First off, a big thanks to the fine people at Anker for sending me this Motion+. It’s truly an honor to have been selected.
I like loud things… But, not when they sound like crap. I have bought & tossed many audio devices over the years, while looking for that balance of price & sound. It’s a tough needle to thread (price vs quality). I of course want a speaker to do everything and do it well, for the lowest possible price. Yes, I’m unreasonable in my wants, but that’s just the way I am. I think I’m not alone, but feel free to tell me I’m solo in this in the comments.
Prior to receiving the Motion+, I had a very basic portable soundbar that I used when we fired up our mobile projector. While I thought it sounded OK, it was not something I would brag about. While it was leaps better than the one speaker that was built into the projector, it still didn’t have that thump you need in either music or action scenes in movies.
Anyway, this was my benchmark to judge the Motion+ against, since it was similarly priced. The leap in sound quality was like going from the single speaker of the projector, to the other soundbar. However, this time the sound wasn’t OK, it was phenomenal! The bass was noticeably improved, to the point where it seems like there’s an invisible subwoofer box next to it. For the watts this is pumping out I’m impressed.
Being the idea was to test it, I wanted to see how this would perform at a few different locations where I typically like to have music playing.
First up was the patio. Yeah, this was an easy win for the Motion+. Not only does it look good outside, it can stay out there longer than I can without running out of power. I’m not a complete jerk neighbor, so the volume for this application is not that loud, but the richness of the sound is shockingly good, coming from such a small package. It started to rain one day, and while I scrambled to get the seat cushions inside, I left the tunes playing and felt confident it could hang with the rain.
The sprinkle it got wasn’t really all that great of a waterproof test, so I thought a trip in the shower would be good. Sorry ladies, no pics of it with me in the shower… While also providing the tunes that I could sing along to, it was also loud enough to drown out my horrible singing voice, so that’s an added plus.
Finally, I brought the little guy to an event where we usually have loud music - a car show. Our group had a 10x20 tent set up and the Motion+ filled the area so well, that I routinely found myself shouting over it and then remembering I could just turn it down from my phone.
This show was in Downtown Minneapolis and in June. June in Minnesota means weather is a mixed bag. It could be really cold, really hot, really humid, or torrential downpours. We got it all this day. While taking cover under our tent, we kept the tunes going. Some guys passing by were shocked by the tiny size of the speaker, and I asked if I could snap a pic of them with it dancing.
They were good sports for sure 
Now, here’s my only criticisms of the Motion+ The surface finish. While easy to grab when wet, man the smudges just don’t want to come off. Parents, it’s like when you toddler plays with your phone… It’s unsightly and a constant cleaning battle if you want it to look pristine (I stopped trying). I don’t know if there’s some product like a wax or sealant you could apply to stop this or not, but it bugs me. Don’t get me wrong, this has no effect on the functionality of the speaker.
Second gripe. Not being able to tap the battery inside the speaker to feed my phone. Being an Anker product, I assumed this would just be standard. I mean, I’m walking around with a 6 700mAh batteries, it’s a shame I can’t use them. Maybe this can be addressed in a software update in the near future (hint, hint)?
In summary, this has become a welcome addition to my lifestyle. Chilling on the patio with a drink & cigar, to family picnics, to car shows - this is the party maker.
