ZachA portable Bluetooth speaker has become an essential item for your smartphone or laptop if you plan to watch movies or listen to music. However, selecting the right one for you can sometimes be a stressful affair considering all the different options on the market. Portable speakers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, ranging from a few dollars to hundreds and thousands of dollars. Soundcore has a wide range of Bluetooth speakers on the market, offering an above-average sound quality at a budget price point. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at the Soundcore Rave Mini.
| Dimensions | 13.46 x 7.09 x 7.09″ |
| Weight | 7.17 lbs |
| Driver Woofer | 1 × 5.25″ |
| Driver Tweeter | 1 × 2.0″ |
| Passive Radiator | 1 |
| Bluetooth | Version 5 |
| Inputs | USB and AUX |
| Battery | 4-hour charge/18-hour playtime. |
| Waterproof Rating | IPX7 |
Design
The Anker Soudcore Rave Mini is a high-watt speaker to provide the loudest soundtracks at your next outdoor summer party. The device is 13.46 inches high, 7.09 inches in width and depth, and weighs approximately 7.17 pounds. The surface is a smooth matte black finish with metallic grilles enclosing the LED’s, woofer, and tweeter. The speaker can be placed on the ground upright or to its side with supporting rubber grips on each panel. Situated on the top of the speaker is a carry handle, making it easy to move around. Below the speaker’s handle are the controls ranging from the volume, power, source input, next/previous track, multifunction and Bluetooth buttons. At the back of the speaker are AUX, DC IN, and USB ports.
The Soundcore Rave Mini comes with an IPX7 waterproof rating. The water-tight casing creates a seal to keep the music going, even after full submersion in a pool. In other words, the speaker will still work when submerged in three feet of water for about half an hour. It’s also lightweight, so it will float to the top if it accidentally falls into the pool. We don’t recommend keeping it in water, but if you accidentally spill a drink on it, or your party gets a little too wild, you can have assurance the speaker will be protected.
The Rave Mini also has two colorful RGB LED rings at the speaker’s front that provides party lights synced to your music. There are six custom LED color modes and can be linked to your Soundcore app. You can also adjust the speaker to be outdoor or indoor mode and tailor the equalizer through the app.
For a more boombox-inspired speaker, Anker have the Motion Boom Bluetooth speaker, which shares the tonal characteristics, build quality and many additional features with the Rave Mini. It is a little smaller and thus, easier to transport, though it doesn’t contain most of the party-friendly features such as the onboard LED lights.
Sound
The Soudcore Rave mini delivers a huge 80W of sound through a 5.25-inch woofer, 2-inch tweeter, and 5.25-inch passive radiator. The BassUp technology also allows you to adjust and intensify low frequencies. For a ‘mini’ version of a speaker, it delivers loud thundering bass and crisp, clear audio vocals. We should mention that the ‘standard’ Soundcore Rave speaker has 160W of power, so if you are willing to spend an extra $50, you can get twice the sound.
Battery life
The speaker has a built-in rechargeable 10,000mAh Li-ion battery. It takes 4 hours to charge and has a playtime of approximately 18 hours which varies by volume level and LED settings. The louder you play the music, the more LED usage you have, the faster the battery will drain. The Rave mini also features a built-in USB port to charge your smartphone while playing music. This addition comes in handy to save space on charging cables. To charge the Rave Mini, use the included DC power cable until it is fully charged. Keeping the DC cable plugged in is not recommended once the battery is at 100% for extended periods.
Connectivity
Bluetooth is one of many ways you can play music through the speaker. The Soundcore Rave Mini comes with the latest Bluetooth version 5 technology which has a range of 66 feet or 20 meters. True Wireless Technology allows you to pair another Rave Mini speaker for the best sound effects with left and right sound channels separated on both speakers. The Soundcore Rave Mini also allows you to play music through a USB or AUX connection. The Aux cable is unfortunately not included in the box.
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of flashing LED lights and looking for a mini speaker to take to your next party, the Soudcore Rave Mini might be just for you. Its rugged, sturdy build and waterproof features make it solid and durable for almost any environment. The 80W of sound packs a punch for its size with a respectable 18 hours of playtime. The Rave Mini electrifies the air, sending the bass surging through the crowd, and it all starts with the push of a button.
The Soundcore Rave Mini has since seen an upgrade in the form of the Soundcore Trance, which with some firmware upgrades and design tweaks. As for the sound quality and general features of the speaker, not much has changed, and I actually prefer the design of the Rave Mini to the Trance, so I wouldn’t recommend spending the extra money for the sake of having the newer model.
