Suggestions - around neck wired buds and a Nano successor

Thanks to Soundcore I have had a wealth of new audio products, some I’ve bought, some gifted by Soundcore.

Most of them get gifted away. Why?

Well the Soundcore product I still use the most are the Slim buds, these have wire around neck and controls in the wire.

I like them for this reason:

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I don’t have to store them in pockets, cannot lose them so easily

And:

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If they fall out of my ear, they land on me and not on the ground! I’m often moving with just one in my ear so I have some ambient sound capability.

They are getting difficult to get new now, I think Soundcore has stopped making them.

My ask is to renew them, make them better, give those of who can’t use TWS buds (as they fall out!) some love. I’d like Ambient so I can put both in and still aware of the outside sound and ANC to block sound when it is noisy, these buds have good passive isolation.

I’d also like the same engineer who last updated these buds to be involved. The Slim buds have been around for years, the early version would always fail at the same spot, one of the buds would lose sound as the wire split, well the last version had fixed this and I have ones I have used every day for over 2 years and no failing yet. Good engineer - whoever you are - please do that again.

My next ask is to do a successor to the original Nano. He’s example of what is in my bag when out and about.

(the Slim buds not in photo… as around my neck)

The Nano is still in bag, many years after you stopped making them as it is a “just right” product for me. It is just loud enough to be useful in a noisy place or a room, and it is small enough to fit in most pockets / bags and even dangle round my neck if I’m moving. I’d like an IP rated version. The nearest equivalent is the Icon Mini which I have but I still prefer the smaller Nano. Go on!

Now then, I am not breaking your ToS here, I am not listing your future products, but I know what they are, and my two asks are not being met Y͟e͟t͟

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Somebody had asked about them not too long ago as well. I thought about a few other options for him as well but I could not find the other wired buds as well on Amazon.

I still think that they should continue to make some wired earbuds as well but I think the current trend will lead to them to quit making wired earbuds.

It may be similar to other trends you see in electronics. You try to reduce the size to a certain point and then it starts to get bigger again.

It looks like the mini 3 is the closest to the nano right now.

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I have the Mini 3…


So you see the Nano and the Slim buds I prefer, and also the Rave Mini, Icon Mini, Motion+, Mini 2, Mini 3, Neo, Liberty Air 2, Life P3, Q30 and Nebula Capsule Max which can act as a speaker. I’ve gifted away Mini original, another Nano, and a Boost.

The Mini 3 is slightly taller and wider than Mini 2, so for me it is a step backwards!

Soundcore Collective does photo competitions and it’s unfair because Soundcore doesn’t make what I like so I am usually not with your products in the scenes each week.

The Mini 3 arrived today and I immediately think it is worse than the Mini 2 which was already not used as its bigger than the Icon Mini and the Nano.

The TWS buds only really get used when I’m recharging the Slim when absolutely still as the TWS buds get lost very easily. The Rave Mini, to me, is not mini at all - it is huge!

The Icon Mini’s IP rating for me makes it useful in the shower, the Mini’s shape is good for biking listening as my bag is below and the speaker pointing up is clearer, but apart from this situations if I’m traveling it’s with the Nano for its size and I just careful to not let it exposed to water.

So the photographic proof I have (or had) many audio products does qualify my opinion as based on ownership, not theory. The general trend to larger is not welcome here. I am not saying not to do the products now (and the future ones) but to go back to basics of good simple smaller products for those like myself.

The irony. Go to this page


Soundcore’s own page on Amazon has at the top the unavailable Slim buds.

Followed further down by

image image

image image

So Soundcore is directing potential customers to what cannot be bought.

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I second this! I would really love to see both of these older products get some attention and new updates

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I am sorry to hear that about the mini 3. I asked them to send that to my nephew as he was in college and I thought it looked to be a decent looking speaker. My son can get a few other speakers that I have already if he wanted one for college.

I can see why the Nano is liked so well. It is more portable than most speakers that they have out as you can put it in your pocket. (even the mini 3 it is bulky in girth).

I know your pain on the wired ones. I enjoyed the spirit x but as stated it looks like they are not going to produce them either. I had like 2 of them but kids took them both from me. Only one of the two works and the one I gave to my older son still going strong and that has been about what 4 years since they came out.

Plus based on the reviews you showed from those currently unavailable pic you showed from an earlier edit. You can see they have a decent following for the flow, slim and slim + (all with similar design)

It is a wonder they would not do at least an updated version.

I will say keep the faith. :wink:

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The Nano being a cube like shape can do something the Icon Mini, Mini 3 cannot do - be pointed exactly where you want it and stay there.

Most Soundcore speakers are now point where THEY want it pointed. The Mini 3 for example - the sound is pointed UP not towards you and if you place it on it’s side - it rolls away!

There doesn’t seem to be any thought of logistics in practical use, just cosmetics. Bring back a basic cube shape, it gives the choice to the owner where to point it.

I agree - too much attention to how it looks, not how it is in practical use. The parts which make sound are the internals, but Soundcore is packaging on the outside in ways which them less practical. Lights - who needs that!?!? Less is more.

The folks receiving my gifted items are grateful, so I thank Soundcore for the opportunities - but I’m not feeling any love here from the designers yet. :pleading_face:

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I

Although they may not think about the practicality but may be
will make similar products to get into the certain markets. I see Sony also have a similar mini 3 as well.

@The_Professor, I couldn’t agree more in regard to a cord of some sort. I’ll be picking my Liberty Air 2 Pro earbuds up tomorrow. I’ll be using them primarily outside in heavily forested areas year round, day and night. A cord and a *beep to locate" feature would be great. I’d sure hate to lose them.

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Good idea with signal and light localization :+1:t2:. I also thought that localization in the Soundcore app would be even better. Sometimes small headphones remain in the pocket of trousers, jacket, in a drawer, in another apartment and are difficult to find (then even light and sound could not help)

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I often use the Android Find Device from my watch to find my phone / tablet.

I think this can be implemented easily in all Soundcore app supported products, an app update for all products.

However personally “don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good” I’d prefer products to be inherently less able to get lost, i.e. wired buds

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As for the Mini 3, the round shape could be kept because it is attractive. It would be enough to add small slightly protruding plastic elements to prevent rolling on the side of the speaker.

The Mini 3 specifically is weighted.

Soundcore is emphasizing bass performance “bass up” etc.

That means they must weigh it down to stop it vibrating, and they place the weight on one side. A similar principal is used on nearly every Soundcore speaker product.

To make it work in any orientation they must focus less on bass.

I recoil from aesthetic arguments as that’s saying that something you listen to (not eyes) you are made to buy more based on how it looks (eyes).

I once delivered via bicycle a piece of cake, and it ended up smashed, and the intended recipient refused it on appearance. I pointed out at the moment it is actually tasted on the tongue it has been bitten into a small piece and covered with spit. And yet seeing food looking how it is on the human tongue is refused. Humans attach too much to their vision.

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Aesthetic arguments cannot be rejected.
Therefore, even when making food, you take care of its appearance, for example (beautiful and fancy cakes and pies). The vast majority of people are not a connoisseur of sound.
On the other hand, people - especially young people - love to have something that no one has yet. To be able to show off something new in front of your girlfriend, colleagues.
That is why strings and cables disappear, because it is not fashionable. When something is lost, a new product is bought.
For young people, a string or a cable is : “The Age of the Dinosaurs” :slightly_smiling_face:
No more cables, cords and the like!
It’s like a step back, a step back in development. I would prefer a better seal in the ears something like “intelligent foam” or silicone.
Regular earplugs never fall out!
Maybe the perfect material for earbuds will eventually be created …

@The_Professor
Break in the discussion - now watch the Poland - England match :slightly_smiling_face:.
At the moment: 0: 0