I’m looking for solid, affordable noise cancelling headphones, but I have no experience with them yet. Any info on what to avoid or look for would be greatly appreciated!
Noise-cancelling suggestions please!
Well what would you be using them for?
Would it be on connected to your phone or using it for meeting on a laptop or computer?
Would you want over ear headphones or earbuds?
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Could you tell your budget please.
If you are looking for over-ear headphones, you have 2 options: Life Q20 or Q30:
- Q20 is older model that has a slight improvement over Life 2. It’s supposed to be an upgraded version of Life 2 but the noise cancellation isn’t that great but also keep the price in mind.
- Q30 is a newer model that was just released in November or December if I remember correctly. Q30 has gotten firmware updates but still has some problems that you can look up on this community. Noise cancellation has been finicky so you could experience some problems though it is supposedly much better than Q20 when works correctly. Q30 also has transparency mode which amplifies outside noise for you to hear better (say someone talking to you or safety when walking/biking on road)
For earbuds, there isn’t any noise-cancelling earbuds that Soundcore sells. Based on the info we have gotten, they are planning a new release on 12th which might/might not have noise-cancelling. You have to keep your eyes peeled for that.
As @Unnamed said, your use case will tell us more about what you should consider.
Looking forward to the announcement tomorrow! From all the posts on social media, it seems they will almost certainly have noise cancelling.
When considering ANC headphones, I would look out for features like adjustable levels of noise cancelling and a transparency mode.
The best most “AFFORDABLE” NC headphones are the Soundcore Life Q20
I have tried several “under $60 USD” headphones… and If I just remembered how much I liked Anker products, I could of saved myself allot of time and just purchase the Q20 in the first place.
I also have the Life Q30 and honestly they sound allot better (because of the EQ settings in the app), And they are more comfortable than the Q20… But sadly There are some things I don’t like about my Q30’s (NC is weak, Button placement/size, Lack of Led light = on) so I am going to return them.
So here ya go:
Best Headphones $ for $ is the Life Q30 (nothing even comes close) but NC is weak
Great low cost headphones with good sound and NC is the Life Q20
You do get largely what you pay for.
The Sony ANC are objectively superior ANC than anything from Soundcore. But 4x the price.
So you really need to understand and accept that your budget decides how good and if you go for a lower cost you will get less good noise cancellation.
The Soundcore Q30 have good passive noise isolation via their large soft ear cups, there’s a little additional noise reduction from the ANC mode. I’d say Q30 about half as good ANC than Sony but at quarter of the cost so twice the value for money.
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I own the Bose QC 35 II and recently received the Q20’s in an Anker contest.
I have to say for their $60 price tag they are a bit less fancy ( a lot more buttons/less organization) but their sound point is way beyond the sound quality of my Bose (~$300 at time of purchase).
The base and treble is phenomenal at this price point.
It is also the Wirecutter budget pick!
In that case, Life Q30 should fit your needs. Like I said earlier, your unit might be finicky so reach out to customer service if you have any problems with it. Also waiting for tomorrow’s announcement is a nice idea but they will most likely cost more than $80 which is the cost of Q30
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Soundcore Life Q30
If you are looking for absolutely top tear ANC performance, you want over ear headphones with ANC as well. And unfortunately, not from Soundcore if it needs to be good enough to block out the noise from an airplane engine or car.
The Q20 or Q30s will work fine if you just need some peace and quiet in the office, and are quite affordable. If you are looking for harsher environments, Bose and Sony make some really high performing ANC headphones, but you will be spending 5+ times as much.
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