Sony xb33 vs xb43 vs Soundcore Motion Plus speakers test 

I'm actually glad I came across Alan's YT channel. Detailed reviews that actually help one come to a decision. Thanks man!

You take time to reply every question your subscribers ask!! No matter how they are. Fantastic response and of-course great content

Your channel is a gem. A great review methodology that actually helps making a good purchase decision.

I stumbled across this after I got my short list down to exactly these 3. What a fantastic review which really details how someone may find these for different scenarios. If I was going to make a review, it would be very similar. Well done and thank you. It is full of worthwhile insights. I can now replace my Sony RDP-X280i with confidence and for less money than I imagined.

Wowwwwww... The match that I've been waiting to watch... Thank You Alan 😁👏👏👏

Just realised that the first time I watched your channel was for a mattress review, didnt expect to be here for speaker reviews haha

Was waiting for your take on these speakers, thank you Alan! Just a quick correction though-I believe the Sony XB33 no longer have the aux in port. Other than that, excellent review as usual!

Thanks Alan. Your review was very informative. Much appreciated. 👍

Very detailed review. Thanks Alan.

Thank you Alan. Another great video. I ve got motion+ thanks to you. So much better than Soundcore Boost.

Waited a lot for this video❤️

Now I feel a bit stupid for suggesting showing the XB33 with an EQ on the other vid you made haha. Great stuff Alan, thanks a lot. Pretty much the only video you'll have to watch to be informed on the matter :)

Thank you! Very good comparison

Great reviews, Alan! Can you please make one for Marshall Emberton? Thank you.

A very good review...... much appreciated

Great review again! Motion+ has def changed the landscape of budget speakers. A weird question for you... what's the cheapest speaker that sounds better than Motion+ ?

One of the issues I noticed with the XB33 is the low volume output. You have to play it noticeably higher in volume to get the same level as some other speakers. That is a problem battery wise, as the XB33 battery won't last very long when played at higher levels.

Thank you for thorough Bluetooth speaker reviews. They’re educational as well being amusing. Over a year ago I’d purchased Sony’s XB32. While the speaker was intended for my private listening, it came to be used in indoor large spaces that did not offer room echo which would enhance the speaker’s sound and overall reach inside the space. The XB32 performed very well playing a variety of music. However, when the Sony XB33 was released I bought it paying full price. Initially I was somewhat disappointed with its sound quality, but after its 2nd firmware update plus EQ the Sony sounds fantastic! I haven’t heard either the Anker or Sony XB43. I played it along side the older XB32 and Nocs NS2 Air Monitors Apple Airplay/Bluetooth Mini Bookshelf speakers (stereo pair).The new Sony XB33 is louder then the others but I didn’t play them all at max volume. After EQ it is more “full bodied” than the XB32 but its mid-range was not as “clear” sounding as the Nocs. The Sony’s low Bass wasn’t as “punchy” as the Nocs but sounded deeper. Did you try sampling music with the Sony “LIVE” feature active? I find when in LIVE MODE the speaker’s volume increases as well as providing a stereo/3D effect perfect for the space the Sony has come to play in. Additionally, did you update the speaker’s firmware? Can you explain the term “Head Room” please. Thanks again.

I own an XB30 and listened to the Soundcore Motion plus and i was incredibly impressed. The Soundcore sounds incredible.

Thanks, you saved me making a bad decision today. Appreciate the review.

Hi Alan, I bought a Motion Plus after watching many (I mean many!) of your videos. I've even watched several mattress reviews and Im not even interested in buying any lol. Anyway, I also have an Anker a3143 which is from several years ago but it really got me into Anker products. Have you ever heard/compared an a3143 speaker, you can pick them up on eBay 2nd hand for under £15 sometimes & its a superb speaker, even today!

Are your EQ Settings for the Motion + perfect for bass heavy/ hip hop songs?

Great review!!!!!

I just got a great deal on soundcore motion + and jumped the gun at $120/pair. Thanks Alan!

Is the Anker water resistant? And no led effect, right? How do they sound outdoor?

Hi! Nice video! Is it ok to play these speakers for hours with the charger connected? I always wanted to have a "bypass" mode so when the battery is full the current would bypass the battery... Do you get me? Thanks! Good job!

Hi Alan. I love your videos and have learnt a lot . They make me laugh. You mentioned that the motion plus gets a bit muddy at low volumes can you clean that up with a low volume eq setting ? As I will be using it at lower to mid volumes .iIhave recently got myself a class d mini amp and I find the speakers come alive at a certain volume.i was wondering if it is a similar thing. All the beast from Melbourne Au.

Thank you for this video - Should i choose xb33 or 43? Is it worth to pay more for 43?

Awesome review Alan! I was just wondering would your opinion change if the XB33 is going for a lower price? right now its going for £119 on amazon do you still think the motion plus is better than the XB33 at this price? Also is the bass performance between the two speakers significant?

Anker Soundcore has a new speaker in its Motion lineup. It’s called the Boom. It has exposed passive radiators on the sides and the form factor is kinda BoomBox-ish. Similar the the Bugani M83. No tweeters though. I gather from the name that the Motion Boom is bass focused. Anyway, I just wanted to give you something to get excited about ☺️

Dear Alan, I'm in trouble! I've seen the srs xb43 at 130€; the motion plus is at 80€. Now, I already have a Motion plus and absolutely love it! BUT... I buy another Motion + because it's still the best bargain, or i pick the xb43 because, at 130€, the quality/price ratio is even bigger? What do you think? What if you were in my shoes? 😉

The battery started to get cut-cost after the XBX0 series...the XB30 has a 4400mAh 7.4V Battery, and the XB40 has a 5400 mAh battery, the XB31/32/33’s battery is clearly a junk...they’re all between 2400mAh~2700mAh

Never boring with your reviews..

Waiting forward for the motion+2, I dont mind of slight size increase to get a bit more bass.

soundcore made in what?how about the battery life at max volume with custom eqq..thanks

For EDM genre which one you think sounds great.I am also a bass lover and I like punchy bass but I am stuck between Sony srs xb33 and motion+.

Hi Alan, thanks for the great video, currently here in India those three have a similar price range, in that case, what is your suggestion to buy?

thx for the vid, thoughts on wonderboom 2?

You need to open up the higher frequencies on your custom settings for the Motion+ but that's just my opinion.

Thank you for the video, Alan! I love your attention to details

I applaud your hard work, I wish you success and progress in your further work .... I wanted to ask for your opinion and advice ... Which speaker would you recommend for universal music with more emphasis on spiritual ... Sony xb33 125e are optional Sony xb43 150e Soundcore boom 125e

Can you please suggest if I should go with motion plus or amzom echo dot 4?

Great job, you got my comment))

Can you do a review on the Soundcore Rave Neo? I'd like to hear your take on this newer Soundcore speaker since it comes with PartyCast, which can connect to the Soundcore Flare 2 as of now. They're seem to be working on adding another model to the PartyCast lineup that looks like the current large Rave speaker.

Can you share you equalizer settings on xb 33? I just want to copy it. Thank you ☺️

I can get the motion+ or wonderboom2 for the same price. What do you recommend for travel/portability? thx

I’m really liking my 33 on live mode.

Great video as always, how many hours you get with the motion + at maximum volume? Thanks.

Did you ever test the XB33 or XB43 with all three Sony app EQ bands at +10? The way the speaker compensates when you adjust one band up a lot higher than the others, but what when all three are maxed out? It gains a noticeable amount of output.

I love your videos Alan motion + or xb 33? which better?

I have an XB43 sat under my monitor (right angle L shaped monitor arm) Connected with usb from the pc and aux cable. Toned down the bass a tad and poked up the mids. Works pretty well as a desktop speaker while living in a flat. The bass doesnt drill down into the floor. The narrow soundstage is somewhat of an advantage while sitting quite close to it. Nice clarity and looks relatively stylish. I appreciate that this is not its intended use.. but I like the idea that i can spit beer on it and itl be alright. (Happens, dont ask)

My suggestion probably doesn't make sense but I think maybe the XB30 and XB40 should've also been included in this comparison? I'm an XB30 owner and just got the XB33 and I'm hugely disappointed in the sound of the XB33 mainly because of its very lackluster bass. Even with bass boosted EQ in Music Center app and also boosting some bass in the phone's Dolby Atmos EQ settings, it still can't hold a candle to the bass of the XB30. It's not just the bass either. The sound from the XB30 sounds a lot fuller and livelier and very pleasing to the ear even on completely default settings with just Extra Bass turned on whereas on the XB33, I had to tinker with the sound a lot just to get it to sound somewhat better (maybe about 60% of what the XB30 sounds like). At 100% volume, the XB33 is definitely louder but it's not super apparent because the XB30 sounds a whole lot better than the XB33 at 100% and to my ears the vocals and instruments seem just a tad bit quieter than the XB33 but a lot clearer at the same time. However the bass on the XB30 is on a whole another level and is deeper and louder than the XB33. It's unfortunate that I can't find the XB30 on sale anymore because even though it's several years older, it's the clear winner over the XB33 and I wouldn't have purchased the XB33 if I'd known that. I'm not sure why this old Sony speaker is leagues ahead of its newer speakers. Oh, and the old XB30 has AUX input while the XB33 doesn't. It's so counter intuitive. Why Sony? 😅

Hi, I just had a chance to blast my motion+ at 100% volume in custom EQ mode with bass maxed out (and treble too if it makes any difference) and it played for less than 3 hours.. Did you do your testing in some other mode or why was my result so terrible compared to yours? Does bluetooth codec have anything to do with it (aptX vs others)?

Which one have great bass and louder

Whats the actual battery capacity of soundcore motion plus in their description they wrote it as 6700 mah but in your video it is shown as 3350 mah? Just curious 🤔

The video we've all been waiting for. I honestly think the xb33 sounds better than the motion+ despite the motion having tweeters, it really didn't sound like they were taking advantage of them. The rest of the xb33 makes me hesitant though. Horrible battery, and no headroom are big issues. I hate when I want to crank something up only to find out its already cranked. Still, I'm gonna get the xb33 and If I don't like it, my local best buy is right up the road to return it, amazon is a little harder to return stuff for me.

Sony srs-xb33 and Soundcore motion plus costs the same which one would you recommend, the sound must be really good for me. and how do you like the live sound of sony, have heard that it is supposed to be fascinating and would like test it.

Can you include the jbl extreme 1.. hehe I also love how it sounds

got a BOSE Sound link mini 2 and still wanna a new bluetooth speaker with better mid and high volume performance. 33 or 43, which one would be a better choice? no demand for portabilities. already tried 12, 23 and 33 at Sony store in Shanghai（43 is not available yet） , Thks !

Is the difference between the xb33 and xb43 really that night and day? The xb43 sounds so much brighter

ha! i got a good choice my motion plus will arrive next week, don't need a big xb43 now, got the anker for 69.99eur and the sony is priced at 149.90 eur this black friday..

Witch one is better , sound quality anda low bass? Before i decide to buy it

Glad you can admit that it's to your preference, so many guys are arrogant they have the perfect ears for sound. I've met master composers that are half deaf from being around live music so much. So it's really subjective. Sony's are on sale all the time so price difference not a big deal. I own the xb3 and xb41, both sound better after playing them for awhile. They also (in my opinion) sound the best for outside open areas like beach or park compared to JBL, UE, Bose I've tested against. So maybe try them outside also. Miraculously the xb41 battery life got longer the more I used it. New it lasted 3 hrs at max vol, now it lasts almost 7 hrs.

After reading a lot of posts and reviews, I got the feeling, that buying the xb33s was a mistake and I should have gotten 2 motion+ instead, as they are not only cheaper, but supposedly a little better in each aspect (size, max loudness, sound, battery life). The only rational pro for the sonys seemed that they look better and have light effects. Now I know that my choice was in fact perfect. I used the xb33s last week for a bachata class, put up the 2 speakers at opposite sides of the room (~7m apart) , with 8 people using the space in between, and there was not a single cut off. I`ve read on reddit that the motion+ has the same problem as may tribit xsound go speakers, that stereo mode allows only about 2m distance between speaker, otherwise there will be cut offs. This is an important aspect , and one which is unfortunetely not covered in data sheets. maybe you should consider including it in your reviews.

How is the mic on Sony XB 33 for calls ? Can I use it for Microsoft Teams without issues ?

Damn, i just got soundcore m+ (because of you) Kelly Clarkson

if i can get the sony's and amazon at same price, which one should i go for?

Hmm.. do I send the £150 xb43 back and get the motion+ that is currently £100ish Not overly keen on the size of the xb43 and it does sound very... very narrow. I mostly use at relatively low levels due to living in a flat. I feel the xb43 is kinda over powering with the bass. Decisions...

Without considering price, does the Sony XB30 or Soundcore Motion Plus sound better?

Whos still have anker bt speaker? And how many years their sound good? My sony bt speaker xb23 is 7 years till now but still in great sound..

Which should I purchase for Bass? Which has more Bass?

what version firmware of anker motion plus? thanks

xb33 max vol only 30mins? that's so bad did you have the lights on and was it fully charged?

Anker motion plus is still the best?

THE motion plus is 103GBP ( amazon co uk ) why does he keep saying its 80GBP ?? does he work for anker as he is pushing it hard

Alan ,love your unbiased reviews and please keep up the great job and to hell with the"wankers" that don't like your EQ settings " "Cheers" and Happy Holidays from across the Big Pond!

Do you buy all these speakers yourself, Alan?

i knew from the start of the video, the soundcore would be the one to buy in terms of price & sound (100%vol)

does two motion+ work in pair? thanks

43 harsh and boomy mess (thanks to the twiters) 33 just boomy mess. To make Anker bass sound cleaner reduce upper bass. IMHO the bass sound the best with 80 push right to the top and 150 to -3. Sound rounder and deeper. Less boomy.

As far as EQ settings on phone and app I just crank them all and it's louder that way and they're all just said it flat just cranked

Why is it that you don’t keep all of them in the same volume level? Imagine motion plus operating with 29 vol. while the other two Sony operating with 43 vol.

possible to kill or blow my motion+ by using custom EQ settings?

Hey dude, did you get a broken speaker? I mean I can't image at 66% xb33 only last 2hours?

motion+ is CAD130 in Canada, it used to be CAD90 which was great value, xb33 is CAD178 in Canada.

Does motion plus gives punchy bass or deep bass🤔

which one between xb33 and xb43 has the best bass?

Bought the XB43 at $110 USD, hope I made the right choice

Jbl flip 4 or soundcore motion+ please tell which one is better?In my country they both have same cost.i am confused which one to buy🤔

Sony XB33 vs Tronsmart mega pro please

What's the verdict then?

Champ#1👍

XB33 sounds Amazing!

Anker SoundCore Motion Plus still has much to say ❤️

Please help. In the 50% vol., what's the best? XB33 or XB43?

hey Alan, motion plus vs xb33 ?

I love the Motion Plus, I really only love it when I get to set its custom EQ tho. How come the Motion Plus was able to use its custom EQ mode, but the two Sony speakers had to play in their default mode though??!? Kinda raises my eyebrows that you mentioned the Sony's custom settings, but didn't demonstrate them here...?

So.. does the 33 have an aux or not? You have it with here, without in your newer video... I can't imagine Sony omitting it, but then they have done things very strangely with their speakers. Not that I care, wouldn't ever recommend after the issues you've pointed out. I bought an xb32 for a friend ages ago. Aside from the sound, it's been a solid speaker but side by side my Denon, it's a looser again!

Hi which one should I get xb 33 or xb43? The price difference is 55 dollars

Timecodes: 3:48 specs 7:30 50% volume test 11:46 70% volume test 15:39 90% volume test 22:01 maximum volume test