Between the high-quality Life Q30 Anchor Soundcore with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and the input phase of the Life Q10 is the Life Q20 sound card. Medium-noise reduction Bluetooth headphones that offer a wide dynamic range and a bass boost at an affordable price that will appeal to many. In our test report we find out how the Q20 of life works.
Anchor Soundcore Life Q20 Black
Search for Life Q20 Soundtracks on Amazon
Soundcore Life Q20Wireless Headphones with Active Noise Reduction
What gives the Q20 of life? A short description of the functions can be found here:
- high-quality sound
- Bluetooth wireless communication
- Active Hybrid Noise Reduction
- BassUp Technology
- 40 hours of wireless gaming
- Super soft earpieces
- Foldable version
- Help
On paper it leaves a lot to be desired, but we can live with it.
1. Activate
What’s in the box
- Soundcore Life Q20 Headphones
- Auxiliary cable
- Micro USB cable
- Suitcase
- Documents : Comment card, quick start guide, safety instructions.
Soundcaster Life Q20 Box
Optional : You can buy the Soundcore Life Q20 with a padded, more structured travel bag instead of travel bags that are nothing more than a string bag to attach it to. When travelling with a headset, a travel case is essential.
Soundcore Life Q20 Packaging
The protective plastic packaging shown above has separate compartments for cables and folded parts for the earphones. The documents and file are kept under the box. All shiny and branded surfaces of the earphones are protected by a sticky plastic film with tabs for easy removal.
Soundcore Life Q20 in the package
That’s what you’re completely unpacking. The earphones have sufficient protection in the box. The Quick Start Guide uses illustrations, not words like the thin paper IKEA manual. It comes with everything you need to connect and play with your headset.
2. Controls and connections
To switch to Bluetooth pairing mode, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds, the blue LED will blink. After we were sure that the headphones worked, we charged the battery until they were properly tested. Then press and hold the power button for 3 seconds to turn the device off or on.
The other buttons for track control, volume control and noise reduction are quite simple, see picture below for the buttons on the right and left ear tips.
Soundcore Life Q20 buttons and ports
Dental pavilions
On the outside of the right earpiece (picture below) are the volume buttons (+ and -), which also serve as volume control of the track. Press briefly to adjust the volume step by step, or press and hold for 1 second to skip to the next or previous track.
The middle button is a multifunctional button. Press twice to turn BassUp on or off. When you receive an incoming call, press the key once to answer the call in handsfree mode or press and hold the key for one second to hang up. Finally, to call voice assistance, press and hold for one second.
There is also an extra port and a micro USB charging port on the right headset. The loading port and the auxiliary port are open and not covered with rubber flaps, making them easily accessible.
Soundcore Life Q20 buttons and connectors on the right side.
Left ear cushions
On the left earphone, shown below, are the power button, LED indicators and the noise reduction button. As mentioned earlier, the first one is used to turn on the device and enter Bluetooth pairing mode when pressed for 5 seconds. To turn the noise reduction on or off, press and hold the NC button for 1 second. The voice prompt indicates the status of the noise reduction function. There are two LEDs, a blue power supply light that flashes blue in Bluetooth pairing mode and turns red when the battery is low, and a green light when the NC is on.
Soundcore Life Q20 Left Buttons
3. Comfort
The memory foam ear cushions shown below are comfortable to wear and, together with the adjustable headband, swivel hinges and lightweight construction, provide moderate pressure around the ears and on the head. Even after many hours of play it did not cause any pain or fatigue.
Soundcore Life Q20 Earphones
The blindfold has a lot of slack. The extendable arms can be extended with a click of the mouse, allowing you to adjust the overall length and width to the shape of your head. Basic rule: Pull it on until you feel the slightest pressure on both ears and the ends fit evenly around your ears.
Extending the lifespan of Soundcore Q20
However, it does get a bit warm after listening for a long time, especially if you are in a warm room, but this is normal. Maybe it’s a sign you need to rest.
4. Hybrid noise reduction
Flexible in-ear earphones combine with active noise cancelling technology to reduce up to 90% of noise. It is excellent for eliminating chatter, buzz, public transport and aircraft engines, and background noise. Even if you’re sitting in front of your TV with the volume at a reasonable level, headphones can reduce the sound so you can enjoy your own music.
Fundamentals
Anker says his team of sound engineers conducted more than 100,000 tests to refine the headset based on real-world scenarios. Active noise reduction is provided by four microphones. Two on the outside and two on the inside with a pair on each side. It is separated from the single microphone for recording calls.
On each side, an external microphone, also known as a direct drive microphone, records sound. Using a digital active noise reduction algorithm, the driver blocks them from reaching your ear. A second internal microphone, called a feedback microphone, does the same and suppresses any sound that may have entered the earpiece.
Operation
This allows the headphones to detect and suppress a wider range of low and mid frequency sounds without background noise. If someone tries to talk next to you, it’ll be quiet, but you can always pick it up. We are fully satisfied with the level of noise reduction offered by Life Q20.
The key here is the ambient noise. Not all sounds are completely eliminated, especially those that are perceptible, such as a growling, barking or screaming dog. The high frequencies are still coming through. If you want to know: Bose QC35 reduces the noise level by 90%, while Sony XM3 blocks up to 95%.
We do not recommend its use if you are walking in the street and making your way through streets with traffic. Only suitable for commuters, short- and long-haul flights, travel, personal listening at home or at the office and on the train.
5. Performance and sound quality
The headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified with improved treble and clarity with a little more detail for voices and notes. I enjoyed acoustic music for hours until the end. Everything seemed crystal clear. If you want quieter music like me, BassUp is for you. For optimum bass reproduction, press the center button between the volume buttons twice. If it’s too much, just turn it off.
Range and quality
A pair of oversized 40mm drivers provide precise detail and accurate bass. Together they produce a low range of 16 Hz to medium frequency and a high range of 40 kHz for better clarity. Take the bass and you’ll get the whole range. However, it does not have the EQ settings normally offered in the corresponding application to customize the sound to your needs. It also does not support predefined listening modes.
Wireless communication range
With Bluetooth 5.0, the wireless range is also great. I could log into my office upstairs and wonder what was going on in the house, upstairs, downstairs and even on the terrace. I could enjoy uninterrupted music with no signal loss and no noise.
Expenditure reported
Pop-ups and crackling are reported when the noise reduction function is activated, especially while driving. We didn’t have that experience in our tests. It was also reported that the sound was too low, even in normal mode. We have to agree with each other, especially when it comes to dance and pop music at higher volume levels.
Again, out of personal preference, this was not such a big problem. I like the perch and I wouldn’t want it to get smaller. All I can say is that you should listen at medium to medium volume, or consider other options if big bass isn’t your thing. When BassUp is activated, the lower power limit is increased to 100%.
6. Balance and telephone calls
When I connect the Life Q20 to the Zoom conference computer and the phone to receive calls, I can say with peace of mind that I can have a clear conversation with the participants and the caller without any problems. Hands-free calling. Although it doesn’t have double voice microphones like the Life Q30, a microphone works just as well with the uplink noise reduction. Note that the call microphone is separated from the noise-canceling microphone. The single microphone for calls is located at the bottom of the right earpiece.
7. Battery life
Perhaps one of the many reasons to choose the Life Q20 is the battery life. With 40 full hours or up to 600 songs, even when the noise reduction is on and the volume is set to 60%, these headphones will still work. After our test with many hours of listening pleasure, we never had to reload it. The connection to the tablet, the smartphone and the office shows no sign of stopping. The voice message still says drums.
On compatible devices such as the iPhone and iPad, the headset icon in the status bar is accompanied by a convenient battery indicator. If you do not need the ANC or if you turn it off, you can get up to 60 hours of battery life. If you don’t have a lot of time and need a small boost, a quick 5-minute charge is enough for 4 hours of listening.
8. Wired outlet
When the battery is finally discharged, you can always remove the analogue cable and connect the headset via the 3.5 mm extra port, whether on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. For wired listening, it is not necessary to turn on the headphones, but the noise reduction function can be activated and operate in wired mode. With wired listening, you cannot adjust the volume of the headphones. You need a volume control on the player. Of course, this type of listening means that the volume level is lower depending on the source and not as much as in Power and Bluetooth mode.
Soundcore Life Q20 Branding
9. Quality of construction
Although headphones are light and cheap, they don’t look cheap. On the contrary, the quality of the construction is good. Soft pads and soft tips are just as good for everyday use, although we haven’t seen whether they can withstand prolonged use. Only time will tell. The keys are tactile and solid. Taps and clicks are registered as they should be. Even fingerprints, badges, engravings and logos on different parts of the helmet look different. It’s reassuring to see that the headbands, extendable arms and swivel hinges also give confidence in their use.
10. Meaning
Without a doubt, here are affordable wireless headphones with active hybrid noise-cancelling that don’t disappoint. It also works, if not better, than some major brands such as Sony and Bose. It is not true that high-end headphones of this brand cost 3 to 5 times more. But if you can afford it, we strongly recommend the Q20 of Life.
Conclusion
The design can be somewhat dated with large buttons as opposed to touch-sensitive surfaces. There is no gesture control, only physical buttons, which means you have to mess around, find the location of the buttons and remember what they are for. All in all it still looks minimalistic on some sides, without branding or bling (shiny, chrome-plated pieces) that speak for themselves. In addition to the tested black version, the full silver version (below) is also available.
SoundCure Life Q20 Silver
This article was originally published on our sister site Color of My Life.
Live Sound Q20 Wireless ANC Headset
OFFERS
for
- Excellent mid-range ANC headset
- exceptional value, high quality and affordability at the same time
- Good noise reduction
- Tight bass and good dynamic range
- excellent battery performance
Other
- Too much bass at high volume
- no USB-C port
- Support for unsuccessful applications
- No equalizer adjustment
- Comfortable, but can get warm
Partner
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