Why You Can Trust CNET Get $50 Off Anker's Swanky New Motion X600 Bluetooth Speaker With Spatial Audio
The $200 Soundcore by Anker Motion X600 won't hit stores for a few more weeks. But you can get $50 off the new speaker in an early-bird special.
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The Soundcore by Anker Motion X600 Bluetooth speaker is scheduled to hit online retailers like Amazon on May 6 for $200 (or £200 in the UK). I got an early review sample of the new mini boom box, which has a premium look and feel with a metal grill and carrying handle and which includes some interesting features like spatial audio and support for Sony's LDAC audio codec. It sounds impressive for its relatively compact size and is a good value, even at its list price.
I don't know how much the Motion X600 will end up costing on Amazon -- usually Anker serves up some discounts not too long after its Soundcore speakers and earbuds are released. But if you're looking for the best deal at launch (and probably for a while), Anker is offering early-bird, $50 discount codes in its online store for a $1 reservation fee through May 9. The codes will be mailed out between May 9 and May 24, Anker says, and can be used at Soundcore.com or Amazon.com (the preorder codes will also be available in Soundcore's UK, German and Canadian online stores).
Read more: Best Bluetooth speakers for 2023
Anker is is billing the Soundcore Motion X600 as the world's first "portable high fidelity speaker." Weighing 4.2 pounds or 1.9 kg, it's got some heft to it but is light enough to carry around without feeling like you're getting a workout. It comes in gray, green and blue color options and is equipped with five drivers, including two woofers, two tweeters and one full-range, upward-firing driver "in a unique speaker array that combined with Soundcore's audio algorithm and DSP helps create a wide (and tall) soundstage for listening to any type of music," according to Anker. It's rated for 50W of total power, with two 20W amps devoted to the woofers and tweeters and a third 10W amp powering the upward-firing driver.
At the default sound setting without bass boost or spatial audio engaged, I wasn't exactly wowed with sound quality (the bass is a bit underwhelming, the mids are recessed and there's a bit too much treble push). But as soon as you engage the bass boost and spatial audio, everything sounds more balanced and fuller. You can also tweak the sound profile further in the Soundcore companion app for iOS and Android.
The speaker is plays big sound for its relatively compact size.
I compared the Motion X600 to Marshall's new Middleton speaker, which also weighs around 4 pounds but costs significantly more ($300). I thought the Middleton had better overall tonal balance and more kick to its bass. However, the Motion X600 wasn't far behind in terms of sound quality and arguably has the better design.
About that design: I'm not sure how well this speaker will fare if you drop it, but it is fully waterproof (IPX7 rating) and actually floats if it ends up in a body of water. It also has an auxiliary input if you want to connect a non-Bluetooth audio device to it -- a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable is included -- though it doesn't feature a USB charging out port to turn it into a power bank. It charges via USB-C (a cable but no power adapter is included) and delivers up to 12 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels. That battery life number is OK, not great, and the speaker lacks speakerphone capabilities.
With smaller speakers like this, it's hard to live up to the "high-fidelity" billing. I paired it with an Android smartphone that supports the LDAC audio codec and streamed high-resolution tracks using the Qobuz music streaming service (Tidal and Amazon also offer high-resolution options). Comparing it to streaming with an iPhone 14 Pro that doesn't support LDAC (iPhones use the AAC audio codec), I did notice a slight improvement in sound quality, but it wasn't huge. That said, I think you'll be pretty impressed by the amount of sound the speaker can produce with whatever device you've paired it with. This is pretty ideal solution for someone who wants a speaker for the bedroom, bathroom, home office or maybe even a small living room that can also be used outdoors by the pool or patio.
To be clear, the spatial audio isn't some faux surround mode, and this is neither a Dolby Atmos-compatible speaker nor is it compatible with Dolby Atmos Music. It's really a soundstage-widening effect, and it does produce a wider soundstage. To get even better sound with real stereo separation, Anker says you can combine two Motion X600's to create a stereo pair (I only had one review sample so I haven't tried that yet).
As I said, I was impressed with the speaker overall, particularly when you compare it to other speakers in its price class. Not all of Anker's Soundcore speakers are great, but most deliver good bang for your buck and the Motion X600 is no exception. It's a good value at $150.
Soundcore by Anker Motion X600 key features
- Premium design with partial metal exterior
- Up to 12 hours of battery life at 50% volume
- Weight: 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg)
- Integrated carrying handle
- Supports Sony's LDAC audio
- IPX7 waterproof (the speaker floats)
- Spatial audio mode widens soundstage
- Auxiliary input (3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable included)
- Price: $200 (or $150 with early-bird discount code)