soundcore Life Q30 by Anker, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones with Multiple Modes, Hi-Res Sound, Custom EQ via App, 50H Playtime, Comfortable Fit, Bluetooth, Multipoint ConnectionTCO CertifiedTCO CertifiedTCO CertifiedTCO Certified

When I first received these I would have easily given them 5 stars. But after using them for a few months I've realized they only seemed amazing because I was coming from the $28 BT earbuds I was using daily. Now that I've had time to REALLY put them through the paces they're a lot more "meh" than I would have initially thought.The noise cancellation is mediocre at best as I've heard FAR better NC than this. There's still a TON of noise that gets through that should be silenced in full NC mode. The second setting is OK if you WANT to hear things around you better, but the 3rd setting is so laughably useless because it AMPLIFIES all the background noise so it's stupidly louder than if you weren't wearing the headphones at all. If you're buying these for noise cancellation stop right now and go look at some Bose. You'll pay a lot more, but they're worth it if NC is what you're chasing.Then when it comes to sound quality of course they blew my cheap BT earbuds out of the water, but after I took a minute to dig out my Sennheiser studio headphones that I rarely use because I don't want to deal with wires in 2025, I realized these sound poor in comparison. Not bad, but far from audiophile. The frequency response of these must look like a slide going down towards the high end because the bass is OK but the highs are way too weak to even hint at being "audiophile" quality. It sounds like you're listening to a nice stereo that's in the other room when it comes to clarity. Seriously you rap fans need to stop glazing crap headphones because they have half decent bass. The more I listened to music with them the more disappointed I became.But the biggest issue I have is how tight they are. I only wear a 7 1/2 hat. I'm dead center of what's "average" for an adult male. If I wear these for longer than an hour while working it starts to give me a headache because it feels like my head is in a vice. That's great if you're working out but horrible if you're sitting at a desk all day. Another issue I have is I'll randomly get the "connected" chime while I'm using them when they never disconnected. Something I've never experienced with 4 other BT headphones on my PC. Not a big deal but an annoying bug nonetheless. Then the earpads I have zero doubt will be shredded within a year. The material covering them is way too thin an cheap. For this price range they should be using a quality vinyl or PV fake leather. Not this tissue thin vinyl. Again, not terrible, but not ideal.But don't think it's all bad. I'm nitpicking here so anyone reading knows what to truly expect. Where they DO shine is battery life. These last stupidly long which has been really nice when my previous earbuds were lucky to last 4hrs. You can go DAYS without recharging them. Not to mention I'm looking at these compared to REAL headphones so I'm going to be extra picky but I'll be fair overall.Value = 4/5 They are pretty affordable, but it feels like they cheaped out by not giving you a measly $4 3.5mm cable for $90 headphones. I'd also like to see more money put into the earpads. Edit: now with a 20% coupon they're a strong buy.Sound quality/frequency response = 3/5 Great if you only listen to rap music, garbage if you're an audiophile. But acceptable for the price.Build quality = 3/5 Good on the plastics, but the earpads themselves are already getting creases that tells me they're going to crack soon and I'll be buying replacements. Probably won't effect you if you use them once in a while, but if you're the kind of person that doesn't leave the house without your headphones these are going to look shabby.Noise cancellation = 3/5 It works, but I've heard far better and the 3rd setting is completely unusable. For the price it's acceptable as there's far better out there, but often for far more money.Comfort = 2/5 Headache unless you have a child's head. My wife likes them though. This is the frustration that got me to pull up the sale and write a review. I wish I could figure out a way to stretch them out or something.Battery life = 7/5 This is my review, I make up the ratings rules.I almost want to give these a 4/5 because for the price they're actually pretty competent headphones and by no means feel like cheap crap. But at the same time I'm literally wearing them right now and I'm already getting a headache. If you took that part out they'd be an easy 4 stars all day, but it's hard to think of the good stuff when a product literally hurts you.>>>Five Star Edit: Anker contacted me over this review which I felt wasn't even that negative to begin with. The offered me a full refund while never once mentioning anything about changing my review. THAT'S customer service that should be rewarded. If a customer isn't happy then see what it takes to make them happy. They never once asked how long I'd had them or tried to walk me through a help file that would never solve the issues like too many companies do today. They just wanted to make it RIGHT.I miss companies that stand behind their products. I've bought at least a dozen Anker products over the years between headphones, BT speakers, multiple USB power bricks and wall warts, and battery packs. They make excellent battery packs and I think mine is at least 10yrs old and still kicking like a tank. 😜 This just makes me want to look to Anker first when I'm looking at gadget accessories and why I chose these headphones in the first place. I finally found one of their products I didn't love and Anker STILL did me right. Thank You Anker. This is how you run a company.

I’ve had these headphones for about a year. I’m writing a review now as I genuinely have such love for them, especially compared to other products.I first had the Airpod Max, but started having issues maybe 1-2 years in. By year 2, they completely died. So I got these headphones as a replacement. But eventually I thought I should ‘upgrade’, and got Skullcandy headphones for around the same price, and ended up returning as I HATED them compared to these. And now, just recently I got Bose headphones (Quiet Comfort), not because there’s anything wrong with the Soundcore, but as it was a good deal. And throughout all of this, I’ve realized I just absolutely love my Soundcore headphones, and even still prefer them in very certain regards.To the actual review — the fit, comfort, and durability are high quality. I hated the Skullcandy (Hesh ANC), as they were SO uncomfortable compared to these. The Soundcore has great (and crazy soft) cushioning, doesn’t feel so cheap with the plastic material/weight, and doesn’t snag at my hair. Also, I prefer them in shape to my Bose, maybe not aesthetically but definitely functionally — the cups are bigger, such as how my piercings don’t rub against the insides, and I can very comfortably sleep in them. Due to the cup shape and size, they also don’t make any static noises when you shift or put weight on them wrong (although, this is relevant only if you like to wear headphones while laying down). The durability is strong and solid, as I’ve certainly dropped them many times. Overall, fantastic build quality and feel.Now, onto the sound — I genuinely don’t notice a difference between these and my Bose. I am so not an expert, but sound quality is super important to me, considering I like heavier sounds, and go on lots of intense runs. I’m also wearing my headphones nearly 24/7. Given that, the Soundcore holds up amazingly.Other notes that people may find important — the microphone quality is great, I have gotten compliments on it. The settings or features work great, such as the different transparency modes. Noise cancellation is very important for me in headphones, and although they aren’t ‘Airpod Max’ quality, it does the job well, and totally submerses you and effectively blocks out the outside world. I’m no expert on bass, but I still think it’s pretty good (or at least the sounds I listen to are very rich). I don’t think bass is a highlight, but also I wouldn’t expect that unless the price point was crazy high. There’s also EQ controls in the app, although I haven’t used them much.One more thing — there’s this thing with static and headphones, maybe a connection issue or something. I fly a lot and it usually happens during take off, for example, or can be pretty random. I have started hearing the very occasional static with the Soundcore, but it is very minimal, especially compared to other brands. Airpod Max I would have static issues, even downright intense bouts that would make me jump, especially near the end of the headphone’s life. The Bose I’ve dealt with static on flights after just purchasing them, and when I rub against them the wrong way. But the Soundcore’s issue with the static is almost nonexistent in comparison.My very small complaints are: the little logos peeled off, quickly at that. I recommend peeling it off in general, as otherwise it will start to come undone on its own, which looks a bit bad, and is sharp or scratchy to the touch. Also the cups have started to fray ever so slightly, but literally that’s just because I’ve worn them everyday for some time.Basically — I LOVE these headphones. I extremely recommend them.