Bluetooth speakers under $200 compared

Music speaker or speakerphone

Two of these are built to play music and one is built to carry a conversation. The Boom 2 Plus pairs two 50W woofers with two 20W tweeters ¹, and the Boom 3i is rated at 50W ². The PowerConf's speaker is rated at 3W RMS through a single 1.75-inch full-range driver ³⁴. Its effort goes into listening instead: six microphones in a 360-degree array ⁵, real-time echo cancellation ³, and automatic balancing of voices at different volumes and distances ⁵. It also connects to a computer over USB-C without installing drivers ⁵.

So decide what you will mostly hear through it. For music by the pool, at the beach or in the yard, look at the two Soundcore speakers and skip the PowerConf. For the other side of a video call, the PowerConf is the one designed for the job: Anker recommends it for a personal workspace or a small meeting room of up to 8 people ⁵, and The Gadgeteer's reviewer wrote that its speaker markedly improved how callers sounded compared with an iPad's own speakers ⁴.

1. Soundcore Boom 2 Plus product page and FAQ Soundcore — "Experience deep bass from dual 50W woofers and crystal-clear highs from dual 20W tweeters with our 2+2 channel setup." No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
2. Soundcore Boom 3i product page Soundcore — Spec table: "Output: 50W". No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
3. PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone with 6Microphones A3301 - Anker Anker Singapore — Spec list: "Rated output power: 3W RMS"; "Driver size: 1 x 1.75” (full range)"; "real-time echo cancellation up to 70 dB de-reverberation". No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
4. Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone review The Gadgeteer — Published August 25, 2020, by Kathleen Chapman. Spec list: "Driver Output: 1 x 3W, THD 1%". "While the iPad has decent speakers, the PowerConf's speaker markedly improved the sound quality of the caller."
5. PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone (A3301) AnkerWork (Anker) — "6 microphones arranged in a 360° array pick up voices from all directions"; "Your voice is automatically balanced to make up for differences in volume and distance from the Bluetooth speakerphone."; "Connect to your phone via Bluetooth or to your computer with a USB-C cable—without needing to install drivers." Comparison table: Recommended For "Flexible Personal Workspace, and Small Meeting Room"; Suitable for Space "Up to 8 people". No date on page; read 2026-10-10.

What 140W, 20 hours and IPX7 leave out

The Boom 2 Plus's two headline numbers come from opposite settings. Soundcore's FAQ says it makes 100W as standard and 140W only in BassUp 2.0 mode, but quotes its 20 hours of playtime at 50% volume with BassUp and light effects off ¹. TechRadar notes that BassUp and the lights both drain the battery faster ². The Boom 3i's 16 hours come with no stated volume on Soundcore's page ³, and SoundGuys warns that turning up the bass costs battery life ⁴. Anker states no test conditions for the PowerConf's 24 hours of call time ⁵.

IP codes need reading digit by digit. The first digit covers dust, the second water, and an X means the maker claims no rating for that element, not that there is no protection ⁶. A 6 in the first place means dustproof; a 7 in the second means immersion in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes ⁶. The Boom 3i is IP68 ³. The Boom 2 Plus is IPX7, and Soundcore says to seal its waterproof cover tightly before it goes in ¹. "Floats" varies too: Soundcore lists the Boom 3i as auto-upright floating ³, and SoundGuys says its drivers always face upward in the water ⁴; the Boom 2 Plus page says only "Floatable" ¹.

1. Soundcore Boom 2 Plus product page and FAQ Soundcore — FAQ: "100W as standard, but it can reach up to 140W in BassUp 2.0 mode." "On Boom 2 Plus, BassUp 2.0 not only boosts the bass, but also increases the speaker's output to 140W." "Boom 2 Plus supports up to 20 hours of playtime at 50% volume with BassUp and light effects turned off." "soundcore Boom 2 Plus features IPX7 waterproofing, but before submerging it in water, make sure to seal the waterproof cover tightly." Spec table: "Floatable". No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
2. Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: a bass-heavy Bluetooth speaker with a much-needed design upgrade TechRadar — Published 11 February 2025, by Harry Padoan. "20 hours is by no means bad, but it's worth noting that BassUp – like the lights – will contribute to faster drainage."
3. Soundcore Boom 3i product page Soundcore — "Get 16 hours of nonstop play and full control via app." (no volume or test conditions given). Spec table: "Water Resistance: Dust & Waterproof (IP68)"; "Floatability: Auto-Upright Floating". No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
4. Soundcore Boom 3i review SoundGuys — Jun 19, 2025, by Dave Carr. "Just keep in mind that cranking up those bass frequencies means your battery life will take a hit." "The unit is balanced in a way so the drivers always face upward when floating"
5. PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone (A3301) AnkerWork (Anker) — "24 Hours of Call Time: A built-in 6,700mAh battery gives you the option to go wireless and hold meetings virtually anywhere." The page states no volume or usage conditions for the figure. No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
6. IP codes explained: Rating device protection from water and dust PCWorld — Jul 26, 2024, by Jon L. Jacobi. "The first number references the size of foreign objects (e.g., particulate matter, such as dust or sand)" "and the second number rates the item's resistance to liquid ingress." An "X" "doesn't mean it offers no protection" "only that the manufacturer doesn't claim a particular rating for it." "6: Dustproof (no ingress is permitted)"; "7: Can withstand immersion in up to one meter (approximately 3.3 feet) of water for 30 minutes."

What separates a good one from a bad one

For an outdoor speaker, check the things a beach or a lake will test. TechRadar counted the Boom 2 Plus's missing dust rating against it as a beach speaker ¹, while Soundcore calls the Boom 3i dust-tight and says it was lab-tested against 240 hours of salt spray ². Check for an adjustable EQ: SoundGuys found the Boom 3i sounds rather dark out of the box and pointed to its 9-band EQ as the fix ³, and TechRadar notes the Boom 2 Plus's nine-band EQ can move it toward a more neutral sound ¹. And weigh the speaker against how far you will carry it: Soundcore lists the Boom 2 Plus at 8.4 lb ⁴ and describes the Boom 3i as about the size of a water bottle ².

For a speakerphone, the microphone count is only the start. The Gadgeteer's reviewer found the PowerConf picked up voices from at least 13.5 feet away, but heard digital distortion when people's voices trailed off at the ends of sentences and when people with lower voices spoke quietly ⁵. Anker's page lists noise reduction, automatic voice balancing and Zoom certification at the "Zoom Personal" level ⁶. None of those labels tells you how it handles a quiet talker.

1. Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: a bass-heavy Bluetooth speaker with a much-needed design upgrade TechRadar — Published 11 February 2025, by Harry Padoan. "The bad? This thing skips on a dustproof rating again, meaning it might not be the best beachside companion." "On top of that, there's a nine-band EQ so you can get a more neutral sound if that's what you're after."
2. Soundcore Boom 3i product page Soundcore — "Built to survive the elements, this bluetooth speaker is fully waterproof and dust-tight." "Engineered to withstand 240 hours of salt spray" and "Lab-tested to ASTM G85-equivalent conditions." "About the size of a water bottle, Boom 3i slips into your backpack". Also: "Drop-tested from 3.28 ft (1 m)." Spec table row "Charge Out" is marked with a cross (no power-bank output). No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
3. Soundcore Boom 3i review SoundGuys — Jun 19, 2025, by Dave Carr. "I find it sounds rather dark right out of the box." "Fortunately, the 9-band EQ has you covered, so it's worth experimenting." Listed con: "Needs a quick EQ tweak to sound its best".
4. Soundcore Boom 2 Plus product page and FAQ Soundcore — Spec table: "Portability & Weight: 8.4 lbs / Shoulder Strap". Also, FAQ: "Boom 2 Plus has a 10W (5V/2A) charging output." No date on page; read 2026-10-10.
5. Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone review The Gadgeteer — Published August 25, 2020, by Kathleen Chapman. "The microphones were able to detect voices from a radius of at least 13.5 ft. away." "As their voices trailed off, I heard digital audio distortion." "I also heard digital audio distortion when people with lower voices were speaking quietly."
6. PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone (A3301) AnkerWork (Anker) — Comparison table: Microphone Technology "Voice Enhancement and Noise Cancellation"; Zoom Certification "Zoom Personal". "Your voice is automatically balanced to make up for differences in volume and distance from the Bluetooth speakerphone." "PowerConf Bluetooth speakerphone is Zoom certified and is compatible with all popular online conferencing platforms." No date on page; read 2026-10-10.

What these prices mean

All three prices are Soundcore’s own, read every day from the product feed Soundcore gives its affiliates since September 23, 2026; each product’s page says the date we last checked it. The Boom 3i sold at its full $129.99 until Soundcore cut it to $94.99 on October 7. The PowerConf has moved three times in three days — from its full $154.99 to $99.99 on October 8, back to $154.99 on October 9 and down to $109.99 on October 10 — so today’s price says little about tomorrow’s. The Boom 2 Plus dipped from $179.99 to $169.99 on October 7 and was back at $179.99 on October 9; we have not seen it sold at its $249.99 list price.