Exploring the world of over-ear headphones, we can find many alternatives, ranging from the most prestigious brands dedicated to flat frequency sound to more commercial and recognized brands, and even emerging brands.
Often, there are significant investors behind these brands (in this case, Anker, a brand founded by a former Google engineer) or substantial economic backing to invest in new technologies and cost reduction in certain features.
In this case, the review I offer today is about a brand that has surged in the past few years, thanks to its popularity and the number of features their products offer relative to their cost. We are talking about the brand SoundCore by Anker.
Quality from the box
Upon receiving the product, we can see the effort put into its presentation, even adding a raised design on the background of the presentation image, which is also the brand’s logo.
Additionally, on one side, we see it has “advanced noise cancellation,” and on the back of the box, we get a rundown of the most important specifications of this product, which are as follows:
- Powerful noise reduction technology adapted to voices
- Noise cancellation adapts to your environment
- High-resolution, clear sound with dynamic diaphragms
- Adjustable transparency to perceive everything around you
- Reliable and comfortable battery (40 hours with ANC on, 55 hours with ANC off)
- Ergonomic design that makes it very comfortable all day
It is fair to mention that this product is possibly the best value-for-money headphones we can find, packed with features and with audio quality comparable to more expensive options. Currently available for 99 $ on Amazon, with price fluctuations.
Pleasant to the touch and well-presented
When opening the box, the first thing we see is the well-presented headphones with a decent finish. Underneath is the fabric carrying case, which is the worst part of the packaging, but despite being fabric, it is not of poor quality; on the contrary, it is thick fabric with a drawstring closure.
I wouldn’t recommend transporting it with the included fabric case, as it risks damage, but outside of that, the fabric can be useful for carrying any other non-delicate object that doesn’t need much protection.
Next, we have the user manuals and a product precaution manual inside a section of the box, along with the 3.5 mm cable to connect to devices with this input and a fairly short USB cable for charging.
As an extra, there is a proximity sensor inside the left headband to pause the music when you take off the headphones and another sensor on the external crown on the same side to activate the Easy Chat mode (we will discuss this mode later).
Synonym of comfort
Physically, we can find them in 3 different colors: Black, Cream, and Blue. They are made of plastic, but they don’t feel of low quality or flimsy; on the contrary, they feel well-made, and the finishes imitate metal due to the plastic finish.
This is a positive for the weight issue, as they feel very light and can be worn for more than 5 hours without discomfort. On the negative side, this can make them feel more fragile, especially if they fall. I recommend handling them carefully.
Now, the most pleasant part of this product is in the cushions and the top of the headband, which feel very soft. The padding is quite good, providing a decent sense of passive noise isolation.
The top being equally padded is a bonus, especially for those of us with little or no hair to cushion. However, if you sweat a lot, it’s recommended to clean both parts with a microfiber cloth after each use.
Sound quality
Here we reach the most important point, the sound quality. It feels like two completely different worlds depending on whether they are connected by cable or via Bluetooth, but let’s break it down.
Wired
Like many headphones of this style, when connected, the sound quality drops significantly, almost like those free headphones given away with phones back in 2006.
But there’s a trick: the SoundCore headphones can be turned on while connected, and at that moment, the audio improves significantly, especially after being configured from the app (we will discuss this point later).
When turned on and connected to the 3.5mm jack, they will indicate the battery status and allow you to turn the noise cancellation on or off, resulting in much better audio quality than just connecting them without turning them on. However, this will consume the headphone’s battery.
Using Bluetooth
When connected this way, it’s a different story. The sound quality is much better.
Starting with a significant bass presence from the first moment, an acceptable soundstage, and the weakness lies in the distribution of instruments and mid/high frequencies, which feel less refined.
Due to these characteristics, it’s not suitable for appreciating detailed instruments, especially those in the background providing melodic motifs. But for more commercial music, hip-hop, pop, rock, and other popular genres, it performs quite well.
Full of features
The highlight of this product is its phone app (available on Android and iOS), which is one of the most comprehensive I’ve encountered, comparable to Sony’s Headphones Connect app.
Here’s a summary of what each section of this app does:
Noise Cancellation
This feature is reserved for more expensive headphones, and it might seem strange to have it in such affordable ones. The reality is that it’s quite good—not at the level of Sony 1000xm5 but reducing external noise by about 70% when activated.
Ambient Sound
This function allows external sound to pass through the ear cups, enabling conversations or hearing surrounding sounds. It can be activated via a direct button on the headphones, the app, or Easy Chat mode.
Cancellation Mode
Adaptive Cancellation
In this mode, the headphones determine the appropriate cancellation level based on detected noise.
Custom Cancellation
This function allows you to select from 5 noise cancellation levels, with 5 being the most potent and 1 the least aggressive.
Wind Noise Reduction
As the name suggests, this reduces wind noise entering the headphones.
Easy Chat
Possibly the most advanced feature of these headphones, Easy Chat lowers the volume of what’s playing and switches the headphones to transparency mode, allowing you to have conversations without removing the headphones.
It can be activated in two ways: Tap to Activate or Speak to Activate. Typically, this type of function is found in much more expensive headphones and is often limited to one activation method.
Sound Effects
This feature offers different ways to equalize the audio from the SoundCore Space One, with three options:
HearID Sound
This is a small test where various audio options are played, and you choose the one you like best. It includes several rounds with different equalizations, asking for your favorite music genre and testing which frequencies you can hear.
Default
Here you can set an equalization by music genre or the default SoundCore audio signature.
Custom EQ
This allows you to manually equalize 8 bands and create many custom profiles.
BassUp
This function is activated via controls and increases the bass frequency noticeably.
Controls
In the controls, you can customize the NC button (Noise Cancelling), deciding to switch between noise cancellation, transparency, and normal mode with one press or activate BassUp with two presses of the same button.
Safe Volume
This option lets you monitor the decibels your ears are receiving, showing a bar that changes depending on whether the sound is healthy or harmful.
There are three ways to monitor the sound: in real-time, in 10-second intervals, and in 1-minute intervals.
High Volume Limit, Here you can manually set the maximum volume the headphones can reach.
Settings
Additionally, within the settings, you can choose LDAC sound or use an audio CODEC balanced between quality and connection stability.
You can also activate usage detection, which pauses and resumes music playback when putting on or taking off the SoundCore Space One.
Other options include dual connections for simultaneous use with two devices, automatic shutdown, voice notifications for battery level (when running low), and ambient sound (when activated), along with software updates.
Complete with Few Drawbacks
The SoundCore Space One headphones are very complete in all aspects. While they don’t excel in audio quality, they aim to please a younger audience with a livelier and more embellished sound.
Nonetheless, I still recommend them because they deliver on all their promises, with no half-baked functions. Everything is well-covered, and it’s clear there’s a lot of respect for the end user by offering all these features at a reasonable price.
There are few negative points, making these a highly recommended purchase for anyone looking for high-end over-ear headphone features like those from Sony or Apple, with some compromises in sound but almost no loss in functionality, and excellent noise cancellation for the price.
If you want to get them, here’s the Amazon purchase link.
If you’re interested in more value-for-money products, this mouse might be an option: M7 Pro: A value-for-money mouse • Joystick Latino
Greetings, digital legends! I’m Gabriel Gutiérrez, the backstage accomplice at Joystick Latino. A licensed musician with a photographer’s eye, I’ve been venturing into the gaming world from my Atari 2600 since the age of 6. I’m addicted to anime, a fan of the irreverent humor of ‘South Park’ and ‘Rick and Morty,’ and a fearless explorer of cinematic horror.
