Anker and its Soundcore model often play in a extra budget-friendly house the place its audio merchandise punch up in opposition to costlier competitors. By undercutting the larger names with stable high quality, it has been in a position to stand out in a crowded subject with out breaking the financial institution.
The Soundcore Space One Pro stretch that proposition to a degree the place affordability is extra relative. In different phrases, it’s a must to pay extra for these headphones beneath the impression that you just’re getting superior efficiency for lower than the very best pairs usually promote for. Do they ship? Let’s discover out.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro: Price and availability
Anker launched the Soundcore Space One Pro headphones in September 2024, and they’re fairly simple to seek out, largely on-line over brick-and-mortar shops. These are one thing of a primary for the corporate, so it is laborious to inform when it’d launch a more recent model. Chances are, they are going to be accessible for fairly some time. They begin out at $200, although reductions might all the time occur down the highway.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro: What’s good
The Space One Pro headphones are imagined to be a extra refined and superior model of the $100 Space One. They share similarities in design however diverge in a few methods. One is the ear cups swivel 180 levels, and the opposite is there are hinges that permit them fold in, making this one of many best pairs to contort for storage or journey. The draw back is you solely get a material bag as an alternative of a hardened case to maintain them in.
The ear cushions are good and plush, settling in properly as soon as you place the headphones on. They’re additionally giant sufficient to create a tighter seal round your ears. Not to say how mushy the scarf is. Considering the light-weight physique, these ought to really feel comfy proper after placing them on.
Just do not anticipate them to look svelte in your head. The ear cups are a bit thick, and whereas there are colour choices to select from, the general aesthetic right here leans extra in direction of perform than trend.
It’s simply as nicely since Anker hundreds up the Space One Pro with a lot of options. For starters, the Soundcore app presents an array of customized choices and settings you should use to your benefit. That consists of an EQ to tune the audio, adaptive energetic noise cancelation (ANC), and a collection of particular settings that apply to connectivity and telephone calls.
This is not uncommon for Soundcore headphones. Anker has lengthy packed its app with supporting options to make them extra adaptable. In this case, it additionally tries to develop the audio menu by together with help for the LDAC hi-res Bluetooth codec on high of the usual SBC and AAC. You have to show that setting on within the app, and whenever you do, it forces a restart, so it is one thing you commit to every time you employ it.
Mind you, it is solely price utilizing in case you’re listening to tunes from sources that may give you hi-res audio, like Tidal, Amazon Music, Apple Music, or Qobuz.. Either means, Anker did not tune the Space One Pro to essentially sound like balanced cans anyway. They are decidedly bass-friendly with the “Soundcore Signature” EQ preset signifying what the sonic focus is right here.
I do not say that to knock these headphones, simply to measure expectations stepping into. If you want some bass however actually need to pull out element within the mids, you are higher off tweaking the EQ and making a customized preset for your self. There are over 20 to select from off the bat however I’m not satisfied most will hit the spot for lots of listeners.
You might additionally give HearID Sound a strive, a fast sound take a look at (in quiet settings) that allows you to select from a collection of two completely different audio tuning choices whereas listening to them. It takes the information and formulates a customized EQ setting based mostly on the outcomes. I truly had higher luck with the EQ, personally.
These do sound like $200 headphones — much more so whenever you tinker and discover the sounds that enchantment most to you.
What you possibly can anticipate is a few stable readability and vibrant highs to go together with the thicker sound. These do sound like $200 headphones — primarily whenever you tinker and discover the sounds that enchantment most to you. LDAC help is nice, and actually does add one thing completely different when the supply materials is nice. I like to recommend taking part in round with the EQ as a result of it additionally pays dividends for content material like podcasts and audiobooks the place an excessive amount of bass is not obligatory.
The Space One Pro help Dolby Audio however not Atmos. Nor is there any true spatial audio right here. Not an enormous loss in case you’re not into that kind of factor, however one thing to level out since some rivals supply that in the identical value vary.
ANC provides you 5 ranges of efficiency as a handy approach to maintain it going without having its full impact. Regardless of which quantity you select between one and 5, noise-cancelation is more practical with low-frequency sounds. That tracks with Anker’s efficiency on this space, as I’ve observed comparable outcomes with its different headphones and earbuds as nicely.
It makes the Space One Pro completely high quality on a commute the place you need to drown out the hum of a aircraft or practice, however they will not be as efficient with high-frequency sounds, which you will discover strolling previous a development website, amongst different conditions. For a much bigger enhance, activate Wind Reduction to drown out extra.
The passive isolation from the ear cushions performs an enormous position. You can inform by merely speaking whereas sporting them with no audio. The muffled sound is indicative of a tighter seal serving to ANC do its factor extra successfully.
Speaking of voice, Anker properly addresses communication and telephone calls with neat options. Easy Chat is certainly one of my favorites as a result of it lowers the music quantity as soon as I begin speaking, making it potential to listen to somebody say one thing transient in response with out touching the controls. By default, the audio returns to its earlier quantity after 5 seconds however you too can select 10- or 15-second delays.
Another is Side Tone, which helps you hear your personal voice throughout a name so you are not talking louder than regular. You’ll discover that beneath More Settings.
These options develop in significance since name high quality is sort of good beneath various circumstances. Quiet rooms are not any downside, whereas busier environments do not get in the best way of either side listening to one another. It’s all the time a plus when you possibly can put on over-ear headphones whereas strolling outdoors and nonetheless have a chat regardless of the road noise. Transparency mode is nice for whenever you need to hearken to one thing whereas understanding your environment as nicely.
Multipoint help ensures you possibly can keep linked to your telephone and one other machine on the identical time. It’s a typical function for headphones at this value however Anker has lengthy supplied it in finances pairs, too.
The lack of contact controls might trouble some however definitely did not trouble me. I just like the tactile really feel of bodily buttons as a result of they’re usually extra dependable for sure controls, like quantity or skipping tracks.
The NC button on the left cup cycles via ANC and Transparency, or it could reply/reject an incoming name. Press it twice and you may toggle BassUp as a lift. The play/pause button on the appropriate performs/pauses with a single press, whereas holding it for 2 seconds wakes your voice assistant. The quantity buttons additionally allow you to skip a observe or return one whenever you lengthy press them.
As for battery life, Anker claims 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours with it off. These numbers maintain however provided that you do not elevate the amount an excessive amount of and use the LDAC codec sparingly.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro: What’s not good
It’s a disgrace Anker did not take into account together with a tough case to go together with these headphones. It sends an odd sign to shoppers whenever you launch one thing costlier than your model is understood for, but cheapen out on the very factor that serves to guard it. Clearly, it is a cost-cutting transfer however it sends a bizarre message when cheaper Soundcore headphones include laborious circumstances.
The Space One Pro additionally don’t have any IP ranking, so I’d warning in opposition to utilizing these on the gymnasium for sweaty exercises. It’s simply laborious to inform whether or not they can maintain that type of publicity over time.
It’s nice that you just get wired playback right here, together with a 3.5mm cable. Not to say that ANC works whereas utilizing it too. The draw back is Anker would not replicate the expertise with the USB-C port, so if you wish to use it to hear via your telephone or pill to cut back latency, you will have to make use of an adapter as an alternative.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro: Competition
You have rather a lot to contemplate whenever you’re able to plunk down $200 for a pair of over-ear headphones. This is a aggressive value vary, and whereas the Space One Pro will not essentially unseat the massive boys among the many finest wi-fi headphones, the earlier Space One make the minimize as a wonderful finances selection for $100 much less. Even inside Anker’s personal lineup, the Soundcore Space Q45 are nonetheless viable in case your wants aren’t too particular.
Since bass is a standout right here, you too can have a look at the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 as a pair in the identical pricing ballpark. They have ridiculous ranges of bass and deep app help rivaling what Anker delivers. The Sennheiser Accentum Plus aren’t far off in value however veer much more towards balanced sound, if you’d like a pair much less predisposed to rumbling bass out of the field.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro: Should you purchase them?
You can buy these if…
- You need loads of bass.
- You need a comfy match with bodily buttons.
- You like hi-res audio help.
- You need wonderful app help.
You should not purchase these if…
- You need a laborious case to hold them.
- You need one thing extra rugged for exercises.
- You need wired USB-C playback.
It’s laborious for me to decide on a rating for the Soundcore Space One Pro as a result of they provide loads, but additionally do not deliver a lot that feels new or intriguing to at least one’s ears. That’s additionally as a result of Anker has constructed a stable basis in undercutting the competitors with actual bang for the buck. In this case, the corporate is asking for extra money up entrance with out setting a brand new tone in additional aggressive phrases.
These headphones have loads of customized options and carry out nicely sufficient to warrant their value — however provided that you are on the lookout for headphones that provide the bass you could be on the lookout for.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro
Pump up the bass
The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro make some design modifications on the surface whereas bumping up the bass response on the within.
