Bring out the boom: Anker Soundcore Motion X600 review

Soundcore is no stranger to churning out some of the best speakers found on the market today, but the new Motion X600 might just be its best model yet. Described as "The World's First Portable High-Fidelity Speaker" on Soundcore's own site, it has some high expectations to meet.

While Soundcore products often lean towards the budget speaker market, this new item is a step more expensive than the usual speakers you would see from Anker. That begs the question; does the Motion X600 justify its price tag? And how does it perform overall?

In order to find this out, resident tech expert Kyle Purves has been hands-on with the speaker, testing and experimenting with it in order to find its strengths and weaknesses. From simple audio quality for music to listening to podcasts in the shower, Kyle has used his skills and keen ear to make sure to cover every aspect of this potent speaker. Read on to check out the full, detailed review.

Performance

I immediately want to commend the Motion X600 on its battery life. While I initially expected 12 hours to deplete much quicker with regular use of surround sound and bass-boost modes, it manages to last a remarkable time even with them constantly enabled. The charge time of six hours is a bit of a pain on paper, but it never actually caused me any bother. So long as you top it up every now and then, you'll rarely have to charge it for that long. It's especially great for those working from home at a desk since you can charge it with any nearby socket, and then the total battery life makes it a reliable speaker to bring on trips and days out. All in all, I really appreciate how versatile the battery life has proven to be.

As for the audio itself, the Motion X600 has multiple layers to it. Without surround sound or bass boost, you've got a respectable output that you would expect from 50W of power and five drivers, however, the speaker (and its volume) really shines when you have both of those features enabled.

In my experience, combining the bass boost and surround sound modes delivers an experience that is unmatched at this price point. Soundcore claims the Motion X600 has a wider frequency range than a standard speaker, and I must admit that I have found so many more details in the music I listen to than before. With this speaker, you'll find that even songs you've listened to a hundred times suddenly feel fresh again.

If you want to further enhance your listening experience, the Soundcore companion app allows you to adjust the equaliser to your heart's content. While I don't have much talent for using the fully customisable mode, the four presets of Soundcore signature, Voice, Treble Boost and Balanced were enough to keep my listening habits varied. Plus, I can't deny that it's quite fun to completely adjust the small nodes and hear the effects live.

I listened to a lot of Japanese art rocker Haru Nemuri with this speaker, gaining a whole new appreciation for the guitar and drum work. Frankly, I'm hooked on how much of a quality leap this is from my usual headphones, and every time I leave the house and speaker behind, the albums don't hit quite as hard. Basically, if you like heavy instruments, the Motion X600 really draws out their potential. On the note of instruments, I'm also a big fan of Daniel Pemberton's Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack, and the crystal clear audio quality from this speaker suits tranquil and slower tracks just as well as anything high-octane.

It's not just music in which the Motion x600 excels, as it's also great for listening to YouTube videos and podcasts. Voices came out crisp and clear, so I had no trouble or instances of double-guessing what was said. It's not as mindblowing as the performance when listening to music, but it's still great overall.

This model also makes for a very solid shower speaker. It's got a brilliant waterproofing rating, so I never felt concerned about it being damaged. Even during a high water-pressure shower, the booming volume of the Motion X600 was able to power through.

Build

Available in three colours (aurora green, lunar blue, and polar grey), the Motion X600 is a departure from Soundcore's standard designs. Instead of the blocky style of their other large portable speakers, this one is more sleek and curved, which I find gives it a much more modern and aesthetically-pleasing look. I've had friends describe it as a modern miniature boombox, and I really do think that fits.

Portability is a big strong point here. While I do think the shape, especially the length, makes it quite awkward to pack in a backpack or suitcase, the handle is a clear centrepiece of the design. There are small indents on the underside to give a textured feel and to provide a little extra grip. It's easy to pick up and comfortable to hold, and although the Motion X600 is a tad heavier than many of its similarly sized competitors, I never found it to be an issue.

The buttons light up when on, making it super easy to tell at a glance whether you've got the bass-boosted or not. The small groove of the power button is a minute but quite pleasant detail. The functions are clearly represented, and the spacing between them is ideal.

Even at a glance, you can see the impressive surface area of the speaker output, in which the mesh really enhances the surround sound option and makes it the de facto way to listen. Thanks to an upward-facing driver near the buttons, you've got noise coming from multiple angles.

Around the back of the speaker is a small seal. It can be a tad awkward to unseal at first, requiring a decent nail, but beyond that initial resistance, it is easy to manoeuvre. This functions as a bit of waterproofing to protect the USB and AUX port hidden within, which is ideal and necessary for using it as a shower speaker.

To add to its strength as a shower speaker, the Motion X600 has a waterproofing rating of IPX7 (Ingress Protection), meaning it can even be submerged in water for a while without sustaining any damage. As such, you won't need to immediately dash for shelter should it start raining; it's a reliable choice for a beach day.

The build of the speaker feels very resilient, so I'm quite confident that it could take a small tumble or two without getting damaged.

Downsides

As mentioned above, the shape of the Motion X600 makes it awkward to pack. The fact that the handle runs the whole length of it doesn't do it any favours in that regard either. If you're wanting to pack light for a trip or holiday, you'd probably want smaller and lighter portable speaker. I don't want to imply that the speaker lacks portability, but I do think it's better suited for a picnic or a beach trip instead of going overseas. Anywhere you plan to go by car, you can comfortably take it with you.

The main disappointment for me is what came in the box, or rather what didn't. The USB-C cable is a lacklustre 60cm, and there is no wall charger with it. Sure, most of us have some form of compatible charger at home, but if you mainly own Apple devices with lightning connectors, you're out of luck. It just feels a bit absurd and incomplete that there's no way to charge it immediately out of the box. It's not a dealbreaker, but it is disappointing.

Verdict

The Soundcore Motion x600 may be a spot more expensive than the rest of its speaker family, but it absolutely earns the right to be. In fact, even at £199.99, this speaker still feels very much of value, sporting power, battery life, and waterproofing that you would expect from a higher-priced model.

I may be a fairly recent convert to the world of speakers, but the Anker Soundcore Motion x600 is easily one of the highest-quality models I've encountered. At its current price tag, you get a product that excels in just about every function you could want from a speaker. While you could search for other models that suit specific needs, like improved battery life or increased portability, it would be difficult to find something that stands up to the Motion x600 across all categories. It's safe to say I'll be using this speaker for the foreseeable future.

What else to consider?

Who tested it?

Kyle Purves is one of our commercial content writers. An avid listener of various podcasts, they almost always have some kind of speaker nearby or headphones on. When it comes to music, they like a little bit of everything, with a soft spot for Japanese noise rock and a tolerance of country.

How we tested it?

I tested the Soundcore Motion X600 over the course of several weeks. It mainly sat beside me at my desk, where I used it to play through numerous playlists to help power through work. I tried a variety of music, experimenting with bass-heavy sounds as well as calming soundtracks.

Beyond that, I also used it to play the audio of podcasts and YouTube videos, so I can see how it performed with conversations and how well it lined up with visuals. On a warm and sunny day, it was with me as I relaxed in the garden, and after a trip to the gym, I would test out its waterproofing as a shower speaker.

Kyle Purves is a Commercial Content Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

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