Soundcore’s new pint-size Bluetooth speakers pack a hi-res punch

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The new Soundcore Motion 300 is small enough to strap to a backpack for a hike.
The new Soundcore Motion 300 is small enough to strap to a backpack for a hike.
Photo: Soundcore

Summer’s ending, but the new Soundcore Motion 300 and Motion 100 portable high-fidelity Bluetooth speakers can still give you stereo sound for outdoor activities this fall and winter, the company said Wednesday.

The $80 Motion 300, available October 9, is a 30-watt speaker with Wireless Hi-Res Certification and 13 hours of playtime. The similar $60 Motion 100, which lacks the 300’s SmartTune EQ, will ship in November, Soundcore said.

Soundcore Motion 300 Portable High Fidelity Bluetooth Speaker

Anker brand Soundcore said its Motion 300 portable speaker will become available October 9. I’ll have a review of it. It looks like the smaller sibling of the Soundcore Motion X600 speaker, which I reviewed in May. I liked it so much I gave it 5 stars.

Both of the new speakers are portable. The Motion 300 includes a short, detachable carrying strap and weighs 1.76 pounds. With its small size — 7.9 inches long by 3.6 inches tall by 1.97 inches thick —  it could be the speaker you bring when your bag is pretty loaded. Same with the Motion 100, which weighs even less, at 1.27 pounds, and carries a fixed strap.

Solid sound quality

Soundcore Motion 300's features look good.
Soundcore Motion 300’s features look good.
Photo: Soundcore

And in the Motion 300’s small form factor, you get Wireless Hi-Res Certification, stereo sound and Soundcore’s SmartTune adaptive EQ, which adjusts according to the position of the device — horizontal (laying flat) or vertical (standing up). The Motion 100 lacks SmartTune, but both speakers feature four EQ presets as well as full-band EQ customization via the Soundcore app for iOS and Android.

The speaker’s two 15W, full-range drivers pump out 30W of stereo sound. The wireless codecs in play via Bluetooth 5.3 are LDAC (high fidelity), AAC and SBC, so the speaker will function well paired with both Android and Apple devices.

The Motion 300 claims up to 13 hours of playtime from a 3350mAh battery while the Motion 100 gets 12 hours at half volume from a 2600mAh battery, Soundcore said.

Both speakers offer a waterproof rating of IPX7, so don’t worry about the rain.

The speakers charge at 10W via an included USB-C cable.

Motion 300 features and specs:

A little splashing or rain won't bother the little speaker.
A little splashing or rain won’t bother the little speaker.
Photo: Soundcore
  • Stereo sound
  • Wireless Hi-Res Certification
  • LDAC, SBC and AAC codecs
  • 30W output
  • Auto Adaptive EQ – horizontal / vertical position
  • Soundcore Pro EQ
  • Up to 40khz
  • 13-hour battery life
  • Waterproof IPX7 rating
  • Choice of 3 colors
  • Carrying strap

The Motion 300 goes on sale October 9 for $79.99 at Soundcore and Amazon (though we don’t see it there yet). You can preorder now with an early-bird deal that gives you $15 off for a price of $64.99.

The $59.99 Motion 100 will ship in mid-November. Both come in Mirage Black initially, with Frost Blue and Fern Green colors expected by early December for the 300 and by early 2024 for the 100.

Where to preorder: Soundcore or Amazon

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