Anker Soundcore Life Q10 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Over Ear and Foldable, Hi-Res Certified Sound, 60-Hour Playtime and Fast USB-C Charging, Deep Bass, Aux Input
- Soundcore is anker’s Audio brand, Our signature sound is loved by 10 million+ people around the world.
- Hi-Res Audio Certified: Custom oversized 40 mm dynamic drivers produce Hi-Res Audio—a certification only awarded to audio devices capable of producing exceptional sound. Life Q20 active noise cancelling headphones reproduce your music with extended high frequencies that reach up to 40 kHz for extraordinary clarity and detail.
- Reduce Ambient noises by up to 90%: Our Team of engineers conducted more than 100, 000 tests in real-life scenarios to fine-tune life q20's 4 built-in ANC microphones and digital active noise cancellation algorithm. As a result, the hybrid active noise cancellation can detect and cancel out A wider range of low and mid-frequency noises such as cars and airplane engines.
- 100% stronger bass: our exclusive BassUp technology conducts real-time analysis of the low frequencies to instantly strengthen the bass output. Double press the play button when listening to bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop for an amplified listening experience.
- 40-Hour playtime: Up to 40 hours of non-stop playtime in wireless active noise cancellation mode (at 60% volume) is extended to an enormous 60 hours in standard music mode. A single charge gives you enough juice to listen to over 600 songs or soundtrack multiple long haul flights. And when you’re in a rush, charge life Q20 active noise cancelling headphones for 5 minutes and get 4 hours of listening.
- Universal Comfort: Memory foam earcups gently mold around your ears, while the headband’s rotating joints automatically adjust the angle of the earcups to fit the shape of your head. This ensures that Life Q20 active noise cancelling headphones deliver maximum comfort and a secure seal.
Life Q20 active noise cancelling headphones are engineered with internal and external microphones to cancel out an extended range of low and mid-frequency noises such as airplane engines and traffic. Refer to the related videos below for a demonstration of noise cancellation mode.
According to regulations, the maximum volume of headphones should not exceed 100dB. In order to protect your hearing, Life Q20's maximum volume has been set to around 95dB. It is recommended that you do not listen to excessively loud volumes for long periods of time
For optimal noise cancellation, make sure the earcups create a tight seal around your ears.
Playtime varies according to volume and audio content.
Much as I like and use a lot of Anker products, these don't make the cut, and sadly for a lot of aesthetic and clunky design reasons that don't have much to do with their intended functionality. At their core, they provide good ANC, and pleasant - if a tad bassy - sound quality. That said, I'll outline the pros and cons I've observed in using them on the first day:
pros:
- as noted, nice sound quality, with some reinforcement in the mid-bass frequencies, but the bass is tight, and the mids and highs are mellow
- almost inaudible difference to sound quality with noise cancellation enabled, and no notable hiss with ANC on
- ANC is not 'make the world go away' levels, and lets some higher frequency sound through; this is great, as I am looking to cancel out midrange and bass sounds like an air conditioner, nearby dogs, and the wearing rumble of airplane engines during long flights
- aside from the slightly too small earcups (for my tastes), they are comfortable to wear - neither too loose nor too tight
- the various audible and voice prompts are pleasant and at a reasonable volume
cons:
- big problem: can't charge and listen at the same time
- big problem: no ability to use as a phone headset in wired mode (these are headphones only when used with the cable, with no mic available)
pros:
- as noted, nice sound quality, with some reinforcement in the mid-bass frequencies, but the bass is tight, and the mids and highs are mellow
- almost inaudible difference to sound quality with noise cancellation enabled, and no notable hiss with ANC on
- ANC is not 'make the world go away' levels, and lets some higher frequency sound through; this is great, as I am looking to cancel out midrange and bass sounds like an air conditioner, nearby dogs, and the wearing rumble of airplane engines during long flights
- aside from the slightly too small earcups (for my tastes), they are comfortable to wear - neither too loose nor too tight
- the various audible and voice prompts are pleasant and at a reasonable volume
cons:
- big problem: can't charge and listen at the same time
- big problem: no ability to use as a phone headset in wired mode (these are headphones only when used with the cable, with no mic available)
- the earcup material is too insulative, resulting in unpleasant warmth and sweating under fairly normal circumstances (74F / 45% RH, just sitting at computer doing work, so these would suck for truly warm, humid, and and/or strenuous activity)
- when switching ANC on and off, the enhanced bass enables momentarily, which is just sloppy design, and rather jarring
- they have stiff creaky hinges and pivots, which is emblematic of inexpensive plastic-on-plastic construction
- they have a light but unpleasant chemical smell, which I suspect is from the earcup material, and it's not dissipating any too quickly
- a general lack of build refinement - they're nice enough, but the point where the earcup cushions meet the body was wrinkled and unevenly finished
All this said, I can't really recommend these, since I think refinement and solid build quality should be reasonable expectations at a $70 price point. If I could give them 3.5 stars, I would, but since their core functionality is great, I'll go with 4 stars instead of 3
- Hi-res certified sound The Hi-Res logo is a of exceptional audio quality awarded only to audio devices capable of producing the most accurate representation of what the artist intended Unlike ordinary headphones life Q10 delivers sound up to 40 KHz for the richest listening experience
- Bassup our exclusive BASSUP technology analyzes your Audio’s low frequencies in real-time and instantly increases the Bass Combined with oversized 40mm dynamic drivers bass power is boosted up to 100% a button on the right earcup of the wireless over ear headphones activates BASSUP
- 60-Hour playtime an advanced Bluetooth chip with reduced power draw combines with anker’s world-renowned power technology to offer enormous playtime even for wireless over ear headphones Listen for 2 hours a day for an entire month
- Fast-charging in a rush? Charge life Q10 wireless over ear headphones for 5 minutes and listen for up to 5 hours With a USB-C charging port for charging convenience and expanded compatibility
- Foldable design folds down neatly for easy storage and transport Reinforced hinges ensure complete durability and reliability
I used to be really onboard with Anker when they were a small startup company, used to meet with their founders at trade shows and give them a lot of free tips and advice, some of which they used and some of which they ignored. These days I’ve been less than thrilled with a lot of stuff they’ve slapping their name on and seeing time after time when other companies are outdoing them in terms of quality and design. In fact the last thing I’ve bought from them has been several years ago and they’ve dropped me from their mailing list.
When I saw this headphone I turned up my nose. As an ex-radio person, producer and recording engineer I know headphones like the back of my hand, my knowledge of them is at the expert level. I own literally a closet shelf full of them at prices ranging into the thousands. The last thing I want or need is another pair. But I was drawn in by the apparent light weight of these and the fact that they use Bluetooth 5.0 for hopefully fewer dropouts and a less compressed sound. Some of the other claims seemed to be more marketing fluff than reality especially at the price.
LIGHT WEIGHT OR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Let’s face it; a good pair of headphones can get very heavy and tiresome to wear. At only 10 ounces (as measured by me) these promise to be more comfortable but that usually comes at the expense of being made of cheap plastic that falls apart after a few months.
REAL BASS OR A NICE EFFECT
Headphones are governed by the laws of science, the larger the transducer and the more powerful the driver the better it can reproduce ultra low frequencies. Anker touts a spinoff of what Bose and other companies have done for years, to fool the ears into thinking they are hearing certain frequencies for what I call the wow effect. And that’s what it is, for a few minutes you are blown away by the most awesome sound you’ve ever heard. Then it all starts to tire your ears and your brain and you find you are not really listening to music but rather a sound effect. I subjected these to the same standard test that I have used since the days I worked with Henry Kloss and the folks at Shure. My testing isn’t all that scientific, it’s just based on real life reproduction of sound and user listenability.
CONDITIONS OF COMPARISON
Evaluating headphones is not an easy task. There will be the inevitable reviews that go overboard gushing about how spectacular these are because they were given a sample to try. And at the opposite end those who set the bar too high by comparing them to audiophile models costing many times more. What we have here are neither, at under forty bucks they are an all plastic mass produced product that rises only slightly above the toy level. So let’s be fair and realistic, I’m going to stick to telling you what you get for forty bucks and steer far away from idealizing them or complaining that they aren’t as good as my studio reference quality cans.
PLASTIC
I have nothing against plastic and let’s face it, even Ferraris are made with a lot of plastic these days. Some of the best headphones available are made with manmade synthetic materials. Unfortunately these are made from a relatively low grade of plastic that adversely affects the sound quality. In a way its like how certain plastics affect the taste of food and beverages. To use the comparison again it’s what I would call a toylike quality. On the plus side the hinges are made of metal.
CONTROLS
For the most part Anker has done a good job designing the control panel on these phones. Everything is grouped at the bottom of the right earpiece and the buttons have a tactile touch to them plus the practice of having buttons perform multiple functions is kept to an absolute minimum. There is a power switch that also sets up the Bluetooth pairing. It also controls the use of these phones as a smartphone headset but I won’t talk about that usage, I think there are far better smartphone headsets to consider than this thing. The next button is a volume rocker that’s reasonably easy to operate and finally the bass boost button. Nearby are a USB-C charging port and a standard stereo mini audio port for wired operation. Next to those is a small LED status light.
The choice of a USB-C port is neither a major plus or a minus but its potential is minimized by the fact that they don’t include a power supply charger. They do include a short stereo audio cable and for the first time ever it prompts me to describe an item as vapid. The cable is flimsy, too short and doesn’t attach very securely. When you plug it in it disables all onboard electronics so the headphone drivers are being powered solely by your device’s amplifier, hence the maximum volume level is relatively weak. By disabling the electronics you lose one of the headphone’s major selling points, the bass boost system. You will also have to resort to only using the volume controls on your smartphone or other device.
BEST AND WORST
Most products have at least one feature to love but on the downside one you wish they had put more thought into. With this product the kudos go to printing the Left and Right designations boldly inside each earcup. So many others these days have a tiny molded in designator or even none at all. It’s so nice to be able to pick them up, even in near darkness, and know which ear is which. The negative side of the coin is the loud and somewhat grating voice that comes through the earpieces when you turn the bass boost on and off (it’s also there for a few other functions as well). The voice is so annoying that having it is almost a complete dealbreaker for me. Not counted against them but worth noting is that the instruction sheet defies any form of comprehension. Come on Anker, you’re a big company now, you can afford to have someone create a better user experience with your instruction manuals.
BASS BOOST AND OVERALL SOUND QUALITY
Here’s a reality check, these are pretty ordinary forty buck headphones. Their major marketing highlight is that bass boost button they call BassUp. I’m going to combine talking about that with my overall opinion of the sound quality of these phones because the two things are intertwined. Here are a few things you should know:
1. Unlike other attempts to wow the user with extended bass these don’t just attenuate the low frequencies but rather they work in real time at selective frequencies to kick up some of them without making everything sound deeper.
2. Yes it does make a difference, but not one that changes the timbre of everything you hear. You might actually go a few seconds or even minutes before you suddenly hear certain frequencies being boosted.
3. Like so many schemes to tweak our listening experience this one gets tiring over time and once the wow factor sizzle has settled down many people may find the effect overbearing.
4. Because of fairly large diaphragms and I assume larger drivers these headphones deliver better than average bass all by themselves without the artificial boost.
5. Unfortunately that plasticky sound I mentioned seems to be worse with the bass booster turned on.
COMFORT
Whether because of or in spite of being all plastic these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn in a while. The cups fit well and totally encapsulate both ears but there is no excessive pressure. Outside sounds are effectively blocked out and the sweet spot is positioned right over the ear canal. The headband is soft and adjustable and there’s nothing to pinch or tangle with your hair. They fold and look like they can survive travel, but unfortunately no case or travel bag is included.
BLUETOOTH COMPRESSION AND CUTOUT
Using Bluetooth 5.0 technology these are an improvement over older technologies. They don’t sound as compressed but don’t expect that they will have the expansive sound stage of a good pair of wired cans, it’s simply not possible yet if you have your heart set on Bluetooth. They are listenable but if you are really into your music you will get frustrated by the occasional cutouts. That rules out stage and studio monitoring applications.
YES OR NO
If your headphone budget limits you to under fifty bucks I can’t think of too many better choices as long as you realize that you will get what you pay for. While Anker has outgrown their early days of legendary customer service I can still recommend that, given the choice when buying low end Chinese products it’s still better to go with a known established brand with a U.S. presence. These aren’t great headphones but neither are they priced like them. I would be wary of any gushing recommendations, everybody hears things differently and it’s hard to separate honest reviews from those with special interests. The only way you will know for sure is to try them on your own ears. Keep them if they sound good to you and if not move on to something else.
[NOTE] For some unexplained reason at the time I got these Anker says that they not currently compatible with the iPhone 11 series, but they advise this model is being upgraded at some point.
When I saw this headphone I turned up my nose. As an ex-radio person, producer and recording engineer I know headphones like the back of my hand, my knowledge of them is at the expert level. I own literally a closet shelf full of them at prices ranging into the thousands. The last thing I want or need is another pair. But I was drawn in by the apparent light weight of these and the fact that they use Bluetooth 5.0 for hopefully fewer dropouts and a less compressed sound. Some of the other claims seemed to be more marketing fluff than reality especially at the price.
LIGHT WEIGHT OR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Let’s face it; a good pair of headphones can get very heavy and tiresome to wear. At only 10 ounces (as measured by me) these promise to be more comfortable but that usually comes at the expense of being made of cheap plastic that falls apart after a few months.
REAL BASS OR A NICE EFFECT
Headphones are governed by the laws of science, the larger the transducer and the more powerful the driver the better it can reproduce ultra low frequencies. Anker touts a spinoff of what Bose and other companies have done for years, to fool the ears into thinking they are hearing certain frequencies for what I call the wow effect. And that’s what it is, for a few minutes you are blown away by the most awesome sound you’ve ever heard. Then it all starts to tire your ears and your brain and you find you are not really listening to music but rather a sound effect. I subjected these to the same standard test that I have used since the days I worked with Henry Kloss and the folks at Shure. My testing isn’t all that scientific, it’s just based on real life reproduction of sound and user listenability.
CONDITIONS OF COMPARISON
Evaluating headphones is not an easy task. There will be the inevitable reviews that go overboard gushing about how spectacular these are because they were given a sample to try. And at the opposite end those who set the bar too high by comparing them to audiophile models costing many times more. What we have here are neither, at under forty bucks they are an all plastic mass produced product that rises only slightly above the toy level. So let’s be fair and realistic, I’m going to stick to telling you what you get for forty bucks and steer far away from idealizing them or complaining that they aren’t as good as my studio reference quality cans.
PLASTIC
I have nothing against plastic and let’s face it, even Ferraris are made with a lot of plastic these days. Some of the best headphones available are made with manmade synthetic materials. Unfortunately these are made from a relatively low grade of plastic that adversely affects the sound quality. In a way its like how certain plastics affect the taste of food and beverages. To use the comparison again it’s what I would call a toylike quality. On the plus side the hinges are made of metal.
CONTROLS
For the most part Anker has done a good job designing the control panel on these phones. Everything is grouped at the bottom of the right earpiece and the buttons have a tactile touch to them plus the practice of having buttons perform multiple functions is kept to an absolute minimum. There is a power switch that also sets up the Bluetooth pairing. It also controls the use of these phones as a smartphone headset but I won’t talk about that usage, I think there are far better smartphone headsets to consider than this thing. The next button is a volume rocker that’s reasonably easy to operate and finally the bass boost button. Nearby are a USB-C charging port and a standard stereo mini audio port for wired operation. Next to those is a small LED status light.
The choice of a USB-C port is neither a major plus or a minus but its potential is minimized by the fact that they don’t include a power supply charger. They do include a short stereo audio cable and for the first time ever it prompts me to describe an item as vapid. The cable is flimsy, too short and doesn’t attach very securely. When you plug it in it disables all onboard electronics so the headphone drivers are being powered solely by your device’s amplifier, hence the maximum volume level is relatively weak. By disabling the electronics you lose one of the headphone’s major selling points, the bass boost system. You will also have to resort to only using the volume controls on your smartphone or other device.
BEST AND WORST
Most products have at least one feature to love but on the downside one you wish they had put more thought into. With this product the kudos go to printing the Left and Right designations boldly inside each earcup. So many others these days have a tiny molded in designator or even none at all. It’s so nice to be able to pick them up, even in near darkness, and know which ear is which. The negative side of the coin is the loud and somewhat grating voice that comes through the earpieces when you turn the bass boost on and off (it’s also there for a few other functions as well). The voice is so annoying that having it is almost a complete dealbreaker for me. Not counted against them but worth noting is that the instruction sheet defies any form of comprehension. Come on Anker, you’re a big company now, you can afford to have someone create a better user experience with your instruction manuals.
BASS BOOST AND OVERALL SOUND QUALITY
Here’s a reality check, these are pretty ordinary forty buck headphones. Their major marketing highlight is that bass boost button they call BassUp. I’m going to combine talking about that with my overall opinion of the sound quality of these phones because the two things are intertwined. Here are a few things you should know:
1. Unlike other attempts to wow the user with extended bass these don’t just attenuate the low frequencies but rather they work in real time at selective frequencies to kick up some of them without making everything sound deeper.
2. Yes it does make a difference, but not one that changes the timbre of everything you hear. You might actually go a few seconds or even minutes before you suddenly hear certain frequencies being boosted.
3. Like so many schemes to tweak our listening experience this one gets tiring over time and once the wow factor sizzle has settled down many people may find the effect overbearing.
4. Because of fairly large diaphragms and I assume larger drivers these headphones deliver better than average bass all by themselves without the artificial boost.
5. Unfortunately that plasticky sound I mentioned seems to be worse with the bass booster turned on.
COMFORT
Whether because of or in spite of being all plastic these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn in a while. The cups fit well and totally encapsulate both ears but there is no excessive pressure. Outside sounds are effectively blocked out and the sweet spot is positioned right over the ear canal. The headband is soft and adjustable and there’s nothing to pinch or tangle with your hair. They fold and look like they can survive travel, but unfortunately no case or travel bag is included.
BLUETOOTH COMPRESSION AND CUTOUT
Using Bluetooth 5.0 technology these are an improvement over older technologies. They don’t sound as compressed but don’t expect that they will have the expansive sound stage of a good pair of wired cans, it’s simply not possible yet if you have your heart set on Bluetooth. They are listenable but if you are really into your music you will get frustrated by the occasional cutouts. That rules out stage and studio monitoring applications.
YES OR NO
If your headphone budget limits you to under fifty bucks I can’t think of too many better choices as long as you realize that you will get what you pay for. While Anker has outgrown their early days of legendary customer service I can still recommend that, given the choice when buying low end Chinese products it’s still better to go with a known established brand with a U.S. presence. These aren’t great headphones but neither are they priced like them. I would be wary of any gushing recommendations, everybody hears things differently and it’s hard to separate honest reviews from those with special interests. The only way you will know for sure is to try them on your own ears. Keep them if they sound good to you and if not move on to something else.
[NOTE] For some unexplained reason at the time I got these Anker says that they not currently compatible with the iPhone 11 series, but they advise this model is being upgraded at some point.
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