Soundcore Motion X500 Review (Classy Design, Great Sound) (2024)

Soundcore’s Motion X series incorporates portability with high-resolution audio and a focus on spatial sound. The range consists of two speakers, the X500 and the larger X600. Both speakers have unique designs that distinguish themselves from previous Soundcore releases. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the performance and build of the Soundcore Motion X500, providing you with all you need to know about this exciting release.

What’s In The Box?

• Soundcore Motion X500 Bluetooth Speaker
• USB-C Charging Cable

Introducing The Soundcore Motion X500

Released in November 2023, the Motion X500 is one of Soundcore’s latest releases. The Motion X series also signals a new direction for the company, prioritizing high-resolution audio and spatial sound over non-essential features and functions. In addition to these changes, the X500 also adopts a unique style of design that differentiates it from competitors and the rest of Soundcore’s product catalog.

Design & Build Quality

This is a classy design that brings a unique approach to portable audio. It meshes a water-resistant body made to withstand the outdoors with a classy control panel and built-in handle that works anywhere in the home. The controls are easy to use and feel good to touch.

Durability of Finish: 7.9/10
Feel of Buttons: 8.9/10
Weatherproofing: 7.8/10

The Motion X500 has a mostly square shape from the front, with one’s eye being drawn to the tilted control panel near the top of the speaker. This control area is slanted about 15 degrees in the listener’s direction. This subtle design choice makes it much easier to use the controls from a seated position without stretching directly over the speaker. The entire control panel is made from a soft rubber that feels satisfying to touch. In the center is an upward-firing driver with an LED light that changes color depending on the EQ preset.

A built-in handle wraps around the edges of the speaker with a clearance gap of 2” between the controls and the handle. Made from metal, the handle feels durable while also providing ease of portability. Because it weighs just 4.07 lbs, anyone can carry it around without much effort.

The front of the speaker features a very subtle Soundcore logo that doesn’t distract from the beauty of the design. Its visibility changes slightly depending on the angle at which it’s viewed. The speaker’s rear is toned down in comparison, with a bass reflex port and connection area on the lower left. It is worth noting that those with long nails may struggle to open the charging port enclosure as it fits quite tight. Additionally, the back of the speaker is prone to fingerprints.

Despite looking like a home speaker, the Motion X500 carries an impressive IPX7 water-resistance rating, which even protects it from limited submergence in water. There’s no dust-protection rating, so one should avoid dust entering the enclosure.

This speaker looks excellent in one’s home and will certainly turn some heads when used outdoors, too. The semi-rugged build makes it versatile for use both indoors and outdoors.

Controls & Connectivity

Bluetooth Profiles: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Bluetooth Version: 5.3
Bluetooth Range: 100 meters
Frequency Response Range: 50Hz – 40kHz

The buttons along the top of the speaker are backlit with LEDs, making it easy to control in any lighting conditions. They are embossed on the soft rubber panel and serve multiple purposes, depending on how they’re pressed.

** In the Motion X500 manual, Soundcore refers to the bass-heavy EQ preset as bass boost, but when using the app, this setting is called ‘Soundcore Classic.’

In terms of connectivity, the Motion X500 uses the latest Bluetooth 5.3 technology, facilitating high-resolution audio and a stable connection. During testing, I could maintain a reliable connection at a distance of 20 meters through multiple brick walls. It can also be connected to another X500 for stereo sound using the TWS pairing option.

Don’t expect the same broad scope of connectivity that some speakers offer. Soundcore has opted to take a less-is-more approach, and the only wired input or output you’ll find is a single USB-C charging port.

The Motion X500’s Spatial Sound Thrives Indoors & Outdoors

The Motion X500 has a refined sound with strong bass, clear midrange, and vibrant highs. It has a relatively balanced sound. All the EQ presets have some additional bass, but the custom EQ through the app lets you make more minor adjustments to the sound. The speaker boasts an impressive dynamic range and supports LDAC codecs for higher-quality sound.

Bass Performance: 7.4/10
Mid-tone Performance: 7.9/10
Treble Performance: 7.7/10
Volume: 8.1/10
Balanced Sound: 7.9/10

Soundcore has focused on audio quality more than anything else with the Motion X series, and they’ve managed to do it well. Because the X500 utilizes Bluetooth 5.3, it can produce high-resolution audio with low latency, partly due to its LDAC codec support, which allows for efficient data transfer between the source device and the speaker. Additionally, the X500 has been created for high-fidelity sound, with extra attention given to accuracy and depth.

The speaker features three full-range drivers, two facing the front and one upward-firing driver at the top of the speaker, for a total output of 40W. There is also a passive bass radiator that pushes air out the back of the speaker. The Soundcore app also allows listeners to dial in their sound with a graphic EQ.

Bass Performance

I was immediately impressed with the bass of the X500. Using the spatial signature sound, the bass is balanced, allowing for refined frequency separation. The spatial dynamic mode adds a little more thump, while the bass boost mode kicks the speaker into party mode with additional emphasis on the low end. It can retain clarity even when the volume is pushed relatively high. In terms of depth, the X500 misses some deep lows (with the frequency response only starting on the low end at 50Hz) but does well in the mid and upper bass ranges.

Midrange Performance

Midrange frequencies, including vocals, sounded great. There is a lot of definition in the midrange, and it lends itself well to most genres of music. The bass doesn’t overpower these frequencies, even when using the bass boost mode. The spatial sound design becomes most noticeable in the midrange, creating a vibrant, lifelike sound that immerses the listener.

Treble Performance

The treble of the X500 is pronounced and comes to the forefront on many tracks, yet doesn’t suffer from sibilance. In fact, the treble tends to sound tight and refined. It’s not perfect, but it’s impressive for a portable Bluetooth speaker and ensures a vibrant and detailed sound.

Soundstage & Dynamics

Soundstage will always be somewhat limited with single-speaker designs compared to stereo alternatives. Still, the Motion X500 creates a relatively good soundstage experience using its spatial sound design. The larger X600 manages to do a slightly better job in this regard. However, the X500 still outperforms many similar-sized Bluetooth speakers. Pairing two X500s together using TWS will give you a much better soundstage performance, in line with what you could expect from traditional left/right channel speakers.

It has a relatively good dynamic range, preserving a lot of the detail that truly allows a track to sound immersive. The dynamics are a touch better on the X600, but I cannot complain about the X500’s performance in this area.

Battery Performance

The battery of the X500 is its Achilles’ heel. While the speaker can last up to 12 hours at low listening levels, during testing, we found the speaker to last just shy of 8 hours at between 50 and 60% volume. The charging time is also higher than most modern portable Bluetooth speakers.

Charging Type: USB-C
Estimated Playtime: Up to 12 hours
Playtime at 50-60%: 7 Hours 52 Minutes
Charging Time: 5 Hours 42 Minutes

The Soundcore Motion X500 is rated for up to 12 hours of battery life, with a six-hour charging time. In my tests, I got 8 hours of playtime at 50%. While not bad, it falls a little short of the estimates, which seem to be based on a 25% volume level. Realistically, you can get between 8 and 10 hours at lower volume levels and only 4 to 6 hours at high volume levels.

A charging time of 6 hours is more than average for a speaker of similar playtime and one of the X500’s few weaknesses. This lengthy charging time means you need to think ahead about how you plan to use the speaker, as you won’t be able to get a last-minute charge in should you wish to use it spontaneously.

App Support

The Motion X500 is supported through the Soundcore app, which gives additional control over the speaker. I recommend using it to update the firmware when you first use the speaker, as there are features and control options that require these updates before being active. An important but often overlooked aspect of the app is that LDAC is disabled by default and needs to be enabled through the app settings (see images below).

In addition to enabling LDAC, the app allows you to customize both the brightness and color of the built-in LED light and provides a full band graphic EQ, so you can dial your speaker to sound just the way you like it.

Keep in mind that when you adjust the LED color, toggling to another preset will reset it to the defaults.

Download On Apple
Download On Android

Final Thoughts On The Motion X500

Soundcore’s X500 is undeniably a good-sounding speaker; it produces sufficient depth while retaining a balanced sound with detail and nuance. The controls are relatively simple and easy to use, while the built-in carry handle makes it an easy speaker to carry with you, even for outdoor adventures. The built-in EQ toggle lets one quickly switch between different sounds.

The Motion X500 isn’t perfect, though. The battery life is mediocre, and charging time is notably above the average for similar-sized speakers. Additionally, it’s not well suited to those who want a lot of features with their speaker. Voice assistants have become fairly standard, and it’s a little surprising that this speaker does not support it.

Still, despite its potential improvements, the Motion X series, and Motion X500 in particular, is an exciting new addition to the Soundcore lineup. There is something to be said about shifting the focus away from unnecessary features and instead focusing on affordable, high-quality sound.