Our Verdict
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are decently well-rounded headphones. Their sound profile is versatile enough for most genres, and they're a good choice for taking to the gym thanks to their stable fit and IPX7 rating, though we don't currently test this. They have an outstanding 18.4 hour battery life, and they do a good job at helping block out ambient chatter as well, making them a decent option for using in the office.
- Good price-to-performance ratio.
- Outstanding battery life.
- Comfortable and stable design.
- Thin cable.
- No dedicated companion app.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are decent neutral sound headphones. While their sound profile isn't the most balanced, they don't have too many noticeable peaks and dips and should be suitable for most genres of music, though they are fairly bass-heavy.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are a good choice for commuting or travel. While they don't isolate background noise as well as headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC), they are very portable, have an excellent battery life, and should be fairly comfortable for most people.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are great headphones for sports. They feel quite stable in the ear, especially with the optional stability fins installed, and should stay in even during more strenuous workouts. They also breath very well thanks to their in-ear design, and are quite comfortable for longer workout sessions. Their bass-heavy sound profile will help keep you pumped up at the gym, and they're rated IPX7 for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are decent for use in the office. While their in-ear fit may not be the most comfortable for everyone for extended use, they're more comfortable than a lot of similar options. Their 18.4 hour battery will easily last a couple of full workdays, and they do a fairly good job at passively blocking out background chatter to help keep you concentrated in the office.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 aren't recommended for wireless gaming. These wireless headphone are Bluetooth-only and won't be compatible with PS4 or Xbox One. While they'll connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs, they aren't recommended for gaming due to their high latency.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are wireless-only headphones that cannot be used wired.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are an okay option for phone calls. Like most Bluetooth headphones, their microphone sound quite thin and flat, and does a very poor job at separating your voice from background noise.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 14, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Jan 10, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Dec 23, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Dec 15, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019 are fairly well-rounded Bluetooth in-ears that offer a good price-to-performance ratio and are a great option for sports. They are almost identical to the previous model, the Anker SoundBuds Curve Wireless, but offer a much longer battery life, a better in-line remote, and better water-proofing, though we don't test for this. See also our recommendations for the best budget wireless headphones, the best wireless earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ears.
The AUKEY Latitude and the Anker SoundBuds Curve 2019 are very similar Bluetooth in-ears. The Anker are more comfortable, feel more stable, and their 18.4-hour battery life is more than double the AUKEY. The AUKEY have a more balanced and less bass-heavy sound profile and do a better job at passively blocking out background noises.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve 2019 are a slightly improved version of the Anker SoundBuds Curve 2017. The SoundBuds are almost the same headphones but with a much longer battery life and a lightly better in-line remote, and they have an IPX7 rating for water resistance.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve 2019 are marginally better headphones than the Anker SoundCore Spirit X Wireless. The SoundBuds look and feel almost identical and have very similar sound profiles, but the Curve have a much longer battery life, and their treble range is slightly more accurate.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless are similar-performing headphones to the Anker SoundBuds Curve 2019. The Beats have a similar ear-hook design and are truly wireless, whereas the Anker have a wire connecting the left and right drivers. The Beats have a slightly more accurate sound profile, while the Anker are a bit more bass-heavy. While the Beats have a total battery life of almost 23 hours, this requires taking a break to charge them in their case once. The Anker, on the other hand, get over 18 hours from a single charge.
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