Table Of Contents
The Soundcore Life Q30’s are not only the best noise-cancelling headphones under $100. They punch above their weight, giving much more expensive headphones a run for their money. The previous Soundcore Life Q20’s are still a great choice, but here are some great reasons to upgrade:
Soundcore Q20 vs Q30: Biggest Upgrades
Life Q20 | Life Q30 | |
NOISE CANCELLING | Hybrid ANC | 3 Hybrid ANC modes |
CHARGE PORT | MicroUSB | USB Type-C |
CONNECTION TYPE | Bluetooth and Aux | Bluetooth, Aux, and NFC |
SOUNDCORE APP | No | Yes |
COLORS | Black and Silver | Black, Midnight Blue, and Sakura Pink |
Soundcore Life Q30
Specs
- Battery life: 40+ hours (60 hours with ANC off)
- Noise Cancelling: 3 hybrid active noise-cancelling modes (and Transparency mode)
- Quick charge: 5 minutes for 4 hours of listening/talking time
- Charge Port: USB Type-C
- Connection Type: Bluetooth, Aux, and NFC
- Bluetooth version: 5.0
- Soundcore App Support: Yes
- Weight: 9.28 oz
- Driver size: 40mm
- Color options: Black, Midnight Blue, and Sakura Pink
- Accessories: Clamshell zipper case, Aux cable, USB Type-C charging cable (with Velcro cable organizer)
Pros
- Best-in-class battery life
- Best-in-class quick charge (5 minutes for 4 hours)
- Super comfortable memory foam ear cups and headband pad
- Premium sound quality
- Soundcore app compatibility: custom EQ, noise-cancelling modes, ambient sleep sounds, and more
- BassUp mode for bass-heavy music genres
- Excellent hybrid active noise-cancelling
- Tough clamshell zipper case for traveling and storage
- Onboard controls (pause/play, volume, skip, bass boost, ANC, and more)
- Touch-controlled Transparency mode is a nice touch
Cons
- Only comes in three colors
- Durability issues with folding plastic hinges
Smarter Sound
The Soundcore Life Q30 headphones are the latest example showing how Anker is always doing their VERY best to put the customer first. My favorite addition to the new model is the Soundcore app compatibility. Second only to the Bose Connect app, the Soundcore app makes JBL and Beats (Apple) look like some rookies.
For the Life Q30’s, you can choose from 20+ equalizer presets, so you can get the most out of any music genre. Plus, you can fully customize the 8-band EQ and save your own presets for later.
Block Out The B.S.
To control the sound from your surroundings, the Life Q30’s have three noise-cancelling modes: Transport, Indoor, and Outdoor. On top of that, they have a touch-controlled transparency mode to hear announcements and for quick conversations. Perfect for travelers, commuters, and office workers.
If you don’t need any of those features, you can switch to normal mode and enjoy an extra 20 hours of battery life (60 hours total). You won’t have any active noise-cancellation, but the passive noise-cancelling from the memory foam around-the-ear design is still pretty good.
Smarter Sleep
Besides being able to fully customize your listening experience when you’re awake, the Soundcore app features one of the coolest sleep modes I’ve ever used. It gives you the option to mix and match over 10 ambient sounds to recreate almost any environment, so you can relax in the comfort of your own head. Plus, it comes complete with an adjustable timer to cut it off automatically and conserve battery life while you rest your eyes.
I even find myself using the Superior Sleep mode to help me “get in the zone” when I’m writing, reading, and doing other things that require full concentration. My favorite combination is a mix of birds chirping, campfire, and ocean waves, but I look forward to more options from future updates. It would be cool if they included rainforest and/or jungle sound options, too.
Conclusion
If you just want great audio quality and battery life the Q20’s will still do the trick and they’ve dropped below $50. On the other hand, for a few extra bucks, the Soundcore Life Q30’s are the best noise-cancelling headphones under $100, bar none. They have everything you need to make your next trip, commute, or day at the office as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.