

Similarly, highs are a bit uncontrolled and sound harsh at times, especially at high volumes. With the Bass Up feature enabled, we find the Flare produces slightly more bass than the UE Wonderboom but both lack the visceral impact that larger speakers provide. That being said, for its size the Anker Soundcore Flare can get loud and produces admirable bass. In fact, all of the EQ presets are quite subtle, shifting the tonal balance of the speaker slightly. Enabling the Bass Up feature helps bass response a tiny bit but the effect is very subtle. Sound quality of the Anker Soundcore Flare is overall balanced but highs can sound a bit harsh at times when the EQ is set to flat. The app also allows you to adjust the EQ and toggle the Bass Up feature. You can switch light modes either by cycling through them with the light button up top or from the mobile app. The LEDs can be set to pulse with your music to create a light show or can be switched to a soothing breathing mode. The bottom of the speaker features a rugged rubber base and a light ring.

On the back of the speaker you’ll find the power and pairing button along with a rubber flap protecting the 3.5mm jack and microUSB charging port. Pressing the light button cycles through various modes while a long-press will shut off the lights. It's worth noting that since Amazon launched a fifth-gen Echo Dot in 2022, there's a chance we'll see a fifth-gen Echo this year, but with layoffs to the Alexa department, there’s no guarantee.On top of the speaker you get controls for music playback, the RGB LED and a bass boost button. If music quality is your priority, scroll to the Echo Studio and Sonos speakers below, which are our favorite Alexa speakers for listening to music. It's compact, sounds decent, and is well-suited to everything you'd want a smart speaker to do. Use it in the kitchen for recipes and timers, in the bedroom for news and weather, or in the bathroom for shower sing-alongs. The new Echo comes with Amazon's AZI Neural Edge processor too, which helps Alexa recognize speech better than ever. Amazon has dialed in its digital signal processing and sound quality over the previous three Echos, and the rounded edges here help fidelity. Unless you have a personal vendetta against Amazon ( you might), this is the best smart speaker you can get for around $100. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.Īmazon's fourth-generation Echo ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) notably changed the shape of the cylindrical speaker into a speaker ball. com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated June 2023: We’ve updated pricing throughout this buying guide. We also have guides on setting up your Echo speaker, creating Alexa routines, and Alexa skills that are actually fun and useful to help you get started.
SOUNDCORE FLARE 2 AMAZON BLUETOOTH
If you’re trying to decide which smart devices might be best for you, be sure to check out WIRED’s picks in our roundups: Best Smart Speakers, Best Smart Displays, and Best Bluetooth Speakers.

The best time to buy any Amazon speaker is during a major sale event like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, as there usually are steep discounts. These are our favorite Echo- and Alexa-compatible speakers for every home and budget. These devices can answer your questions, help you order essentials, set timers, play all sorts of audio content, and even function as the control hub for your growing smart home. From the spherical Echo to the swiveling Echo Show 10, you can get Alexa into your home in many ways. Amazon’s family of Alexa-enabled devices is vast.
