Anker SoundCore 2 Bluetooth speaker review. Is this the best budget portable speaker?

The Anker SoundCore 2 is a compact Bluetooth speaker, with 24 hours of claimed battery life and an IPX5 rating for protection from the elements. It retails at £40 or $40 but it can be had even cheaper in Amazon's frequent sales - I bought it for just £25. The speaker comes well packaged for a budget speaker. The only thing you get in the box with it is an Anker branded micro-USB charging cable and a clearly written, multi-lingual, owner's manual. There's no wall charger included, but I wouldn't really expect one at this price. The build quality belies the budget price of the speaker. Except for the speaker grill, the SoundCore 2 has a rubberised finish, which feels very grippy, but does attract finger prints. There's no creaking, however hard you try to squeeze and twist it. I haven't dropped it yet, but wouldn't be too concerned if I did. It weighs 410g, which together with its compact size, and long battery life, makes it a perfect candidate as a speaker to take on your travels. It looks well sealed and I'd be more than confident in its IPX5 water resistance rating. It shouldn't be submersed in water, but it should survive a splash or a rain shower. The Anker branding on the speaker grill and embossed into the rear is a little overboard, but I don't feel it detracts too much from the simple yet attractive design. ------------ Get 3 extra months of ExpressVPN FREE: https://www.expressvpn.com/thetechnol... If you want to support my channel, please consider using the link above to try one of the best VPN services I've tested. It doesn't cost you any extra - in fact you get an extra 3 months free with the link - and I get a small commission. With a VPN service you can browse the Internet securely and privately and access content anywhere free of georestrictions, including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, ITV and Sky Go. ExpressVPN is one of the largest VPN providers and works across PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Apple TV, FireTV, Xbox, PlayStation, routers etc. -------- As an Amazon affiliate, I get a small commission from purchases made via any Amazon links. Amazon links: Anker SoundCore 2: http://geni.us/aByK Anker SoundCore Boost: http://geni.us/FjCpt9 Written review with summary of pros and cons at: http://thetechnologyman.com/anker-sou... -------- You can find most of the recent tech I've reviewed recently all in one place on my Amazon page. I also have a list some of my recommended tech and my current camera equipment for filming: UK: http://amazon.co.uk/shop/thetechnolog... US: http://amazon.com/shop/thetechnologyman -------- Background music: Track: Lost Sky - Dreams [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds. Watch:    • Lost Sky - Dreams | Trap | NCS - Copyright...   Free Download / Stream: http://ncs.io/DreamsYO Speaker test: Track: Cartoon - On & On (feat. Daniel Levi) [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds. Watch:    • Cartoon, Jéja - On & On (feat. Daniel Levi...   Free Download / Stream: http://ncs.io/onandon