Anker is recalling nearly 80,000 Bluetooth speakers due to fire hazards. Check if you own a potentially dangerous model
- Anker is recalling its Soundcore and PowerConf Bluetooth speakers
- The company received 33 reports of the speakers’ lithium-ion batteries overheating and in some cases causing smoke
- Anker has said it will replace all speakers with affected SN codes
In what has been a tough month for overheated audio products, Anker is the latest manufacturer to ask high-profile buyers to return items. The Chinese technology manufacturer does reminiscent of the Soundcore and PowerConf Bluetooth speakers after receiving 33 complaints about the overheating of the lithium-ion batteries, which in some cases caused smoke or even small fires.
Are you the owner of an affected model? First, the speakers were sold exclusively on Amazon in 2023. The affected models are: A3102016, A3302011 and A3302031 and, according to the American company, cost between $28 and $130. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
As first reported by The edgethe CPSC confirms that Anker and Amazon have contacted all known purchasers and that the affected speakers can be identified by an SN code printed on the bottom of each speaker. To check if your device or devices are potentially dangerous, you can type the SN code on Anker’s website. Anker has said it will offer free replacement speakers to those affected.
According to the report, approximately 69,000 of these speakers were sold in the US, and another 9,764 in Canada. Anyone who owns a recalled speaker is advised to immediately stop using it, ensure it is turned off and disconnect the speaker from any chargers or external power sources.
Smoke on the water (and also from speakers and earplugs)
This isn’t the first instance of smoking batteries in portable audio equipment that we’ve noticed this month. Just a few weeks ago, Audio-Technica was forced to warn customers that certain batches of its cheap 2024 earbuds had a similar overheating problem (and in fact, the company had a similar problem a few years ago and published a product safety notice for the ATH-CK3TW earbuds due to another overheating issue with the charging case).
Anker and Audio-Technica are not the only ones here either. On November 28, Belkin was also forced to issue a recall for its BoostCharge Pro (model number BPD005) power bank, adding that the model could pose a fire risk due to a manufacturing defect now known to cause overheating.
But back to Anker, and the company’s products (which are often backed by proprietary temperature control technology, like Anker ActiveShield 2.0) are otherwise 100% non-flammable, right? Well no. The company makes some of the best power banks we’ve tested, but seems to have had increasing problems with manufacturing defects this year – with a further recall affecting three more of its smartphone backup batteries in September 2024.
And that’s not all. In June, Anker announced it is recalling its popular 321 Power Bank, Soundcore A3102 Speaker, and A3302 Speakerphone due to the potential fire hazard of these lithium-ion batteries.
Obviously these cases are rare, considering the hundreds of excellent Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, power banks and basically technology in general that will hit the market in 2024. We just hope that none of these specific companies start advertising “red hot sales” or “smoke deals.” soon…