Packaging and first impressions
Soundcore’s Motion X600 by Anker comes in a stylish slipcase, which is fun to unpack. In addition to two accompanying booklets that cover a quick start and the technical formalities, the only other piece of kit is a 60cm USB-C to C cable; in this case, a power supply unit is not included. The Motion X600 requires a separate 5V 3A USB-C power supply unit.
The three colours on offer are eye-catching. We really liked the shimmery light anthracite of the device we tested (approx. 12mm x 300mm x 8.1mm), and the firmly attached handle was not the only thing that was ergonomically successful. There are a few controls on the top: a push button slightly recessed into the housing, which acts as a “main switch” as well as a Bluetooth button, one for spatial audio and another for the bass boost. In the centre of a slightly bevelled user interface covered in rubber-like material, there is one of the five built-in speakers; to the right of this, you will find a minus button, a plus button and a drive button. This sleek surface was susceptible to (greasy) fingerprints.
All switches are not only illuminated and dimmable via controls in the app; they are also tactile and, therefore, easy to operate for the visually impaired. Exemplary.
There are two connections on the back, which are protected from moisture by a rubber seal: the USB-C connection for charging and a mini-jack input for analogue input signals.
The Motion X600 is waterproof in accordance with protection class IPX7, meaning it can even be placed in water if the rubber seal is closed. Therefore, a shower of rain will not affect the box in everyday use.
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Bluetooth connection
As expected, the Motion X600 connected to my iPhone, Android smartphone and MacBook Pro quickly and without problems. The last Bluetooth connection was memorised and automatically resumed when communication was established. With a range of up to 100 metres in open space, the 5.3 BT connection was also stable over longer distances. My tests in the house showed no dropouts over 2 floors all the way to the furthest corner of the garden at approx. 30 metres as the crow flies to the player – a good value that would not give rise to any major problems in everyday use.
Audible advantage with LDAC
With the Motion series, Soundcore has certified the LDAC codec, and this plays high-res audio content via Android devices. While we still questioned the benefits a little when we tested the small Soundcore Motion 300 by Anker, there was an audible gain in quality gain with the Motion X600. More on this in the Sound section of this review. There was one disadvantage to using LDAC: the Bluetooth range was reduced, and the power consumption of both the speaker and the player increased.
Stereo with one Motion X600 and with two
With the Soundcore Motion series, you can combine two identical Bluetooth speakers to form a stereo pair, but they can also be used solo in two channels. Due to the lack of a second X600, we were unfortunately unable to try this out, but we assume that these “portable radios” play to their combined strengths in a duet. If you invite someone who also has an X600 to your party, you should be able to pair both speakers at the same time without any problems by pressing and holding the Bluetooth button.
Spatial sound – surround sound with a Motion X600
The Motion X600 plays audible stereo. In order to maintain spatiality even when listening in larger spaces, Soundcore offers a spatial function that expands the sound. Soundcore describes its spatial function as AI-controlled – whatever that means – however, it works quite well via the 5 speakers with their own amplifiers. The company has obviously used its own development expertise and used theatres and concert halls as an acoustic model. This sounds good as an advertising statement but also has a surprisingly pleasant effect on creating an “enveloping” sound.
More bass at the push of a button
In addition to the spatial function, the bass can be boosted at the touch of a button. Whenever the music encourages you to dance, I would press this button; sound purists always like to turn up their noses at bass energy, as the mids tend to lose their definition. But the push button is all about having fun, especially as there are a few more settings in addition to “More bass” available in the Soundcore app.
The Soundcore app with effective EQ
As usual, there is a free app for iOS and Android which, in addition to the usual management tasks, provides a freely configurable EQ, in which not only the nine bands can be raised or lowered by +/- 8 dB, but the bandwidth can also be changed. You can also create your own EQ settings and even share them with other users, which makes sense if you want to hook up another Motion X600 to form a stereo pair.
Sound of the Soundcore Motion X600
Soundcore makes big claims in the advertising for the X600, so let’s see if it lives up to them. Firstly, as usual, we fired up our Spotify playlist, and we found that the X600 coped very well and created a faithful listening experience from our choices across musical genres.
“Lost in You” by Dirty Loops has a game-defining bass that has tended to fade into insignificance on smaller sound systems, but not on the X600, even if a little help was needed from the “More Bass” button. We noticed that the Motion X600 performed its work very tightly and was downright fun to listen to. The X600 also showed itself to have a full sound with “Mr Chicken by Deluxe”; I let it rip by carrying the speaker by the handle and playing it at full power in the garden. Even at high volumes, there was hardly any distortion, and the speaker never gave the impression of being unable to withstand the pressure. But the Motion X600 also handled orchestral music, such as Ennio Morricone’s “Once Upon a Time in America”, with aplomb. It was very defined and present even in quieter passages, so we can attest to the hi-fi qualities of the Soundcore speaker.
Analogue signals can also be played via the aux-in. As soon as a mini jack is plugged into the socket, the Bluetooth input is interrupted and the signal from the cable is played. However, the volume and EQ settings can still be changed in the app.
I used the X600 with a digital piano to test how the X600 coped with the dynamic sounds of an electric musical instrument: here, too, the X600 impressed me. “Pianissimo”, the speaker’s sound was surprisingly defined and it was also impressive in lower registers, but when it was “loud”, it also worked without any problems, although here I would define loud as “half power” at close range because the X600 was even convincing when used as a sound system in front of a small audience.
Last but not least, Soundcore promises to use high-res audio formats via LDAC. We streamed Dolly Parton’s cover of Purple Rain once via Qobuz as 24-bit / 96 kHz and then played the identical release via Spotify for comparison. The difference was audible with the X600; the extra information was reflected in a higher sound density and a finer resolution and spatiality. This certainly makes you prepared for the future, as more and more streaming providers are offering hi-res formats and Soundcore can cope with these with the X600.
Battery power and volume
The battery power is specified by Soundcore as 12 hours at a quarter power, which I would describe as room volume. We can largely confirm these values with a factory-fresh battery. The time for a complete charge is specified as 6 hours. I charged the X600 from 20% to 100% in 4 hours using a 60-watt USB-C power supply. This should keep it within the green zone for everyday use. Even at higher volumes, the battery lasted for hours, and by higher volumes, I mean party sound in larger rooms.
Conclusion
The Soundcore Motion X600 impressed us with a good and powerful sound in relation to its size. As a universal speaker for use at home and on the go, the X600 did the job well, and the sound had nothing to fear from more expensive mobile speakers. Good battery performance, Bluetooth 5.3 and Hi-Res audio capability are strong arguments in favour of the Soundcore by Anker Motion X600. We were surprised by the high performance of this mobile speaker, which can rock many a party and even perform as a latency-free sound system thanks to the aux-in.
