Soundcore Glow Bluetooth Speaker Review

Bose revolve+ wannabe!

Soundcore Glow Overview

Firmware Tested: 3.0.5
The Anker Soundcore Glow is a so-called 360 degree portable bluetooth speaker. As the name suggests the speaker features lights at the top and bottom. It has clearly been aimed at the Bose Revolve+ and thus has a single downward facing driver. Do not confuse this with the smaller Soundcore Glow Mini. The downward firing full range driver means sound is dispersed in a true 360 degree pattern. Two passive radiators are at the top of the speaker one on each side.

At release (November 2023) it is priced around £72 or $100. A reasonable sized battery at 7.2v/3200mAh which equates to 23 watt hours. Of course its only codec is SBC and it runs bluetooth 5.3. It features partycast 2 which means you get TWS and party (mono) mode for multiple speakers and is compatible with speakers running partycast 1. Officially rated at 30 watts and charges at 5v/3a. Weight is 773 grams and the Soundcore Glow speaker has an IP67 rating meaning it is dust proof and can be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. it will however take time to dry out before its able to play cleanly again. other speakers can be played cleanly unaffected by the water immediately. You get a USB-C input but that does not support power bank functionality and you also get an auxiliary input. The full range driver is 2.5 inches or 64mm. On my Samsung S10 plus I get 133 milliseconds of lag which is below my 80ms standard. The auxiliary input has a 16ms out of sync of latency. The Glow has multipoint functionality and you can easily switch music between two devices at the same time. Soundcore are known for its class leading equaliser support via the app and you get 9 bands to play with. However it does not support the parametric features you get with the likes of the Soundcore Motion X600 and X500. Charging Time is said to be 4 Hours and play time is said to be up to 18 Hours but of course is meaningless without a standardised way of comparing between brands. At least other brands will quote a 50% volume figure but Soundcore just go for marketing specs. Bluetooth Range is rated at 100m / 328ft.

Play Video about Soundcore Glow Video

Frequency Response

Overall in Signature (default) mode bass has a boost in the mid bass primarily at 80hz. However that big boost is dwarfed by the 12khz high end boost. Often used to add some air (apparently) I find a boost here to be quite unnatural sounding and can sound very electronic and sizzly. In real world tracks (these are frequency response measurements) I find that peak to settle around 10khz. At lower volumes we see a dip in the upper mids and presence region (1-5khz here) and a small dip at 8khz before that big high end push. As we go through the volume steps the bass and high end gradually fall off relative to the mids and by the time we hit 100% we are just left with mainly 200hz-800hz of audio. We can also see custom EQ mode in the app with sliders at zero is based on signature mode with bass on. The weirdly named balanced mode is simply a push in the 300hz to 900hz region and a relative reduction everywhere else in the response. How on earth is that anything to do with some sort of balance? It is very hard to understand the point of this EQ especially to pass it off as a more balanced mode.

Soundcore Glow – Sound!

I did my testing with the Soundcore Glow in signature mode with bass on since bass off is a big bass cut in reality.

The most obvious comparison would be with the Soundcore Flare 2, a speaker that came out 4 years ago. The good news is that the Glow is indeed an upgrade over the old timer. The 10-13khz boost on the Glow however is very evident and can be annoying if your tracks already have peaks there. The bass digs deeper and has a better quality than the Flare 2 but its not all good news. The lack of upper mids means the 10-13khz peak is even more in focus as that’s what the Soundcore Glow relies on for its clarity. At moderate volumes bass is reasonably strong for a speaker this size but falls off rapidly from 75hz. At louder volumes relative bass falls off rapidly leaving the high end sizzle. By maximum volume even the high end falls away and you are basically just left with 200hz to 1khz for the volume. While playing my test track for loudness the Glow was hitting 98.8 dB(c) at 1 meter.

Soundcore Glow – The competition!

I compared the Anker Soundcore Glow to some other 360 degree type speakers.
The Soundcore Flare 2 (£89/$66 at time of review)
The Minirig MK3 (£99)
Tribit Stormbox Pro (£99/$99)
Bose Soundlink Revolve+ V2 (£250/$230)

At 50%:

vs Tribit Stormbox Pro: The Stormbox Pro is more solid sounding and fuller while the Glow sounds brighter and thinner in comparison. The Pro has the bigger bass all the way from 300hz and down. On axis the Stormbox Pro has rolled off highs as the tweeters fire to the sides but turning the speaker to its side will fill in the highs. The 10khz+ boost on the Glow makes them sound quite different. While I prefer the bass on the Pro I have to note the bass on the Glow is less boosted and more natural but then it has 1-3khz dip which is far from natural. My preference is for the Pro, if you like a more delicate sound and not boomy you may prefer the Soundcore Glow.

Vs Minirig MK3: The Minirig mk3 has a similar response to the Stormbox Pro but its entirely dependent on how you listen. The more on axis (front on, speaker turned on its side) will give a more highs dominant sound while fully off axis (driver firing upwards) will have the opposite effect, rolled off highs. I have tested with the Minirig firing upwards for maximum bass reinforcement and listening/recording above and at a 45 degree angle. The similarity to the Stormbox Pro means again we have the thinner brighter Glow vs a more full bass heavy but rolled off high sounding speaker. The bass on both the Minirig and Stormbox Pro at these volumes is quite boosted but the Pro has a bigger mid bass push while the Minirig manages a bit more deeper bass from 60hz and down. Again I prefer the Mk3 here with its bigger (boosted) bass for a warmer sound with the highs rolling off given the angle i listened at. The glow by comparison is quite pleasant and inoffensive but too much sizzle from that high end boost.

Vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ V2:
To my ears the Soundcore Glow is clearly tuned to sound like the Bose Revolve+ but it lacks the upper bass of the revolve albeit the Revolve+ is boosted in the upper bass while the Glow then boosts lower mids which counters this to some degree. Both lack upper mids but the Revolve+ is more V-shaped so also loses some lower mids. But its that unnatural 10khz+ peak of the Glow that always sizzles though for me. Not in a good way. On a quick A/B The Glow may sound clearer but that’s due to the hgihs boost which depending on your hearing and tracks may be a welcome thing or a nightmare. Overall I found the Bose to be warmer and smoother but a bit muddy due to its bigger dips in the mids. The Soundcore Glow in comparison I found thinner brighter sounding but does make up for the dip in upper mids with its high end boost, whether you like it or not is a different matter.

Vs Soundcore Flare 2: They sound surprisingly similar at these moderate volumes. The main difference is the Soundcore Flare 2 has a big roll off in the highs
while Soundcore Glow has a big dip in upper mids and big boost at the high end. In terms of bass the Glow does have the edge but the Flare 2 actually has stronger upper bass and lower mids. Again in the real world they actually sound quite similar at these lower volumes but ultimately the Glow plays cleaner and the Flare 2 is slightly gurgly. I don’t know if its just my unit now since it has had a lot of playtime since I don’t recall it being quite that bad when I first bought it. Its win for the Glow in any case, it’s bigger in size and sounds better to my ears.

At 75%:

vs Tribit Stormbox Pro: Overall quite similar now as seemingly they both target the response of the Bose Revolve+. However again when on axis the Tribit Stormbox Pro is quite rolled of in the highs but also again has the fuller bass but the gap is closer than at lower volumes. So like at 50% we have the warmer fuller sound but rolled highs of the pro vs the thinner more sparkly sounding Glow. And again switching the Pro to its side will bring back some highs. This highlights that the Glow has a consistent 260 degree sound but the Stormbox Pro will sound different front and back to the how it sounds on the sides.

Vs Minirig MK3: The Soundcore Glow sounds more sparkly while Minirig mk3 sounds a tad hollow as the mk3 has a bit more in the upper bass but mid bass advantage is to the Glow now. When listened at 45 degrees with driver firing straight up the mk3 is a little too rolled off in the highs and dull/hollow sounding to me as bass rolls off quite considerably as you push the volumes. I might just give a win here to the Glow for a little bit better balance but remember how you listen to the Minirig mk3 will very much change how it sounds.

Vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ V2:
The Bose Revolve+ is more V shaped than the Glow resulting in stronger bass but its mids are a bit recessed even compared to the Glow and as a result this is robbing some clarity for the revolve+. The Glow is more sparkly and harder edged sounding due to a 350hz peak and still has its high end boost so it’s a matter of taste here but I need bass personally so Revolve+ wins for me. Ultimately there is just a hint of extra quality and fullness to the sound of the Revolve+ that makes it the winner for me. but given the price difference that should not be a shock. The difference in quality is less than the difference in price. However the Glow just sounds too safe and too brittle in the highs for my taste.

Vs Soundcore Flare 2: Surprisingly close at low volumes but its a different story now. My Soundcore Flare 2 clearly has distortion issues that I don’t recall having originally. In this battle the Flare 2 in default mode is just mids with a big bass roll off and high end roll off meaning it’s a big win for the Glow, the Flare 2 shows its age when pushed.

At 100%:

For the 100% loudness test I placed the mk3 on its side with driver directly facing me (on axis) to give it its full potential volume. You can’t do this with the other speakers. The Minirig mk3 goes miles louder thanks to being able to be played this way, well partly. This at best would add 2-3 dB but in LUFS in comes out 7.8 dB louder and in peaks (C weighted) the Minirig is 5 dB louder. These measurements have approximately a +/- 1dB error. However in this mode its quite bright with steep bass roll of at max volume. It does have an app with EQ adjustment. Despite its volume it only beats the Flare 2 of all these speakers in terms of the deeper bass at maximum volume. It is NOT a great listen. The Glow at max loses bass from 200hz and now reduces its boosted highs as well quite dramatically leaving just the mids for volume and with noticeable distortion. The Stormox Pro sounds more balanced and fuller. The Bose Revolve+ also struggles with distortion but does manage the best bass of all 180hz down but also rolls off its highs so not great sounding again due to lack of high end. Bose has gone for bass over volume here, the total opposite of the Minirig and as a result is more listenable than the Minirig. The Flare 2 is utterly lost now with no bass or highs and a lot of distortion. The Stormbox Pro takes the win at 100% volume for me. At 75% the Bose had both more bass and more highs than Stormbox Pro so the difference at maximum volume is a real change around.

Conclusion

Ultimately the Soundcore Glow is a pleasant and safe option but the Tribit Stormbox Pro offers more at a similar price. If you are not a bass fan and like a sparkly sound then you may still prefer the Soundcore Glow. For me the dip in upper mids and unnatural 13khz boost makes it a bit off for me but not awful and certainly better than the smaller and older Souncore Flare 2. At 75% my preference is the Bose Revolve+ over both the stormbox Pro and the Glow where I find it just has a bit extra quality to the sound that my ears are in tune with. However this is a sweet spot for the Revolve+ as it is muddy at lower volumes and its crazy price means I cannot recommend it while the difference to the stormbox Pro is not much. We are soon to get the Minirig 4 which I hope has a bit more deeper bass over the upper bass punch of the mk3 and less of a focus on volume over bass at near max loudness.

Specs	–
Price (when last checked):	£72/$100
Year Released:	November 2023
Made in:	China
Power Rating:	30 watts
Drivers:	Single 64mm/2.5inch downward firing full range driver, two passive radiators
Battery Capacity :	7.2v/3200mAh
Battery Capacity (watt Hours)	23Wh
Bluetooth Codec:	SBC
Bluetooth Version:	5.3
Multipoint:	Yes
NFC:	No
TWS (stereo) pairing:	Yes
Party Mode (mono) pairing:	Yes
Pairing Protocol:	Partycast 2 (100+ speakers)
WiFi:	No
Charging Input Type:	USB-C
Playtime:	Up to 18 hours claimed but not details on testing so meaningless!
Charging Time:	4 hours (claimed)
WiFi:	No
Bluetooth Range:	100m / 328ft claimed
Has a Microphone Input:	No
Auxiliary Input:	Yes
Can be used as a Power Bank?	No
Phone call Functionality?	Yes
Flash card slot for music?	No
Has Lights?	Yes
Charging Rate:	5V/3a
Weight:	773g
IP Rating:	IP67
Floats?	Yes
Floats with Drivers Up (not fully submerged)?	Yes but gets soggy and wont play cleanly till dry again.
Frequency Response Claimed:	n/a
Has Tweeters:	No
Titanium Drivers:	No
Neodymium Magnet:	No
Bluetooth Latency (Samsung S10+):	133ms
Auxiliary Latency (Samsung S10+):	-16ms (audio slightly early compared to video)
Has an App:	Yes
App has Equaliser:	9 band equaliser
App has Parametric Equaliser:	No