I’ve used heaps of Anker Soundcore products over the years. Anker’s audio brand occupies a strong position in affordable audio. Its earbuds and headphones are highly rated and offer great audio for the price you’ll pay.
Its new Soundcore Space One headphones feature upgraded active noise cancelation, support for the Hi-Res LDAC codec, large, comfortable earcups, customizable EQ, the choice of three colors, and a matching carry bag.
The Soundcore Space One delivers real value to users and is one of the best headphones I’ve tested in 2023.
Anker Soundcore Space One
Anker’s Soundcore Space One headphones offer excellent value in affordable audio, featuring top-tier ANC, Hi-Res LDAC codec support, and a comfortable design. While their plastic build might raise durability concerns, the impressive battery life and extensive EQ customization options in the companion app give them plenty of extra features. Priced at $100, they’re a must-consider for budget-conscious music-lovers.
Style and Comfort
The Soundcore Space One are over-ear wireless headphones with large, comfortable earcups. Each earcup has a decent amount of padding, covered by a soft, pleather/leatherette material. The combination of the size and material makes the Space One comfortable for long periods, plus the adjustable headband isn’t too tight and doesn’t place pressure on your ears.
Weighing 265g, the Space One headphones are an average weight for budget-focused cans. For reference, the Apple AirPods Max weighs 385g, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 weighs 249g. They’re light enough that you’re able to wear them all day, that’s for sure.
I was sent the Sky Blue color scheme. It’s not a color I would choose myself, and I preferred the darker blues seen on the Soundcore Space Q45 and Soundcore Life Q35. Still, it’s decent enough; the alternatives are Latte Cream and Jet Black.
Now, I’m not sure how stylish the Space One carry bag is, but it’s a handy addition to the package. If you’re traveling, you might want to keep them in the pouch to protect them from bumps and scrapes in your bag.
As the Soundcore Space One is predominantly matte plastic, having some extra protection at times is probably worthwhile. The plastic extends through most of the Space One headphones and is part of what helps them remain lightweight. However, given the headphone hinges are also plastic, I’d caution against throwing them around too much.
Also, plastic hinges set my longevity senses tingling. How long will these last with daily use? Obviously, with limited testing time, it’s not something I can specifically comment on, but it’s something any would-be buyer should consider.
Nonetheless, the Space One looks tidy and has a good sense of style.
The Soundcore Space One controls are split between the two earcups and placed around the bottom.
On the right are buttons for play/pause and volume up and down (which double as track control with a long press), while on the left are buttons for ANC modes, power, USB-C input, and 3.5mm input.
All of the controls work well, but there are times when the double-use of the volume control as track control comes unstuck, and you increase or decrease the volume instead of skipping forwards. It’s not a huge issue, mind, but it’s a little frustrating when I want to listen to the same song again or wasn’t quite listening to something with full attention.
The Space One headphones don’t have touch controls. However, they have a new feature called Easy Chat that reduces your audio volume to allow easier conversation without removing your headphones.
Easy Chat is activated in the Soundcore companion app and is accessible in two modes. The first, which I like, requires you to cover the rear of the left earcup with your hand, which triggers the Easy Chat mode. The audio reduces almost immediately, allowing you to talk (instead of accidentally shouting—we’ve all been there!).
Note also that the Space One headphones do feature wear detection, but it needs to be switched on in the Soundcore app first.
Connectivity
The Soundcore Space One are wireless headphones, but also come with a detachable 3.5mm jack cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. It gives you the option of plugging your Space One headphones into an audio source—though both of the inc included cables are very short.
The Space One uses Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connections, the latest version of the standard, and supports the SBC, AAC, and hi-res LDAC codecs. The inclusion of Sony’s Hi-Res LDAC codec is interesting on a set of budget headphones like these and will certainly help give the Space One the edge over similarly priced alternatives.
For context, LDAC enables the audio bitrate to switch between 330/660/990 kbps, which, when set to 990 kbps 16 bit/48kHz, can stream similar quality lossless audio to a CD.
Battery Life
Battery life is another strong point for the Space One headphones. They’re rated to last up to 40 hours with ANC on, rising to 55 with ANC off. Those are good battery life and playback figures for budget headphones and are much better than some much more expensive alternatives.
For example, the Apple AirPods Max delivers up to 20 hours of playback, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is rated for a maximum of 30 hours.
I found the Soundcore Space One battery rating largely accurate, without timing specifically. I only managed to run the Space One headphones completely empty once after forgetting to charge them, and that was over the course of a week with daily, varied usage (e.g., different volumes, ANC settings, etc.).
Sound Quality and ANC
The Space One box proudly proclaims “Noise-canceling up, crowd noise down,” and the website notes the Space One ANC is twice as strong as the Soundcore Life Q30. I had a pair of the Life Q30 and alsoreviewed the Soundcore Life Q35, so I can come at this from strong personal experience.
For the price, the Space One ANC is great. We’re not talking Sony WH-1000XM4 or Bose 700 levels here, but Anker knows more than a thing or two about ANC headphones and has used its years of experience and expertise to bring great ANC to these budget-friendly cans.
There are the typical sounds that manage to push through the ANC: busses, airplanes, and so on. But they do a wonderful job of blocking most of that noise out. Other day-to-day noises like people talking in a cafe, background street noises, and so on (I missed a phone alarm!) are blocked out well.
There are also several ANC modes. The Space One ANC options include Adaptive Noise Canceling, Transparency Mode, and a new Custom Noise Canceling mode that allows you to adjust ANC strength between five levels. There is also a handy Wind Noise Reduction mode, which works well enough when you’re out walking and trying to listen to music or a podcast.
Sound Quality
Space One sound performance is also good. The headphones arrive set to use the Soundcore Signature EQ, which turns up the bass and treble but does sound good and familiar. Although the bass can be a little heavy on the Soundcore Signature, it’s still mostly accurate and delivers a good range of lows, capturing sub-bass faithfully for the most part.
The Space One provides punch, power, and accuracy on tracks like Fleetwood Mac’s legendary The Chain or Hans Zimmer’s soaring epic Mountains. I’m not suggesting these are audiophile headphones that capture the full marvel of either track, but they do a stellar job, considering the price.
Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s eponymously titled album is another I frequently use for headphone reviews, and it also sounds crisp and full of life. Their lilting, cascading harmonies, sharp guitar picking, and multi-layered tracks always reveal how good a set of headphones is, and it sounds fantastic.
Of course, the Soundcore Signature isn’t everyone’s cup of audio tea. Numerous other preset EQ settings are available in the Soundcore app, plus the now customary HearID feature. Using HearID creates a unique sound profile based on the results of a hearing test conducted in the app.
Your results will obviously vary, but my test overcompensated for treble, which sometimes made songs using the HeadID EQ sound harsh. Still, you can take the HeadID test as often as you want. What would be really useful is the option to take the HeadID EQ into the custom EQ tuner, where you could further adjust your personalized sound profile.
Are the Soundcore Space One Good Budget Headphones?
In a word, absolutely.
TheAnker Soundcore Space One retails for $100, which, considering the quality of the ANC, audio quality, range of functions, and companion app, is a steal.
I said in the intro to this review that these are some of the best headphones I’ve reviewed in 2023, and I stand by that. You’ll struggle to find a more complete set of features and audio quality for the same price, without a doubt. You might find better audio, but it’ll be at the expense of other features and vice versa.
The Soundcore Space One represents real value for money, and if you’re buying headphones on a budget, these are exactly what you need.
