We've currently tested over 20 pairs of headphones from Anker. This brand is notable for its chargers, power banks, and cables, and they also produce audio products like headphones and speakers under the 'Soundcore' label. While they only offer truly wireless and over-ear headphones, their products are available at several price points. They're usually packed with extra perks like active noise cancelling (ANC) and sound customization features in their companion app.
Updates
- 12/23/2022 Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 True Wireless reviewed
- 12/02/2022 Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless reviewed
- 11/28/2022 Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless reviewed
- 11/16/2021 Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Truly Wireless reviewed
- 08/26/2021 Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless updated
Best Anker Headphones
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Best Anker Earbuds
Neutral Sound6.1Commute/Travel7.4Sports/Fitness8.1Office6.9Wireless Gaming5.5Wired Gaming5.3Phone Calls6.8Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesThe best Soundcore earbuds we've tested are the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 True Wireless. These noise cancelling earbuds are chock-full of premium features for their price. Their ANC does a good job of isolating you from ambient chit-chat around the office but don't do as well at cutting out the low rumble of bus and plane engines or the high-pitched squeak from brakes. Their battery lasts just over six hours with the ANC on, and they have two extra charges in their carrying case, so you'll likely need to recharge them during the workday. They're also comfortable in-ear and stay in place during moderate exercise, though they're likely to move around or fall out during more intense exertions.
Out of the box, these buds have a very bright sound profile. There's lots of extra bass to compliment hip-hop and EDM tracks, but vocals and instruments sound overly harsh, while sibilants, like cymbals, are fatiguingly piercing. Fortunately, you can change the mix how you'd like using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They also feature a Spatial Audio mode that creates a virtual soundstage while listening to music or movies. This function can be static or track your head movements within the soundstage for a more immersive listening experience.
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Best Mid-Range Anker Earbuds
Neutral Sound6.8Commute/Travel8.3Sports/Fitness8.0Office7.5Wireless Gaming5.5Wired Gaming5.3Phone Calls6.4Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesThe best mid-range Anker earbuds we've tested are the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. These in-ears are packed with extra features that will please most users. Their outstanding adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) system automatically adjusts to the noise level around you and can easily reduce sounds like the rumble of bus engines and ambient chatter very well. They also have multi-device pairing, which is handy if you want to simultaneously connect to your smartphone and PC. With their ANC on, they last over eight hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an extra four charges.
These comfortable and well-built buds have a warm sound profile out of the box, but you can finetune their sound to suit your tastes using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. You can also use the app to switch to LDAC codec if you want to stream Hi-Res content. That said, their mic has poor recording quality. The mic captures speech which sounds far away and sibilant, which can be a dealbreaker if you take a lot of calls.
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Best Budget Anker Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.1Commute/Travel7.6Sports/Fitness8.1Office6.9Wireless Gaming5.3Wired Gaming5.2Phone Calls6.2Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling NoMic YesThe Anker SoundCore Life P2 Truly Wireless don't come with as many features as the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, like ANC or a companion app, but are a great budget choice as they have a versatile default sound profile, good stability, and an IPX7 rating, making them waterproof and a fantastic option for runs in the rain. They're decently comfortable, and their control system is easy enough to learn and use, though you can't adjust the volume using them.
Their sound profile is pretty neutral. There's lots of extra thump and rumble to suit hip-hop and EDM, but it doesn't overpower the mix. The rest of the range is well-balanced, so they're versatile for listening to different audio content. One drawback is that because they lack a companion app, they don't have any sound customization features, like an EQ or presets. They also don't do a great job at passively isolating you from the low-rumbly background noise, like bus and plane engines, though they do better at cutting out noise from ambient chit-chat and high-pitched humming from electronics. While their battery lasts just under six hours and won't last you through a whole workday on a single charge, their carrying case has five extra charges, so you won't have to worry about running out of extra power for a while.
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Best Anker Headphones
Neutral Sound6.8Commute/Travel7.9Sports/Fitness7.0Office7.7Wireless Gaming5.8Wired Gaming7.4Phone Calls7.4Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesIf you prefer over-ears, you'll want to check out the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless. They're the next generation of the Anker Soundcore Life Q35 Wireless and have an improved noise isolation performance thanks to their adaptive ANC. They can block out sounds like the rumbles from car engines and coworker chit-chat so you can focus on your audio. That said, they have a high noise floor when you set their ANC to 'Adaptive' or 'Max' mode, which can be annoying since it doesn't truly go away with time. On the upside, their continuous battery life of just under 28 hours is enough to get you through long days on the go, and you can use them passively in a pinch.
These over-ears are well-built and have a comfortable fit suitable for long listening sessions. Their default sound profile also delivers extra thump, rumble, and boom while vocals and instruments are crisp. You can customize their sound using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. Like their truly wireless counterpart, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, they even support LDAC codec, making them a solid choice for Hi-Res audio content. They offer multi-device and NFC pairing, so connecting them to your smartphone or laptop is easy.
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Best Budget Anker Headphones
Neutral Sound6.8Commute/Travel7.4Sports/Fitness7.1Office7.2Wireless Gaming5.3Wired Gaming7.0Phone Calls6.9Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesThe Anker Soundcore Q20 Wireless aren't as well-built or feature-packed as the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless, but they still offer a good overall experience for their price. Unlike a lot of over-ears in the budget range, they have ANC. It does a good job of cutting out ambient chatter and the high-pitched hum of an AC unit but can't isolate you as well from the bassy rumble of a bus or plane engine. Thankfully, they have good comfort and padding for all-day listening, and their battery lasts just over 32 hours with ANC on, so they'll last you through nearly the whole workweek without needing a top-up.
These headphones have a very excited sound profile, with lots of extra bass and treble to complement pop and rock music. However, the overemphasized bass makes the mix sound muddy, while vocals and instruments sound harsh and sibilants piercing due to the extra treble. Unfortunately, they can't pair with a companion app, so you can't change their mix. If you'd like more bass, though, their 'BassUp' feature boosts this range even more, which will compliment fans of heavier genres like dubstep and D&B. You can activate it using the controls on the ear cups.
Compared to other brands
- Robust companion app. Most Anker headphones are compatible with the Anker Soundcore app, which offers a graphic EQ and presets so you can adjust your headphones' sound to your liking. You can also remap controls and adjust the active noise cancelling (ANC) level to suit your needs.
- Powerful noise cancelling. Recent headphones from this manufacturer have an adjustable noise cancelling system that offers excellent overall performance. Their noise isolation performance nearly rivals high-end brands like Bose and Sony.
- LDAC support. Although not all of their headphones support this codec, a couple of their latest headphones, like the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro Truly Wireless, support LDAC, designed for Hi-Res audio. Support for this codec is also uncommon in truly wireless headphones.
- Disappointing overall microphone performance. Most Anker headphones have an integrated mic, which sits far away from your mouth. As a result, their mics tend to have poor recording quality and mediocre noise-handling performance.
- High Bluetooth wireless latency. Anker headphones generally have high latency on PC. You may notice your audio and visuals fall out of sync, which can be frustrating if you like to stream video on your laptop.
- Many products with some similarities and overlap. Some of the headphones in the truly wireless lineup have very similar overall performances with slight differences, making it hard to decide which pair is right for you.
Anker vs JBL
Anker and JBL offer a wide variety of headphones to target different price ranges, styles, and features. Many of their products have companion app support and multi-device pairing. JBL's lineup is larger than Anker's, and they have something for everyone, including gaming and club/DJ-inspired headphones. Conversely, Anker focuses on casual-use headphones, and many of their products have powerful ANC systems. Some even support LDAC codec, which is good if you like to listen to Hi-Res audio. Check out our article on the best JBL earbuds and headphones for more info.
Anker vs Skullcandy
Anker and Skullcandy both occupy the budget to mid-range price range. Skullcandy tends to make flashier, more colorful products, and even though some of them are simple in design, others have unique features like haptic bass. Conversely, Anker is a powerhouse with ANC, and their noise cancelling headphones easily outperform similar products from Skullcandy. Check out our picks for the best Skullcandy headphones and earbuds to see what this brand offers.
Anker's Soundcore division produces truly wireless earbuds and over-ear headphones designed for casual use. They stand out from the pack as many of their products are available at several different price points and are packed with features like ANC and companion app support. Some of their in-ears also support LDAC codec for Hi-Res audio, which is uncommon. Unfortunately, their lineup is quite large, and it can be hard to distinguish between similarly designed products.
Lineup
Anker has a somewhat simple lineup scheme, though you can find products at a variety of different prices and styles in each section:
- Life = Noise cancelling headphones. Includes over-ears (distinguished by 'Q') and in-ears (distinguished by 'P').
- Liberty = In-ears designed with audio quality in mind. Higher-end models support LDAC for Hi-Res Audio.
- Space = Their newest lineup of adaptive noise cancelling headphones based on the Life lineup. This lineup includes an over-ear and an in-ear.
Recent Updates
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May 23, 2023: Due to stock issues, we replaced the mid-range earbud pick with the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, replaced our budget earbud pick with the Anker SoundCore Life P2 Truly Wireless, and made our top pick the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 True Wireless. We also added the Anker Soundcore Q20 Wireless as our pick for the 'Best Budget Anker Headphones'.
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Feb 10, 2023: We've replaced the Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless with the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. We've also replaced the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless with the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless. We've added brand comparisons as well, in addition to expanding the lineup information.
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Nov 14, 2022: Added the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless as the 'Best Budget Anker Earbuds'.
Conclusion
Anker produces various budget-friendly to mid-end headphones under their 'Soundcore' brand. Although their lineup is quite expansive, and some models deliver similar performances, their products usually have extra features like adjustable ANC systems and companion app functionality, which allows you to customize them to your liking.