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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Review updated Aug 26, 2021 at 12:40 pm
Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless Picture
7.0
Neutral Sound
7.8
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
5.3
Wireless Gaming
5.2
Wired Gaming
6.6
Phone Calls

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are versatile, reasonably comfortable truly wireless earbuds. They're well-built and should easily stay in your ears during workouts. Their sound profile has a bit of extra bass to keep you pumped up without being overwhelming. They have over seven hours of continuous battery life and their case is advertised to hold enough extra charges for just under 100 hours of playback. However, we don't currently test it. On the downside, they lack app support and their controls aren't the most intuitive.

Our Verdict

7.0 Neutral Sound

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are decent for neutral sound. Their sound profile is well-balanced, with overemphasis across the bass range that adds rumble, punch, and boom. Vocals and lead instruments are mostly accurate and clear, but some details may seem veiled. Their soundstage is perceived as small and inside your head, which is typical of headphones with an in-ear design. Unfortunately, they don't have a companion app and lack sound customization features like an EQ or presets.

Pros
  • Punchy, reasonably well-balanced sound profile.
  • Stable and decently comfortable.
Cons
  • Closed-off soundstage.
  • No sound customization features.
7.8 Commute/Travel

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are a good choice for commuting and traveling. They’re extremely portable, quite well-built, and have an advertised total battery life of nearly 100 hours. While don't currently test for that, they should have enough battery life to get you through a couple of long trips if you put them back in their case to charge every once in a while. They also do a solid job of passively isolating you from noise, although they struggle to block out the sound of rumbling engines.

Pros
  • Outstanding total battery life.
  • Solid build quality.
  • Impressive noise isolation and audio leakage performance.
  • Stable and decently comfortable.
Cons
  • Bluetooth audio latency too high for streaming video without audio lag.
  • No sound customization features.
8.1 Sports/Fitness

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are a great pick for sports and fitness. Once you find the right size of stability sleeves and ear tips, they shouldn’t fall out of your ears, even during intense workouts. They’re also quite sturdy and have an IPX5 rating for water resistance, though we don’t test for that currently. On the downside, their control scheme takes some getting used to and lacks a volume function.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
  • Stable and decently comfortable.
Cons
  • Unintuitive control scheme.
7.2 Office

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are decent for office use. Their continuous battery life of just over seven hours is a bit short for a 9-5 workday, but they come with a case advertised to hold a lot of extra charges, so you can top them up as needed. They passively isolate you from a good amount of office-type noise like chatting co-workers and humming A/C units. They also hardly leak any audio, so your music shouldn't bother people sitting nearby. However, they don’t support multi-device pairing, which is a little annoying if you tend to switch between using your phone and computer.

Pros
  • Outstanding total battery life.
  • Impressive noise isolation and audio leakage performance.
  • Stable and decently comfortable.
Cons
  • No sound customization features.
  • No multi-device or NFC pairing.
5.3 Wireless Gaming

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are Bluetooth-only headphones. They're compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs and mobile devices, but their latency is too high for them to be suitable for gaming.

5.2 Wired Gaming

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are truly wireless headphones and can't be used wired.

6.6 Phone Calls

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are okay for phone calls. People on the other end of the line should hear your voice clearly and without distortion, but it doesn't sound very full-bodied. The integrated mic also struggles to separate speech from loud ambient noise. On the plus side, the earbuds isolate you from a good amount of background noise, making it easier for you to hear your call.

Pros
  • Stable and decently comfortable.
Cons
  • Inadequate noise handling.
  • 7.0 Neutral Sound
  • 7.8 Commute/Travel
  • 8.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.2 Office
  • 5.3 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.2 Wired Gaming
  • 6.6 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Aug 26, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
  2. Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  3. Updated Aug 03, 2020: Review published.
  4. Updated Jul 29, 2020: Early access published.
  5. Updated Jul 22, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Jul 20, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Jul 14, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Anker Life Dot 2 in 'Black'. There's also a 'Green' color variant that we expect to perform similarly.

You can see the label for the unit we tested here. If you come across another variant or your headphones are different, please let us know in the discussions below so we can update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Anker Life Dot 2 are versatile truly wireless in-ear headphones with a high price-to-performance ratio. They’re quite well-built, reasonably comfortable, and provide a decently well-balanced sound profile. On the downside, their one-button control scheme lacks some functionality and takes some getting used to.

If you’re looking for similar options, take a look at our list of recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $50, the best true wireless headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.

Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless

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.

Mpow M30 Truly Wireless

The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are similarly performing truly wireless headphones. The Mpow have an easier-to-use control scheme, a more stable fit, and a higher IPX8 rating for water resistance, although we don’t test for that. Meanwhile, the Anker have a much longer battery life, a better-balanced sound profile, and reduce the volume of ambient noise more effectively.

TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79 Truly Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79 Truly Wireless have different strengths. The Anker are well-suited for the daily commute and working in the office, since they’re better at blocking out ambient noise, leak less audio, and have a longer battery life. The TaoTronics are better for sports and fitness, since they offer a more secure fit and have a control scheme that’s easier to use when you’re on the move.

Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless

The Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless and the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are very well-matched for mixed usage. The Liberty Air 2 have a more comprehensive touch-sensitive control scheme, an integrated microphone that does a better job of isolating speech from ambient noise, and a dedicated companion app with a graphic EQ and audio presets. On the other hand, the Life Dot 2 are a bit cheaper, have a much longer total battery life, and marginally better noise isolation performance.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones for mixed usage than the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless. The Samsung offer a more comfortable, stable fit, a better-balanced sound profile with EQ presets in their companion app, as well as a longer battery life off of a single charge. Conversely, the Anker block out more ambient noise and have a case that yields almost four times the battery life as that of the Samsung.

Anker SoundCore Life P2 Truly Wireless

The Anker SoundCore Life P2 Truly Wireless and the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are very similar truly wireless headphones. The Life Dot 2 block out more ambient noise, feature a better integrated mic, and have a much longer total runtime of close to 100 hours. Conversely, the Life P2 support the aptX Bluetooth codec and have much lower latency on mobile Android and iOS devices.

TOZO T12 Truly Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are slightly better for mixed usage than the TOZO T12 Truly Wireless. The Anker offer a more neutral listening experience, block out a greater amount of ambient noise, and have a better-integrated microphone. However, their largest advantage is their battery life: not only do they last longer off of a single charge, but they also have a case that yields almost 100 hours of total runtime, which comfortably eclipses the TOZO’s 23.9-hour total battery life. With that said, the TOZO have slightly lower latency on PCs as well as iOS devices, charge a bit faster, and have a higher IPX8 rating for water resistance.

JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are slightly better overall than the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless. The Anker are better-built, more stable in the ear, block out more ambient noise, and leak less audio. They have a much longer total battery life of almost 100 hours, not to mention a battery-saving standby mode. However, the JBL have an easier-to-use control scheme and a better-balanced sound profile.

Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless and the Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless are similarly performing headphones, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. Out-of-the-box, the Anker have a more neutral sound profile, so they're better for neutral sound. They also have better noise isolation. However, the Creative are more comfortable, with a longer continuous battery life and a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and surround support.

Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless

The Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless are slightly better than the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless. The Life P3 are more comfortable, and thanks to their ANC feature, they have better noise isolation. Also, they're compatible with the Anker Soundcore app, so you can customize their sound using the graphic EQ and presets.

JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are slightly better headphones than the JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Anker have a more stable fit, can passively isolate you from more ambient noise, and have a better overall battery performance. However, the JBL have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The Anker Life Dot 2 are earbuds with angled tips and a flat outside surface. The buds are a bit on the big side and stick out of your ears more than the smaller Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless, but they aren't bulky or cumbersome. They're mostly made of glossy plastic, though the center caps are made of a matte speckled material that adds a bit of contrast. They come in an all-black or all-green design.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.03 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The Anker Life Dot 2 are decently comfortable. They enter quite deeply into the ear canal but don’t exert too much pressure, so they shouldn't be too annoying to wear for long periods of time. They come with a pretty broad selection of ear tips and stability sleeves, which helps with finding a comfortable, secure seal. Unfortunately though, using the touch-sensitive controls can push the earbuds further into your ears.

5.1
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The Anker Life Dot 2 have disappointing controls. They aren't very intuitive and lack some useful functions, like volume controls. You can tap the touch-sensitive surface on either bud to play and pause audio. A one-second press on the right earbud skips the track forward, while the same command on the left earbud skips the track backward. You can also tap either bud to answer a call or reject a call with a one-second press on either bud. A quick double-tap on either earbud activates your phone's voice assistant. While this control scheme can be a bit confusing at first, there are beeps when the earbuds turn on or off and when they pair with a device.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

The Anker Life Dot 2 are very breathable, like most in-ear headphones. They don't trap any heat against your ears, and shouldn't make you sweat more during exercise.

9.4
Design
Portability
L 1.3" (3.3 cm)
W 1.2" (3.0 cm)
H 1.1" (2.8 cm)
Volume 1.70 in³ (27.86 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

The Anker Life Dot 2 are exceptionally portable. They’re small enough to fit into most pockets and each one has a strong magnet inside to keep them together. Their included charging case is a little on the bulky side but easily fits into bags and bigger pockets.

7.5
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 3.2" (8.1 cm)
W 1.5" (3.8 cm)
H 1.7" (4.3 cm)
Volume 8.20 in³ (134.37 cm³)

The Anker Life Dot 2 come with a good charging case. It feels solid and looks somewhat premium, with a dense feel and a glossy plastic interior. It's a bit bulky compared to the cases that come with many other truly wireless earbuds, but it's not too heavy considering the big battery inside.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Anker Life Dot 2 feel well-built. The buds are made of high-grade plastic and are rated IPX5 for water resistance, though we don't test for that currently. Their charging case feels quite sturdy, so it should take a few drops and bumps without sustaining much damage.

7.5
Design
Stability

The Anker Life Dot 2 have good stability. Once you find a good fit with the selection of ear tips and stability fins provided, they create a pretty tight seal and shouldn’t fall out, even during high-intensity workouts. That said, if you're looking for truly wireless headphones that are even less likely to fall out of your ears, take a look at the SoundPeats TrueFree 2 Wireless.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 headphones
  • Charging case
  • 5x ear tips
  • 3x stability sleeves
  • USB-A to USB-C charging cable
  • Quick start guide

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
3.39 dB
Treble Amount
-1.47 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 have a somewhat bass-rich sound profile. Mixes have extra rumble, punch, and boom, while vocals and lead instruments sound present and clear, although these elements lack a bit of detail because of a dip in the treble range. Unfortunately, they don't come with any sound customization features like an EQ or presets. You may want to take a look at the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless if you want a pair of truly wireless headphones that have a more neutral sound profile with a bit of extra bass.

9.8
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.05 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 have superb frequency response consistency. Once you achieve a good fit with the included tips and stability fins, you should hear a consistent sound each time you use them.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.9
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.1 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
2.99 dB
Mid-Bass
4.1 dB
High-Bass
2.68 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 have very good bass accuracy. The whole range is overemphasized but quite flat, so they have some extra rumble, punch, and boom, but it shouldn't be overwhelming or muddy.

8.8
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.56 dB
Low-Mid
0.02 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.28 dB
High-Mid
-0.78 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 have excellent mid accuracy. It’s quite flat across the entire range, so vocals and lead instruments should sound present and accurate. While a small dip in the mid-range nudges vocals slightly toward the back of the mix, this shouldn’t be too noticeable for most listeners.

7.5
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.78 dB
Low-Treble
-2.8 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.78 dB
High-Treble
-3.57 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2’s treble accuracy is decent. Vocals and instruments should sound reasonably bright and airy, but a dip in the low-treble range veils some finer details.

8.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.14 dB
Dips
1.34 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2's peaks and dips performance is impressive. There are a few peaks and dips, but most are fairly minor. A peak in the mid-bass gives mixes more body and punch, and a dip in the mid-mid range nudges vocals and lead instruments towards the back of the mix. A bigger dip in the low-treble causes lead instruments and vocals to lose some clarity and detail, while a peak in the mid-treble makes sibilant sounds like cymbals more piercing.

8.0
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.14
Weighted Phase Mismatch
0.84
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
2.21
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.4

The Anker Life Dot 2 have an impressive imaging performance. The weighted group delay falls beneath the audibility threshold for the entire range, ensuring tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also very well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response, so objects like instruments and voices are accurately placed in the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

0.5
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
2.4
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.1

The Anker Life Dot 2 have a bad passive soundstage performance, which is normal for in-ear headphones. The design means sound doesn't interact with your outer ear, which is essential for creating an out-of-head, speaker-like soundstage. Instead, sound seems to come from inside your head, and the soundstage seems small and closed-off compared to that of most open-back headphones.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
7.7
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.249
WHD @ 100
0.141

The Anker Life Dot 2 have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. While some distortion is present at higher frequencies at normal listening volumes, it still falls within acceptable limits and shouldn’t be noticeable overall.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 4.2
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test these headphones. These results are only valid when using these settings.

Isolation
7.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-24.47 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-10.09 dB
Mid
-20.52 dB
Treble
-43.62 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 do a good job of passively isolating you from ambient noise. Even without active noise cancelling (ANC), they block out more sound than the Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC Truly Wireless in the mid and treble ranges, so you don't have to crank up your music to drown out chatting coworkers or the high-pitched hum of a nearby AC unit. That said, they aren't very effective at blocking out bass-range noise, so they aren't ideal if you want to cut out the low rumble of a bus engine during your commute.

9.9
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
21.38 dB

The Anker Life Dot 2 have an exceptional leakage performance. Even if you listen at a high volume, very little sound escapes, so you're unlikely to bother people nearby, even in a quiet room.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
6.7
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
253.98 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.27 dB
HFE
3,225.4 Hz
Weighted THD
0.022
Gain
-6.38 dB

The microphone has an okay recording quality. Your voice is relatively clear and natural, but it doesn't sound very full-bodied or detailed. If you're looking for budget-friendly in-ears with a better recording quality, consider the JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless.

5.9
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
9.33 dB
Noise Gate
No
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
6.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The Anker Life Dot 2’s microphone struggles to isolate speech from ambient noise. The person on the other end may not be able to hear you if you use them to talk on the phone in a loud place like a subway station.

Active Features
7.3
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
7.3 hrs
Additional Charges
12.5
Total Battery Life
98.6 hrs
Charge Time
1.8 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Standby mode
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

These headphones have a decent battery performance. They have a continuous battery life of roughly 7.3 hours, although it's much shorter than some other truly wireless earbuds, like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless, which last for 13 hours. However, battery performance can vary with real-life usage, so you may have a different experience.

These headphones also come with a case advertised to hold roughly 12.5 additional charges. That brings their total battery life to nearly 100 hours, although we don't test this currently. The earbuds automatically turn off after two minutes when not paired with a device, which can save battery life when they aren't in use. You can also use one bud while the other charges in the case. Anker advertises that a 10-minute charge yields 90 minutes of playback, but we also don’t test for this.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

These headphones don’t have a companion app. For similar in-ears that offer a companion app with a graphic EQ, check out the Creative Outlier Air V2 True Wireless.

Connectivity
6.8
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
233.00 ft (71.02 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
321 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
176 ms
Android Latency
214 ms

The Anker Life Dot 2 have alright Bluetooth compatibility but don't have a lot of extra features. They don't support multi-device or NFC pairing. Their latency with PCs as well as iOS and Android devices is likely too high for mobile gaming or streaming video without noticeable audio lag. However, some apps seem to compensate for latency, so you may have a different experience.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These truly wireless earbuds can't be used wired. They only come with a USB-C to USB-A charging cable for their case.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No

These earbuds are compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is a bit too high to game or stream video without a noticeable delay.

Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C

The Anker Life Dot 2 come with a case advertised to hold enough charge for almost 100 hours of continuous playback, although we don't currently test that. You can charge it with the included USB-C to USB-A cable. It doesn't support wireless charging.