SoundCore Motion Q Full Review - Great Value with Low Price
In the last few weeks, I got many new test devices, so I am quite behind with reviewing them but despite this, I decided to order two new models the Anker SoundCore Motion Q and the Flare.
This is mainly because I found the Anker SoundCore 2 as a great speaker, which also got the ‘Best Budget Speaker’ title from me when I tested it, so I was really curious what the new SoundCore speakers can do.
Today, I will test the smaller model the SoundCore Motion Q, which is an outdoor speaker similar to the UE Wonderboom with a great budget price.
So let’s start the full review of the Anker SoundCore Motion Q.
Bluetooth range
Battery life
Water protection
Pros
Cons
Bottom line

Bluetooth range:
- 100 feet
Battery life:
- 70% volume: 8 hours 40 minutes
- Maximum volume: 2 hours
Water protection:
- IPX7
- Completely waterproof, it can be submerged into 1-meter-deep water for 30 minutes
Pros:
- Full water protection
- Good Bluetooth range
- Nice build quality
Cons:
- No battery indicator
- Only average battery life
Bottom line:
The SoundCore Motion Q provides a great value for a budget price.
Its built quality is good, it has a long Bluetooth range and full water protection.
The Box, Accessories

The speaker comes in a paper box with a micro USB charging cable and a shoelace type lanyard included.
It is only available in black color.
Click here to check the updated price of the SoundCore Motion Q or to buy the speaker
SoundCore Motion Q Review Video
The Design
Despite the former Anker speakers which mainly came with rectangular shapes and directional sounds, the new SoundCore models got cylindrical shapes and omnidirectional sounds.
The Motion Q looks really similar to the UE Wonderboom, they both have a similar size, shape, and materials.
It got a minimalistic look with a nice fabric coverage, it feels premium and it is nice to touch.
I think this is a good travel speaker, which does not take up much space in your bag.

On the top and bottom, you can find two plastic panels, the bottom one houses the microphone and the input ports while all the control buttons are situated on the top.
Here you can find the Power button with a built-in led light, two volume buttons, a Bluetooth and a Play button.

Music Control
With the Play button, you can pause/play a song, jump to the next song by double pressing it and jump back to the previously played song by triple pressing.
Thanks to its built-in microphone the Motion Q can be also used as a speakerphone to accept phone calls.
Water Protection
While the SoundCore 2 was only splash-proof, fortunately, the new SoundCore models got full water protection.
The Motion Q is IPX7 rated, which means it can be submerged into 1-meter-deep water for 30 minutes.
On top of that, it even floats on the water, so it’s ideal for watersports as well.
To ensure water protection, the ports are covered by a waterproof flap.
The design of the flap is good, it is easy to open and close.

Attachment Option
At the side of the speaker, there is a loop, where you can attach lanyards and carabiners to it.
Out of the box, you get a shoelace type lanyard, which comes useful when you want to hang the speaker, wrap around your wrist or to attach it to something.
It is a nice accessory but there are some better solutions on the market like the carabiner of the Clip 3 or the elastic strap of the Bose SoundLink Micro.

Connectivity, Bluetooth range
In my outdoor test, I measured 100 feet Bluetooth range with the Motion Q, which is a pretty long range, so likely you will not have any connectivity problem with the speaker.
In addition, you can also connect it via cable, since it got an audio jack input port.
If you have two devices you can connect them together for an amplified stereo sound.
Battery Life
According to the specification, the Motion Q got a 2600mAh built-in battery.
In my test when I played various types of songs on the speaker at maximum volume, I measured 2 hours play time while repeating the same test at 70% volume I got 8 hours 40 minutes.
This battery life is okay, a bit better than the 6 hours 40 minutes playtime of the Wonderboom at 70% volume, however, it is not outstanding, especially considering that the SoundCore 2 can play 8 hours at maximum volume.
Unfortunately, the Motion Q does not have a battery level indicator, so you do not know the exact remaining battery percentage.

SoundCore Motion Q Sound Test
The strengths of the Anker speakers are the decent sound and the low price, so I had a quite high expectation of the Motion Q in terms of sound quality.
I was pretty satisfied with the sound of the SoundCore 2 when I reviewed it, so I was curious if Anker could further improve it.
Fortunately, the Motion Q even surpassed my expectations, since it has a great sound which is significantly better than the sound of the SoundCore 2.
Under the hood, it has two passive radiators and two full range drivers firing in the opposite direction.
So it produces an omnidirectional sound and this omnidirectional sound works really great, you get a nice audio experience from any angle you are listening to the speaker.
Its sound is clear, the highs are bright and it has a larger sound and better bass than the SoundCore 2.
In the low end it still lacks compared to the JBL Flip 4 or the UE Wonderboom, however, overall it has a nice balanced sound.

Conclusion
I am pretty satisfied with the performance of the SoundCore Motion Q, it provides a great value for a budget price.
Its built quality is good, it has a long Bluetooth range and full water protection.
Overall, I think it is an excellent speaker, so just like the SoundCore 2 it also won by me the Best Budget Speaker title.
Click here to check the updated price of the SoundCore Motion Q or to buy the speaker
THE BEST BUDGET SPEAKER
Pros
Full water protection
Good Bluetooth range
Nice build quality
Cons
No battery indicator
Only average battery life
Alternatives
One alternative is the UE Wonderboom, which has a very similar size and design.
It has significantly more lows, however, sometimes its bass getting uncontrolled and makes the songs a bit messy and unbalanced.
If you don’t mind to pay some extra bucks, then the JBL Flip 4 can be a good choice.
It is also a durable, waterproof outdoor speaker with even more functionalities and larger sound.
Specifications
Audio output: 8 W x 2
Battery capacity: 2600 mAh
Size: 88 x 88 x 108mm / 3.5 x 3.5 x 4.3 in
Weight (without packaging): 416g / 14.7 oz
Bluetooth version: V4.2 + EDR