The Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless are over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling. They do an excellent job of blocking out background noise, making them suitable for commuting and office. Unfortunately, they have a dark sound profile, and you should mostly use them for bass-heavy music. On the upside, they're well-built, and their 21-hour battery life should satisfy most users. They also have a nice touch-sensitive control scheme for music and have dedicated buttons for power, calls, and ANC, which are very useful.
Our Verdict
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are fair for mixed usage. These headphones have a thumpy and boomy bass with recessed vocals, better suited for bass-heavy genres rather than a wide variety of music. However, they have an excellent ANC feature that blocks a good amount of background noise, which will be great for commuting and the office. They're decently stable and more breathable than most over-ears, but they still won’t be a good option for sports due to their bulky design. Also, like most Bluetooth headphones, they won’t be ideal for watching TV due to their latency and mediocre microphone.
- Excellent isolation performance.
- Comfortable and durable design.
- No customization options.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are acceptable for neutral listening. They're more dark-sounding headphones. They have deep and powerful bass, but it's overly thumpy and slightly boomy. Their mid-range is even but recessed, which pushes the vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. Also, their treble is underemphasized and lacks detail and brightness. Overall, these headphones are better suited for bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are decent for commuting. Their ANC feature blocks an excellent amount of low-frequency noises like engine rumble, and you can block even more noise by playing audio. They're comfortable for long listening sessions but aren’t the most portable headphones. Thankfully they come with a great case, and you can easily have them rest around your neck thanks to the rotating cups.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are okay for sports. They aren’t very portable but should fit inside your gym bag if you decide to use them for this use. They're decently stable, and you can jog with these, but you might sweat a bit more when wearing them. Their dark sound and thumpy bass can be good to keep you pumped during your workouts.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are decent for the office. They block an excellent amount of ambient speech, especially if you’re playing audio. They don’t leak too much, so you can listen to higher volumes without bothering colleagues surrounding you. Also, their battery life will last you more than a workday, but you can't use these if they're charging. They also don’t connect to multiple devices simultaneously, so you can't switch between your desktop and phone.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are sub-par for gaming. They have too much latency for gaming, and their microphone recording quality isn’t good enough for online games with friends. However, they come with an audio cable that would get rid of latency, and it also has an in-line microphone that should perform better than the integrated Bluetooth mic.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 14, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 27, 2019: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Anker SoundCore Space NC are decent noise cancelling headphones that set themselves apart by their dark-sounding sound profile. However, they have an excellent isolation performance.
See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones and the best over-ear headphones under $100.
The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Wireless 2016 are better headphones than the Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless. Both headphones are suited for bass-heavy music, but the Plantronics have better overall audio quality. They also have a great 30-hour battery that only takes two hours to charge fully and can be connected to two devices simultaneously. The Plantronics also support aptX Lower Latency if your source can support it as well. However, their ANC isn’t the best, and the Anker are better in that category, making them a better option for commuting. The Anker also have a better microphone for calls, and their in-line one should be even better.
The Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless are better headphones than the Cowin SE7 Wireless. The Anker does a good job isolating out background noise, making them more versatile for everyday casual use and especially for commuting. They also have an in-line microphone on their included audio cable, which we expect to perform better than Bluetooth-integrated mics. The Cowin might sound better for some, especially if you don’t use their lackluster ANC feature. The Cowin are also Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, giving you better range and connection stability performance if your source supports it.
The JBL E65BTNC Wireless are better-sounding headphones than the Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless but don’t isolate noise as well. The JBL sound profile is suitable for many music genres but will still be better suited for bass-heavy genres. You can connect the JBL to two devices simultaneously, and you can use them while charging, which can be very useful at the office. However, the Anker block out more noise, especially in the bass range, making them a better option for commuting.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 are better than the Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless. The Bose have an excellent design with a very comfortable fit. They have a neutral sound reproduction suited for a wider variety of genres, compared to the Anker's dark and thumpy sound profile. On the other hand, the included TRRS cable for the Anker has an in-line microphone that we expect to perform better than the one integrated into the headphones themselves. The Anker are also less expensive, and fans of bass-heavy music might even prefer them.
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