by There are a large number of true wireless Bluetooth headsets on the market. Whether they are headphones or earmuffs, they are all dazzling. It seems that it is not easy to find some friends who are affordable. This time, the editor is bringing you entry-level headphones and over-ear headphones, the Soundcore Space A40 and Q45 from the brand Anker, both of which have ANC active noise reduction function, the price is relatively low, and the specifications and experience are good.
▲Soundcore Space A40 and Q45
Soundcore Space A40 Wireless Headphones: 5 pairs of ear tips in 3 colors
The Soundcore Space A40 comes in 3 colors, white, blue and black. The editor tried the black version. There will be 5 pairs of earphone plugs of different sizes in the box, and users can match them according to their preferences.
▲Soundcore Space A40
▲Together with the earbuds, there are 5 pairs of earbuds
The appearance is round and the unilateral net weight of the body is 4.9 grams
The rounded design fits in one hand and fits easily into a trouser pocket. The body material is made of plastic, and it feels quite light to use. The matte design is not easy to leave fingerprints and other traces of use, so you don’t have to worry too much about the fuselage. There are three battery indicator lights on the front of the fuselage, which can let the user know the power level. When only one light is on, it reminds the user that it should be charged. There is a USB Type C charging station on the back of the fuselage. After opening the earphone box, you will see the left and right earphones. The main body of the earphone will be designed with a mirror surface, and the touch position will be designed with a matte surface. The editor feels quite light after loading it. Thanks to its plastic body, the net weight of each side is only 4.9 gram, so there is no sense of load, and there is no discomfort after wearing it for 3 hours.
▲The design of the matte surface is not easy to leave fingerprints and other traces of use
▲ There are 3 battery indicator lights in front of the fuselage, allowing users to know the battery level
▲There is a USB Type C charging position behind the fuselage
▲The net weight of each side is only 4.9 grams
Easy to pair and easy to operate
The editor uses the iPhone to turn on Bluetooth, then open the A40 case, and long press the circular twist next to USB Type C, the words “Soundcore Space A40” will appear on the Bluetooth page, just press to connect. In terms of control, long press the left or right earphone to switch between transparent mode, physical isolation mode and active noise cancellation mode (ANC). Press the left earphone twice to switch to the next song; press the right earphone twice to pause or play music.
▲Press the headset to control
Official app
The official app “Soundcore” is provided. After pairing the headset, just press “Add devices”, “Headphones, Speaker and Frames” to connect the headset.
▲「Add devices」
▲「Headphones, Speaker and Frames」
Waterproof coefficient
The waterproof coefficient of the A40 is IPX4, which is enough to deal with drizzle and splashing water. The A40, which is positioned as a general earphone, is absolutely sufficient.
Endurance supports Qi wireless charging
Officials say that the total battery life is 50 hours, and it can be used for 10 hours without the charging box. I used it for an entire afternoon after being fully charged, and there is no need to charge it, and the battery life is quite good. The A40 supports Qi wireless charging, and in terms of fast charging, it can be used for 4 hours after 10 minutes of charging.
▲A40 supports Qi wireless charging
ANC good physical sound insulation acceptable
It is not surprising that many high-end true wireless Bluetooth has ANC, but the entry-level Soundcore Space A40 has ANC, and the performance is not rude at all. The editor uses it in an office full of typing sounds and turns on ANC, which can basically isolate typing and conversation sounds. Physical sound insulation is not bad, it can isolate more than half of the sound, but the two modes need to be improved outdoors. It is programmed to use ANC on the outdoor pedestrian road. Without listening to music, ANC can basically isolate 30% of the sound of the car. However, if the music is played normally, the sound of the car will affect the user’s listening experience. Users can turn on “Wind Noise Reduction” on the official app “Soundcore”, which can obviously reduce wind noise, which is suitable for outdoor use.
▲ ANC is good
▲”Wind Noise Reduction”
Game mode reduces lag
There is a little delay in Bluetooth headsets, especially in games. There is a “Gaming Mode” in the Soundcore app, which officially says it can reduce the delay to within 100 milliseconds. When the editor tried the game “PUBG”, I could indeed feel the difference in the sense of delay after turning on the “Gaming Mode”. After turning it on, it will definitely help enhance the user’s sense of substitution and response.
▲「Gaming Mode」
▲ “PUBG”
Good high frequency 22 preset modes
Unlike previous models, the Soundcore Space A40 only provides Customized EQ. This time, it supports Hi-Res Wireless, LDAC and HearID, and uses a 10mm double-layer diaphragm moving coil. The editor used Spotify on the iPhone, with the official app Soundcore, and selected the “Default” mode to play Xie Anqi’s “Happy Sunday for Hong Kong Girls”. Listen to Henry Zhang’s “Lost in Omotesando” again. Electronic music is used in the song. Therefore, the “Electronic” mode built into Soundcore is set. After tuning, it is more suitable than “Default”, and the details are more obvious, except for the drum sound and bass guitar. Potential to be improved. In the “Soundcore” app, there are 22 preset modes, which is definitely a lazy choice. If you pursue the tone, you can also adjust it according to your personal preferences.
▲ “Default”
▲ “Hong Kong Girl’s Happy Sunday” by Anqi Xie
▲ “Electronic”
▲ “Lost in Omotesando” by Henry Zhang
▲You can adjust the EQ according to your personal preference
A40 high frequency clear and flat play ANC
The official price of the Soundcore Space A40 is only HKD$899, which is a mid-to-low price earphone. In terms of timbre, the high frequency is relatively good, and it is not too common for low-priced true wireless Bluetooth headsets to have ANC. It is definitely suitable for beginners who want to try ANC.
Soundcore Space Q45
After opening the box, there is a headphone storage box with the words “Soundcore” written on it. The storage box is quite hard and feels like it can protect the headphones. There is a lanyard design on the outside of the earphone box.
▲Headphone storage box
▲There is a lanyard design on the outside of the earphone box
Headphone appearance
The black version of the Soundcore Space Q45 has a low-key shape, and the body uses a matte plastic matte design. Like the A40, it is not easy to leave traces of use. The left and right ears are printed with “L” and “R” respectively, to ensure that the left and right can be distinguished. The head-mounted bracket uses a paragraph design, which is convenient for users to adjust according to the size of the head. There are many buttons on both sides of the earmuffs, and the left ear has switchable transparency mode, physical isolation mode and active noise cancellation mode (ANC), power button and USB Type C charging port.
▲The body uses a matte plastic matte design
▲The left and right ears are printed with the words “L” and “R” respectively, to ensure that the left and right can be distinguished.
▲Volume button
▲Pause button and AUX socket
▲Power button and USB Type C charging port
Pairing directly and quickly
Similar to the pairing method of the A40, users only need to turn on the Bluetooth, then long press the switch on the lower left of the headset, near the charging port, and press “Soundcore Space Q45” in the Bluetooth page of the device to connect. The Soundcore Space Q45 can be connected to the application Soundcore like the A40, and can also adjust EQ or different levels of active noise cancellation and transparency modes.
▲Pairing directly and quickly
▲ You can adjust EQ or different intensities of active noise reduction and transparency modes
Good wearing feeling without feeling cramped
The ear pads use memory foam, which is quite comfortable to fit. Over-ear headphones have never been very suitable for prolonged wear. The editor tried on the Q45 this time, and I wore it for 2 hours. I didn’t see any discomfort, and I never felt that my ears were caught. The most surprising thing was that there was no feeling of cramping. The headrest design may not be suitable for everyone. The editor thinks that wearing it for a long time will feel oppressive, but fortunately, the feeling is too strong and within an acceptable range.
▲The ear pads use memory foam, which is quite comfortable to carry
Pairing 2 devices at the same time is enough
When I work, I often switch between phones and computers. Whether it is Q45 or A40, both devices can be paired at the same time. While wearing the Q45 about 10 to 15 meters away from the device, it still connects stably.
▲Q45 or A40 can pair 2 devices at the same time
Endurance
With ANC off, it can be used for 65 hours; with ANC on, it can be used for 50 hours. The LDAC consumes more power than the normal mode. The LDAC can be used for 45 hours when ANC is turned off, and it can only be used for 37 hours when it is turned on. The Q45 supports fast charging, and you can use it for 4 hours after 5 minutes of charging.
Wide sound field and high detail in “Rock” and “Electronic” modes
The editor used the “Rock” and “Electronic” modes to listen to Zhang Tianren and Hong Jiahao’s “Two Loss One”, and it felt better than using the “Pop” mode. The “Rock” and “Electronic” modes have higher vocals, but at the same time the rhythm Strong background music can also be heard clearly, and the potential is sufficient at low frequencies, but the “Pop” mode has a vague feeling. And using the “Pop” and “Acoustic” modes to listen to Zhang Tianren and Hong Jiahao’s “Frenemy” and Zhao Xueer’s “Seeking Happiness”, it feels good. Both songs are slow songs, so the “Pop” and “Acoustic” modes are handled properly. Especially in female voices. It is worth mentioning that the Q45 has a sufficient sound field and a strong sense of envelopment. Overall, it is very good.
▲ “Rock”
▲ “Electronic”
▲ “Two Losses One” by Zhang Tiantian and Hong Jiahao
▲ “Pop”
▲ “Acoustic”
▲ “Frenemy” by Zhang Tiantian and Hong Jiahao
▲ “Seeking Happiness” by Zhao Xueer
In-ear detection is not supported
Recalling that the previous generation Life Q35 has in-ear detection, users can automatically play or pause songs when putting on and taking off the earphones, but this time the Q45 does not have in-ear detection, which is a little fly in the ointment.
Q45 cost-effective overall surprise
The Q45’s sound performance is better than the editor expected, the mid-low frequency is not messy, and it is comfortable to wear without feeling too cramped. In addition, the official price of the Q45 is only HKD$1299, which is a low-medium price. Such performance is very impressive. Not bad.
Soundcore Space A40
| Monomer size: | 10mm x 2 |
| Charging time: | 2 hours / 10 minutes use 4 hours |
| Use time (earphone single time / with charging box): | Up to 10 / 50 hours (Standard); Up to 8 / 40 hours (ANC / Transparency); Up to 5 / 25 hours (Call/LDAC) |
| connect: | Bluetooth 5.2 (10m transmission) |
| Waterproof coefficient: | IPX4 |
| size: | 68 x 44 x 28mm |
| Net Weight: | 58g (with charging case) |
Soundcore Space Q45
| enter: | 5V⎓0.7A |
| monomer: | 40mm x 2 |
| Charging time: | 2 hours / 5 minutes use 4 hours |
| Frequency response: | 20 Hz – 20 kHz (Bluetooth) |
| Usage time (varies by volume and content): | Up to 45 hours (LDAC) / Up to 50 hours (On ANC) / Up to 65 hours (Off ANC) |
| connect: | Bluetooth 5.3/AUX |
| Bluetooth transmission distance: | up to 15 meters |
| Net Weight: | 292g |
