Soundcore Life Q30 review: solid wireless ANC headphones for less

Inexpensive audio brand Soundcore is back with a brand-new pair of over-ear ANC headphones that wont spend a lot. The Life series has been praised on NextPit in the past, however how close can the brand-new Life Q30 cans get to the top-end of the market for less than a third of the cost of the flagship earphones from Sony and Bose? A lot closer than you d think …

Soundcore Life Q30 release date and cost

The Life Q30 headphones are really comfortable to wear./ © NextPit.

The ANC works well in the majority of scenarios./ © NextPit.

In general, however, the Life Q30 represent a deserving upgrade for anyone who owns a pair of Life 2 earphones. Even the bring case, which has grown in size somewhat, feels more robust this year. The weight (260g) is more or less the like the previous design but is somewhat much heavier than some of the direct competitors.
The in-app EQ presets and customisation.
New for 2020 is a better Soundcore app to compliment your Life Q30 experience. Having a customisable equaliser is constantly a big win for me, a music nerd who knows what he likes and how to get that sound.

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The hinges are new and improved from the Life 2 headphones./ © NextPit.

A transparent mode can magnify ambient noises so that you can hear the world around you without taking the earphones off. The modes are switchable via the Soundcore app.
I like the ANC on the Soundcore Life Q30 headphones in general. The sophisticated hybrid noise-cancelling did a stood out task when I was out and about walking the streets of Berlin. Naturally, I was unable to test how well these earphones perform on a flight, but I did check the transport mode on the U-Bahn and was satisfied that these would stand up to plane noise. Even the Life 2 headphones, which I have owned for a while, performed well on the flights I used them on.

So the ANC is a win for Anker and Soundcore, then. It just goes to show that you dont need to spend ₤ 300 on a set of over-ear earphones to have strong noise-cancelling in 2020.
The overall design and build quality.
Design-wise, the Life Q30 make some substantial improvements on the Life 2 from late-2018. The plastics have gotten firmer, and the hinges tighter. The plastic headband has been changed with a metal one, and the soft-protein leather earcups feel much higher quality now. The chunky buttons for playback, power, and ANC have gone on a diet plan and are now a lot easier to discover when fumbling around the earcups whilst wearing the headphones. The microUSB port has been upgraded to USB-C. The gold-styling of the Soundcore logo on the earcups is the only style change that might possibly disappoint. The old Life 2 were more unassuming in regards to branding.

You can likewise activate a white sound soundscape developed to assist wearers achieve exceptional sleep. Clearly, this is not a feature that has been constructed for the brands over-ear earphones, however its available anyway. Its of doubtful worth, to be truthful, apart from perhaps when on a long flight or train journey when you wish to get some shut-eye.
The long battery life.
Battery life is another of the strong points of the Soundcore Life Q30. I still got well over 35 hours of playback time out of the Life Q30 before requiring to charge them.

What I like about the Soundcore Life Q30 …

Whilst there is really a lot to like about the Soundcore Life Q30 earphones, I didnt fall for them immediately. Permit me to describe.
The out-of-the-box sound.
The Soundcore Life 30 are among the few pairs of wireless earphones in this rate range to come with certified Hi-res audio. Powered by double 40mm Silk Diaphragm Drivers, that the brand states have actually been precision-tuned, I had high hopes for these. Nevertheless, the out-of-the-box first listen left me desiring.
I am not a fan of the default Soundcore Signature sound at all. Once I switched to Rock, the Life Q30 came alive!
The criticism here is not that the Life Q30 do not sound fantastic, its that theres a bit of work to do prior to you get there. I would suggest changing the EQ as the extremely first thing you do if you get your hands on a pair of these.

The buttons are much easier to find on the new Life Q30 headphones./ © NextPit.

Theres a lot to like about the.

The EQ can be personalized in the brand-new Soundcore app./ © NextPit.

What I dont like about the Soundcore Life Q30 …

Soundcore Life Q30 headphones.
, particularly when you think about the ₤ 80 price. The brand-new cans are among the few pairs of over-ears at this cost point to include accredited Hi-res sound quality, and the battery life is above average compared to the competition. Heres what I like most about the brand-new headphones.
The Digital Hybrid ANC Multi-Mode Noise Cancellation.
The Soundcore Life Q30 earphones load double noise-detecting microphones for what the brand is calling its advanced hybrid noise-cancelling technology. Microphones on each earcup are developed to pick up 95% of low-frequency noise to filter out everything you dont wish to hear, delivering just the audio to your eardrums.

The latest over-ear Active Noise Cancelling earphones from Soundcore, a sister-brand of Anker, are offered now for a price of ₤ 79.99. They just are available in black. The cost stays unchanged from the previous Soundcore Life 2 headphones at launch, but you get a lot more for money in 2020 than you did back in late 2018

40mm Silk Diaphragm Drivers being in the new Life Q30s./ © NextPit.

The max volume could be higher.

The Life series has been applauded on NextPit in the past, but how close can the new Life Q30 cans get to the top-end of the market for less than a third of the cost of the flagship earphones from Sony and Bose? I like the ANC on the Soundcore Life Q30 earphones overall. Design-wise, the Life Q30 make some significant improvements on the Life 2 from late-2018. In general, nevertheless, the Life Q30 represent a worthy upgrade for anyone who owns a pair of Life 2 earphones. Battery life is another of the strong points of the Soundcore Life Q30.

Find out more on NextPit:.

Straight out of the box, the optimum volume level accomplished by the Life Q30 feels a little weak. The problem once again is not that these cans do not go loud enough, its that it is not instantly recognisable how to get what you are looking for.
Its great on some EQ settings, but for those who like to feel the bass, the Life Q30 could leave you disappointed. When triggering the Bass Booster EQ predetermined, things just got muddy, rather than that nice thumpy sensation you get with truly great bass reaction.

I can easily recommend the Soundcore Life Q30 if you are looking for a budget friendly pair of cordless over-ear ANC earphones that will last your a couple of years at least.

The only real downside is that, unless you go into the app and start playing, the sound may initially disappoint. Once you get your EQ right, the Life Q30 noise fantastic.

Charging is done by means of USB-C./ © NextPit.

Final decision.

The Soundcore Life Q30 are a really solid pair of wireless over-ear ANC headphones compared to even a few of the items that cost double this RRP. When you aspect in the cost and have a look at the competition opting for around the eighty-quid mark, these are a no-brainer.