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Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
expiredpersian_mafia | Staff posted Jun 2, 2021 3:58 AM
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Hybrid ANC Wireless Over-Ear Headphones (Black)
$60
$80
25% off
+ Free Shippingat Amazon
Top Comments
I don't own many bluetooth over-the-ear headphones but have been wanting one with these certain features. I researched and looked up some reviews on the Soundcore Life Q30 and it seemed it had most of what I wanted.
At this current sale price I was tempted but still hesitant because I'm more a value for price person with something like this since these would be my "audiophile" headphones. I'm not an audiophile by any means and don't want to go that route because it's easy to start to want the "best of the best" where you start to accumulate more and more headphones trying to scratch that itch and spending more and more before you realize it.
After some research and reviews this seemed to check most of my boxes and the general consensus is these are great over-the-ear ANC Bluetooth headphones in this price bracket. Even though to me ~$80 is a lot, even with the sale at $65 with tax (something around $50 with these features would've been my preference but I knew it would be unlikely with these features at this price). After seeing it had what I wanted and being an Anker product with their reputable customer service I bit the bullet.
*The Headphones*
The headphones come with a zippered hard case which I like.
The sound is good. I can't say it's phenomenal since I don't own anything high-end. But with the app that can customize EQ, which was one of the reasons I went for these since customizations save to the headphones and are then perpetual. Not having to deal with software/app-only settings that are not system-wide is a huge plus. So it's a set-it-and-forget-it situation despite using other devices (PC/Game Consoles/TV/iOS/Android etc.)
*Note: I recommend disabling any EQ controls (Spotify for ex.) so there'd be no overlap conflict with the headphones EQ.
So far it's been comfortable enough but I haven't used them over long hours yet. Some reviews say with the padding there may be some warmth buildup after extended usage.
Another one of my checkboxes was the multiconnect feature. Now after having used it--it's a gamechanger and a must for multi-device users. I paired these to my phone and PC and had them both connected at the same time. On my phone I paused the music. Then on my PC I played a youtube video and the audio resumed immediately. So if I play audio on my phone then want to swap to PC (on Windows 10 PC I click sound icon on bottom right of taskbar then specify PC audio to SoundCore Q30) the swap is instantaneous. Amazing feature without having to fuss with re-pairing of any sort.
When watching a movie (Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer Mugen Train) on PC the audio sync latency was imperceptible to me. I've not yet tried it for gaming but I wouldn't use it for competitive gaming without direct aux anyways. For more casual gaming I may.
I've never used ANC and it wasn't a required feature for me but I did want something with it if I ever wanted to use it. I played some crowd noise audio on youtube and the ANC did reduce most of the sound, which is coming from my 10-watt monitor speakers about 1ft from me to headphones at 70% volume.
Transparency mode is a neat feature here too. While palming the right side of the headphones for a second TM will activate and process and direct any external environment noises to you even with ANC on. It was my first time using ANC and Transparency and it kinda took me by surprise since the audio is like a 1:1 feed in terms of latency which I found amazing.
There aren't touch sensitive buttons on the headphones but I don't mind the physical buttons. I haven't had great success with touch-only buttons anyways and found the physical buttons easy to use once I remembered the positions.
Overall:
The Soundcore Life Q30 has great audio, is customizable (w/ app, a now-must for me), good design and feel, firmware upgradeable, USB-C recharge port, aux port useable, multipoint connect, ANC with Transparency Mode, and great battery life.
If these are the features you're looking for I recommend these at the current sale price. If there's ever another sale with a better discount then I'd consider it a steal.
A reviewer on YouTube discovered that the ANC hardware in both are exactly the same and my ears can confirm that the differences in ANC quality is minimal.
Great headphone regardless but I see little reason to upgrade if you already have the q20.
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131 Comments
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That's enough for me to keep and use daily the 30s over the 20s.
Not to mention the App for firmware updates. All the other physical features are a bonus.
I do like the buttons on the 20s and wish that soft/semi large buttons would've carried over. Feel like they'll last longer vs the 30s hard small buttons.
I had a Q20, but after a very light use for a few months, the power button was broken and it could not be turned off and the only way was waiting until the battery dies. And the sound started cracking. So the quality is questionable: Unless the build quality has been drastically improved, it's a $60 headphone, no more or no less.
Or, alternatively, replacement ear pads?
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A reviewer on YouTube discovered that the ANC hardware in both are exactly the same and my ears can confirm that the differences in ANC quality is minimal.
Great headphone regardless but I see little reason to upgrade if you already have the q20.
- With ANC on they still don't filter out voices effectively enough. Good for work but bad for cafes, flights, etc.
- Smallish control buttons adjacent to each other and hard to differentiate
- Loud popping static-like noise when tapped or jostled
- Slightly too bassy for some kinds of music
Do the Q30's effectively address any of these issues?Btw, I recently bought angle grinders to remove some rust on my car. Would these work well to protect my ears from the noise, or do I really need dedicated ear/noise protectors?
I do wish the Q20's had USB C and am tempted to upgrade but they're working great for me now.
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Soundsurge 85 OR Soundsurge 90 OR Soundcore Q30
The Soundcore Q30 is suppose to have the best sound quality but all three use 40mm drivers.
The Taotronics Soundsurge 85 is suppose to be the most comfortable (I own these) and are also the lightest. If you expet to wear your headphones, lets say ALL DAY (at work)... I would have to recommend these over the Soundcore Q30.
I personally find wearing headphones all day use to hurt the top of my head... now that I own the Soundsurge 85... I don't suffer this issue anymore.
And now price.
The 85 are $30ish on ebay (with $5 off $15 coupon); the 90 are $35ish (with $5 off $15 coupon) and the Q30 are $60.00. I personally recommend all three.
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