Soundcore Boom 2 Review

Our Soundcore Boom 2 Experience

While the initial setup was seamless, we experienced occasional stutters in connectivity when playing music over the course of several weeks.

We like the party aesthetic of the Boom 2. The sides of the speaker have party lights that change color and shake to the music, giving it a party feel that's great for birthdays, poolside barbecues, and other events. But, we didn't love the look of it at our desk or in a bedroom.

It was loud enough to fill our mid-sized room, but the louder we cranked it, the less controlled it sounded.

The “BassUp” feature really amplifies the lows and overall sound output. As the name suggests, this speaker is very boomy, with bass-emphasized sound that sacrifices some clarity compared to speakers twice the price. That said, we got a lot of big, boomy sound from this speaker for a lot less than its competitors.

Analysis and Test Results

Sound Quality

The Soundcore Boom 2 has an accentuated bass that doesn't sound too overbearing. But if you want to boost the bass for extra party vibes, it features an accessible “BassUp” mode that ramps up the subwoofer power from 50 to 80 watts, delivering deeper, more stimulating bass. It doesn't have the same thunderous rumbling as the larger boomboxes we tested, but it will have enough thumping bass for smaller parties.

At its factory settings, the bass sounds sculpted to be punchy and fun, though it wasn't the cleanest we've heard. Still, it sounds warm and pleasant in jazzy rap tracks like “Rebirth Of Slick” by Digable Planets, where the bass guitar and saxophone riff envelop our senses.

Vocals and lead instruments sound emphasized with decent clarity and separation. Vocals in songs like “Tom's Diner” by Suzanne Vega and “DNA” at 0:15 sound beautiful and immersive as the dance beat combines with Vega's chanting.

The highs are a bit duller than we'd prefer. Bold punk songs like “Dead!” by My Chemical Romance lack their usual bite, with the sharp shredding of the rhythm guitar sounding more restrained.

This speaker is decent for podcasts and audiobooks, with standard sound that's clear but not entirely lifelike. Human voices sound as expected, and fictional audiobooks like “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1” by JK Rowling sound good, with instrumentals and background noises balanced against the vocals.

The front-facing design gives the Soundcore Boom 2 a very directional sound, so we had to stand in front of it to get optimal sound quality. The lows are definitely reduced when listening from the back side of the speaker. That said, we were impressed by the distinct separation in the left-to-right panning in “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen at 0:36, which isn't as prevalent with other speakers in its price range.

While we weren't blown away by the sound reproduction, this sculpted mix is pleasant and fills an average-sized room with ease. It casts a wide soundstage with decent height, which should be more than enough for a casual dance party.

While a bit too bulky for some bags, the Boom 2 is easy and ergonomic to carry around by hand.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Boom 2 is a decent option for camping.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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Portability

The Boom 2 is semi-portable, and while we could cram it into a backpack, it would take up about half the space. It's around the size of a standard 6-pack and weighs 3.7 pounds, which is relatively light but not the lightest.

It has a large plastic handle on top, making it easier to carry from room to room or down the street.

The Boom 2 is rated at IPX7, so it can handle being dunked up to a meter underwater for up to half an hour. Unfortunately, there's no stated dust protection, so we wouldn't say it's the most durable outdoor speaker for camping, though it's still an adequate option.

Volume

This powerful little boombox brings the party at 99.8 decibels, which is almost as loud as the front row at a summer music festival.

Unfortunately, we experienced some jarring compression when listening at the highest volume. When we listened to “Wasted Hours” by Arcade Fire, the strings and bass beats sounded uncomfortably blown out during the intro. While the song is meant to have some distortion, it gets out of hand at higher volumes.

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Drop Test

The Boom 2 is pretty drop-proof, but we would still exercise some caution with this speaker. While some bits may break off and the charging port will almost certainly pop open, it still sounds and functions the same after taking some tumbles, so overall it's quite durable. The charging port isn't waterproof, so you'll want to take extra care not to drop it near bodies of water.

Battery

The battery life is one of the most impressive, lasting up to 33 hours and 48 minutes. So, we were able to listen for two entire days non-stop on a single charge.