You might not expect much from a speaker that costs a few hundred bucks and sits comfortably on the palm of your hand but Anker's Select 4 Go will outdo its price point. It's also cheap enough to easily let you try out its stereo pairing features without seeing your bank balance drop much. Plus, it floats.
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Who doesn’t want a Bluetooth speaker that floats? It’s not the key metric I first think of, but it can’t hurt, can it? I’m always looking for good sound in a compact speaker – and I’ve tended toward size and weight as my main metric. The Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth Speaker weighs a delightful 265g and is only 121mm by 82mm.
If anyone remembers them, that’s a little larger than a pack of cigarettes. Just a touch thicker and a little longer. I never smoked, so I have a poor grasp of the memory. Sorry about that. I am trying to say that the Select 4 Go fits in my hand. Comfortably, and, as I mentioned, lightly.
“Punchy sound”
It has 5W of “punchy sound” which is enough for a hotel room, or a small outdoor space. This is a cheap and cheerful speaker, without meaning to sound derogatory. It is cheap and it is cheerful. You wouldn’t try listening to opera on it – although I’ve included Pavarotti singing Perfect Day with Lou Reed and Freddy Mercury singing Barcelona with Montserrat Caballe in my current favourite playlist. The 4 Go handled those broad soundscapes just fine.
I am happy with the description of its sound as punchy. That is what I want from a speaker when I travel. I’ve been using Anker’s Soundcore Mini 3 for the last year or so. The 4 Go may not have as solid sound and is larger than the (small) can-like Mini 3 but it has a useful play/pause button on the top. These buttons are conveniently large and easier to use.
You’ll get twenty hours of playback, including when you pair it with another Select 4 Go, and it is IP67-rated, so it handles half an hour up to 1m underwater. I have yet to intentionally test the IP67 capabilities on any speaker, though I have had enough water splashed on various review models when (deliberately) testing them with a nearby Labrador and seven-year-old child making waves, as it were.
I really wanted to test the 4 Go’s floating ability, but I believe deliberately throwing a battery-powered gadget into water isn’t wise. Call me old-fashioned. There’s a handy strap to clip it onto bags and four rubber “legs” on the underside for when it’s on a table. That is a neat – and simple – addition that elevates the speaker just a fraction to supply better sound.
Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go verdict
The Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go does indeed float – I’m suddenly reminded of the great two-word sentence from Hotel New Hampshire “Hope floats”. I won’t spoil the surprise if you ever read John Irving’s comic masterpiece, which has nothing to do with this review apart from the word “floats”.
Is the Select 4 Go worth R600? Yes, very much so. The price is particularly pleasing, given its sound quality and the value for money you get from it. Anker has designed these speakers to pair up in stereo to provide fuller sound, a feature you should definitely try at this price point. The Springbok-coloured green and gold unit is particularly patriotic too.
