This is one of the few #Anker products that I bought because I like their products and the quality of it. Picked up a few pairs of the Anker #SoundCore #SpaceNC #NoiseCancellation #headphones. They were on clearance at #Walmart, hence the few pairs, so I figured why not give them a try even though I am not a big fan of bulky #OverTheEar headphones.
It comes with a nice black hard case, a Micro USB cable for charging (no power adaptor though), a minijack cable with a play/pause/answer/hang-up button on it if you want to use it through a wired connection, a quick start guide, (very useful in getting first-time users going on the shortcuts), and the usual array of Anker manuals.
I found that its performance is more than a worthy competitor to the #Bose #QC25 and considering that the QC25 is only a hardwired headphone while phone manufacturers are getting rid of their headphone jacks, it makes this a much more desirable set. The noise cancellation worked remarkably well on my flights from #OklahomaCity to #Phoenix then to #SanFrancisco and back. One feature I love is the touchpad on the right earpiece. The touchpad responds well and allows you to adjust the volume level by swiping up and down, tapping it allows you to pause or play, and by swiping backwards or forwards, you can move to a previous or next track. There is also a button for answering and hanging up calls. That button if held can be used to activate #Siri or #GoogleAssistant.
So how does it stack up against the legendary #QC35? The QC35 is the best there is and the benchmark, it is better in every area but two. They do not have the touchpad, which I prefer over buttons because it feels more intuitive and the most important part price, $350 vs $99. I give Anker the nod on value for money. Another thing to consider, would you be as mad if you left behind or broke a $99 headphone vs a $350 one?
The only thing I did not like about this headphone is that the built-in microphone does not work very well. While the ability to listen in on calls is great, especially with the noise cancellation on, it does not give the person on the other end to receive the messages very well. My wife often complained the echo was quite bad on our phone calls but she was still able to make out what I said.
On the front of box, it says 50 hours. Don’t deceived by that. On the back it says, 50 hours of battery life if you use it as a wired headset and 20 hours as #Bluetooth. On my testing, it gave me about 23 hours on Bluetooth.
How is the sound quality? First, always use it the with Noise Cancelling on as everything I played sounded rather dull and lifeless. With it turned on, the sound tightens up and becomes more defined as well as adding warmth.
The headset in general is geared toward sounds of the younger generation. I would like it to sound more neutral and a lot more transparent but most kids would hate this if they did that cause there’s not enough bass. One of my favorite test tracks is Fattburger’s Good News, it sounded alright at best but switch gears and play Avicii’s Levels or Basement Jaxx’s Oh My Gosh, is almost like getting a Ferrari out of traffic, onto a clear freeway and driving it at full throttle.
Some of the tracks I played that sounded impressive were Rascal Flatts’ Life Is a Highway, Lisa Stansfield’s All Around The World, Lady Gaga’s Monster, Gypsy or Applause, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s Side to Side. Surprisingly good was the Andrea Bocelli’s Mai Piu Cosi Lontano, this is due to the sound engineering of the recording. On tracks recorded in the 80s and 90s, they sounded more laid back and lacked definition, due to the recording methods of the time. Machines by Giorgio Moroder, When I Fall in Love by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin, and Love Theme from Flashdance by Helen St. John, Lady Lady Lady by Joe Esposito were the exception.
Comfort? It was comfortable and while writing this review I was using it for 6 hours straight. The ears didn’t feel uncomfortably warm. With the right adjustment, the I didn’t feel pressure around the ears that that some headphone of this type give nor did I have problems getting good fit, where some I have tested were either too tight or too loose, especially those that have the click type adjusters. If they weren’t so nice, I’d probably be mowing my lawn in them all the time as well but I have concerns of my sweat eating up the material.
Overall, I like the headphone and has converted me from despising over the ear headphones to someone who would not travel without one. The performance makes it a good all-round headset and a great performer for the price. With Bluetooth 4.1, the set has excellent range as it allows me to walk halfway across the house with the phone on the other end.
Playback Device: #Google #Pixel3XL
Music Player: #MusicoletMusicPlayer on #Android
Reference Tracks (All ripped from CDs in Lossless WAV)
Andrea Bocelli - Mai Piu Cosi Lontano
Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – Side to Side
Avicii – Levels
Basement Jaxx – Oh My Gosh
Celine Dion and Clive Griffin - When I Fall in Love
Fattburger – Good News
Helen St. John - Love Theme from Flashdance
Joe Esposito - Lady Lady Lady
Lady Gaga – Monster
Lady Gaga – Gypsy
Lady Gaga – Applause
Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World
Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway
