Anker Soundcore Motion X600 Review (2024)

As you might guess from its boom-box-like design, Anker’s stylish Soundcore Motion X600 Bluetooth speaker ($199.99) is designed to be used outside. It’s waterproof and has a convenient built-in handle. It also produces powerful sound for its compact size and responds well to EQ tweaks in the companion app. Its controls could be easier to operate, but it's still a good choice if you care about audio quality given its stereo drivers and support for the hi-res LDAC codec. That said, you should also consider the JBL Charge 5 ($179.95), our Editors' Choice winner. Despite not having quite the same audio chops, it offers substantially longer battery life in a more compact, durable build.

Sharp Looks, Clumsy Controls

Available in Aurora Green, Lunar Blue, or Polar Gray, the Soundcore Motion X600 comes in at roughly 6.5 by 12.1 by 3.2 inches and weighs 4.0 pounds. It's a bit larger and much heavier than the JBL Charge 5 (8.7 by 3.8 by 3.7 inches, 2.1 pounds), but the extra size allows it to house five amplifiers that feed five drivers for 50W of total power and stereo sound (as opposed to the mono Charge 5).

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

The speaker is compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and supports the LDAC and SBC codecs. LDAC is a plus for anyone who want to stream hi-res audio from their Android devices. The Charge 5 offers just the basic SBC codec, for comparison. You can pair the Soundcore Motion X600 with another nearby unit for stereo sound by holding down the Bluetooth button on both devices for two seconds. The Charge 5 offers a similar feature.

As mentioned, the speaker has a built-in handle, while a crosshatched metallic grille covers the front. Rubber feet on the bottom keep the speaker stable on flat surfaces.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

On the top, tactile, LED-backlit buttons flank a circular grille that covers an upward-firing high-frequency driver. From left to right, the controls includes power, Bluetooth, Spatial Sound (which makes vocals crisper), Bass Up (which fills out the low-end response), volume down, play/pause, and volume up buttons. The playback button also handles track navigation (press twice for the next track, or three times for the previous one) and calls (tap once to answer or end a call, or hold down for two seconds to reject an incoming one). You can hold down the playback button to summon your device's voice assistant, too. This control layout is sensible, but the buttons aren't easy to use. You have to press them hard to get a response and you can't simply hold down the volume buttons to make continuous adjustments. Capacitive buttons might have been better here.

An additional grille on the back covers a bass driver. Here, the speaker also includes a protected panel with USB-C and 3.5mm inputs. My test unit came with cables for both connections, though Anker's product page claims that the speaker doesn't include an aux cable.

An IPX7 waterproof rating means you can submerge the speaker to depths of up to one meter for 30 minutes. The Bluetooth signal won't work underwater, but the advantage of this spec is that the X600 can handle heavy rain and faucet pressure without an issue. You must cover the ports on the rear with the protective flap for this rating to apply, however. The JBL Charge 5 does better here with an IP67 rating, for official protection against dust and dirt ingress as well as water.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

Anker estimates that the Soundcore Motion X600 can last roughly 12 hours per charge with the Bass Up feature off. Activating the bass booster, using the LDAC codec, or playing music loudly will decrease that estimate. Fully charging the speaker from 0% takes a lengthy six hours. For comparison, JBL's less powerful Charge 5 offers nearly double the battery life (20 hours) and charges fully in four hours.

Anker Soundcore Motion X600 App Experience

The Soundcore app (available for Android and iOS) is simple but effective. The main screen shows a battery life readout and a power button for the speaker, along with a playback button and a volume slider further down.

Below those elements is an Equalizer section, which lets you enable the Bass Up function or employ multiple presets: Balanced, Soundcore Signature (the default), Treble Boost, Voice, and Xtra Bass. Here, you can also create a custom EQ curve with nine bands, which you can then share with anyone else who has a compatible Soundcore device. I found EQ changes to be quite effective, which isn't always the case.

(Credit: Anker)

Finally, in the Settings menu, you can download firmware updates, adjust the auto-power-off behavior, access a user manual, and change the brightness of the speaker’s buttons.

Loud and Sculpted Audio

Anker tends to tune its speakers in such a way that they sound best with all of their extra features active—in this case, Bass Up and Spatial Sound. The Bass Up feature enables an impressively full-bodied bass response, while the Spatial Sound feature makes vocals clearer. Despite the latter's name, it doesn't induce a significant surround sound effect and basically serves as an additional form of EQ. I left both features on and chose the Soundcore Signature EQ mode for testing as this is the default configuration.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the speaker delivers an impressive low-frequency response. At top volume levels (which are pretty loud for a speaker of this size), the bass depth thins out slightly to prevent distortion. At more moderate levels, the lows sound quite full.

The drivers can’t reproduce the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” That’s not surprising since most portable speakers can't handle these notes either. Nonetheless, the drum loop still packs some low-end punch and the vocals sound crisp.

(Credit: Tim Gideon)

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, better reveals the sound signature. The speaker presents the drums with a full-bodied thump that sounds at home in the mix without dominating it. Callahan’s baritone vocals get a pleasant blend of low-mid richness and high-mid detail, while the higher-register percussive hits and acoustic strums sound bright. The sculpting is obvious but balanced overall. Purists won't like the sound, but this speaker isn't meant for them; it's for more casual listening at pool parties and the like.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound rich and detailed. The lower-register instrumentation steps forward in the mix, but doesn’t overwhelm the balance. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain the spotlight.

The speakerphone mic offers excellent intelligibility. I had no trouble understanding every word of a test recording on my iPhone thanks to the robust signal.

Portable Power

The Anker Soundcore Motion X600 can easily fill a space with bass-rich and bright audio, and we like how effectively the in-app EQ works. Its waterproof design, LDAC codec support, and clear speakerphone mic are also highlights. We wish the controls worked a little better, but the speaker is otherwise easy to recommend for outdoor-friendly listening. If you're willing to give up a bit of sound quality, however, the Editors' Choice-winning JBL Charge 5 costs less, is slightly smaller and more ruggedized, and has longer battery life.