The Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless are noise cancelling truly wireless in-ears. They feature a broad range of customizability via their companion app, including a three-mode ANC system as well as a graphic EQ and 20 EQ presets to let you fine-tune their sound profile. They block out a good amount of background noise, have a comfortable, stable fit, and provide almost 11 hours of playback time on a single charge. Unfortunately, their integrated mic delivers sub-par recording quality, and their Bluetooth latency on some devices is quite high.
Our Verdict
The Anker Life A2 NC are an alright choice for neutral sound. They have a V-shaped sound profile that emphasizes the thump and rumble of EDM and hip-hop music but without completely muddying or cluttering vocals or lead instruments. You can also adjust your listening experience in detail via an in-app graphic EQ or EQ presets. Unfortunately, they have a small, closed-off soundstage, though that's normal for in-ear headphones.
- Companion app with many sound customization features.
- Small soundstage.
The Anker Life A2 NC are good for commuting and traveling. They're remarkably easy to carry around, are well-built, and feel quite comfortable. Their near 11-hour continuous battery life should also be more than sufficient for long overnight trips, and their ANC system does a decent job of blocking out the low-rumble of bus and plane engines in its 'Transport' mode. Unfortunately, their control scheme doesn't support onboard volume adjustment out-of-the-box, and you lose access to other playback functions if you remap it using their companion app. They also exhibit noticeable audio latency on iOS and Android devices, which could be annoying if you like to watch videos on your way into the office or to class.
- Compact, sturdy design.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- Long continuous battery life.
- High Bluetooth latency.
- Limted control scheme.
The Anker Life A2 NC are a great option for sports and fitness. They're very compact, feel sturdy enough to deal with a couple of minor impacts, and are rated IPX5 for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Their lightweight construction and stability fins also help them do a great job of staying in place when you move your head around. Your ears shouldn't sweat more than usual while wearing them either. Unfortunately, their control scheme is quite limited overall, and you may need to pull your phone out to adjust them.
- Compact, sturdy design.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Long continuous battery life.
- Limted control scheme.
The Anker Life A2 NC are alright for office use. They do a good job of blocking out background chatter even without their ANC feature enabled and leak very little audio, so nearby coworkers shouldn't be too annoyed if you like to listen to content at high volumes. They provide almost 11 hours of playback time on a single charge, which should be more than enough to last you throughout your day, though they don't have any power-saving features like an auto-off timer. They also don't support multi-device pairing, so you can't stream music off your phone while remaining connected to your computer.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- Low levels of audio leakage.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- Long continuous battery life.
- High Bluetooth latency.
- Sub-par microphone recording quality.
- No multi-device pairing capability.
- No power-saving features.
The Anker Life A2 NC aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They can't connect to consoles, and their latency on Bluetooth-enabled PCs is likely to be too high for gaming.
The Anker Life A2 NC are wireless-only headphones and aren't suitable for this kind of use.
The Anker Life A2 NC are a fair option for making phone calls. Their integrated mic makes your voice sound muffled and unnatural, but it does a good job of isolating speech from background noise, so people on the other end of the line should still understand you even if you're calling from a loud or crowded environment. Their ANC feature also helps in blocking out ambient chatter, so you can stay focused on what's being said on a call.
- Good noise isolation performance.
- Microphone delivers good noise handling capability.
- Sub-par microphone recording quality.
- No multi-device pairing capability.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 02, 2022: We've added a comparison with these headphones and the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless in Bluetooth.
- Updated Feb 22, 2022: Retested 'Weight' in Comfort.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Mar 08, 2021: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Life A2 NC are only available in one color scheme: 'Black', and you can see their label here.
Let us know if in the discussions if you come across another variant, so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Anker Life A2 NC are truly wireless in-ears with an active noise cancelling feature. They have a relatively long continuous battery life, an excited V-shaped sound profile, and a stable, comfortable fit. That said, their Bluetooth audio latency can be disruptive on some devices, and their control scheme is quite limited.
If you're searching for alternatives, take a look at our recommendations of the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $100.
The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless each have their own advantages, and one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Dot 2 deliver audio more consistently, leak less audio, offer better mic recording quality, and have a case that supplies just under 100 hours of total playback time, along with an auto-off timer to conserve power. Despite not being fitted with an ANC system, they also block out more ambient noise. Meanwhile, the A2 NC are comfier, more stable in the ear, have a longer single charge battery life, and are compatible with a companion app that features a broad range of customization features.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless each have their own advantages, so one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The Life A2 NC have a more comfortable, stable fit, better microphone recording quality, and a significantly longer battery life. Conversely, the Liberty Air 2 Pro deliver audio more consistently, offer superior microphone noise handling capability, leak less audio, and block out more ambient noise.
The Apple AirPods Pro are better than the Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless. The Apple have a more intuitive control scheme, better build quality, a more effective ANC system, and a standby mode to conserve power. Meanwhile, the Anker have a companion app with a broader range of customization features, a superior microphone noise handling capability, and a longer continuous and total battery life.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 and the Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless each have their own advantages, and you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs. The Liberty Air 2 deliver audio more consistently, block out more ambient noise despite lacking an ANC system, leak less audio, and have lower Bluetooth audio latency on some iOS and Android devices. Meanwhile, the Life A2 NC have a more comfortable, stable fit, noticeably better microphone noise handling capability, and much longer continuous battery life.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
