Anker is best known for its well-received power banks and mobile charging accessories, but the Chinese company has also been busy building its subsidiary Soundcore brand, under which it offers home audio products like smart Bluetooth speakers and wireless earphones.
Anker says its ethos of making quality electronic devices at an affordable price also extends to its audio accessory lineup, so I gave the company`s new Soundcore Life 2 noise-canceling headphones a spin to test out this claim.
The latest addition to Anker`s headset range costs $80 and replaces the company`s first attempt at over-ear active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones, last year`s Space NC cans. As with that pair, Anker is aiming to corner the sub-$100 noise-canceling market, so direct comparisons with premium ANC headphones offered by the likes of Bose and Sony wouldn`t be fair. So how do they stack up on their own?
Design
The foldable Life 2`s come in a sturdy compact travel case that has a pouch for the included 3.5mm gold-plated stereo auxiliary cable and a black USB-A to micro-USB charging cable. There`s no classic airline adapter with these cans though, in case that makes a difference to you.
Weighing 263 grams, the Life 2`s feel slightly lighter than more expensive headphones of similar size, but the steel headband and polycarbonate hinges feel robust enough to take a decent amount of strain, and maybe even a drop or two. That`s all the more impressive when you consider the chassis houses a battery that can power up to 30 hours of wireless use with ANC on.
The inset Anker Soundcore branding appears on the headband and ear cup, but it avoids being lurid by taking the same color tone as the rest of the headset. The adjustable headband also affords plenty of margin for ampler heads, and combined with the memory foam protein leather earcups, the fit is plush and the cushioning sits just right, even after a couple of hours` wear.
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