, Anker offers a speakerwell built, which lacks nothing in terms of functionality and connectivity. The only real criticisms are the sound level, lacking precision, especially in the treble. But to set the mood, with good power, good autonomy and pretty lighting effects, this is ahighly recommended solution.