At a glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- Excellent sound for its size–and price
- Elegant, rugged design
- Very affordable
Cons
- No EQ’ing of spatial presets
- No 3.5mm jack
Our Verdict
In Spatial Dynamic mode, the Soundcore Motion X500 is the best-sounding speaker of its size we’ve ever heard. It’s also handsome, sturdy, features IPX7 weatherization, and is quite affordable for its performance.
Price When Reviewed
$199.99
Best Prices Today: Soundcore Motion X500 Bluetooth speaker
Retailer
Price
$169.99
Anker
$169.99
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After delightfully awarding Anker’s $200 Soundcore Motion X600 a TechHive’s Editors’ Choice award, I was expecting great things from its slightly smaller sibling, the Soundcore Motion X500. And I wasn’t disappointed. I liked the moment I saw it, I liked it when I picked it up, and I liked it when I commenced with the tunes.
I did encounter a tiny gnat in the spatial EQ ointment, but I’m hoping Anker will remedy that soon.
The Soundcore Motion X500 probably has the best left/right separation I’ve ever heard from a single-cabinet stereo speaker.
What features does the Soundcore Motion X500 have?
The Soundcore Motion X500 is a Bluetooth 5.3 speaker with support for the AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs, with a cabinet measuring approximate 6.75 x 6.5. x 3 inches (HxWxD).
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best Bluetooth speakers.
Add another 2-inches to the height and 0.5-inches to the width for the integrated, fixed, 0.9-inch thick metal handle. Handle and cabinet together, the Motion X500 weighs in at just shy of 4 pounds. In terms of ergonomics, it feels solid and hefty, but still travels comfortably. It’ll also fit easily into most backpacks with the handle protecting the controls somewhat.
The forward-sloping top of the cabinet is home to said controls, and a single 1.7-inch (43mm) up-firing driver that augments the twin 2.3-inch (58mm), forward-firing full-range drivers mounted in the upper portion of the cabinet.
The top-firing speaker, plus some psychoacoustic spatial processing (when enabled) are heavily involved in the aforementioned superior sound. Note that Anker never confirmed my supposition about the processing, but as far as I’m aware, it’s the only way to accomplish what I heard.
The controls consist of power/battery status, Bluetooth pair, audio mode, volume-down/previous track, play/pause, and volume-up/next-track. The top speaker lights up and Anker claims it “changes color,” but what it really does is change shades of bluish white according the sound/EQ mode in use. The sound/EQ modes are covered in the “How does it sound?” section.
The Soundcore Motion X500 is rated IPX7, which means it can withstand submersion in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes–provided its captive silicone plug is place to cover its USB-C charging port.
Some weatherized speakers leave that port exposed, but Anker specifically states the need for the plug in its literature.
Also like many other speakers, the Soundcore Motion X500 makes no accommodations for wired sources, such as via a 3.5mm jack. It’s Bluetooth or nothing, although analog-to-Bluetooth adapters are available if you really have the need.
How does the Soundcore Motion X500 sound?
I’ve played AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” probably a thousand times while testing Bluetooth speakers, but playing it back on the Soundcore Motion X500 in Spatial Dynamic mode actually had me head-banging again. That’s happened perhaps a grand total of three times.
Of course a lot of that had to do with the Soundcore Motion X500’s absolutely superb, voluminous thump. Even holding the speaker out to my side, I could still feel the boom. The bass is tight, too, not flabby like so many. I hate flabby bass.
Moreover, the high-end is sparkly, the mid-range well-defined, and…. Well, I already told you about the bass. What I didn’t tell you is that this speaker has probably the best left/right separation I’ve ever heard from a single-cabinet stereo speaker; at least when the spatial processing is engaged.
The top center “Sky” speaker is no doubt involved in the process as well. All this depends on the preset, with Spatial Dynamic being the default, and by far the best sounding. Custom, Spatial Signature, and Bass boost settings are also available.
Now for the bad news; i.e., that gnat I mentioned. I didn’t want quite the amount of thump for classical and jazz material that the Spatial Dynamic preset provides. I headed to the EQ section of the Soundcore app (shown above), but while I could create my own custom presets, they lacked the spatial element.
In other words, at least for the nonce, you can’t have both your own EQ and the spacious sound stage. Regardless, no matter which genre, I preferred the Spatial Dynamic preset. The other presets simply seem flat and lifeless by comparison.
If the spatial audio isn’t enough for you, you can pair the Soundcore Motion X500 with a second one via True Wireless Stereo (the pair need to be the same models). Anker only sent one, so I can’t tell you if the other EQ presets sound better with two units in play. They probably do, although Bass boost didn’t provide nearly the thump that Spatial Dynamic did.
Oddly, while I tremendously enjoyed the Soundcore Motion X600 I reviewed earlier, it just didn’t impress me to the same degree.
How long does the Soundcore Motion X500’s battery last?
Anker says the Motion X500 will play for up to 12 hours on a single 5-hour charge at 50 percent volume, which seems about right for a 40-watt amplifier running on a 6400 mAh battery. I was at a couple of hours playing significantly quieter with about 70 percent battery life remaining, according to the app. So, I’d say Anker’s number very close to being real.
Should you buy the Soundcore Motion X500?
Why beat around the bush? Yes, if you’re in the market for a speaker of this size, buy the X500. It’s the nicest-looking, best sounding, thumpiest boom box I’ve ever tested; when using the Spatial Dynamic preset that is.
