5 Best Anker Headphones

1. Top Pick: Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2

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Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5

The Liberty Air 2 are truly wireless in-ear headphones that are suitable for all-around use and include some features more normally found in premium wireless headphones. Although they appear to be just another AirPods clone at first glance, they are a great pair of earphones that stand out as some of the best wireless headphones under $100.

Design & Features

Available in either black or white, the Liberty Air 2 are well-built earphones with an IPX5 rating for water resistance, which makes them suitable for sports use. They have a comfortable in-ear design and include five different sizes of ear tips. They stay securely in your ears despite not having stability fins or ear hooks, especially if you can get a tight seal with the included ear tips. Their overall build quality is good, with their matte finish making for a more premium look.

The Liberty Air 2 have touch-based controls, with their earpiece backplates registering double-tap and press-and-hold inputs. Using the touch controls, you can manage your calls and music and activate the supported voice assistant on your smartphone. You also have the option to pause the audio by removing the earphones from your ears, which is more convenient in some situations. If you don’t like the default controls, you can customize them on the Soundcore companion app, but the options are limited.

Like all other truly wireless headphones, the Liberty Air 2 come with a carrying case that also serves as their charging dock. The case is extremely compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry with you for everyday use. It has a secure lid and a USB-C port and holds three full additional charges for the earphones. It also supports wireless charging – a feature not usually seen in truly wireless headphones selling for $100 or less.

Performance

While their bass-heavy sound profile can be unpleasant for some people, the Liberty Air 2 are good-sounding earphones. They are most suitable for hip hop, electronic dance music, and other bass-heavy music. You can use them for listening to music and for general media consumption, but they are not the best for phone calls due to their subpar mic performance. As with the touch controls, you can modify the sound profile using the Soundcore app.

The Liberty Air 2 are equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and have an excellent wireless range and relatively low latency on mobile devices. They are also good at reducing background noise, but they lack active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. They are especially great at blocking out ambient chatter, which is beneficial when using them at airports and noisy offices. Moreover, they are effective at reducing high-frequency noises. In addition to their good passive noise isolation, their sound leakage is also minimal, allowing you to listen to media at high volume without disturbing people around you.

Regarding battery performance, the Liberty Air 2 are some of the better ones among truly wireless in-ear headphones, which are known for their short playback times per charge. They can run up to seven hours per charge, translating to fewer charging breaks when using them throughout the day. With the three additional charges in the case, you get a total battery life of 28 hours.

Wrap-up

Overall, the Liberty Air 2 are the best Anker headphones currently out. They are well-designed truly wireless earphones that are good for commuting, traveling, office use, and sports, with their extremely compact form factor making them easy to carry for everyday use. Their build quality, charging case design, sound isolation, and total battery life are good. Moreover, they support wireless charging and have touch controls and an app for customization – features usually found in pricier products.

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2. Budget: Anker Soundcore Spirit X

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Editor’s Rating: 3.8/5

The Spirit X are the best budget Anker headphones, with their neckband design making them unique among the products in this guide. They are wireless in-ear headphones that are advertised primarily for sports use, but many of their features are also beneficial for casual everyday use. You can buy them for just around $30, making them significantly more affordable than our top pick. The product specifically mentioned here is the 2019 model of the earphones.

Design & Features

Featuring an IP68 rating for dust and sweat resistance, the Spirit X are sports-oriented earphones with a short cable connecting to their earpieces. They are slightly different from true neckband headphones such as the Bose QuietControl 30 and lack a thicker neckband module. They have an in-line remote with a built-in mic and a three-button control scheme for managing your calls and music and increasing or decreasing the volume.

The Spirit X include both ear hooks and stability fins, greatly increasing their stability, which is very important when using them for sports. Even during more rigorous exercises, they will stay securely in your ears. You also get different ways to customize comfort and fit. In addition to the different ear tip and stability fin sizes, the earphones come with a cable management clip and a shirt clip. Using the cable management clip, you can either tighten or loosen the cable around your head.

Although they are not as portable as truly wireless headphones, the Spirit X are still highly portable and easier to carry for everyday use than over-ear and on-ear headphones. Their extremely compact design allows them to fit into most small pockets, but you need to be careful with their audio cable, which is rather thin and seems to be the weakest part in the construction. The earphones also include a similarly compact case that protects them against scratches, physical impact, and water damage.

Performance

The overall performance of the Spirit X is mostly good. They are even better in some aspects than more expensive wireless earphones. They utilize Bluetooth 5.0 for their wireless connection and have a good wireless range. They connect easily with compatible devices and support multi-device pairing, allowing you to connect up to two devices at the same time. Their sound quality is decent for budget earphones while their in-line mic is adequate enough for non-business calls.

With their passive in-ear seal, the Spirit X are decent at blocking out background noise in moderately noisy places. They are good enough for reducing background noise in crowded gyms and busy offices, but they are not effective at blocking out the sound of vehicles – which is actually a good thing when running outside, as it allows for better situational awareness. If you want to increase the noise isolation, you’ll need to increase the volume; the earphones are also good at preventing sound from bleeding out, practically eliminating sound leakage issues when listening to music at high volume.

Among wireless earphones in the same price range, the Spirit X are some of the best regarding battery performance. They can run up to an impressive 18 hours per charge, which makes them suitable for marathons and extended hours at the office. If you mainly use them for running or exercising for a few hours per day, their battery can last an entire week on a single charge. They also have a quick-charge feature that allows them to gain three hours of playback after just 10 minutes of charging time.

Wrap-up

If you don’t want to spend more than $50, the Spirit X are the best Anker headphones that you can get right now. In addition to being great headphones for sports due to their very stable design, IP68 rating, and wireless connectivity, they are also good for office use and commuting. Although they are not as packed with features as more expensive headphones, their build quality and performance are both good for budget headphones.

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3. Best Value: Anker Soundcore Life Q20

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Editor’s Rating: 4/5

Selling for around $60, the Life Q20 have the best price-performance ratio among Anker’s current lineup of headphones. They are budget-friendly noise-canceling headphones that offer excellent value for the money and are suitable for all-around indoor and outdoor use. Anker offers two versions of this product: the standard version that includes a soft pouch and a slightly more expensive one that includes a hard case for storage.

Design & Features

The Life Q20 are wireless over-ear headphones with closed-back ear cups that can be folded for better portability. Their mostly plastic build is decent for budget headphones, with their metal-reinforced headband making for a sturdier frame. Their memory foam earpads are covered with synthetic leather that doesn’t peel off easily while their audio and charging cables don’t feel cheap.

With their well-padded ear cups and lightweight frame, the Life Q20 are comfortable to wear for long hours, which is especially beneficial when using them while traveling. Their large ear cups can comfortably accommodate most ear sizes while their headband has good flexibility. Their headband clamp is also tight enough to ensure a secure and stable fit without sacrificing comfort.

Like other wireless over-ear headphones, the Life Q20 have an on-cup control scheme, which is made up of several buttons on both ear cups. You can use the buttons to manage your calls and music, adjust the volume, activate your voice assistant, enable the bass boost mode, initiate the Bluetooth pairing process, and toggle the ANC feature. The physical buttons are responsive and not too stiff, making them easy to use even while on the move.

Performance

For budget headphones, the performance of the Life Q20 is impressive. Featuring Bluetooth 5.0, they have an excellent wireless range and an easy pairing setup. Their sound quality is decent, but their very bass-heavy sound even without the bass boost mode can be unpleasant for some people. Their built-in mic is also decent, but it’s not recommended for phone calls in particularly loud places.

The Life Q20 have good sound isolation performance, with their closed-back design and ANC teaming up to provide effective noise isolation, especially in an office environment. They are great at blocking out background chatter and are decent at reducing both low-frequency and high-frequency noises. This makes them all-around noise-canceling headphones for office use, commutes, and travel.

Moreover, their sound leakage is low, which is beneficial when listening to loud music during flights and in quiet places. Since their sound leakage is low even at high volume, you can increase the volume to further reduce background noise without disturbing people around you. On the other hand, they lack an ambient sound mode for monitoring your environment without removing your headphones from your head, unlike some noise-canceling headphones.

Of the headphones in this guide, the Life Q20 have the best battery performance, and by a significant margin. At 60 percent volume, they can run up to 40 hours per charge in wireless mode with ANC enabled, which is one of the best among noise-canceling headphones. When only Bluetooth is enabled, their battery life jumps to 60 hours. If they run out of power at an inopportune time, you can either switch to wired mode with the included audio cable or go for a quick charge – a five-minute charge gives them four hours of playback.

Wrap-up

The Life Q20 are some of the best wireless over-ear headphones under $100 and offer excellent value for the money, especially if you can get them at a discounted price. Their price-performance ratio is the best among current Anker headphones. Their battery life and wireless range are excellent while their noise isolation performance and on-cup controls are good. Their build quality, sound quality, and mic performance are also decent. If you intend to use them mainly for travel, we recommend getting the variant that includes a hard case, which normally sells for $10 more.

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4. Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo

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Editor’s Rating: 3.7/5

If you like the portability of truly wireless in-ear headphones but want something more affordable than our top pick, check out the Liberty Neo. As expected from a cheaper product, they have fewer features than the Liberty Air 2, but they are just as good for all-around use. You can get them for around $40, with Anker currently offering four color options. To be more specific, the product mentioned here is the newer 2019 model of the earphones.

Design & Features

The Liberty Neo look different from the Liberty Air 2. They don’t have short stems extending down from their earpieces and have a more discreet profile similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds. Their build quality is good for budget earphones, with their IPX7 rating for water resistance being especially notable for a product selling for less than $50. For controls, they have physical buttons on the earpieces which are easy to press and allow for call and music management.

Compared to our top pick, the Liberty Neo are more suitable for sports. In addition to their superior IP rating for water resistance, they have a more stable fit, courtesy of their stability fins. They will stay more securely in your ears even during more rigorous exercises with lots of head movement. You can choose between four sizes of fins and four sizes of ear tips to get the most comfortable fit for your ears.

Like other truly wireless earphones, the Liberty Neo are extremely compact and lightweight, making them easy to carry with you for everyday use. They will easily fit into small pockets, but on the other hand, their extremely compact design also makes them easier to misplace. A similarly compact case is included with the earphones. Aside from providing protection against scratches and minor physical impact, the case also serves as a charging dock for the earphones and holds additional charges.

Performance

The Liberty Neo are surprisingly decent-sounding for budget truly wireless earphones. Most consumers will be satisfied with their audio reproduction, especially those who prefer a more bass-heavy sound, not only for listening to music but also for general media consumption. They use Bluetooth 5.0 and have a good wireless range and an easy pairing process, but their latency is high. Their integrated mic is also mediocre in noisy places, which is a common issue among truly wireless headphones.

With their tight in-ear seal, the Liberty Neo provide good passive noise isolation. They are good for blocking out ambient noise in the office and while commuting and working out in the gym. Moreover, their sound leakage is very low even at high volume. This means you won’t disturb people around you when listening to music with the volume higher than usual for more noise isolation. However, unlike some truly wireless earphones, they lack an ambient sound mode for monitoring your surroundings without unplugging them from your ears.

Regarding battery performance, the Liberty Neo are disappointing. You can only get around five hours of playback on a single charge, which means more charging breaks throughout the day. The charging case does include additional charges for a total battery life of 20 hours, but there are many other truly wireless headphones offering better battery performance. The earphones have a quick-charge feature, though, with 10 minutes of charging time giving them one hour of playback, which is unimpressive but still useful.

Wrap-up

The Liberty Neo are very popular budget truly wireless headphones, and that popularity is not unwarranted. They offer good value for the money and are suitable for all-around use, with their good sweat resistance and stability fins making them ideal for sports. Although their features list is hardly eye-popping, their build quality and performance are good for budget headphones. They are extremely portable for everyday use, but they have a short battery life per charge.

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5. Anker Soundcore Space NC

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Editor’s Rating: 4/5

The Space NC are a more premium alternative to the Life Q20, with a better-built frame, a fancier on-cup control scheme, a better default case, and better noise isolation performance. They are all-around noise-canceling headphones that are suitable for travel and casual everyday use. You can get them for around $100, but they are harder to find nowadays.

Design & Features

A pair of wireless over-ear headphones, the Space NC definitely look more premium and better-built than the Life Q20. Their metal-reinforced headband is robust and has a good amount of padding while their closed-back ear cups, which have a metallic finish, are made of durable plastic. Their thick earpads are covered with artificial leather. You can fold the headphones into a more compact form for better portability. A hard case is also provided for protection against scratches, physical impact, and minor water spills.

Featuring soft memory foam earpads, the Space NC are comfortable to wear for long hours despite not being as breathable as on-ear and in-ear headphones. Their large ear cups will easily fit around most ear shapes and sizes while their headband has a decent adjustment range. They stay securely on your head, but their headband clamp is on the tighter side. Fortunately, their generously padded ear cups help mitigate the tight headband clamp, making them less fatiguing for extended listening, especially if you have a large head.

The Space NC have an efficient and user-friendly on-cup control scheme composed of a touchpad, a couple of physical buttons, and a switch. You’ll find the touchpad and the two buttons on the right ear cup, with the latter located on the underside. Using the touchpad, you can manage your music and control the volume. The two buttons are for call management and voice assistant activation and for initiating the pairing process and turning the headphones on or off. On the other ear cup, you get a simple switch for enabling or disabling the ANC feature.

Performance

Sound quality is not a strength for the Space NC, with their excessive bass and mediocre treble making for an unbalanced and dark sound, but they are mostly good in all other performance aspects. They are equipped with the older Bluetooth 4.1 and have a good wireless range. Their wireless connection is stable while their pairing process is quick and easy. Their integrated mic is also good, but they are not recommended for phone calls in very loud places. Like almost all the other headphones in this guide – our top pick is the exception – they are not compatible with the Soundcore app for customization.

The Space NC are some of the best noise-canceling headphones under $100, blocking out even more ambient noise than the Life Q20. They are good at blocking out background chatter and low-frequency noises, which makes them ideal for commuting, traveling, and office use. They are also great at reducing high-frequency noises. In addition to their great noise isolation performance, their sound leakage is also low even at high volume, but they lack an ambient sound mode.

With their solid 20-hour battery life per charge, the Space NC are suitable for all-day use in the office and particularly long flights and commutes. If they are low on power, you can temporarily switch to a wired connection using the included audio cable to conserve power. Alternatively, if you don’t mind using them with an audio cable attached, you can use them primarily in wired mode if you want a longer battery life per charge – the headphones can last up to an incredible 50 hours in wired mode with ANC.

Wrap-up

All in all, the Space NC are a great pair of noise-canceling headphones that are suitable for everyday use, with their foldable design and hard case making them easy to pack for travel. While their sound quality and battery life are inferior to the cheaper Life Q20, their build quality and noise isolation are better, especially the former. Among the best Anker headphones in this guide, they are the best option if you want to block out ambient noise and listen to your music in peace while traveling and commuting.

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