Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling
Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones with Multiple Modes, Hi-Res Sound, Custom EQ via App, 40H Playtime, Comfortable Fit, Bluetooth Headphones, Multipoint Connectio
Active Noise Cancelling
Dual noise-detecting microphones pick up and filter out up to 95% of low-frequency sound.
Multi-Mode ANC: Transport
Up to 95% of engine noise is cancelled out, so you can sit back and relax during flights.
Multi-Mode ANC: Outdoor
The sound of traffic and wind noise are blocked out so you can focus on your music.
Multi-Mode ANC: Indoor
Indoor mode adjusts the noise cancelling to suit quieter locations while still blocking out noise.
Pressure-Free Comfort
Life Q30’s ultra-soft protein leather earcups with memory foam padding fit snugly over your ears, while the lightweight build ensures they sit comfortably in place for long listening sessions.
Transparency Mode
Let the sounds of the world into your personal space by pressing the right earcup for 1-2 seconds to activate Transparency mode. Ideal for when you need to speak to people or want to hear traffic.
Multi-Point Connection
Connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time to switch between calls, video conferencing, music, and more without needing to reconnect.
Fast Pairing
Life Q30 active noise cancelling headphones are compatible with NFC Pairing, just tap your Android phone on the right earcup to connect.
Soundcore App
Select a noise cancellation mode, choose from 22 EQ presets or customize your own, and tailor your own white noise soundscape for when you need to rest.
Convenient Storage
Compare Soundcore Headphones
 Life Q30 |  Life Q20 |  Life Q20＋ |  Life Q35 | |
| Sound | Hi-Res, Customized EQ | Hi-Res, BassUp, Dual EQ modes | Hi-Res, Customized EQ | Hi-Res, Customized EQ, LDAC |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Hybrid ANC with multiple modes | Hybrid ANC | Hybrid ANC, Transparency | Hybrid ANC with multiple modes |
| Playtime | 60H (ANC off), 40H (ANC on) | 60H (ANC off), 40H (ANC on) | 60H (ANC off), 40H (ANC on) | 60H (ANC off), 40H (ANC on) |
| Fast Charging | 5 mins = 4 hrs | 5 mins = 4 hrs | 5 mins = 4 hrs | 5 mins = 4 hrs |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5, AUX, NFC | Bluetooth 5, AUX | Bluetooth 5, AUX | Bluetooth 5, AUX with mic, NFC |
| Calls | 2 mics | Single mic | Single mic | 2 mics with AI algorithm |
| Charging Port | USB-C | Micro-USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Soundcore App | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Recommended For | Travel, flight, train, commute | Travel, flight, train, commute | Travel, home office, study | Travel, flight, train, commute |
Key Features
Hi-Res Sound: Life Q30 active noise cancelling headphones have 40mm drivers that reproduce treble up to 40kHz for full-bodied sound with excellent clarity.
Multiple Noise Cancellation Modes: Choose from Transport, Indoor, or Outdoor modes to maximize the active noise cancellation’s effect depending on where you’re listening.
Calls with Excellent Clarity: Enhanced voice pick-up and noise reduction ensure you’re heard clearly while using Life Q30 active noise cancelling headphones for calls.
Lightweight Build: Life Q30 active noise cancelling headphones weigh just over 9oz (260g) and have memory foam earcups with a protein leather cover for all-day comfort.
Ergonomic Design: Life Q30’s earcups rotate by up to 15° to adjust to the shape of your head and its headband can also be adjusted for a more comfortable, secure fit.
| Dimensions: | 19.5 x 18 x 7.8 cm; 263.08 Grams |
| Model: | A3028031 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
| Manufacture: | Anker |
| Dimensions: | 19.5 x 18 x 7.8 cm; 263.08 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
Bought a pair for my wife I liked mine so much. Bettery charge lasts ok.
I use them on air flights, even without playing anything .. reduces engine noise massively, makes sleeping easier.
Obviously not 100% external noise cancellarion … maybe 80-90%? Good enough.
I bought a pair of these last year for my son who wanted quiet to study for his ‘A’ levels. This pair were for my daughter who also wanted peace and quiet. My daughter is very pleased as they connect automatically to her Iphone and work really well.
A bargain at the price, and the sound quality is excellent. If you download the app you get noise cancelling ( which cancels out exterior music really well) you get different audio settings for different music styles,which brings out the best recording quality of each style. This is a fantastic product, as a musician I highly recommend it.
The fit of these headphones is comfortable for me, and the sound is good. The controls don’t seem to work according to the instructions. I don’t hear any effect of noise cancelling compared to my old headphones, and the indicators don’t light up.
From turtle beach breaking after 2 weeks to 20 ones lasting me 5+ months so I’ve been very wary of “named” brands. Gave these a shot and I could kick myself for not ordering these sooner.
I simply do not care if these break after 3 months I will keep ordering.
The sound is spectacular, I liking hearing base without having my ear drums ringing and these do the job spot on.
Was worried that they would be bad do to reviews, but their perfect, the only issue is when you hold down on the right side for 2-3 seconds it goes into transparency mode, which is just enough time to accidentally trigger it when removing the headphones and putting them on, likewise I’ve had to now get into the habit of rest my head on my hand on my left side
Bought these after reading some of the positive reviews. Must say that I am not disappointed. Just used them on a long flight down to Africa where they were comfortable to wear for the duration of the 8 hour flight and no issues with the battery either. Both for music and nopise cancelling I can see no problem. Not sure how much worse they are from a quality and expensive set of Bose headphones but for the price paid they do a fantastic job. Recommended.
Considered going with one of the upgraded versions and spending a bit more but decided there was no point paying an extra 40 when I have no complaints with these.
The battery lasts ages
They are super comfy I regularly wear them for several hours at a time at work and the noise cancelling is decent, it does a great job of cutting out a particularly annoying coworker
Bonus points for the fact that they were reduced by 30 from when I brought them previously so for less than 50 don’t even question it just buy them. I would still have happily repurchased had they been the price i paid last time of 79.99
Noice cancelling: Great, no complaints at all, it works very well, still amazes me as I go and stand next to the washing machine when it’s running, put the headphones on, and wow what a difference. Sound quality is nice, not too bassy, but is improved by tinkering with the in app EQ settings. Ambient mode works well, and it’s got a push to talk function by pressing the right earcup, which I didn’t even realise until I saw a youtube video about it.
Price: Astonishing really for what you get, these are always on a deal of some kind, so if they aren’t currently, you can wait for a price drop, think I picked these up around about the 55 mark which really isn’t bad at all.
For what you’re paying ,the headphones are very good . They don’t 100% sound cancel ,even when sound canceling mode is activated but it does muff voices and noises. You can still hear cars driving (quieter than it would be if your ears where freely listening without headphone’s one) .
You can still hear people talking ,(even when sound canceling mode is on) especially in loud spaces like (classrooms , office’s ,train stations ,shopping centres).
It helps with sensory issues but its not the best headset
Needless to say the headphones take the edge off of the loud overwhelming sounds of the world .
I am not an expert on all of the headphones out there but I have been using them for a number of decades.
These headphones are way better than I expected for the price. I often work in a noisy environment so I thought it was about time to get a pair.
The noise cancelling feature turned the surrounding sound down a lot so this means that I don’t have to turn my music up. I also have to make calls whilst working and I have had no comments about the sound quality from the other callers.
For the price I think it is an excellent buy.
These headphones fit great they have plenty of adjustability. They are easy to use and connect to multiple devices, I have them linked to my phone and laptop. The range of them is really good. I can move from my laptop at the front of the house to my kitchen at the rear and they don’t miss a beat, no interference or change in sound quality.
They fold away into their pouch nice and easy. I like the blue colouring, they look like a quality product. I have only had them around a month so can’t talk to the durability but they seem well built and show no early signs of deteriorating.
Before I get into it I would like to say at the time of purchase I had done my research both on here and on YouTube. I can’t remember exactly the specifics types that were used to compare. But these were the best to buy without completely breaking the bank. I’m not a techy person nor am I knowledgeable on music terms.
Pros:
When I first bought this the sound of the base was astronomically better than my skullcandy earphones.
I love the customisation of sound type and noise cancellation: the ability to switch between indoor, outdoor and transport, transparency or normal.
The battery life is about 12 hours but in short bursts the battery life can last up to 3-6 days in use and not used 5-10 days.
The charger used is USBC making so that it can be charged with longer leads not just the one that came with it.
The fact that you can connect to two devices at the same time is insane, I used this with my phone and iPad and it works perfectly just make sure to pause on the other device.
Due to it being active noise cancelling you don’t need the music too high either, you become oblivious to the outside world.
I can wear these for hours and never feel a dull ache or pain, ear ache is no more.
Cons:
Over the last two years I have noticed a decline in sound quality, the base feels shallow and the sound comes out almost muffled. The clarity of the music and the quality might not be the same as it was before but the experience isn’t hindered by it.
I’ve also noticed the left ear cushion has lifted and the cover is coming off, again this is not an issue for me.
Overall, the headphones are amazing still. I’ve taken a star off just because the sound quality has dropped over time and that the cushion is coming off. Everything I have stated is my personal opinion I do recommend still doing extensive research both on here and elsewhere. These might not be the best to buy in 2023 or 2024 anymore but for someone who just wants an inexpensive product that can rival brands like Sony, Bose, Skullcandy, and JBL then by all means by this.
Maybe in the next sale I’ll get the Q45.
For the price, great headphones and very good sound. I do like Bass on my headphones and earphones, and these matched what I was after.
What I do like about them as well is that you can still use the aux connection if you are wanting to use them with an older device, obviously, just lose the noise cancelling function. So all round, very good and would recommend.
These headphones were bought for around 60 and for that price they are fine. Playing around with the graphic equaliser can give a nice although not brilliant sound. The main disappointment is the noise cancellation or lack of. Even using the dedicated app outside interfere is noticeable and annoying. I bought these as a stop gap after the battery life on my more expensive ear buds has become drastically reduced. Positives are that the sound quality is reasonably good and they’re extremely easy to plug and play with iPhone, iPad & tv. The only negative is that I would prefer better noice cancellation although it might be adequate for others and also you have to be realistic about expectations at this price point.
I was generally impressed with the product for the price paid.
The most positive quality of these headphones would be how comfortable they are. The padding on the speakers themselves and at the top of the headphones make it so you can wear them for hours without a headache. I would say the noise cancellation isn’t as good as i expected but for the price you can’t go wrong
When it comes to consumer electronics I normally shy away from lesser known brands, but I took a punt a while ago on a portable Anker speaker so when I decided I need a new set of headphones, these caught my eye. As my head is on the larger side, I was pleased to see reviews that indicated that this would not be an issue for me, and so far they are comfortable to wear on their own, or over a baseball cap & both with and without wearing glasses. As far as the sound quality goes, I’m mainly listening to hard rock & metal mp3s and streams on the go, so quality is as good as it needs to be and meets my needs. For the price, these were a great buy and once again I’m impressed by Anker.
Let’s start by saying you don’t need to spend on a wicked pair of headphones. These Anker Q30 have exceeded my expectations by far and compared to the Bose, blow them out the water.
For 53 these Anker Q30 are ridiculously good for the price range. Remember, you’re paying for the name on the expensive stuff.
The sound quality is better than the Bose, especially with the app, which you can change the frequencies.
The Active Nosie cancellation is brilliant. The Bose also has great NC. There’s no sacrifice in quality just because these headphones are cheaper.
The fit, in my opinion is better, as there’s less pressure on the ear area, the cups fit much better over the ear. The cushioning on the head band is far superior than the Bose.
The actual build quality for 53 is noticeable better too. They feel well built and robust.
Anker Q30 is a fantastic choice if you want top quality without the silly price!!!
I’ve been looking for some good over ear Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones for a while. Obviously I wanted Bose but not prepared to pay 250 for them.
In all my research, these headphones kept coming up as the top rated under 100. For 53, they are a right bargain, absolutely top class. The EQ needs adjusting on the app as default is bass heavy (which is really easy) but once done, feck me, they are belting. The noise cancelling is brilliant, much better than I thought it would be and the sound quality is immense.
These are as good if not better than my music studio pro level Sennheisers which cost a fortune. Made up with them. Bought them primarily to wear on a plane and I’m 100% certain with the noise cancelling I won’t hear anything else but music or video. If they are on offer, just buy them. You, like me, will think they are a steal!
Then one day I purchase Soundcore noise cancelling headphones. Activating the sound cancelling was like a revelation – the same level of awakening I get when listening to the 2001 A Space Odyssey theme – trully a new world. You will never get a complete silence but it was night and day. The quality of sound is excellent – the battery life impressive when a full charge is complete – added bonus, at work, the presence of such intimidating headphones means that no attempt is made at small talk in the staff room.
Worth every penny.
I got this on Prime Day at such a good price and am impressed with the noise cancellation. I use it to get my lectures done at the library and the ANC feature is such a life saver, but it only works while using the headphones wireless which is the only downside.
I am extremely impressed with these Anker headphones. They are comfortable and do pull a great base punch. They are just as impressive as headphones from other manufacturers that are twice or three times the price. I’m going to buy a couple more for my wife and son over the coming days.
Well done Anker. I love your products. Been super impressed with your powerbanks, iPhone/iPad cables, adapters etc and decided to try out these headphones and I’m hugely impressed. Well done yet again. A very satisfied customer.
he sound is poor, not natural, bass overdone… only way to fix is to install app and set the equiliser from it. It then remembers the setting and works great. But this is only when wireless, connect via cable and it becimes very poor. For those who only use wireless I would say great. For those who use wired – bad
I love these headphones, can’t recommend them enough.
They are super comfy for extended listening, the sound isolation is more than adequate and the sound quality I find excellent. There is also a great app with the headphones to shape the EQ (this makes a huge difference to the sound as you can tailor the sound profile to different musical genres).
When I bought these I was considering some Bose or Sony’s (about 4 times the price) but I have been really happy with these. I’ve not owned the higher price Bose or Sony ones but when I tried them in a store I didn’t notice much difference to the Soundcore Q30.
I’d buy them again in a heartbeat.
Other reviews here don’t seem very complementary of the noise cancelling, but I have to say compared to my other more expensive pair I keep at work these are stellar. When you have ANC turned on they’ve been effective at cancelling out everything from heavy rainstorms, the washing machine across the room and my wife coming home from work and talking to me. without me seeing. The transparent and normal modes are not vastly different from one another, but there’s a bit more sense of what’s going on around you with transparency on than with a normal closed cup set – particularly at the high end.
Sound quality is fine. They’re not studio quality, but for the price you wouldn’t expect them to be. They produce a decent clean open sound. Out of the box they have a pleasant sound balance – plenty enough bass, mids and highs. The high end of the mids could be a bit more lively, but they’re fine. For the price I’d say they were outstanding.
I’m not a huge fan of the buttons on the cups – particularly the transparency control which is essentially a touch control on the middle of the left cup -but they’re liveable.
Overall, very pleased. If you want a decent set of flexible headphones for the office or watching TV or something give them a go.
For 1st use set up a custom EQ with EVERYTHING set to 0-DB, (The reason is the default setting is boosting too much low end bass… Hence sound reviews advising too bassy).
Once you’ve done this you can now hear the true sound of the headphones, which is a very high standard (the test is via Bluetooth v5.2).
In regards to sound on any speakers, a bad original source i.e. 128kb MP3. will sound bad regardless you can just hear more clearly how bad the audio file is on higher quality speaker/ headphones. (It’s the equivalent of having a 4KTV, playing a 480p video file then complaining about the picture)!
Now that’s out the way…
Bluetooth connection: Stable & no connection issues. (For those have an issue… It’s YOUR phone or connected devices, troubleshoot b4 blaming the headphones, learn how Android OS works it’s a computer in yr hand so it does need to be maintained & used properly to get the most out of it as with any product)
Sound Performance: All supported codecs work very well, tested with uncompressed wave files, VLC internet streaming & Mixcloud app).
Soundcore App: Overall it’s a nicely designed interface, simple to use.
There are minor issues with the EQ sliders when adjusting the steps to incriminate up/ down when trying to find tune by +1 DB/ -1 DB. It will just need some tweaking by the app development team to make it a better response when a slider has focus.
A simple fix would be to add a button to adjust the EQ levels up/ down when the slider a user wants to change has focus (i.e. has been tapped).
More EQ bands should be added for more fine tuning which could be activated under an ‘Advanced’ setting.
Controls: No issues with hardware physical buttons.
NFC Pairing: No issues.
I’m not an audiophile or enthusiast by any means, I just want something that plays music and can connect to my laptop/Xbox to play my games with in the evening. And this does that and more! My AirPods were dying after two years and an accidental drowning in my washing machine, so I wanted something different that wouldn’t cost me as much.
There are many different versions of the soundcore headphones to choose from, e.g. Q20s, 30, 35, 45. But I watched a few reviews and I went with these, and I am so glad I did! Audio is crisp, clear and Bluetooth connectivity is so simple, it immediately connected to my phone. Plus, they are insanely comfortable. I was worried because I’ve had previous experiences where headphones give me headaches by pressing on my glasses, but so far I’ve worn these for hours and no issues!!
The noise cancelling is OK. It’s not the sorta level you’re gonna get with the more expensive brands, but it works! Microphone is also Ok. Nothing mind blowing, but again you’re paying a great price for something worth it. Have only had these a couple hours so can’t comment on much else, but when I go on holiday next year I am looking forward to seeing how they measure up on the plane
So onto the head phones, I found them to fit my small head very well and didn’t slide off as they go over the ear not on top. Sound is fine in fact I thought it brilliant but purists will disagree but they’re not 200 plus headphones. Noise cancelling was very easy to operate by just gently putting your hand on the right earpiece which either turns it on or off. Cancelling for me was fine, I couldn’t hear anyone talking around me and that includes noisy children. Wow! how loud they are when you switch cancelling off, I could just hear pilots announcements and I mean only just (had to switch off so I could hear properly), aircraft noise was I thought very minimal just a slight shhhsing, turn volume up one notch and its gone.
All in all a great buy and glad I didn’t listen to reviews saying you can’t use bluetooth noise cancelling on a flight, YES YOU CAN!, just make sure you’re device is in flight mode which is standard procedure any way.
Really liked these headphones but a split developed on the rotating component on the right side – it still works but doesn’t always fit snugly against the ear and it will probably only get worse. However while they lasted – for around 15 months, with daily use probably averaging a couple of hours – they did the job well. Effective noise cancellation. Download the app to control the different settings (transparency vs. noise cancellation, eg – there are also settings for indoor/outdoor/transport). A slight bugbear was having to press down on the power button to turn them off – it takes a good few seconds, and you have to make sure the power light goes to red (off) otherwise they’ll still be on when you’re not using them and the battery will drain. Would be better with an ‘easier’ off switch. But that’s a small point – they’re also very lightweight and portable.
For the price, these are great. Very good sound quality and battery life. Noise cancellation is fine. Don’t notice much difference between the settings tbh but it is decent. They’re comfortable too, they don’t press into you much although that does mean they’re prone to sliding if your head isn’t upright if working out etc. But they’re great for work / commuting
These are very cool headphones for the price! excellent noise suppression! sounding great! I was very pleased with the case in stock, comfortable, and the headphones fold very well. the headphones themselves are light, very comfortable, almost not felt on the head! very satisfied with the product! So far so good, I hope there will be no surprises in the future! Of course, it’s not very pleasant that after a couple of days the price fell by 27, even a little insulting (((
Initially, I connected these to my phone, and thought they sounded awful with the ‘signature’ sound, very muffled, and thought what have I done! I really cannot imagine anyone wanting to listen to them the way they arrive. I then downloaded the Soundcore app, and was very pleased once I’d adjusted them to my liking. They sound truly phenomenal for the money.
I then had real trouble getting these connected to my Avantree transmitter/receiver which was concerning, as my main reason for buying these was to connect to my TV.
They simply refused to at first, then after numerous attempts, they decided to, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Volume is sufficient, but not blisteringly loud, so be aware. There’s no noticeable audio lag when connected to the TV for me.
I was going to buy a cheaper pair, but now they’re connected I’m very happy with these, the adjustable EQ being the main selling point for me, the ANC is good, they’re decently made, and the case they come with is decent quality. Plus, of course the sound quality really is a cut above for the money.
My only frustration was getting them connected, and I sent an email to Soundcore asking for advice, and was a little disappointed to receive an automatic reply detailing steps I’d already researched on the net.
Honestly some of the best battery life I’ve had in an electronic item EVER. Not just in headphones, I mean flat out any electronic. The noise cancellation could be better – but it’s definitely top tier for its price point.
My only real gripe with this product is the “easy access” hand waving bit for the noise cancellation. The thing changes to transparency just if I lean towards my shoulder. But somehow when I tap it or wave my hand it does nothing! I don’t particularly WANT (definitely don’t NEED) that feature so it doesn’t bother me that it doesn’t work well, but it DOES get annoying that it randomly changes if I tilt my head for too long.
Definitely recommend the product! It’s such a nice, subtle pink as well. Just… maybe not for you if you’re a head tilter.
So far I have only had the need to use the ‘indoor’ ANC, but it worked superbly.
The headphones have superb battery life, but I always charge overnight anyway, so as long as I get around 10 hours per day, I am ok. Having an extra 30, or so, hours before the need to charge, is always a bonus.
The headphones fold up nicely into the provided hard case, so am in no danger of damaging them when they are, for example, in a suitcase.
However, I do have one minor gripe. If the volume is too high, there is significant noise bleed from the headphones. I recently upgraded from the Q20, which didn’t suffer any noise bleed, so I am not sure why the more expensive Q30 has this problem. Plus, even though I ordered the dark blue and the box label said ‘blue’ the ones I received are definitely black. No great shakes and I can’t see them when I am wearing them anyway!
All-in-all, the Souncore Life Q30 headphones represent superb value for money and definitely punch above their price point.
I’ve been searching for a modest priced headset with quality and my word these headphones tick every box possible.
From the comfort & fit to the quality of sound & bass is unreal. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
The sound core app allows you to creat your own equaliser to your taste which is fantastic as we all love our own twist on the music we listen to.
The noice cancellation is fantastic, no more screeching train tracks ruining my ears, just high quality music to make my journeys more enjoyable!
5 stars is all I could give, definitely worth more. An absolute steal for the price and quality!
I recently lost a very nice pair of Sony WH900N headphones. I had them for years and they were awesome.
Not wanting to spend another 200 I opted for these. Initial thoughts are, they’re comfy, the sound is rich and deep. The buttons on the outside look a bit… Meh, but honestly. If they last more than 18months they’ll be a brilliant purchase. They came 50% charged, we’re a doddle to connect to my android phone and the case is good. All in all a good buy. I’ll update at the 6 month stage for durability.
I have fibromyalgia which can mean that too much noise is actually painful, and so these allow me to be able to block out unwanted noise, but if I don’t play music I can still have a conversation easily with the noise cancelling feature on.
I also love that the app allows you to “mix” your own equaliser, so that you get to choose whether you want bass, volume, clarity, echo etc. You can also connect to two devices which is great when I am at uni and don’t want to play things on my phone out loud but I am working on my iPad.
Overall, for a disabled & neurodivergent person I cannot recommend these enough, they are my go-to headphones. I am writing this review after once again, yelling “OH JESUS” whilst bumping into someone who I didn’t hear was there. So, pretty good value for money I’d say!
Sound quality on these headphones are amazing first of all. The noise cancelling is also top notch cant hear any background noise at all when its turned on. The dual connection is also a good feature as i can switch from one connected device to another without hassle, just pressing the play button a couple of times, however it isnt smooth switching.
Only downside i had is that i do use it quite often and the padding on the cups arent as springy as i wouldve liked, after a month of use they do tend to deflate and are not as comfy as before. The touch sensitivity on the right cup for noise cancelling is also very sensitive so often times noise cancelling will just turn on/off if you accidentally touch the right ear cup for like 2 seconds.
For the price with promotion the headphones are good for what it is. It comes with a solid case and the 3.5mm jack. However, to obtain a good noise cancellation i.e. if some one next to you talking you can still hear their mumble therefore you’d need to put the volume up about 70% which also risks sound leak.
I have to say comparison to Sony WH-CH720, sony’s NC is a lot better but obviously dearer.
Also, i notice if you fall asleep and put pressure on the headphone, you get this high pitch deafening sound not sure if its a fault or safety sound before it breaks with pressure.
Overall sound is good, doesn’t get warm around the ear, battery is not too bad maybe a charge every 3-4 days on frequent use however i wish the noise cancellation was better.
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Sound canceling (ANC) on these matches some earphones I have tested 5 times the price! All I can say is I wish I had bought them sooner, yeah they are not perfect but will say they are the best budget earphones I have ever used.
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I will tell you how good these earphones are, in my house, I have 3 fish tanks, and each fish tank has a pump motor that is supposed to be silent, but if anyone knows fish tanks and aquarists, air pumps even when silent do vibrate and hum.
I can normally hear my fish tanks from the kitchen when I watch a movie or listen to the radio in the lounge.
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I put these ANKER LIFE Q30 headphones/earphones on and it is sheer bliss, the ANC works so good it blocks out the sound of my fish tank pumps completely, which I never really expected. I can now watch movies in near silence if I want, plus I am also amazed at how long the battery life lasts. I charged them up once and have not needed to recharge them as yet.
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By far my best headphone purchase ever!!
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Note: It is worthwhile checking Youtube too where you will see some good videos on how the ANC works and blocks different frequencies and noise. There were also a couple of less good reviews online, however I think that was due to the fact that the testers did not fully understand the ANC frequencies which were being blocked, and the environments they were being used in.
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Safely say my best buy on AMAZON in years, and I love using these headphones too, on another positive note using these connected to my Android phone along with a tinnitus app now helps me alleviate my tinnitus too!!
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Now, that is a WIN-WIN!!
When originally looking for a pair of ANC headphones, I was looking at the Bose Quiet Comfort range, and air pods max. Ultimately price was an issue and after reading lots of reviews online and YouTube I settled on these, and was able to purchase them with a 20% discount at the time.
In short, for the price I paid, I am more than impressed. The noise cancellation although not to Bose standard, is very good. I have used these indoor and outdoor and am impressed at the level of noise they remove. I can easily keep the volume to less than 50% indoors whilst a washing machine/tumble dryer/tv/rowdy children are making noise and not have the listening experience affected. Outdoors is a similar experience with wind or crowded spaces.
Comfort wise they are fine. I don’t really feel the ear cups and have had them on up to an hour at a time. It is worth noting though that their form is a little bulky (see photo), although this isn’t really much of an issue for me.
One of my favourite things about these is the transparency mode, which is very good, but I also like the way you can activate it by cupping the right headphone. I don’t really use the buttons on either side, preferring to control ANC or volume via my phone.
I have used these at the gym, and in a spin class. They are not sweat/waterproof and I knew this when purchasing them. Although they are fine for strength work, I wouldn’t use them on the bike again. The sweat just builds up around the ear and is uncomfortable.
Sound wise, spend a bit of time in the app sorting out the equaliser. I was not a fan of the signature sound (which really did sound muddy), and instead worked on my own custom equalisation. I’ve attached it in the photos as a starting point for others. I have to say however the app is really good, very easy to use and provides extras such as white noise for those who like it.
Overall I am really satisfied. I will definitely consider soundcore products again in the future.
Heading onto a long haul flight we needed some NC headphones as my old ones broke. These looked great so quickly bought 2 pairs. Alas once on the plane we found that when using the 3.5mm jack, to plug into the plane media system, these just switch off and become standard headphones. Just when you need them most the NC doesn’t work. We are now stuck abroad with expensive standard headphones. We will be returning them as their major purpose was for the flights. We are away for longer than the 30 days but have been promised that because we have logged our problem we can return them once we get home. They are now just a dead weight in our luggage. Shame because they looked so good.
Recently I lost my XM4s and I couldn’t afford to replace them so I opted for these. I have to use overhead in the gym.
And so I will be comparing my experience to those Sonys. And, these are great – they have a similar sound stage, I would argue. A bit on the narrow and shallow side. But still very dynamic to make my workouts fun on a day where I cannot motivate myself. There is a very usable EQ in the app. The app is also much more easy to use compared to Sony’s.
The ANC is about 80% of those XM4s. When the headphones are playing audio, most sound from the outside is almost indiscernible. But where it suffers is the passive sound isolation – the plastic is so light and the cushion padding is not as plush as more premium headphones, so it never sits completely sealed when I’m moving about (walking, workouts). But for 60, you really cannot and should not complain.
Performance wise, I feel like they are 90% as good as my XM4.
Finally build quality. This is the Q30’s weakest point. The plastic is cheap and the whole product feels cheap. But it does feel like it will last if you take care of it. It’s carry/travel case is also very good. Given that every other area of these 60 headphones performs so strongly, this feels like a necessary trade off.
If you can overlook the passable build quality, these are very very good headphones for the money you are paying.
Note my experience will differ from yours, hopefully it won’t and you will be extremely satisfied.
Also these are that good my household of four now have one each. All of which who love them, if they made them for the dog I would have gotten him some just for the anc alone, he must be sick of hearing fetch.
Cons
There is only one con for me, they removed the option of using ANC when wired, this Soundcore have removed from product description after realising you simply can’t mislead customers, but review sites still show this which they haven’t contacted reviewers to remove and it is littered all over their forums with backlash. Anker haven’t responded and haven’t reversed their decision. Which is ridiculous imo and bad customer service. Makes them untrustworthy imo.
Pro’s
Accessories: These come with a hard carry case which also includes a usb type c charging cable and a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can still use your headset wired if your battery runs out, iOS users who have a lightning port can buy a adapter that converts your lightning port to use a 3.5mm jack.
Comfort: The soundcore q20s where excellent for comfort and these are no exception they just took it that bit further and after a few hours of listening you get the odd oh I need to move these slightly but that’s it, the rest of the time it’s extremely comfortable.
ANC: It works and delivers an exceptional experience, everything I wanted ANC deliver wirelessly works, transparency mode also gives you the advantage of hearing the world around you and speak to others whilst having a conversation with someone else around you. The full on ANC mode is exceptional it blocked for me literally everything around me.
Sound Quality: Another reason to keep these it just delivers massive audio quality where it is imo for a headset I only paid 55.99 for packs a punch and is crystal clear. People keep saying they aren’t Bose headsets or Sonys. I’ve never owned either but I have listened to them in stores and they are exceptional quality, but being crucially honest the price difference and quality out of these does scream Buy the Q30s why wouldn’t you!
App: that excellent sound quality just goes one step further, the amount of presets you can change in the app is extremely welcome, but you can also change to a custom equaliser and you can edit away to your hearts content and find the perfects mids, bass etc to what you want.
NFC: Easy pairing for Android users with NFC. I’m a iOS user primarily so this I never tried, but it’s a handy feature to have, simply use nfc to tap on the headset and you should be able to pair the device rather quickly.
Ports and buttons: USB type C charging, which when your battery is getting low you can get a substantial amount of life back into these from so little time. USB Type C port is always welcome moving forward as we try to move away from Micro usb.
The buttons are the device has been criticised by some reviewers online as not being ideal, but I would contest this and say I prefer the click of a button opposed to gestures and the placements are perfectly fine. There is also a hidden sort of gesture button hidden on the right ear cuff so you can cycle through noise cancelling modes, but at the same time this can be a downside if your stretching a knock the gesture/hidden button it can be annoying.
I paid 55.99 which is a really good steal, they do go and retail now for around the 79.99 and even then it’s around the right price and is worth the money. Hence the reason for 5* Without the price point and knowing the distrust on the forums I would have to give 4*
Do think Anker need to respond to removing features from the headset that were their at launch and not use the whole “it improves sound quality” and review sites still advertise these features so damage control isn’t their either. Simply giving customers options to use which firmware they would prefer with wired and or wireless only and then being able to judge the sound quality accordingly should be a fairer outcome.
Quality, does what it says…. amazing sound and clarity, noise cancelling great…. Highly recommend
Amazing sound quality. The noise cancelling is great for when the misses starts nagging, you can block it all out with a press of a button!
Got this as a gift for a friend and she absolutely fell in love with the quality and especially the noise cancellatio
The sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life are great, just fits a bit awkwardly on your head
These are amazing value I got 20% off at checkout what a bargain superb sound quality love them highly recommend
The greatest thing about these headphones are the noise cancellation, without any of the software being active, noise is cancelled. Bass is also great. Recommend
As I cannot compare this product to the top sony’s etc., I am unable to say 5 stars to sound and so on – what I miss is a balance control in addittion to its equalizer.
Might be best thing I’ve bought that has a practical use.At work I forget they’re on and walk far away from My phone but it keeps playing good
These headphones have excellent noise cancellation, and with the app, you can choose which type of noise cancellation suits you best for your current situation. They are pretty comfortable; the band doesn’t squeeze your head or feel like a heavy weight resting on your noggin.
Was concerned about going wireless for hands free calls. Works well
Bought for a friend. She is very happy. Replaced AKG cans with fell apart after a yea
Headphones were delivered promptly. Paired with my PC very quickly and great sound. Noise cancellation could be a little better, but takes away 90% of extraneous noise
These are so good that good we bought a second pair. I honestly don’t think you can buy better headphones at this price point. They last a long time between charges, the case is great and the noise cancelling function works extremely well in the gym.
I wanted headphones for skipping rope as my airpods were falling off every minute. Such a nice purchase! Really nice bass, long battery and sound quality.
Sound quality is great
Battery life amazing with quick charge
Price = Worth it
Noise cancellation is good considering the price.
Have tried beats studio 3 before, Definitely better than beats in every aspect.
Recommended
Really good headset, why not 5 stars? Seem to be a little on the quiet side and the noise cancellation is ok rather than excellent. Good for the price point.
As everyone says these can sound amazing.
The mystery is that they are a bit meh straight out of the box…. why would the manufacturer do that.
Install the eq app on your phone and make the adjustments you will find on youtube and wow!
Do these cancel noise as good as top of the range Sony, no, but comparing the price these do a great job much better than similar priced headphones. The sound quality is really good the range of frequencies are handled pretty good from hard bass lines to the vocal all come through clearly.
They are great, however, microphone quality is terrible and simply impractical when outside.
Looks good, sounds good, easy to use. The app is easy to download and get everything started. I think the sound quality is really good for the price. They feel comfortable and the noise cancelling is so good I didn’t hear the hubster get in from work and call out to me, and he scared the bejesus out of me. All in all, very good headphones.
Very good crisp clear sound, only got it connected to my PC so did not need high spec or expensive headphones, and I did not want to buy “cheap as chips” ones. Very happy with them.
Very nice price, but the quality feels a bit cheap and so does the sound. Functionally, they all work well and has a lot of functions the same as other more expensive brands. Very comfortable
So impressed by the noise cancellation, it’s like magic. At the gym I put them on my head and already loads of sound is blocked out. But then I turn them on (without music) and it blocks out all the sound of the machines, even though there’s no music playing. I don’t understand how silence can block out sound!?
The case is lovely and they feel much nicer quality than similar priced ones I ordered at same time to compare. Only issue is I’d like them to go a bit smaller as I have a small head but I have that issue with any headphones
My only qualm is
Sound quality of these is superb, if you use the Soundcore app and set the EQ to your liking. The ANC is brilliant for the price range but if you want ANC that drowns out all noise even without music you may need to spend a bit more.
Great. Sound quality is good but not the best how ever, it’s great for the price
First pair of noise cancelling headphones I have bought. For the price I was a little worried how effective they would be on the plane. It’s not perfect but, miles better than trying to watch a movie without Noise cancelling. Really easy to pair to Bluetooth devices also. Only thing I would say is it would be nice to be able to change the type of noise cancelling on headphones rather than via app, but I’m being picky. Definitely good value on sale.
Bought these as I’m not prepared to mortgage the house to buy “named” brands. Delighted with the build , functionality and sound. Sound cancelling ok not the best, however a good deal for the price
I bought this headset by pure chance, as my friend recommended them after he tried 3 different brands.
I got them today and I have to say they are BRILLIANT. The app is great with multiple eq options, different settings and the headset does not hurt my ears either.
I am very happy with this purchase.
I love these tbh. i’ve never had really expensive headphones so i can’t compare quality but these are so good. I charged them fully overnight then went on an 18h road trip and they were perfect the whole time. After that they had still used only half the battery. The volume isn’t extremely loud but they are loud enough for me . the quality is great and they fit well. they have an adjustable band as well. The noise cancelling is great, i travel on a school bus every day and it blocks everyone out pretty much completely. Love these definitely would recommend!!
I’m not looking for an audiophile experience. Just looking for something cheap with reasonable sound. I got this on offer so it was cheap and the sound is actually very good. Had to play with the eq but now getting crisp treble, nice vocals and (I turned the bass down) a deep satisfying bass.
The noise cancelling is good, can’t wait to try these in a plane.
So overall they sound way better than they have the right to at this price. I can’t see any reason not to buy them if you just want an everyday pair of cans.
I will add that there is a label on the right headphone which looks like a peel-off “look at this feature” sort of label… Nope, it’s a proper sticky label and when I tried to remove it, it tore. It won’t be too tricky to sort out, but that’s really annoying. I don’t need a permanent sticker to tell me to touch here to enable transparency mode! That’s a minor gripe though.
Having come from a pair of Apple AirPod Max over-ear headphones at 549 that stopped working shortly after 12 months had passed and Apple wanted 279 to repair, these are a worthwhile replacement. Sure, they don’t have the same sound quality, but they will not cost a fortune to replace if they break.
I recommend them.
I’m not sure how many people have heard of misonphonia, but my girlfriend would confirm that it is a very real aversion to common noises that most people would not even notice.
We laugh about it, she is very tolerant as goes it, but she can find repetitive noises that continue for some time beyond her control unbearable at times. She therefore needed some noise cancelling headphones only for that purpose, and I would guess you could argue there could be no better tester of noise cancellation than my girlfriend 🙂
These were the first ones we tested purely on the basis of light research that suggested them a great choice in offering a fantastic noise cancelling (NC) bang for your buck…..
We did check these out in terms of music reproduction, and can only say they sounded sweet enough although she is unlikely to use them for that as prefers music through a Bluetooth player, so I’ll leave the music quality reviews to others on here for now….
In terms of noise cancelling we had the loan of a seriously expensive (400) pair of top range Sony NC headphones for outright comparison, so how did these sub 80 competitors perform against them according to my girlfriend against a test of music playing in the room at a uniform comfortable volume?
Let me just say that the Sony noise cancellation is utterly stunning. Although residual music could be heard , it was muted to the point that even my girlfriend could completely tolerate it and ignore it. Given the 5x price tag for the Sony’s (more like 7x as we purchased the Soundcores for 62 due to a discount voucher), this was completely expected. They produced absolutely zero white noise in any NC mode.
Over to the soundcores, and immediately it was obvious they were not in the same league, but none to shoddy nonetheless.
You are given 3 modes of NC (Indoor, Traffic, and Outdoor).
To generally compare these 3 modes, 2 of the modes do create a degree of cancellation white background noise. Traffic is the worst for white noise (yet generally best at cancelling noise), whilst Indoor is the exact opposite having practically zero white noise, but not being quite as generally effective as Traffic. Outdoor mode was somewhere between the two.
We tried all the modes in terms of their respected environmental suggestions, and concluded finding the best mode for different individual circumstances might just reflect individual experience and experimentation over a longer period of ownership.
Comparing the Indoor mode on these to the best NC mode on the Sony’s, we would both say that whereas the Sony’s achieved 4/5 for outright noise obliteration, the Soundcores produced what might be assessed as a score of 3/5.
This may sound a big discrepancy, but looking at the relative costs of these headphones, we found it extremely impressive.
Despite being not as good, they did smooth noise away generally adequately enough for my girlfriend to achieve a great deal of relief.
An unexpected bonus of the Soundcores over the Sony’s was that in the quietest indoor mode they actually seem to transport you to almost another place.. By that I mean you feel as if you are almost in a protected and comfortable space by them. White noise is absolutely at a minimum, but you feel as if you are almost in a cocoon (it is difficult to explain)..
Neither of us felt that the Sony’s had the same almost sophorific effect (be that a good thing for one or the other or not).. The Soundcores actually made me feel a bit sleepy, but to the extent I was imagining that I am not sure.
Earphone comfort for both pairs was similar.
On that basis I would certainly recommend the Soundcores to anyone wishing to find a bit of peace and tranquility.
Not sure I can add anything further beyond recommending these for those more interested in the NC mode than the audio ability, but recommend at least giving them a try first as goes their very low price.
Sure there is better out there, but given the fact that you can buy 5 pairs of these in place of 1 of the very best ones out there, I might suggest it may not really be worth going down that route unless you are a serious audiophile and/or money is no object.
Bought these for my husband during his recent hospital admission. Once he started to feel better he was unable to get any sleep due to the constant interruption for his medication, etc. and when not being treated the noise from other patients and the general ward noises. Once charged, they proved to be a good buy and worked very well. He could listen to the music on his phone, podcasts and even a football match clearly and without any external noise or interruptions and has continued to use them since coming home.
They are great value for money, as well as doing exactly what it says on the tin. I would recommend. Make a great inexpensive present.
I managed to snaffle a pair of these with a coupon for just over 60, and I have to say these are absolutely breathtaking for the price. The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and transparency modes perform perfectly adequately; however, it’s the sound quality that really shines.
I’ve been wearing headphones for most of my adult life, and these are by some distance the best sounding I’ve ever owned. If you can get past the basic look and build, you’ll be floored by the responsiveness of these. Out of the box they’re a little bottom-heavy (something I like), but this can be easily remedied via the app. The tops are bright without any mushiness, the mid-range is creamy.
Honestly stunned for this price and frankly, these compete with (and perhaps even beat) other headphones at or around the 300+ mark. If you’re in the market for an upgrade to those tired things you’ve been wearing for the last couple of years, these are the ones. Fantastic.
Having high-frequency hearing loss I was looking for a reasonably priced pair of headphones that had an app to adjust the sound frequency levels for use on TV, HiFi system ,Smartphone etc. Having read the reviews I decided on the Anker Q30 and they are brilliant. There are numerous preset equaliser settings plus the ability to customise which is something I have done for USA channels that I previously had difficulty hearing speech i.e Sky Atlantic. Only tinkered with the noise cancelling features as not something I really required but an added bonus is I can’t hear the wife when she is talking to me when wearing them. Highly recommended and a bargain at the at the price paid.
The sound is ridiculous for the price. This isn’t low budget anymore tbh (imo anything over 50 isn’t).
The base, treble etc are so distinctively clear and balanced. You’ll literally hear every beat. Sounds like a car blasting loud music from Bose speakers but in your ears.
The build is very light weight, soft, and easy to wear, comfortable.
The app, noise cancelling and co vary, the normal gives a clearly/less muffled sound but all settings have ridiculously good outputs.
Battery life is A1 too.
If not because I hate spending 200 on headphones I’d get the Sony. But this is great. 4.6 stars sounds perfect. I still use my Tribit Quiet Plus 72 which I’ve had for almost 2 years but the soundcore beats it when it comes to output quality. If any negatives come up, I will write. Don’t think twice. Buy it.
If you can find better headphones than these good luck to u as they are the best by far! the sound is amazing and bassy but u can also turn the bass down which helps, they are loud as hell trust me , and comfy as they should be unlike anyother head set that u can only wear for a short period these i wear all day and still not get sore ears or head. They are really worth the money like they say you pay less your going to get poor headphones but u pay extra and you get great headphones like these which are next level deffo buy if u want loud and not hear anything around u lol 😛
Overall nice product, feels comfortable and cups the ears nicely. Sound quality is good for the price with decent bass. Battery life is excellent too.
Using it on public transport with the ANC drowns out a lot of the background and works quite well. The only downside is the transparency mode. While it helps you to listen to conversations nearby, it seems to amplify a LOT of the background noise too making it nearly impossible to listen to music on this mode. It actually is worse than the normal mode in terms of listening to music.
However, aside from this particular mode, the product is very good for the price.
A great pair of headphones. I wear hearing aids and the ear cups are big enough to fit over them and are really comfortable. The sound is superb, crisp and clear. And with the addition of the Soundcore app, the tone is very adjustable, with many presets for different listening options and music styles and also a custom equaliser for your own settings. But the sound straight out of the box, although a bit bassy, still sounds great to me! Clarity of sound is good and I hear musical details in some tracks that I couldn’t hear with my old Sony wired earphones.
Noise cancelling function is good so far, but haven’t been on a plane yet so that remains to be seen.
Overall I am very impressed with them.
Great value for money too. Amazon had a special offer 20% off, so bought two pairs, one for me and one for my wife.
She thinks they sound great as well!
My Verdict/TLDR: Perfect for work
I use this for working from home. Due to my job nature, I do a minimum 15 of hours of Zoom calls every week. I also use it off work occasionally as well, maybe 1-2 hours per day. And the battery of this headphone is an absolute beast. I have used it for around 3 months. Usually, at the end of the week, I still have 50% of the battery left.
Its noise canceling and transparent mode is a bit meh when compared with AirPods pro gen 1. I think the sound quality is decent, but I also don’t have a great pair of ears. The mic quality seems alright as well.
I have a large head and these fit wonderfully. The ear cups are extremely comfortable, and encompass my whole ear without painful twisting or pressing. I can, and have, worm these for hours.
Sound quality is excellent. Bass is satisfying and vocals are clear even at high volume.
The sound cancelling could be a little more robust, but for most people I imagine this is more than enough. I’ve worn these in an office environment, on the train, and as a passenger in a car and have had no issues.
The microphone seems fine, and I am able to be heard clearly. However, there is an issue with ambient noise. Any background noise will be picked up and this makes taking calls in a busy environment a bit difficult.
The multi-tethering works great, as I have these headphones connected to my phone for music and my work laptop for unexpected calls. Bear in mind some specialised software may be a bit finicky with this however, such as making it hard to seamlessly switch between inputs if it’s hogging the connection.
Battery life is absolutely amazing.
Noting that I use these headphones every single day for several hours, they last for around two weeks on a single charge. Three days of travelling with constant use with noise cancellation on dropped the battery by only 15%.
These are brilliant headphones for the price. Highly recommended.
After trying a few different headphones, I thought I’d give this brand a go before spending a lot of money on a major brand. I have only had these for a very short period, so I cannot comment on the battery life at this time – but I can comment on my experience so far, which has been positive.
They do cancel external noise out well; I have used these in the gym and whilst outside my house when there has been building work going on – and they seem to cover the outside noise pretty well. The volume doesn’t go super loud, but it is sufficient and the base is pretty decent.
I have also downloaded the app ‘Soundcore’ – which allows you to change the sound and mode, as well as other features.
The headphones are comfortable to wear, they fold away and have a case – which is all very convenient.
At this point in time, I am pleased with my purchase. So far, so good.
What a device!
Packaged very well, a foldable headphone that came with a shell carry case, a usb c charging cable and a 3mm cable to use when the battery runs out.
The build quality of the device is really, really good, firm arc, with soft padding to keep it comfortably secured and soft ear cups as well.
The right side of the device also serves as a touch panel for NFC pairing and also a shortcut to turn off the ANC. No need to fiddle with the buttons.
The device pairs with 2 hosts easily, paired with my mobile phone and chromebook with no issues and tested both with positive results.
For the price, the sound quality is much better that what you’d expect, really well distributed highs, mediums and very punchy base, as other reviews have rightly pointed out, you can customise your sound via the equaliser available in the free to download app.
If you are on the wall about choosing between this device and other big names, make no mistake this one is probably the best option.
Took quite a bit of faffing about with the app for initial setup (needed for first use and updates)
When walking there is a slight rattle from both sides, it sounds like the driver isn’t fixed in place more like its floating in between two stops.
Good
There is a lot of adjustment to the eq through the app. Not sure if it stores the last setting when you change to another device?
The battery life is sensational, heavy use will easily last a few weeks for me. I have used this to listen to music through the day and then watch TV/films through the night.
When you turn the unit on a voice tells you the state of charge, handy when you hook up to something other than a phone or tablet that you can check the battery level with.
Now the BIGGEST bonus for me, it hooks up directly to my firestick 4k, no audio lag and easy to set up. I’ve found I prefer to watch films wearing these rather than listening through a Samsung/LG soundbar and sub. It just feels more immersive, good range of sound, pretty decent imaging and you can still cycle through the noise cancelling controls using the headphones.
The travel case is very good if a little bulky, I don’t think it could have been any smaller and to be expected with full size over ear headphones.
Finally
Charging, the will only charge at a maximum of 2.8w it does not matter what supply you have, PD, QC or a 3.1A that’s the most it will take so it can take a while to fully charge.
The noise cancellation is pretty good – not quite as effective as the Sonys but they cost four times as much. There are 3 modes for the noise cancellation which you can choose using the companion app, but I can’t hear a lot of difference between them. The sound quality suffers a bit when you turn noise cancellation turned on, but it’s by no means bad, just a bit compressed sounding.
Speaking of the app, the other thing it lets you do is change equalisation settings. There are lots of presets with names like “Bass Booster” and “Dance” but most of them sound terrible: best to choose the default “Soundcore Signature” setting or the “Flat” setting.
There are a few downsides and the most important one to highlight is that as soon as you plug the audio input cable in, the headphones turn off and revert to being plain ordinary un-amplified, non-noise-cancelling headphones. If you are using them primarily over Bluetooth this won’t be much of a concern but you should think of the audio jack mainly as a way to use them when their battery is flat, rather than as a primary connection method.
The other downsides are just the sort of things you would expect at the price point: slightly plasticky feel, and so forth. I haven’t run the battery down so can’t say whether the claimed run-time is accurate.
So disappointed…. I have just discovered that there is a major flaw with these! If you want to connect using the wired AUX port, then you will have terrible sound as you no longer have access to the equaliser! A flat horrid sound. Worse is that the ANC function also stops working when using the AUX wired connection, so these are going back!
It’s very disappointing that I only just found this out a week later when I went to use the AUX wired jack on my PC and then on my Soundbar. The sound was awful and then I realised through some online reviews that others also had this issue – without the equaliser the sound is like listening out of a tin can. So then I checked the ANC and sure enough the buttons change function from noise cancelling to pausing the music!
I’m pretty annoyed now, as had I not noticed this before, I could easily have been past the return window! Shame on Anker, whose products I usually like for not stating this in the product description. If you are going to disable 2 key and primary functions that a lot of people buy these headphones for, then you need to state that these functions will only work in Bluetooth connected mode!
These have now been returned to Amazon – whose returns process is brilliant!
I must also add that Soundcore Customer Service is brilliant and resolved the returns very quickly. I have added a star back on for the customer service and another star back because if you are not fussed at not being able to use the ANC or Equaliser with a wired AUX cable, then the quality of the headphones and the sound is amazing. In my case I needed Bluetooth and wired, so needed both functions to work in both modes.
Original Review
I am very impressed with these Q30 cans. Had them for about a week now and am totally made up with them.
I have to agree with others by saying it is important you download the App first of all and connect them – as there are masses of sound pre-sets available to select. If you don’t, you may just get a bog-standard flat profile. It only takes seconds to send your preferred profile to the connected headset. Or you can create your own of course.
I’ve been listening to FLAC files wirelessly from my iPhone for the last week and the sound is terrific.
Really nice crisp notes with a thumping bass – totally immersive.
I like the Active Noise Cancellation feature – activated by a button on the earphone or by touching the special ear phone ‘zone’. These work a treat – especially if you are in the lounge and you want to drown out the dross of the dreaded TV soaps that the others may be listening to.
I can now use my iPad and listen to my tunes without interference or interruption from others rabbiting in the background.
Firstly though, I will say to anyone buying these; download the app!!! It will make using much easier, and will provide setting preferences you won’t otherwise be able to use. From what I’ve seen on other reviews it also helps to sort out any issues you might have.
To start, comfort: Anyone who’s had over ear Beats will tell you they press on your ears so much it’s painful to have them on for more than a few minutes. After a while you get used to that, and only really notice it when you take them off. These bad boys however, are the most comfortable over ears headphones I’ve ever had! My ears fit inside the cushioned areas so nothing is pressing on them. Bliss.
Pairing: Easy peasy! Press the on button until you get a flashing blue light, find the Q30 on your device and hit pair. If you want another device paired at the same time after you’ve got the first set up, press the on/off button twice and then pair on the other device. Simples.
That being said, I did this last night with my phone and kindle and when I started using my phone the sound from the kindle dropped off even though the app being used on my phone didn’t have any sound coming from it, which was annoying. Also wouldn’t allow sound from the kindle until the phone was off again. So while you can be paired with 2 devices at the same time, you can only have one in use at a time.
Sound quality: For my needs it is excellent. I use my headphones for calls, watching programmes or films, social media apps, audiobooks/podcasts and music when I’m cleaning. So, music isn’t the sole or most significant purpose and therefore I’m not one of those who will rave about bass, highs and mids. Not even sure how I would know what those things were. That being said, the soundcore app does let you set up your own preferences on the EQ thingie, so have at it if you need to!
Noise canceling: for the first time I can tell what NC is meant to do! It’s insane the difference it makes as well. I’ve seen other reviews saying it isn’t the best they’ve had compared to other sets, but those must have literally removed the world around them because this is pretty impressive. On the app you can also select your environment to tailor the NC to your needs. These also have transparency mode so if you do need to hear what’s happening around you you can do so by simply placing your palm on the outside of the right cup for a second. Same to turn it on again. It actually makes the environment louder though, I tried it when cooking and I heard the sizzling more clearly than if I didn’t have the headphones on!
Battery life: Pretty good, but this is the one area where the Beats win. With those, I need to charge them once a week. Usually turn them on when I get to work, use for calls during the work day and a podcast on my commute – 30 mins either way – and then at weekends use them more frequently for a few hours each day. I’ve only used these ones for my usual weekend activities so far, and they already need charging up. That being said, it’s not that much of an issue as I normally plug mine in to charge overnight anyway and a quick 5 minute charge gives another few hours of use if needed.
Portability: This is another area where the Beats are better because they fold down into a small case to carry around. These ones are still pretty big when folded and the case is large! And because the cups are much bigger they aren’t comfortable to wear round your neck when not in use, it’s like a neck brace! However, my handbag and work bag are big anyway, so it isn’t an issue for me personally.
Price: There’s no comparison is there. Beats= ~200 for the ones I was planning to buy. Q30=<50.
Overall, I would definitely recommend these headphones. Really impressed so far.
I am a uni student. Was looking for noise cancelling headphones but didn’t want to pay an odd 100-200+ on headphones. I saw the reviews on thes headphones- on both Amazon and YouTube etc and decided to give them a try.
What is inside the box:
– headphones+ box
– 2 cables (one charging, one AUX)
– manual (guide)
Noise cancelling:
– 4/5: amazing noise cancelling that you get for the price of the item. The app allows you to change the noise cancelling level and depending on your environment also. However, I found that there were a lot of leaks and they were not as noise cancelling as you would expect. With music playing it is great but as someone who sometimes likes not listening to music I needed a pair that would do it without. They did, just not to my standard.
Pairing:
– 5/5: pairing is amazingly easy even without the Apple M1 pairing chip found in the Beats headphones and Apple products. You do not need the app to pair, the app simply controls noise council UG and equaliser (more on that later). As the headphones are able to connect to multiple devices (2) at one given time, I decided to try it connected to my iPhone and MacBook. It worked amazingly well, HOWEVER, I found that there was a delay in switching audio from one device to the other. For example, if I played something on my iPhone, the headphones will not play what is playing on my MacBook until the iPhone is closed (on lock screen). This isn’t really an issue, however may or may not be the same when you receive a call while watching something on another device.
Battery life:
– 5/5: haven’t got much to say about this as I have decided to return them due to aesthetic reasons.
Build quality:
– 3/5: this is probably the only bad thing I have to say about the these headphones- and ultimately the reason I am returning. They are very sturdy and the build is amazing (hence the 3). It has a metal top bar and the rest is plastic- yet this does not downgrade them at all. HOWEVER, they are very large and make it seem as if you have a halo around your head. I am very small, this may be the reason. They also have a branded logo which seems to mimic ‘beats’ a bit too much- wish they put this logo in black so it would not stand out. These are ideal for travel, studying and I’m guessing will last a very long time!
Sound quality:
– 5/5: best sound quality I have heard on a pair of headphones in forever. Despite the price, these pair of headphones are probably the best headphones for sound quality on a budget. Although the sound changes when you change the ANC settings, it isn’t much different. As an avid listener of ASMR I gave it a once over test and the headphones honestly captured every little sound and detail! Within the app you can change the equaliser which for me was a must as the headphones are very flat without changing it (although it is down to preference). The bass is amazing also. My only problem with the sound (and it’s not necessarily bad) is that you do NOT need to even go past half way on the volume. The headphones are super loud- the loudest I have possibly ever heard in headphones. This does mean also there is a LOT of sound leakage during the higher volumes- everyone will hear your song preferences on the Tube lol.
Mic quality:
– 4/5: I did not get to hear it for myself, however I called my sister and she said they sounded fine. My only concern was the practicality of the headphones on a loud tube or street- which I did not get to test.
Weight:
-4/5: these were rather heavy, but nothing you can complain about- it doesn’t weigh your head down!
Fit/ feel:
-4/5: as someone with a small head they were rather big. If I turned my head to the side noise leaked in- another reason I am returning. Also mentioned they look rather large around your head- but again might just be me. They feel super comfortable, you do not get a headache or pressure on your head whilst wearing at all. The cups on the headphones themselves remind me of a memory foam/ feather pillow. They do get a little hot around your hears over time- but that’s something you cannot avoid with headphones.
Overal: 5/5- AMAZING quality for price- if you are looking for backup headphones, or are a first time headphone user I would 100% recommend!
TLDR; Unlikely to beat them under 100, NC/App not as good as expensive Sony’s, but sound quality is somehow better IMHO. Battery life is amazing. Bluetooth is great but wired support is poor. Microphone just OK for meetings.
Battery life: is amazing! Mine are turned on 8+ hours per day with NC turned on and around 4 days. They also charged in less than an hour using my 20/30w USB C charger, otherwise 2-3 hours from low to full on a normal USB port?
Sound quality: is probably the best I’ve owned, not saying much 🙂 However, my daughter has the top rated Sony MX1000XM4s and I was able to compare back to back, play with both apps and features side by side etc. Its subjective but the with out of box, default settings on both, the Q30 wins for podcasts, and the hard rock and electronic genres I tried. Just much punchier and more alive, I think an audiophile would say the XM4s are more neutral though, and you can change the EQ etc…Both of them thrash my old Mixcder E9s which sound really dull in comparison – real noticeable improvement.
Noise cancelling: I had my Mixcder E9, Sony XM4s and these side by side next to my ridiculously loud portable aircon in my small office. I mean NOTHING short of ear plugs is going to cancel that out, no question the Sony has the best NC and turned the roar into a whisper. Q30s cancel out most the roar but still leave some of the rushing noise of the fan. I also wandered round the house and stood outside etc, in every situation Sony wins. BUT… The Q30s are still very good, and not that far off the mark and trounce the cheaper E9s in this dept. You get three modes, I leave it in “Transport” which is good for cancelling out fan noise and rumbling etc. I think the modes basically focus on low, mid and hi frequencies.
Comfort: My cheap Mixcder E9s are still the most comfortable headphones I own. These are a quite good, I wear a LARGE motorcycle helmet so I guess I have a large head, and for the record massive ears ( Think Prince Charles ) and the Q30s are comfortable for up to 2 hours at a time. Fit is loose and easily accommodates my glasses, but had to mess around to get the head band in the a comfy, stable place. Sony’s seemed slightly better for me but can’t compare as only borrowed for a couple of hours.
App/Features: Sony is way more advanced with “Adaptive Sound Control”, its really clever. Plus both Google/Alexa built in. There’s no comparison and might be where a chunk of your extra 150+ goes – IF you use it. Soundcore App works well, connects easily and no crashes on my Mi10Lite and has a nice simple UI to let you change the Noise cancelling and EQ. FYI… The EQ/NC DSP circuit is IN the headphones. So it works across all devices whether you connect the app or not, and it remembers the settings fine. You can play/pause/volume/toggle NC using the headphone buttons.
Microphone: Used for Microsoft Teams meetings daily and its a lot better than my cheap headset, but obviously without a proper mic arm its not as good as my purpose made meeting/gaming headset. It picks up background noise more, so if you’re in a quiet room its fine, but people have struggled to hear me in noisy environments. N.B. On Windows it creates separate “voice/chat” and “music/general” devices. That means you can’t hear your PCs sound while on chat. Only an issue for gaming maybe?
Other: Transparency mode is activated by touching the right ear cup, but its a gimmick IMHO, as it sounds weird and you can’t hear your OWN voice very well.
Wireless/Wired: Bluetooth reliability is excellent (never dropped out in a month) and range is good (next room but not furthest room through 3 walls). Its been great with Android and Win10, and that’s how I use them 90% of the time. But wired… Plugging in a 3.5mm cable just turns them off! No NC, EQ, even volume controls, all turned OFF! I read this is a recent firmware revision and they USED to work wired but it was unreliable, which is why they disabled it. Sadly wired quality is now bad and is almost pointless. DO NOT BUY TO USE ON WIRED CABLE – That’s why I dropped a star, my old ones work great on wired with full NC.
I already bought one cheap no-brand NC headphones and was worried I was literally buying cheap, buying twice… maybe three times! I’ve had Anker stuff before and they are known for being the premium end of cheap but these Soundcore’s have boosted my opinion of Anker. My daughter bought the Sony’s at the same time and I was ready to send these back and do the same but the price difference was not worth it for me.
Hope that helps.
* I haven’t posted a review here for a long time as I received a warning from Amazon for commenting on problems with review authenticity.
SOUND QUALITY – THE PROS
– Sounds good to a layman –
As previously stated, I’ve no skin in this game. But sounds good to me! It also comes with an app (which DOESN’T require you to sign up, you can skip that step, hurrah!) that allows you to fiddle with the equalizer. Again, means absolutely nothing to me and I’ve no idea what I’m doing with it (there are fortunately various pre-made settings to choose from for that exact purpose), but nice to have.
SOUND QUALITY – THE CONS
– My AUX cord arrived broken –
The subheading sums it up. The fresh-out-of-the-box AUX cord was broken by the first time I plugged it in. The music was extremely quiet and echoey when using it, so I tried the headphones with a different AUX cord from around the house and the sound quality was fine. (To be certain it was the SoundCore cord, I tried it with a different brand of headphones that I knew worked well and they sounded bad too). Fortunately, I have spare AUX cords, so I don’t know if I’ll bother taking this up with Anker, but I thought I’d mention it.
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION – THE PROS
– Good noise cancellation –
Works really well! My neighbour helped me test this out by being particularly noisy the other afternoon. I didn’t ask him to, he just likes to help me test my ANC headphones on the regular by blasting loud music and letting his children pummel the stairs into dust. And wonderfully, when wearing the headphones with noise cancellation on (no music playing) I couldn’t hear a thing!
– Different settings available –
I was using the ‘indoors’ setting at the time of my test, but the headphones come with two more settings: ‘outdoors’ for those walks in the park we’re all having right now, and ‘transport’. You can change them via the app. I haven’t tried the outdoors or transport settings, as I use my headphones primarily in the house (and due to current circumstances, I’m not really leaving it at the minute).
You also have a ‘transparency’ mode that uses the in-built microphone to amplify instead of dampen sound, so you can hear whatever is going on around you without having to take the headphones off. Not too useful, since you can just take them off, but nice to have!
– Battery life good –
The headphones came with ‘medium’ battery life, and I used them for four days, hours at a time with ANC, before the battery level displayed as low on my phone. Gave them a charge, took under an hour to get to full.
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION – THE CONS
– Not total silence –
The indoor setting won’t drown out loud sounds coming from a nearby source completely, such as people talking or the washing machine on a spin cycle. It will dampen the sounds significantly, e.g. speech will be muffled, but they will still be audible. Don’t buy this expecting total silence!
– ANC is fiddly to use –
My previous ANC headphones had separate switches for the ANC and the bluetooth connection, which meant I could use them for ANC without turning them on. This is really handy for someone with an audio sensitivity, as it meant I could just put the headphones on my head, flick on ANC, and whatever sound was upsetting me would be drowned out.
These headphones DON’T have that. To use ANC, you MUST turn them on. Even if you’re using them wired, you HAVE to turn them on, while wired, to use ANC. If you unplug from that wire (maybe you’re at your computer and want to get up without taking your headphones off) they will turn themselves off. I assume that’s to save power, so you don’t forget to turn them off yourself, but it means if I get up, I have to turn them back on if I want to keep using ANC while I’m pottering about (due to my audio sensitivity). And when you plug back in, they make the power down sound, but seconds later, will remember they’re still on the clock and tell you the battery level as if they’ve just switched on.
Not only that, but–though I appreciate having the ‘normal’, ‘transparency’, and ‘ANC’ modes–it doesn’t tell you which you have on when you power up the device. It tells you the battery level religiously, but not whether you’re on ANC or normal or transparency. To find out, I just cycle through the modes until I get the one I want, since they’re all on the same button. I just wish the ANC had its own separate button, so it could be switched on/off at will, no fuss.
THE DESIGN – PROS
– Good ear cup fit –
I hadn’t realised just how poorly my last over-ear headphones went over my ears until I tried these ones. They fully encompass the ears and give a really comfortable fit around that area because of it. Also they’re not too heavy, so you can wear them for hours without discomfort.
THE DESIGN – CONS
– Slightly loose headband fit –
The headband looks a bit odd. I feel like a cyberman. However, aesthetics aside, the band not being flat against the head means it’s not a secure fit. I’m sure this is done for comfort’s sake, but it makes the headphones feel a bit loose. I have them on the tightest setting, and they slide about a bit if I tilt my head, especially if its sudden. However, I have tried being a bit active with them, A.K.A. I’ve had a dance around, and they haven’t fallen off. I think is because the ear cups fit so well.
OVERALL
A good pair of headphones with all the essentials there: battery life, ANC, and sound quality. However, there are peculiarities in the design and function that may take some time to get used to, and detract from the ease of use. But when the competitors are hundreds of pounds more expensive, it provides a really good offering for the price.