Short answer: the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks #2 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 ranks #120 and costs $200, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Soundcore Motion 300 offers: Pretty deep bass for the small size. Pocket size in a big pocket. Can be used in stereo facing you, or omnidirectional lying down. Ability to have a custom EQ for each orientation, standing, lying flat, hanging. Try the Uboom L EQs from Oluv for a more neutral sound. Watch for: Without the above EQ or turning the top 2 treble EQ bars to max, this speaker is very rolled off in the treble and will rank around #50 in the rankings. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.
What the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 offers: Doubles as a conferencing speakerphone with a 4-mic array and noise/echo cancellation. Flat, compact design packs easily. USB charge-out for topping off a phone. Watch for: Bass is weak, vocal and instrument separation is underwhelming and sounds tinny at high volume
Buy the Soundcore Motion 300. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
Skip the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 if sound quality matters to you. It ranks near the bottom of the 136 medium speakers.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Soundcore Motion 300 is rated for 13 hours, the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 only 8 hours.
Water resistance is not close: the Soundcore Motion 300 is rated at IPX7 (brief submersion), well ahead of the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 at IPX4 (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Soundcore Motion 300 | Harman Kardon Esquire 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $200 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #2 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #120 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | - |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc | - |
| Max Volume | 101dB | - |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-A) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g | 0.8 lbs / 0.35 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) | 7.5" x 5.1" x 1.3" (190 x 130 x 34 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 4x 1.25" (32mm) full-range drivers |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Output Power | 30W | 16W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Soundcore Motion+ vs B&O Beosound A1
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- Earfun Uboom L vs Minirig 4
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Harman Kardon Esquire 2
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Soundcore Motion 300: $79.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the small size. Pocket size in a big pocket. Can be used in stereo facing you, or omnidirectional lying down. Ability to have a custom EQ for each orientation, standing, lying flat, hanging. Try the Uboom L EQs from Oluv for a more neutral sound.
Cons: Without the above EQ or turning the top 2 treble EQ bars to max, this speaker is very rolled off in the treble and will rank around #50 in the rankings. Bassup mode is worse than Signature. Not quite as detailed or neutral as higher ranked speakers. Slight bass distortion when turned up.
Full Soundcore Motion 300 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 216ms ldac, 200ms aac, 116ms sbc |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.6" x 2" (200 x 92 x 50 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50.8mm (2") full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (9 band with adjustable frequency) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 101dB |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Output Power | 30W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 772 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen & Soundcore Motion 300 sound test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Travel Speakers! Soundcore Motion 300 or Bose Flex or Tribit Stormbow Flow More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Motion 300 or JBL Flip 6 or Soundcore Boost v2? we all have issues!
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: On A Ledge 🪟 Soundcore Motion 300 vs Tozo PA1 ⚒ Battle of the Budget Handheld Bluetooth Speakers More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex “Inspired” Speakers
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Motion 300 vs VIFA Helsinki
- Oluv Patreon: (Anker) Soundcore Motion 300 - first impressions
- New Stuff TV 2: Sony ULT Field 1 vs JBL Flip 6, JBL Charge 5 & Soundcore Motion 300
- Storytripper HD: Klipsch Nashville vs Harman Kardon Luna vs Soundcore Motion 300 More from storytripperhd →
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Motion 300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Soundcore Motion+
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Minirig 4
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge 6
- See all 91 comparisons
Harman Kardon Esquire 2: $200 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Doubles as a conferencing speakerphone with a 4-mic array and noise/echo cancellation. Flat, compact design packs easily. USB charge-out for topping off a phone.
Cons: Bass is weak, vocal and instrument separation is underwhelming and sounds tinny at high volume. Discontinued.
Full Harman Kardon Esquire 2 review and specifications →
| Aux Input | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.5" x 5.1" x 1.3" (190 x 130 x 34 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 4x 1.25" (32mm) full-range drivers |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 16W |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs / 0.35 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs LG Xboom XG5
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs Ultimate Ears Roll 2
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs LG Xboom Go PL5
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs Sony SRS-XE200
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Mini+
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4
- Harman Kardon Esquire 2 vs W-King D8 Mini
- See all 71 comparisons