The Soundcore Life Q20 are one of Anker’s best-selling headphone models. They were originally released in 2019 and feature some now-dated tech such as a Micro USB port. In this Anker Soundcore Q20i review, I take a closer look at the newly updated model.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission if you buy products through our links.
Anker Soundcore Q20i Review: Summary
The Q20i answer our call for a more modern refresh of the Q20 and build on everything that made the original headphones so popular. Anker have added a transparency mode, a customisable EQ through the Soundcore app, a USB-C port and a different logo on the earcups.
Priced at £50/$70, you might think these headphones would be fairly bare-bones. Not the case! You get Active Noise Cancellation, up to 60 hours of battery life and a host of other features.
To summarise, I was seriously impressed with the value for money of these headphones. Whilst they feel a little plastic-y, Anker has clearly prioritized sound quality above all else because for the budget price they sound fantastic. The only problem I found with the sound is that wired mode falls short and sounds comparatively muffled. The Active Noise Cancellation can’t compete with more expensive models from Bose and Sony, but it certainly punches above its price tag. They are bassy headphones, so if you like bass then base them around your ears. Aye!
Read the full review below for the details.
Our rating: 8.6/10
Pros
- Sound quality over Bluetooth is great for the price.
- You can easily EQ them to sound much more balanced if you want.
- Active Noise Cancellation: It’s both present and above average for budget headphones.
- Surprisingly portable for over ear headphones.
Cons
- Wired mode sounds muffled.
- Feel a little cheap and creaky, especially the buttons.
Who is the Anker Soundcore Q20i for?
I would recommend these headphones for anyone looking for a general use set of budget Bluetooth headphones. They perform above average in terms of sound quality and active noise cancellation.
Who is the Anker Soundcore Q20i not for?
If you want to use them as wired headphones steer clear. I write below about some issues with the sound quality in wired mode.
Anker Soundcore Q20i Review: In the Box
The Q20i come with a USB-C cable, a 3.5mm cable and an instruction booklet.
Design and Comfort
The Anker Soundcore Q20i are the updated model of the Life Q20 and come with a USB-C port rather than Micro USB. You also have a 3.5mm input, volume up and down buttons, noise cancellation button and a power button that also couples as a play button.
The headphones neatly fold. The hinges and headband feel solid. All good so far.
The headband has a small amount of padding, and coupled with the ear pads they are nothing to write home about, but the headphones are comfortable enough.
The ear cups seemed a bit small at first but they fitted comfortably around my big ears. Clamp force looks tight from the way the headphones sit when off your head, but they actually don’t feel tight at all.
For these reasons, I think these are some of the most portable over ear headphones I have reviewed, they make use of every bit of space without diminishing any part of the experience. I also weighed them and they come in at a light 242g.
The terms of the build quality of the Q20i: They feel a little plasticy, but for the price Anker needed to make cuts somewhere. They creak when you swivel the cups, but not excessively. I also don’t like the buttons, they feel cheap and are unnecessarily bulky. Fortunately the headphones make up for it with their sound quality and noise cancellation capabilities.
Features
The Soundcore Q20i have three different ambient sound modes: Normal, Noise Cancellation and Transparency.
Normal is “off” and the headphones won’t apply any transparency or noise cancellation effects.
Noise Cancellation as you might expect activates Active Noise Cancellation.
Transparency mode activates the headphone’s microphones so that you can hear your surroundings. This feature is also found in some Sony headphones such as the XM4/5 and Linkbuds S. I wrote in my review of the Linkbuds S that this feature is oddly comforting and alleviates some of the anxieties often associated with wearing headphones. Click here to read the review.
As an example, if you’re out and about, you can hear your surroundings such as traffic, or if you’re waiting on a phone call or doorbell you can listen out for that too. I’m really glad this feature has crept into the mainstream in recent years.
The Q20i can be used with the optional Soundcore app from the Play Store and App Store which allows you to adjust the EQ of the headphones. After creating an account you can adjust the EQ with a variety of presets or create a custom EQ. The headphones are, by default, in bass boost mode. Simply setting the EQ to flat totally changes the sound and makes them more balanced. I would suggest you play around with the EQ because it does a good job of letting you find a sound you like.
The Q20i allow you to connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. The headphones will automatically switch between the devices as needed.
Battery Life
Battery Life of the Soundcore Q20i is excellent. You get 40 hours with ANC enabled and a monstrous 60 hours with ANC off. Whilst testing, battery life was never a consideration, it just kept going and going and going.
They feature fast charging and 5 minutes can get you 4 hours of music play time.
Active Noise Cancellation
At the £50/$70 price point, I was surprised to find any Active Noise Cancellation at all on these headphones, let alone anything other than a gimmick.
I was pleasantly surprised.
These punch well above their weight in terms of their ANC capabilities. I wore them in a controlled setting next to a white noise machine and it blocked most of the noise out. When out and about, they also dampened a lot of low level static noise. They obviously aren’t going to perform to the same level as the more expensive offerings from Bose and Sony but for the money? They’re awesome!
I would recommend these headphones if ANC is important to you and you’re on a budget.
Sound Quality
I was also pleasantly surprised with the sound quality of these budget headphones. The bass quality is excellent and despite the fact they are bassy headphones they don’t fatigue the ears. They can get a little muddy but not especially more than other bassy budget headphones. They are still dynamic and fun to listen to and as mentioned above you can adjust the EQ to make them significantly more balanced and clear.
The tone is warm and suited every genre of music I tried them with including rock, metal, rap, pop and classical. The mids are clear, the treble is too and seems balanced.
Listening to blink-182’s new single Dance With Me, the initial drum sounds deep and instantly grabs you into the music. With Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley, the simple guitar riff jumps out at you, but the bass of the backing is less obvious. They balance themselves well to the song being played and don’t make a point to overemphasise the bass unnecessarily.
The soundstage isn’t particularly wide, but also isn’t overly narrow. The Q20i manage to hold all aspects of the listening experience together well.
According to Anker, the Q20i support Hi-Res sound. Whilst this is technically true, it’s only when using the 3.5mm cable. They don’t support LDAC or any other hi-res Bluetooth codec.
In terms of sound, you won’t find many better at this price point. They work very well indeed as general use headphones.
Again, play with the EQ. I personally prefer setting them to flat rather than the default bass boost, but everyone’s ears are different.
Wired Mode Sound Quality
A note about wired mode, when I tried them connected with the cable they sound muffled. I tried them with multiple cables but the sound stayed the same. It’s possible I got a bad set.
Alternatively, some Bluetooth headphones bypass certain audio effects in wired mode which might be happening here. I also don’t think noise cancellation can be used in wired mode as the headphones seem to auto power off.
Anker Soundcore Q20i Review: Overall Ratings
Design and Comfort: 7/10
Features: 8.5/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
They don’t look or feel the most premium, but at this price point who really cares? You’re getting excellent sounding headphones with decent active noise cancellation. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these to anyone looking for general use consumer headphones at this price point.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission if you buy products through our links.
Click here to visit Anker’s site to learn more about the Q20i.