The Anker Soundcore P40i are active noise cancelling (ANC) earbuds at an approachable entry-level tier. Despite their wallet-friendly price, they come with a comprehensive app that includes EQ, a 'Game Mode' for reduced latency, and a long battery life. As the bigger sibling to the non-ANC Anker Soundcore P25i, let's see if they're worthwhile.
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore P40i are very good for sports and fitness, provided they fit you. Their IPX5 rating means they can handle water splashes if you take them for a run in the rain. They feel comfortable, although they lack wings or stabilizers, so their fit is looser, but these headphones are stable (for most people) even if they require readjustments. Onboard controls are intuitive and comprehensive, and you can use both 'Ambient' mode and the wind reduction control for awareness during outdoor exercises.
- IPX5 rating.
- Stable and lightweight in-ears.
Fit can require readjusting.
The Anker Soundcore P40i is a good choice for travel. They have a nine-hour continuous battery life with an additional four charges in the case. They're comfortable and stable to wear, and their connectivity is excellent. Meanwhile, they're small enough to fit in most pockets so that you can travel light. They also have great ANC, so noise like rumbly bus and plane engines will be well mitigated. On the other hand, they can leak some of your audio, which is less of an issue on a daytime commute than on a red-eye flight if your neighbor is trying to sleep.
- Long battery life.
Great ANC performance.
- Audio can leak.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are decent for the office. They feel comfortable and fit a bit looser, which is fine for working at a desk. Their battery life with ANC enabled will get you through the workday. Plus, their multi-device pairing makes it easy to switch between your phone and your work PC. The onboard mics aren't spectacular, and call controls are limited, but they're serviceable for the occasional call. Their ANC also has you covered, attenuating noise from ventilation systems and ambient office chatter.
- Long battery life.
Great ANC performance.
- Audio can leak.
- Poor mic recording quality.
The Anker Soundcore P40i aren't ideal for wireless gaming due to their latency. You can enable 'Game Mode' in the Anker Soundcore app, which reduces the audio/visual desync, but it'll still be noticeable.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are Bluetooth wireless earbuds, so you can't use them wired.
The Anker Soundcore P40i have decent audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response deviates little from their bass-boosted sound profile, with fluctuations localized to the treble veiling detail or brightening sibilants depending on the pitch. The L/R drivers are decently well-matched for everyday listening; slight mismatches in the mid-range will, at worst, create small gaps in the stereo image. While there are more pronounced phase mismatches in the upper range, we lose sensitivity in this range over time, so you likely won't perceive less precise positioning of audio objects. While the earbuds produce harmonic distortion at high levels, you won't notice any audible timbral coloration.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are great for noise isolation. While their ANC system has 'Scenes' to cycle through depending on your environment, they don't meaningfully affect the earbuds' isolation performance; they easily attenuate noise from bustling streets to crowded subway stations. In the other direction, the headphones leak a bit of audio with a tinny version of your audio exceeding the noise floor of a calm room.
The Anker Soundcore P40i have a middling microphone. Your voice will sound distorted and thin on calls. In the loudest conditions, the microphones separate noise decently, but can cut out parts of your speech.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are excellent for frequency response consistency. Generally speaking, your audio will sound the same between different uses, regardless of your physical characteristics. The only caveat is that the fit can loosen over time, especially if you have larger ear canals, so they might require some readjustment after initially establishing a seal.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Apr 20, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.2, which removes the Cumulative Spectral Decay (CSD) test, retiring its waterfall plot visualization from our reviews. You can read more about this change in the changelog.
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Updated Apr 15, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Apr 09, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Updated Apr 02, 2026:
We've corrected an error in App Support; the headphones don't have a room effects feature.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Soundcore P40i come in four different colors: Black, Blue, Purple, and White. You can see the label for our unit, which is the 'Black' model. We expect all of these to perform similarly. If you encounter a different variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Anker Soundcore P40i feature noise cancelling, which is similarly effective compared to the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless or the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless. Unlike the less expensive Anker Soundcore P25i, the P40i includes ANC. Meanwhile, the JBL Tune Buds True Wireless also come with ANC at a similar price point, though it's not nearly as effective as the Anker's. Having built a reputation for delivering powerful noise cancellation at wallet-friendly prices, Anker delivers on the standards they've set with the P40i.
On that note, check out the best budget noise cancelling headphones, the best budget and cheap wireless earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds for other products that might suit your needs.
The Anker Soundcore P40i are a tier above the Anker Soundcore P31i in the Anker earbud lineup. As a result, they do have a better noise isolation performance and a better battery life, which makes them more suited to frequent long-haul travelers. That said, the P31i punch above their weight in some regards, with a more comfortable fit and a much better mic recording quality, with better noise handling. Both buds have a bass-heavy default sound, but the P40i are especially heavy-handed with the low-end, so unless you're a bass lover, you'll likely prefer the P31i's slightly more balanced sound.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 and the Anker Soundcore P40i are both affordable ANC earbuds with different strengths and weaknesses. Both are bassy, but the CMF sound a bit more balanced with a warmer treble, while the Anker have a much more excited sound profile. You can EQ either. The CMF have a more accurate-sounding microphone system that filters out background noise a bit better. They also let you use the LDAC codec for Hi-Res audio files. Meanwhile, the Anker boast a longer continuous battery life and a lower latency performance. The Anker also feel a little more comfortable with more ear tips to find your fit.
The Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless are quite similar to the Anker Soundcore P40i. Both the A40 and the P40i can isolate you from noise quite well. The A40 leak less audio and support the high-quality audio codec, LDAC. However, the P40i have a slightly longer battery life and are more stable. The buds also have somewhat better water resistance with an IPX5 rating instead of the IPX4 found on the A40. They otherwise share many of the same app features, such as a graphic EQ and 'Game Mode' to reduce latency.
The Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore P40i are both earbuds with a solid ANC system. The P3 deliver more consistent audio and leak less audio into the room. Meanwhile, both earbuds share similar in-app features like EQ and virtual surround sound, as well as an IPX5 rating against water splashes. One upside of the P40i is their continuous battery life, which is over nine hours compared to the P3's 5.7 hours of battery.
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Test Results
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