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Anker Mini Bluetooth Speaker Drops Below Prime Day Prices, Backed by 100,000 Five-Star Reviews

Anker Mini Bluetooth Speaker Drops Below Prime Day Prices, Backed by 100,000 Five-Star Reviews

Gizmodo24-06-2025
Whether biking with mates, sunbathing at the beach or relaxing on your balcony, a good wireless speaker is your best friend. Every year, when the temperatures go up, so does demand for these convenient devices with sales peaking just before summer kicks in. Among all models available, there's one that always stays in front: the Anker Soundcore 2 portable Bluetooth speaker. And it is currently the #1 best-selling portable Bluetooth speaker on Amazon.
The Anker speaker currently retails at an all-time low of $29, which is a whopping 26% off its standard list price of $40. The price point is hard to beat for a device that has already won over more than 20 million people worldwide and holds a stellar 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 133,000 customer reviews.
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This speaker has 12 watts of total output power so your music will sound loud and clear indoors or outdoors. The 70 Hz frequency response provides that even deeper bass notes sound astonishingly clear particularly when combined with Anker's proprietary BassUp technology. This feature is combined with a patented spiral bass port and boosts low frequencies for a punchier sound on your favorite songs.
With its IPX7 waterproof protection, this speaker is resistant to rain, dust, snow, and even accidental spills. You can take it to the beach, pool or on a hiking trip without worrying about water damage.
But our favorite part is the battery life: It can play for a massive 24 hours of continuous music, far outlasting most of the other speakers on the market. This means that you can use it all day long and all night without needing to constantly find an outlet. The speaker also has wireless stereo pairing as a preference, meaning that if you have two newer Soundcore 2 speakers, you can pair them to one source for a bigger and more immersive stereo sound.
At this price point, no wonder this speaker remains at the head of the top-seller lists year after year.
See at Amazon
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As you can see, the bubbles are large and many. The latte art is nonexistent (and I can do latte art). The texture was off. My coworkers reported that the milk was one of two things: 1) it reminded them of the milk they used to make when they were inexperienced (ouch), and 2) it was separated into wet and dry layers. In short, I wouldn't recommend this machine for latte lovers. I'd stick to something like the $499 Bambino Plus or the $149 De'Longhi Stilosa for decent milk texture. Maybe the Casabrews Ultra is just for iced latte girlies and brooding, enigmatic Americano drinkers. As the Casabrews Ultra is just 12x13 inches, it's pretty compact (all things considered). I was able to fit this nicely on my office kitchen counter. I especially like that the top of the machine is wide and flat to store a milk jug, the group handle, and the tamper without taking up further counter space. The drip tray is quite small: I had to empty it after about every 5 drinks. For me in the office, that was half a morning of making everyone coffees. If you're using this machine at home, I'd recommend cleaning the drip tray every day regardless of the amount of drinks made. You don't want to have stagnant nasty water in your house, lest you attract bugs and other unwanted creatures. The drip tray itself is metal, which means it'll likely last longer than an all-plastic tray. In terms of maintenance, Casabrews sells a $49 ' insurance package. You also get a 1-year warranty with the Ultra as standard. The De'Longhi Linea is $229, and is a touch smaller, at 11 x 12 inches. If you're very tight on space, it might be worth checking out. However, it doesn't have a PID controller and I haven't personally tested it, so I can't comment on its brewing abilities. Of the espresso machines I have reviewed, I must mention the Breville Bambino Plus. This tiny machine is $499, so almost double the price of the Casabrews Ultra, but oh boy is it a level up. It's got a PID controller, like the Casabrews Ultra, but the steam wand is actually legendary. It can aerate beautiful microfoam, much, much better than the Casabrews Ultra. The Bambino Plus also has an auto-froth feature for the more hands-off baristas in your life. If you want to save as much $$$ as you can, I'd recommend the De'Longhi Stilosa. It's just $149, and utterly excellent. While the U.S. version only comes with dual-walled portafilters, you can easily get third-party single-walled ones. I will always recommend the Stilosa as the best value espresso machine out there. The Casabrews Ultra is a good machine, but it's not a great machine. If it was just an espresso machine — sans steam wand — I'd be more inclined to call the Ultra a great machine. It's got the makings of everything I want: a built-in timer, a PID controller, and a 58mm portafilter. However, the inferior steam wand majorly affects the rating. I was unable to craft barista-quality drinks. Gone was my ability to latte art. Gone was my ability to microfoam. It's not a skill issue: any other machine, I'm more than capable of doing this. As a result, I'd mostly recommend this machine for ice latte lovers, black Americano enthusiasts, or simply those who want an espresso machine for cheap and don't necessarily care about latte art. For me, though? I think I'd go for the De'Longhi Stilosa.

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