Ignoring the app for a moment, controls on the Soundcore X500 are incredibly simple and go through six buttons — five of which only really do one thing. In order, from left to right, there’s a power button, a Bluetooth button, an equalizer control, volume down, play/pause, and volume up.
Most functions, including skipping songs, can be achieved by tapping or holding the power button in several ways. This is convenient when you’re used to it, but will require some time with the manual to get everything down. Of course, it’s connected to your phone via Bluetooth so you can just control it all through that. If you’re using Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music — anything you do to that particular app will reflect through the speaker itself. We found ourselves lamenting the lack of a remote briefly before remembering that the remote we were looking for was remote was the multi-functional device we have in our pocket.
Yes, Soundcore could have tacked things on here. But after actually using the speaker, you realize that’d just be a case of adding expense and complexity where it isn’t needed.
