Soundcore Select 4 Go Review: The Best Budget Speaker

Bryn De Kocks | January 9, 2025

At Just $30, There’s Little To Fault With The Select 4 Go

I try to avoid hyperboles when writing reviews, so take it to heart when I say the Soundcore Select Go 4 by Anker may just be the best $30 speaker on the market. I’ve spent a few weeks testing it out in all kinds of scenarios and while it’s not perfect, it hits the mark in most areas and achieves what few speakers under $50 can, a relatively powerful and clear sound.

In this review, I’ll run you through everything that brought me to this conclusion, as well as highlighting a few areas for improvement.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Select 4 Go comes with mobile app support and custom EQ.
  • Slightly louder than the similar-sized JBL Go 4.
  • Impressive, balanced sound that outperforms its price point.
  • Although impressive, in most areas, bass is quite limited.

Select 4 Go

Soundcore Select 4 Go Speaker
Release Date:Sept 2024
Playtime:Up to 20 Hours
Water Resistance:IP67
Wireless Stereo Pairing:No
Output:5 Watts 
Size:3.23 x 4.72 x 1.89″
Weight:9.3 oz

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an outdoor speaker on a budget, something that can accompany you on adventures or be used around the house for casual listening, the Select 4 Go is an excellent option. It performs similarly to the JBL GO 4 but at nearly half the price. While it lacks some bass, the sound is clear and vibrant.

What I Like:

  • Lightweight design
  • Controls include the ability to skip tracks backward
  • Sound quality surpassed my expectations
  • Good battery life

What I Don’t Like:

  • Lacks bass
  • Fabric wrap feels a little cheap
  • Collects dust and dirt quite easily on the rubber

The Select 4 Go Is A Small Speaker That Can Be Taken Anywhere

Soundcore Select 4 Go Front

With the Soundcore Select 4 Go being just over 3 inches long and weighing 9.3 oz, it’s an extremely easy-to-carry speaker that I found myself frequently placing in my pocket. 

The carry loop is a nice feature and when testing it out, I was surprised by how durable it was. It can take some serious force, and with the loop being made from a thick rope, I don’t see any problems occurring with it, even in the long term.

Compared to the similar JBL GO 4, the Soundcore Select 4 Go is slightly larger and marginally heavier, but both speakers are equally as suitable for taking outdoors with you on hikes or bike rides.

Although I went with the standard black version, I and many others appreciate the selection of various colors that it’s available in. Some are subtle and blend in, while others are more vibrant and lively.

The Select 4 Go Has A Relatively Durable Design Suitable For The Outdoors

Select 4 Go Speaker Feature

Most of the Select 4 Go is covered in a type of mesh, and this is unfortunately a somewhat weak point for the speaker. The mesh is made to look similar to that found on JBL speakers, but doesn’t feel as high quality. That’s because JBL has an actual interwoven material, while this speaker’s mesh is more of a mesh pattern.

This mesh is still pretty durable and it will protect the speaker from scratches, but I can see it potentially getting damaged if it hooks onto a tree or bush while you’re walking with it.

It can be played with the speaker facing the listener, or laid on its side with the speaker driver facing upwards if you’re looking for a broader dispersion of sound, for example, if you’re sitting with your friends between classes or hanging out around a campfire.

Use It In Any Weather Without Fear Of Damage

You get the same high-quality water resistance that most modern releases have, with the Select 4 Go sporting a highly durable IP67 water resistance rating. Use it around the pool, in the shower or even at the beach without fear of damage.

It can withstand any amount of rain and even survive in the pool as long as you don’t keep it under the water for more than 30 minutes or deeper than a meter.

To test the waterproofing firsthand, I ran a hose pipe over it for 15 minutes on medium pressure, followed by dunking it in my pool and then seeing how it held up. As expected, given my experience with other Soundcore products, the waterproofing is reliable and the speaker didn’t have any problems.

Just keep in mind that the charging port is located on the right side and it protects the USB-C charging port from damage when submerged, so always ensure that this is completely pushed in and well-seated before getting it wet.

Easy To Use, Comprehensive Controls

  • Offers the ability to skip tracks backward using the speaker.
  • Controls are easy to reach and consolidated to one panel.
Select 4 Go Controls

The controls are intuitive, easy to press, and more comprehensive than many larger, more expensive speakers on the market. That’s because the Select 4 Go not only supports track skipping forward but also skipping backward directly from the on-speaker controls.

This may seem like an exaggeration, but even the JBL flagship release, the Flip 6 doesn’t allow you to skip backward in tracks, an action that can only be done by using a phone.

All the buttons are laid out on the top of the speaker, and form part of a larger rubber panel that runs along and down the speaker and incorporates the charging port seal.

It’s here that you’ll be able to power the speaker on, pair it with your source device, change the volume, play/pause, and skip tracks (by double or triple tapping the play/pause button).

The Select 4 Go Uses The Latest in Bluetooth Technology But Lacks High-Fidelity Codec Support

  • It uses Bluetooth 5.4, resulting in decent latency and range.
  • The lack of high-fidelity codec support means Bluetooth 5.4 isn’t being utilized to its full potential.

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Select 4 Go has the latest in Bluetooth technology (5.4), which results in pretty impressive latency and range. You may still encounter some minor sync issues when streaming video, but for the most part, the performance is inline with larger, more expensive speakers like the JBL Charge 5 or Flip 6.

It would have been outstanding to have seen support for high-quality Bluetooth codecs, but given its $30 price point, I can understand why it’s not supported.

If you’re looking to improve soundstage or coverage, the Select 4 Go has the ability to be paired with another Select 4 Go to create a wireless stereo pairing. This splits the audio channels so that each speaker plays either left or right audio – adding nuance.

Don’t Expect Additional Features

If you’re looking for lighting effects, additional inputs or more advanced features, you won’t find them on the Soundcore Select 4 Go. Like many other modern releases, this speaker goes for a stripped-back design that focuses more on affordability and the bare essentials.

Mobile App Support

Another reason I find myself highly impressed by this speaker is the fact that it has a companion app which I frequently use to adjust how the speaker sounds. That’s cause it has a custom and preset EQ option which can be used to change how prevalent certain frequencies are. Want more bass? No problem, just dial up the bass on the graphic EQ. Want details to come through with more detail in windy conditions, dial up the treble.

It’s quite rare to find a speaker under $40 that comes with this kind of app support.

The Soundcore Go 4’s Sound Can Compete With The Best In Its Size Range

  • Although it lacks bass, the Select 4 Go has a bright and vibrant sound.
  • Despite its small size, it can reach very reasonable volume levels.
Soundcore Select 4 Go and JBL Go 4
Soundcore Select 4 GO (right) next to JBL’s Go 4 (Left)

When I discuss frequency response, I’m talking about how the bass, mids, and highs sound as a collective. Some speakers excel in one area and struggle in others and that isn’t unlike the Select 4 Go, which while having well-balanced mids and bright, vibrant highs, lacks some bass.

It’s not that this speaker is completely devoid of those lows, but the slightly smaller JBL GO 4 and the similar-sized Sony XB100 both have deeper bass.

Instead, the Select 4 Go has a sound signature that makes it sound best when used outdoors, that’s because of the slightly brighter tuning where highs come through a bit more aggressively. This results in vibrancy even in windy conditions and it’s not uncommon to see a treble-heavy sound given to speakers which are made for the outside.

Having the companion app can rectify some of the mediocre bass though, by dialing up the lows I’ve found I could improve the sound of the speaker and make it sound fuller.

And that’s not to say the Select 4 Go isn’t suitable for indoor use, it certainly is. Just that you aren’t going to get a punchy or deep bass out of it. Instead, its sound is better suited to casual listening, and at $30 – I couldn’t name a speaker that sounds better.

Soundstage & Dynamics

Two terms that relate to detail of the speaker, dynamics, and soundstage give an indication of how realistic and immersive the speaker sounds.

I found the dynamics surprisingly good, with impressive amounts of detail. The distinction between string instruments is better than on the JBL GO 4, which is nearly twice the price and even when compared to the more expensive Clip 5, this speaker can hold its own.

The soundstage is limited, but that’s something I expect from a single-driver speaker. Since there’s no separate tweeter, it means a single driver has to produce all sound – limiting the separation between frequencies. This causes the speaker to sound more like it’s playing sound at you than around you.

Soundcore Select 4 Go Review: The Best Budget Speaker 1

Volume

Back of Soundcore Select 4 Go

For its size, this speaker can get pretty loud. It can fill a small room or entertain a small group of friends sitting around a table. It won’t, however, be enough to cover a whole patio – especially in windy conditions.

When I ran volume tests on it, I found it was able to reliably produce 86.8 dB at a distance of 1 meter – which is pretty good for a speaker this size and aligns closely with Sony and JBL’s newer compact portable releases.

Price & Value

Here’s the thing…

Is the Soundcore Select 4 Go a ground-breaking speaker? Not at all. But how does it compare with other similarly priced speakers? Outstanding.

I’ve been using the JBL GO 4 and Clip 5 frequently and even wrote two long reviews on my experience using them. Those speakers were $49 and $79 respectively and their performance is about the same as the Select 4 Go from Soundcore.

There are even areas where the Select 4 Go performs better than the more expensive Go 4 from JBL.

So for the $30 price tag, I have no hesitancy in recommending this speaker to everyone wanting an affordable everyday Bluetooth speaker that’s easy to carry and easy to use.

My Final Thoughts

Finding a portable Bluetooth speaker on a budget can be challenging. There are always some sacrifices to make, but I’ve found the Select 4 Go to truly offer a lot of value with very little in the way of sacrifices. The mediocre bass is perhaps the only area where the Select 4 Go struggles, but with the custom EQ, there are ways to improve the lows. For $29, this speaker offers a lot more than just its money’s worth. I’m going to soon be adding it to my picks of the best small Bluetooth speakers.

Soundcore Select 4 Go
Affordable, rugged and extremely easy to carry – the Soundcore Select 4 Go is an impressive speaker that outperforms many of the more expensive alternatives.

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Author: Bryn De Kocks

Bryn has worked in the field for several years, writing in-depth speaker reviews for various audio publications. His work has historically focused on headphones and Bluetooth speakers, while incorporating his understanding of the Bluetooth speaker market to help educate potential buyers.

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Originally Published: December 29, 2024

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