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Up until a few months ago, I wasn’t even aware what I missing out on by NOT using noise-cancelling headphones in this new work-from-home world. When I reviewed the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 (seen here), I was blown away by how well it killed background noise – both for me and for people on the other side of my calls. Well, Anker wasn’t going to sit on their laurels – and now, we’ve got the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 coming for our ears very soon.
In terms of comparing things to the Q20, it looks like there are a few changes that I can see in the photos. First off, the branding/logo on the earcups is a bit bolder than on the Q20 (ie, you can actually see it). It looks like the ear cups are actually a bit more open, and the headband looks a bit redesigned as well.
Now, on the earcups, that may just be some visual trickery I’m picking up io the photos, because you’ve got the same 40mm drivers inside, and a similar multi-mode noise cancelling. Even battery life – 40 hours with ANC and 60 hours without – is similar to the Q20s. With the information I’ve gotten so far, though, it’s unclear if you can hard-wire the headphones in and continue using them if the battery is dead.
One thing that is very much different with the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is that it can be tuned, via an app on your phone. This should allow you to adjust the noise cancellation, play white noise, or even work to block out a specific noise that’s prevalent in your environment. While most probably won’t need to adjust things from the defaults, having that ability there is something I think will be fun to play around with.
And yes, I do mean play around with – we’re already in talks with Anker to get a review unit in of the Anker Soundcore Life Q30, and see how they stand up to the Q20s that have been my daily companion for a few months now. They are a touch more expensive – coming in at $79.99 but frankly, that’s still a bargain for the audio quality that you’re getting from these headphones (if my experience with the Q20s is any guide). While the Q30s have been announced today, they’ll actually be available in November, and we hope to have that ears-on review for you around that time as well. anker.com
Details from Anker
- ?Great Sound: Equipped with 40mm silk drivers, the Life Q30 are able to reproduce full, rich bass while simultaneously delivering the most delicate high frequencies up to 40kHz in order make music sound effortlessly musical.
- Multi-Mode Noise Cancelling & Transparency: The hybrid active noise cancellation uses multiple microphones to detect and cancel out up to 95% of engine noise, while multi-mode ANC can also tailor noise cancellation to block specific noises more effectively. Transparency mode allows listeners to enjoy their music while staying present with outside surroundings.
- Long Playtime / Easy To Use: With up to 40 hours play time in wireless ANC mode and up to 60 hours in normal mode as well as Bluetooth 5.0 with multi-point connection, the Life Q30 are ready to go all day or all week.
- Custom Tuning: Download the Soundcore app on your Android or iOS mobile phone and tune the sound to meet your needs and customize the ANC mode.
